How Eater Young Gun Annie Rupani makes her dinner parties truly interactive This is Party Time , a column featuring industry and Young Gun-approved approaches for acing a dinner party. Annie Rupani started in the industry as a one-woman show. The 2015 Eater Young Gun had intended to launch a career in law, but during post-graduate travels, she grew inspired to pursue her love of chocolate. After chocolatiering school, Rupani landed in Houston, where she launched her business, Cacao & Cardamom, as not just its chocolatier, but also as the dishwasher and the handywoman, the salesperson, marketing specialist, and financial planner — basically everything needed to get the business off the ground. The dedication paid off, and over five years she has grown Cacao & Cardamom to include a team of 10 employees. “We’ve grown from just producing chocolate bon-bons and truffles to expanding our selection with candy bars, dragees, mendiants, artisan bars, and rochers,” Rupani says. “I...