Remember Alice when she fell into Wonderland?  That’s how I felt as I walked into the huge white tent on Beaver Creek Plaza and into the magical, amazing and arcane world of pastry. 

The occasion for my visit was the Second Annual Beaver Creek National Pastry Championships and Culinary Festival last June.  Twelve teams consisting of three chefs each competed for $125,000 in prize money, the largest purse for any such competition.  Only chefs currently working in the U.S., who had been medalists in major pastry competitions, were eligible to enter which narrowed the pool of possible applicants to less than one hundred.

These crème de la crème chefs came from all over the country, toting their special chocolates, colored sugar and batterie de cuisine.  They set up in the festival tent in 12 identical kitchens, complete with chocolate tempering pots, ice cream makers, cooktops, ovens and fridges.  

The chefs worked in quiet concentration for nine hours creating their showpieces portraying the assigned theme of toys.  Each team had to produce a sugar showpiece (sculpture), a chocolate showpiece, two identical cakes (one for the judges, one for the display), petits fours, chocolates, and two frozen desserts.  Amazingly, the public was invited, free of charge, to watch the entire process.  

I was transfixed as the chefs pulled, molded and sculpted the lumps of brightly colored sugar into fanciful or realistic shapes.  Some sugar was even blown like glass.  Pastry is food, so sanitation concerns were a priority, and cleanliness of the workspace comprised a significant percentage of awarded points.  

A translucent crescent moon, an undulating, striped “silk” ribbon and even a jack-in-the box were but a few of the splendid sugar productions.  Many pieces looked like glass, but were even more fragile.  

The chocolate work was also intriguing as the molten brown and white liquids were hardened, cut, molded, rolled and sculpted into a variety of forms including a dreamily sculpted woman and an upturned, curved xylophone.   

An international panel of judges was overseen by Jacques Torres, recently pastry chef at the famed New York Le Cirque 2000, who closely observed the entire process and was periodically presented with samples to taste.  Taste comprised a high proportion of the awarded points.  

Prime spots directly in front of the kitchens were reserved for film crews from The Food Channel for their “special” on the competition.  

The grand prize winning team was led by Ewald Notter, founder of the International School of Confectionery Arts in Maryland. The judges chose this masterful presentation that included a silk-screened sugar monopoly board, complete with playing pieces and money floating around and above it.  

Presentations must be complete and flawless.  Some were not, either because of the vagaries of the weather (temperature affects properties of sugar and chocolate) or overly ambitious planning.  In fact, the audience watched in horror as several pieces crashed.  

Judge Tony O’Rourke, Executive Director of Beaver Creek Resort Company, put this in perspective suggesting that, as in other areas of life, the ability to adjust to the circumstances often determines a successful outcome.  Apparently even at this level, some teams could “punt” better than others.  

Fun as it was to watch the showpieces develop, other activities beckoned.  Mini-tents on the plaza housed continuous demonstrations of both pastry making and new products.  Popular New York cookbook authors Rose Levy Beranbaum and Nick Malgieri demonstrated extraordinary desserts easy enough for the home cook.  The Blodgett Corporation amazed with an under five minute croissant baked in their technologically refined convection-microwave oven.  Maytag has just introduced a home version. 

Other booths around the plaza featured foods from some of the area’s best restaurants at a nominal cost.  Children were entertained by continuous craft activities and special music and theater performances.  

For those more self-indulgent and willing to pay for it, two very special dinners were offered including an opening barbecue and a “five star” awards banquet.   

What a great way to spend a weekend, a world class fest and feast. Are you dreaming of attending this year’s event?