CleverRoot

s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 | 8 5 But in this industry, expan- sion and growth often come with new challenges, even for a trailblazing chef whose experience in whole- sale baked goods runs deep. "Before it was regulated, people were cooking with cannabis on their stove at home. But now it is becoming a highly regulated prod- uct. You have to have it tested by a lab and you have to have nutritional information. Everything keeps chang- ing so quickly that it can be hard to keep up." But years of working in busy kitchens has got- ten Segal accustomed to keeping on her toes. "There's a lot to learn about, a lot to read about," says Segal. "It's a different game entirely from just cooking with regular food; these are two separate gigs," she explains. "I don't think about cannabis when I'm working at my restaurants, and I don't think about my restaurants when I'm working in the cannabis industry." That said, Segal naturally relies on her years of experience as a pastry chef—where the tiniest of measurements matter—as she crosses over into can- nabis, another space where measurements and dosage need to be as precise as possible. "I do bring a pastry chef's perspective to this industry, applying things I've learned over the past 35 years, and bringing that per- sonality and expertise to my brand," she says. With the success of Mindy's Artisanal Edibles it's no surprise that some of her mainstream chef friends have come knocking on the door asking for advice as to how they too can join the green rush. "A lot of my chef contacts have contacted me, telling me they make the best butter, have the best levels in their infusions, but it's a lot different to make 40 of something great at home and making 10,000 at a time in a production facility." "This industry's not easy," she says, "but it is a lot of fun." It's an age-old story: Girl works in some of Chicago's best kitchens, opens a beloved restaurant, wins a James Beard Award and decides to launch a line of cannabis-infused sweets. If you heard a record scratch there at the end, you're not alone, because this story's as rare as they come. It may be uncharted territory for an acclaimed chef to publicly crossover into the can- nabis industry, but for Mindy Segal, owner of Mindy's HotChocolate Restaurant and Bakery in Chicago, the dive into the unknown will pave the way for future chefs to take the leap, and raise the bar for the quality of edibles across the board. "I think what I'm doing is a very good thing," begins Segal. "But there is such a crazy, crazy stigma around cannabis. There was a risk for me to come forward with this line, but I had no second thoughts about doing it. I'm very proud of what I'm doing." By partnering with Cresco Labs to launch her own edible line, Mindy is helping change the public's per- ception of cannabis-infused foods, one sweet morsel at a time. With products like Strawberry Sparkling Wine hard candies (10 mg. THC each), Milk Chocolate Pea- nut Brittle (25 mg. THC each) and Citrus Dreamsicle caramels (25 mg. THC each), these con- fections are elegant enough to give your canna-curious mom for her birthday, and expertly dosed so you can ensure she has a good time. "My customer is someone who can ap- preciate a good candy or chocolate and wants to have that, but also feel good in a controlled way," says Segal. "A college kid in Denver that wants to have a space cookie is not my clientele." Segal understands her cli- entele by visiting dispensaries in Illinois directly, taking the time to speak to patients firsthand. It is customer- generated wisdom she'll rely on when the Mindy's Artisanal Edibles line expands to recreational states in the coming months. ■cr

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