Whenever Valerie Gordon of the eponymously named Koreatown chocolatier Valerie Confections needs inspiration for her latest chocolate-covered creations, she simply cruises the stalls at the nearby Silver Lake farmers market and checks out the plumpest, ripest, most fragrant produce on offer. The result? Delightful seasonal treats like pumpkin-seed toffee with paprika, locally sourced figs dipped in bittersweet chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate bark with roasted almonds. Her passion for the seasonal and locally sourced has also inspired a new line of jams. Strawberry-rhubarb and strawberry vanilla bean are top sellers—and with each spoonful offering small pieces of fruit, who can resist? If you want to learn a few of Gordon’s secrets, sign up for one of the boutique’s classes on preserving fruit, taught by home-canning expert Kevin West.
