Emily And The Chocolate Factory

When I was figuring out what to write for my next blog, I had every intention of recapping the most awesome field trip I have ever been on (we went to a bar and learned about cocktails). Then on Friday, I found out about this incredible volunteer opportunity to work in a real kitchen. For Jacques Torres.

If anyone out there doesn't know who Jacques Torres is, he is a world renowned chocolatier, is the youngest recipient ever of the M.O.F. medal (from the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, awarded to the best craftsmen in the country), has worked with Julia Child, and was the pastry chef at Le Cirque (that restaurant I wrote about going to earlier) for 11 years. And he's the Dean of my program at the FCI.

Chef needed some volunteers to come and help finish a wholesale order for Easter that they were behind on. I figured it would be the same old, same old kind of internship opportunity. Billed as a chance to work in his factory, I thought we'd be packing up chocolates into boxes. More grunt work than anything else. And certainly not making anything.

Well, I started the day making chocolate and I finished the day making chocolate.

Granted, I didn't temper or pour any of the chocolate, but I did pretty much everything else. Once the molds were prepped, we vibrated them to make sure they covered every side of the mold, cooled them down on a rotating machine called the spider, put them in the freezer, unmolded them, placed them on sheet trays to finish setting, and packaged them. For nine hours.

I can't remember the last time I felt so tired. Everything ached and I could barely walk when I went home. I think I shuffled home. I wanted to crawl. I loved every second of it.

Really hoping all this chocolate comes out of my uniform.

The best part for me was the chance to work for such a great group of people and see how much they loved and cared about what they did. Chef would interact with the people who would walk by outside and look into the factory, handing out chocolates, and goofing around with everyone working. He bounced parchment paper off my head into a garbage can. I was so nervous I didn't know what to say half the time. But he asked us if it would be okay if they called us to come back again, so I guess I did something right.

Chef also pays well. In chocolate.

My paycheck.

I love my life.