Enter to Compete in the 17th Annual Cake Decorating Challenge

Jodi Schweiss, of Schnuck Markets Inc. in St. Louis, Mo., won the 16th Annual Cake Decorating Challenge, hosted by the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association at the Dairy-Deli-Bake expo earlier this year in Anaheim, Calif.

The 2012 competition will take place June 10-12 in New Orleans, La., with the IDDBA covering all expenses for transportation, lodging and meals during the contest as well a providing all materials and tools needed for the competition.

The contest is open to retail store decorators, who need to submit a photo album of their best cakes, along with the competition entry form, available on the IDDBA website. This page also includes helpful tips for organizing a portfolio and hints as to what the judges are looking for--the ability to create enticing theme cakes, production cakes and wedding cakes, as well as showcasing creativity in a "decorator's choice" category.

For more innovation wedding and bridal shower cake design ideas, check out the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of American Cake Decorating--including creative approaches to display, elegant wedding party shoe designs and much more.

Bocuse d’Or Europe
Europe’s top cooking competition is back for more

The 20 participating countries are now known on 20 and 21 March 2012, atHoreca Life, in Brussels

Last January at Sirha in Lyon, France, the culinary world experienced a revolution: for the first time, Scandinavian nations walked off with the top three places in the world’s leading culinary competition. Will this dominance continue? Can new countries threaten the Nordic supremacy? These and other questions should be answered at least in part by Bocuse d’Or Europe, to be held during Brusselicious, the 2012 Year of Gastronomy and as part of Horeca Life.

On 20 and 21 March, 20 talented chefs from all over Europe will face one another to compete for the Bocuse d’Or Europe title and aim to figure among the top 12 qualifying places for the final of Bocuse d’Or 2013. This year, the competition will be presided over by Peter Doossens, one of Belgium’s best chefs, and under the honorary presidency of Alex Atala, a well-known Brazilian chef. 20 countries selected, and a newcomer: Bulgaria

A culinary reference worldwide, the Bocuse d’Or is famous for highlighting tremendous talent like no other event can. It is also a prestigious show, bringing together technical skills and creativity. A key step towards reaching the world final of the Bocuse d’Or, which will take place on 29 and 30 January 2013 in Lyon, under Sirha, the Bocuse d’Or Europe is an opportunity to discover emerging culinary trends in each of the participating countries. Dedicated to broadening the horizons of the haute-cuisine community, each edition benefits from adding new countries. In 2012, Bulgaria will participate for the first time in the European selection. Meanwhile, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic will be returning to the competition.

www.bocusedor-europe.com
www.brusselicious.be
www.horecalife.be

France press contact – Agence AB3C
Anne Daudin – Alexandre Lopez
Tel: +33 1 53 30 74 00
anne@ab3c.com - alexandre@ab3c.com

Belgium press contact – Agence Cinna
Valérie Lepla – Sybille Iweins
Tel: +32 2 538 90 08

valerie.lepla@agencecinna.be - sybille.iweins@agencecinna.be

L’Art du Chocolatier Challenge 2012
Cacao Barry® announces seven finalists for coveted title of Chocolatier of the Year

Renowned for producing the finest-grade chocolate in the world, Cacao Barry® is one step closer to finding the Chocolatier of the Year in 2012 as part of its annual L’Art du Chocolatier Challenge, an “all chocolate” competition that encourages creativity and expertise in designing and executing original creations using the French premium brand.

Following the nationwide call for entries, 37 submissions were received and the seven finalists have been chosen. The finalists now will compete in the event on the weekend of May 4, 2012 at the state-of-the-art Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Chicago for the chance to be crowned Chocolatier of the Year 2012 and a chance to win one of three prizes totaling $15,000. Selected from amongst the best pastry chefs in the United States, the finalists are:

• Simon Bregardis, Assistant Executive Pastry Chef, Bellagio Hotel
• Florent Cheveau, Pastry Chef, Jean Philippe Pâtisserie, Las Vegas
• Hichem Lahreche, Executive Pastry Chef, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
• Yoshikazu Kizu, Pastry Chef, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes
• Wesley Mayton, Complex Pastry Chef, The Walt Disney World Swan
• Russ Thayer, Assistant Pastry Chef, PreGel America
• Natalie Collins, Assistant Pastry Chef, The Mansion at the MGM Grand

Highlights of the event include renowned mixologist Freddy Diaz preparing Boiron purée-based cocktails and celebrity chef Garnier preparing artisanal Hors D’Oeuvres using Mycryo®, Cacao Barry’s unique powder form cocoa butter.

Chefs who wish to attend and view the competition as well as the reception can RSVP in advance with their name to CacaoBarryRSVP@barry-callebaut.com.

Second episode of the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition

They just keep getting better! In this webisode, our contestants; Meg Galus of NoMI Kitchen, Greg Mosko of North Pond, Jove Hubbard of The James Hotel and Sarah Kosikowski of Sixteen at Trump Tower must use the mystery box to prepare their Amuse (one-bite taster). With limited time and over 20 ingredients and tools to choose from, tensions run high.

Watch the video on YouTube for the second of three webisodes.

Chicago School of Mold Making: chicagomoldschool.com