When: October 15-17th, 2011 Where: The Chicago School of Mold Making,
46 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL, 60302
Creativity
Chicago continues to receive notoriety as having some of the
best and most creative pastry chefs in the country.
We are looking for the most innovative, creative and best
tasting plated dessert.
Community
The Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition (CRPC) is open to
any working pastry chef in the Chicago area. There is no
entry fee and finalists will be selected based solely on the
artistic and culinary strength of their work.
Competition
The CRPC is a single day competition where chefs will be
asked to make 8 plates of an original, creative and
innovative plated dessert and 8 servings of a dessert amuse
from a mystery box. The winner will be the chef that
presents the most creative and best tasting desserts.
The competition will take place on October 16th, 2011 from
8am-5pm. We will have a dinner on the 15th at the school.
There will be an open house and award ceremony on the 17th.
Judging
Five finalists will be selected by a judging panel that
includes Chefs Curtis Duffy (Alinea, Avenues), Della Gossett
(Charlie Trotter, French Pastry School) and Jimmy MacMillan
(Avenues,
JMPUREPASTRY).
Prizes
Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes will be presented to the top
finishers. Prizes include: Chicago School of Mold Making
classes and gift certificates for silicone molds, pastry
equipment, Chocovic chocolate, and more!
Application
Send your name, restaurant name, address, phone number, and
email address along with a color photo and original recipe
of one original creative plated dessert to:JMPUREPASTRY@gmail.com
by May 16th, 2011. Recipes must include:
ingredients, measurements and method of preparation for
eight servings. Email inquires welcome.
Finalists will be notified by the first week of June
2011. Finalists will have until Aug 1st to turn in their
competition recipes.
Rules Summary
1. Chefs will bring their own ingredients pre scaled and
labeled in clear containers to the competition. Contestants
may bring their own plates or CRPC committee will provide
plates.
2. All recipes will be prepared on site. If exceptions are
made, they will apply to all competitors.
3. Chefs will also be required to create a dessert amuse
using mystery basket ingredients, molds and plates made
available to them.
4. All recipes, dessert photographs, video images and all
other content provided by applicants may be used for
publication, promotion and other purposes.
5. Winners will be the contestants awarded the most points
in creativity, artistic design, taste and innovation.
6. Winners will be selected by the CRPC judges based on a
points awarded system. All decisions will be final and not
subject to review. Final scores will be sent to all
participants.
The Chicago Restaurant Pastry
Competition
"The Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition started as a
small idea for a local competition that ended up becoming a
much bigger idea.” explains Chef Jimmy MacMillan, the
organizer of the city's newest springboard for local talent.
MacMillan had been having the same conversation for years
with Michael Joy, founder of the Chicago School of Mold
Making: What is the future of American pastry competitions?
Why was the cost of competitions so high for the chef? After
all, a chef just wants to share their creations and talent
with the world, and perhaps gain some well-deserved
notoriety.
It’s important to point out that master mold maker Joy has
spent the last nine years working with some of the best
pastry talents in the world, translating competitors’
designs into sophisticated silicone molds for use in
constructing elaborate sugar and chocolate sculptures.
The conversation inevitably continued when the two would
meet at industry events.
Would it be possible to have a competition without politics?
Could we let pastry chefs simply show their creativity for
the love of art? What would be the goal?
“My goal is to reveal the true art and beauty of modern
pastry by allowing chefs to do what they do best every day,”
says Chef MacMillan. “I wanted to create a competition where
local Chicago pastry chefs could show their talent without
having to run an obstacle course, cook with a microwave or
use convenience foods.”
Jimmy asked some of his friends to be the judges; Chef
Curtis Duffy from the two stars Michelin Avenues Restaurant
and Della Gossett, an instructor at The French Pastry School;
both Charlie Trotter alums, one couldn’t ask for a more
qualified, Chicago-based group of judges.
“The great thing about the pastry chefs in Chicago is they
are tirelessly striving for something great and are
continually pushing the bar higher," remarked Chef Duffy.
“I’m really looking forward to this competition.”
The competition will take place at The Chicago School of
Mold Making in their new creative center. But they won’t be
selling tickets. Instead, everything will be videotaped and
broadcast on the web via media partners Starchefs.com and
Pasticceria Internazionale. The event will feature five of
the city's top pastry talents. On competition day (October
16th, 2011) the doors will be closed allowing only the
competitors, judges and special guests.
“Starchefs.com and Pasticceria Internazionale will help us
broadcast the event, the desserts, and Chicago’s pastry
chefs around the globe,” says MacMillan. “Their sites boast
impressive numbers, millions of web visitors every month. I
believe the quality of our pastry scene is world class; we
want to share their work with the world.”
Could this be the future of competitions - low overhead,
grassroots movements with promotion and viral web casting?
We asked Beatrice Schneider, the Creative Director for the
Chicago School of Mold Making about why Chicago’s pastry
scene is worthy of such an event. Without hesitation,
Beatrice remarked, “There is a fresh breeze blowing through
Chicago's restaurants, and original desserts are bringing in
enthused diners. Chicago's new generation of talented chefs
are embracing innovative techniques while still honoring
their comfort roots. This presents us with a pastry scene
worth noting and promoting. We look forward to shining the
spotlight on this city's chefs and the edible artistry they
are presenting to their guests."
CAPTION
The five chef finalists for the Chicago Restaurant Pastry
Competition will be announced June 27th, 2011. Check out
JMPurePastry.com and Pasticceria Internazionale website for
the announcement!
CHICAGO RESTAURANT PASTRY COMPETITION
This is not just local competition….but a trend
setting global broadcast!
