If there’s one thing that Katherine Clapner’s chocolate creations prove is that there’s a fine line between creativity and madness. After working in kitchens around the world, all roads led this classically-trained pastry chef back home to Texas. She opened her first chocolate shop in Dallas in 2009 and she’s been thriving ever since. It’s here that her twisted genius takes flight and where the only rules that apply are nobody’s rules but her own.
“To me, defining the Edgë is all about defying definitions and educating with passion. That’s what it’s about, changing perceptions and turning people on to things that they wouldn’t normally buy or taste. We always tell people to try something that sounds unusual or something that they’ve never heard of before because the end result is not nearly as weird as what it says on the label. It’s there for a reason. The more people learn about other cultural cuisines and about how other ingredients are paired, the better it is for all chefs.”
"The New International Confectioner: Confectionery, Cakes, Pastries, Desserts and Ices, Savouries by Wilfred J. Fance “Terrible photographs. Supreme techniques. It’s been out of print for 50 years, but it’s the be-all and end-all of all things pastry. My father bought it for me over 15 years ago and it cost $250 even back then.”
“Who the hell knows where it comes from? I certainly don’t, but I’m happy it’s still coming! Inspiration has come to me from my friends, from places I’ve visited, from folk art, music and movies. The names of my chocolates are a play on what’s inside and are often named after some of my friends, Monty Python skits, and anything that pokes fun of pop culture.”
“My advice for somebody getting started in this business would be to work everywhere you possibly can, and work as hard as you can because it only gets harder once it’s yours. Learn by listening. If you want to really cook and excel, you have to learn to ‘eat a lot of crow’ and do it for the love, not the money, as that is reserved for a select.”
