This program is part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Join the brains behind Bay Area-based Dandelion Chocolate, in conversation with maker Adam Savage, as they dig deep into the world of chocolate making and eating. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Todd Masonis, CEO of Dandelion Chocolate, Greg D’Alesandre, chocolate “sourcerer,” and the rest of the Dandelion Chocolate team make some of the best bean-to-bar chocolate around, and their book, Making Chocolate: From Bean to Bar to S’more, unravels the secrets for anyone from hobbyists to professional makers seeking to create delicious, luxurious chocolate in their home kitchen. From the simplest techniques, such as roasting beans on a sheet pan to winnowing away the shells with a hair dryer, to more complex subjects, such as the science and mechanics of making chocolate to the nuts, bolts and ethics of sourcing beans directly, this book follows the cocoa bean from the farm to the factory to the pastry kitchen—and everywhere in between.

Talking about chocolate can be torturous unless there’s tasting involved, so join us before and after the program for Dandelion chocolate-making demonstrations and education, chocolate samples, hot chocolate, s’mores, and more! Thanks to in-kind sponsor Fort Point Beer for providing tasty brews to accompany the treats.