Each year since 2002, many of the world's best pastry minds gather for four days of intense chocolate work, creative cakes, and mind blowing sugar sculpture at the World Pastry Forum. Held July 1-5 at the JW Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, the World Pastry Forum is a destination showcase of chefs specializing in the fine art of pastry. Albert Adria, Stephed Durfee, Colette Peters and others provided expert demos, both educational and entertaining, over the course of the four day conference.
Icing on the cake, so to speak, is the National Pastry Team Championship held directly after the Forum wraps up. The competition featured 8 teams, each with 3 professional pastry chefs who compete for 13 hours over the course of two days. All they have to make is... a plated dessert, an entremet, an entremet glace, bonbons, petits gateaux, and chocolate and sugar showpieces. Fittingly, the theme was "Time", something the chefs never had enough of from the moment the bell sounded. The criteria-taste, presentation, technique, and creativity. The goal-win the National's, qualify to go to the World Pastry Chef Competition in 2010 to compete for the World Title.
Marriott was very well represented with four of the eight teams :
Team Chowdhury - Kaushik Chowdhury, Captain, Melynda Gilmore, and Keith Taylor - all from Desert Ridge. In addition to worrying about their competition, as host hotel they also had to stay focused on the events, especially with all of those pastry chefs running around the hotel.
Team Co - Loan Co, Captain, Panida Garrett, Paul John R Padua. Loan Co is our pastry chef at the San Francisco Marriott. Loan has won more awards than I can recall, and has competed in the Culinary Olympics in Germany as well as countless other competitions.
Team Hasmuller - Klaus Hasmuller, Captain, Daniel Keadle, and Jeffrey Ontiveros. Klaus is our pastry chef at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter.
Team Dadzie - Ebow Dadzie - Captain, Bill Foltz, and Anthony Smith. Chef Dadzie is the Assistant Pastry Chef at the New York Marriott Marquis, led by the infinetely talened Steve Evetts.
And the winners are...Team Chowdury and Team Dadzie! Team Chowdhury really did well, winning the competition with a Gold and the degustation (Best Taste) award, with Team Dadzie a very competitive Bronze showing These are really phenomenal accomplishments. The teams practiced every chance they had and it is great to see all that hard work pay off. Not one to rest on their laurels, the Team Chowdhury is already discussing their strategy for the World Competition.
Good luck Team Chowdhury, and congratulations to all the teams who competed.
What's on YOUR plate today?
Love the post. I wish Marriott could incorporate some of your healthy eating ideas into the regular menus at Residence Inn, and Courtyard. I would love to see grilled Zucchini, and maybe some grilled tomatoes and salad items on the breakfast menu. Right now if want to eat a healthy breakfast I have to make it myself.
- Nick Archibald
This is a great idea for families on a budget!
- Jerry L. Morgan
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