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Hot Chocolate

Dan Rattigan brings the heat on the grill, frying ancho and guajillo chilies.
Banana leaves, which will be used to wrap tamales, get a quick pass over the grill to make them more pliable.
A few years later, they moved to Asheville and opened French Broad Chocolate Lounge.
Guests immediately spot their seats at the table thanks to Jael’s chocolate script on each plate.
Jael, Dan, and guests Rick Wedell and Andy Farkas, take turns filling and folding tamales in corn husks and banana leaves.
The combination of cacao and chili originated in the form of a drink made by the Mesoamerican people who inhabited Central America before Columbus’ arrival.
Jael warms guests’ spirits with cups of rich hot chocolate sprinkled with chili powder.
The Rattigans’ family and business started with a bus ride to Costa Rica. In a small beach town, they opened Bread and Chocolate, and celebrated the birth of their eldest son, Sam.
Photography by Christopher Shane