My life’s philosophy has always been “life’s short – eat dessert first!” and I try to live by that motto. At restaurants (from white tablecloths to the golden arches) I always read the dessert section of the menu first, and I often joke that in addition to my normal stomach I’ve got a “dessert stomach.” After several years spent in the mind-numbing world of higher education administration, I finally got the courage to quit and start at culinary school a mere one week later. I am now a fully qualified pastry chef, which among other things means I get to play with chocolate most days of the week! I can’t really think of a better job, so in addition to working for someone else I also own a small ‘bespoke’ cake business – weddings, parties, any excuse to eat butter and couveture, really!
I’ve always wanted to expand my love of confectionery beyond the kitchen, so this foray into writing about candy is a way to do exactly that. As a cultural mutt (born in the US to immigrant parents, and now living in Australia), I have always had access to a wide variety of sweet treats from an array of countries across the globe. I think nothing of traveling several thousand kilometers for a chocolate, candy, or dessert experience – and have done so on a number of occasions. Basically, writing for Candy Addict is really just a thinly-veiled excuse to support my (socially acceptable and totally addictive) habit. Bring on the Pocky!