So how did Master Chef Rudolph van Veen come up with such an evocative showpiece? The story demands more space (a future feature).
We can tell you that Rudolph is very aware of our evolving times… Lady Gaga, a regular in our media, sees herself as a living work of art. In the extravagant way she personifies the word ‘show’ he recognized that she would make for an ultimate ‘show piece’. The Masterpatissiers exam offered a perfect platform as the judges welcomed individual expression of the candidates in their work.
At slightly under three and a half feet tall, the showpiece was made entirely out of sugar and chocolate. She was cast with 220lbs/100kg of Callebaut chocolate, and airbrushed to look life-like. Decorated with blown, pulled and cast sugar, she was dazzling. Using the smallest details to demonstrate confectionery skill, down to the airbrushed tattoos and pulled sugar hair, Rudolph created a masterpiece.
Held in Arizona, July 5-6, this international competition was an event to behold. Representatives from Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and USA competed for the gold.
The theme: Childhood
The results: Beautiful work
Judge for yourself…
Summer Update – The 2010 Summer Newsletter from the Chicago School of Mold Making. Inside you’ll find:
- June Showpiece Showcase
- Pastry Postcard #16 – Stéphane Tréand’s Sugar Class
- World Chocolate Masters
- Summer Appearance
Read the newsletter…
Chef Source, a Michigan specialty foods provider brought in Stéphane Tréand, MOF to teach a two-day sugar seminar for their valued customers. Held at Oakland Community College, Master Pastry Chef Tréand demonstrated a variety of techniques to make sugar showpieces & amenities. Sparked with inspiration, the class of professional chefs erupted into a fervor of sugar artistry…’
See the pictures here!
James Mullaney, C.E.P.C. Corporate Pastry Chef for Atlanta Foods International lead the team consisting of Pastry Chef Todd Owen, Pastry Chef Adam Anselmo, and Pastry Cook Nicholas Yanni to a first place finish at the “Chocolate Wars” held in southern California for TLC Network.
Chef Mullaney, a veteran competitor (US National Pastry Champion in 2005 and bronze medalist at the 2006 World Pastry Championship) captained the team to finish the required chocolate centerpiece, twenty-four chocolate bon-bons and in the fifth hour incorporate a mystery component in the required nine hours. Their chocolate centerpiece was made without any artificial supports at 142 cm tall and weighing 95 kilos.
Once completed it had to be transported from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara Zoo for a Conservation Celebration. Nice work team!
For Mother’s Day, this amazing chocolate flower display was created by Kirsten Tibballs, Paul Kennedy, Robyn Curnow and Seung Yun Lee using our custom leaf molds. The display measures over 17ft (5.3 metres) long, up to 6.5 ft (2 metres) high and 6.5ft (2 metres) wide. It required over 500 kilograms of Callebaut Belgian couverture chocolate and took the team of three people more than 400 hours to create.
For more photos and info visit the Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School website savourschool.com.au. Better yet if you happen to be near Victoria, Australia stop by to see it in person.
Getting ready for Coupe du Monde 2011, the tryouts for team USA where held at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in Grand Rapid Community College as Gilles Renusson, President of Club Coupe du Monde hosted the two day event.
Seven contestants stepped up to the plate, three with Chocolate showpieces, four with Sugar Showpiece.
Let’s follow the event…
New Items: ShowStoppers, the one-stop template to build a complete showpiece.
Pastry Artist Stéphane Tréand has done it again. Chef Tréand has created several new designs to help you build an entire showpiece from one single sheet-pan sized mold called a ShowStopper. Made from food-contact-safe platinum silicone, you can cast sugar or chocolate elements again and again. In today’s market where everyone expects more, Showstoppers will be an easy way for you to deliver a variety of showpieces and amenities quickly and efficiently.
After more than a year in development, Chef Tréand will be demonstrating his new molds at the World Pastry Forum this summer in Phoenix, Arizona. Be sure to enroll or stop by his hands on class to see the results!
Spring Update – The 2010 Spring Newsletter from the Chicago School of Mold Making. Inside you’ll find:
- April Showpiece Showcase
- Pastry Postcard #15 – Abu Dhabi-Unrivaled Quality
- Upcoming Events
Read the newsletter…
As part of the annual Dutch Pastry Awards selection Ronald van Haarlem and Daniel Jongsma battled for the most beautiful showpiece. They had 2 hours to put their showpiece together in front of an audience. Ronald took the title by popular vote. For more photos, follow the link…
So how did Master Chef Rudolph van Veen come up with such an evocative showpiece? The story demands more space (a future feature).
