In honor of 4/20, award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate Chicago writes about her foray into marijuana edibles.

________________________________

Chef Mindy Segal works to made edibles delicious. Photo via HotChocolate

I’ve always had an innate need to help people—a bleeding heart if you will. I know that’s why I became a chef and definitely why I own my own restaurant . I get enormous satisfaction in making people feel good through food. I guess you could say I nourish people’s soul through comforting flavors and textures. Entering the world of cannabis is just an extension of this mantra.

I can personally attest to the medicinal qualities of marijuana, having suffered chronic back pain and severe migraines for years. I have met with patients in the Illinois medical cannabis program suffering from illnesses such as Tourette’s syndrome, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis. My goal is to create products that will deliver relief and be as consistent as possible while also being delicious.

Currently, I am working on adapting recipes like my dark chocolate brittle with smoked almonds and crunchy toffee bits, milk chocolate peanut butter and peanut brittle, caramelized white chocolates with toasted marshmallow and butterscotch, and a beautiful floral puree white chocolate with hints of orange blossom water, pistachio and raspberry. I’m also planning to introduce a line of granola bites with all different kinds of seeds, nuts, dried fruits and honeycombs.

Some of Mindy’s high-quality edibles. Photo by Jennifer Olson

Some of these products will contain no cannabis taste, which is achieved by removing the terpenes from the cannabinoids. For other products, we will reintroduce terpenes back in to be a complementary flavor. Using high-quality chocolates and ingredients is my goal and as my edibles make their way into states with recreational marijuana, I’m excited that more people are going to have access to my brand.

I look at what I’m doing as a form of advocacy for legalization as well as education for people that are sick or people that are interested in the recreational side of it. I’m still going to run my restaurant and write cookbooks, but I want to be a model for this movement and leading with this project is a way for me to do that. Though I’ve still got a lot to learn about cooking with cannabis, which is exciting, I want my approach to this to align with how I approach my craft, with integrity and honesty.

____________________

Mindy answered questions about her edibles business live on Taste Talks’ Facebook page . Check it out: