Within a sea of restuarants, we are thrilled to host chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth. She says, "Little things may take longer, but they matter. Taking the extra steps to create exceptional products is an essential value, and a key to achieving excellence. We know our customers appreciate such attention to details."

Ginger Elizabeth Hahn is a formally trained chocolatier and pastry chef who has been studying and working professionally with chocolate for over 10 years. She studied pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated top of her class receiving the CIA Management Award and Angel Scholastic Award.

1. In one sentence, describe your ethos or goal with Ginger Elizabeth.
My goal with Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates is to create truly memorable experiences and traditions around chocolate and pastry.

2. You are in farm country - do you have a favorite veg or fruit that you wait for all year?
In the summertime I’m waiting for the winter citrus crop … amazingly floral bergamot and yuzu are my favorites! In the winter I long for olallieberries … I get them from a farm in the foothills where I grew up. We’ve taken advantage of our proximity to amazing local farmers by making sure to preserve fruit at the peak of its season so that we can access flavors year round.

3. What inspires you, as a chef?
Travel inspires me immensely. Whether it is a short weekend away or a longer leisurely trip, traveling always seems to take my mind to a creative space.

4. How has technology shaped your business?
Most notably, technology allows me to tell my story in a way that way not possible even a few years ago. Through the internet and social media we can access a virtually limitless audience.
Technology also allows us to share and learn efficiently as a professional community. This sparks increasing creativity and keeps standards high.  

5. What are you serving at IFBC?
•    Walnut Shortbread Praline Bonbon, made with organic Fully Belly Farm Walnuts.
•    Olive Oil and Sea Salt Bonbon, made with organic Yolo Press Olive Oil and Jacobsen Sea Salt.
•    Salty Caramel Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches, made with Jacobsen Sea Salt.
•    Olallieberry Pie Macarons, made with organic ARC Farms Olallieberries.   

6. If you could talk to all of our bloggers individually, what would you want them to know about food, technology, your biz?

This is such an exciting time to be working with food!  There is a renewed interest in farming which is bringing us a growing and diverse array of products with which to work. Here in Northern California, we are especially fortunate to be surrounded by amazing farmers and producers. Technology has given professionals and consumers alike increasingly easy access to knowledge and ideas. As a result, more and more people are seeking out meaningful food experiences on a regular basis. My goal is to take advantage of all of these wonderful opportunities to continue creating innovative, compelling and – above all – delicious chocolates, macarons, ice cream and desserts. For techniques and ideas I keep my eye on the global community of professionals; when choosing ingredients, I focus on using the amazing produce and other resources grown and produced close to home.