Off The Clock: Katherine Conti
– By April Neal, designer
We are incredibly lucky to work with some of the most creative people you’ll find anywhere. Musicians, painters, dancers, poets, sand sculptors, we have it all! So I introduce you to “Off The Clock,” a regular post about what we do after five.
Here’s where I make you insanely jealous: We have a chocolatier. A very generous chocolatier that brings in her experiments for us to try regularly. Her hobby has driven her to transform her own kitchen into a candy shop, with molds and special equipment everywhere. Meet designer Katherine Conti (and wish you were here to try the samples).
Where did this interest start?
I blame PGAV. It all started when they told me I was going to become the “food service expert.” I started reading food blogs and got so engrossed that I decided to make homemade sweets as holiday gifts. The response was so positive and I enjoyed the process so much that I made another batch. But in truth, food is central to my family culture (I’m Italian!), and I’ve always considered the ritual of food a fundamental part of who I am. Because of this I’ve always loved fine food, and I have a ridiculous sweet tooth, so to discover that I could make and enjoy my own chocolates was incredibly exciting.
Did you love it immediately?
I loved it immediately, absolutely. I would easily spend six hours in the kitchen without even realizing it. I still do!
What’s the best part of the creation process?
My favorite part might be dreaming up the flavors and themes. I love finding unique ways to pair ingredients. I carry a small notebook everywhere I go because sometimes the best ideas come when I’m not thinking about chocolate at all. I try to pay attention to what chefs and mixologists are doing. Designing how the pieces will ultimately look, and how a collection will look together, is a huge part of the fun for me. I am a designer, after all.
Favorite thing you’ve made?
I’m proudest of my collections, and of my more imaginative flavor combinations. But honestly if you lined up every confection I’ve ever made, I’d go straight for the salted caramels and the salty peanut patties. It’s very strange, and honestly a little disappointing – I want to crave the more exotic flavors above all others, but I go right for the salty-sweet every time.
Biggest mistake or disaster?
There was the time that my work table collapsed just moments after I had dipped the last of a batch of 120 truffles. Every one of them went flying. My husband didn’t mind, though – he’s a firm believer in the Five-Second Rule.
I’ve kept a recipe journal from the very beginning where I document each batch from start to finish so that I have a complete record of what worked and how I can improve on them. I also incorporate people’s comments because they help me gauge the successes and failures of each batch. And I’m overly cautious, maybe even a little neurotic, when setting up my work table now.
You’ve done collaborations with coworkers and their favorite ingredients?
Josh Rodriguez and I have collaborated on sangria confections several times. I use his homemade peach sangria to make a drunken ganache center for the chocolates. I also make salty peanut patties with the Colonial Williamsburg peanuts that Kelly Giles has made famous around the office.
