chocomag

Oh my God. I almost forgot Keegan, Lisa Baily, Jennifer Witte, Drew Shotts, Layne Whitehead, and Biagio Settepani. Lisa is one lady that can work for me anytime. She has a work ethic that is fabulous and a personality to match. As for Keegan, what can I say. I love this guy like family. I would and do trust him completely. Because of Keegan, Jennifer Witte, Drew Shotts, Layne Whitehead, Donald Wressell and Biagio Settepani (another man who has my admiration, respect and love), our show is improving as rapidly as the show put on by the pastry chefs themselves. Sorry to be so sappy but Pamela got me nostalgic.

You know, it's rare when I read a write-up about something I'm so involved with that isn't on the negative side, that I didn't know how to handle this chat. I can tell you Pamela that I was crying as I read your thank you's. Let me tell you something about the Carymax crew, the "Black Shirts." Each of them is a professional in his/her field and each of them give their time and energy for NO formal pay. Yes, I do send them thank you gifts but nothing is set in stone. Al Farrington, who owns American Baking Systems is my kitchen foreman, Chris Dressick, former Executive Chef of Toscanini's in Beaver Creek, drives the fork lift, Donald Wressell Executive Pastry Chef Four Seasons Beverly Hills is our carpenter and then reporter, John Szymula and Dennis build high rises in Florida and they build our kitchens, Steve Wickum, John Wickum, Casey Wickum and, Darren handle electricity (Steve says wiring our kitchens is like wiring a small apartment building in 2 days), Kathryn Gordon and Tina Korting handle our prep kitchens for the Forum, Stuart Jankoff, a young man who wants to learn how to produce special events is our go-fer, Susie Levitz and Jill Gratereaux handle our travel, accommodation and ticketing for ProTravel, Lisa Baron, Regina Caillot, Juanita Jeys and Alexis Llacuna our full time staff. And at the end of the event, do you know what the Black Shirts asked me? Could we assign other colored t-shirts to volunteers and leave only the guys that handle the kitchens (Forum and Competition) in black. $7 t-shirts mean more to them than any form of congratulations or money. What I'm saying is that it's a brotherhood that gets together with Norman and me with a common goal - to put on the best event of its kind in the world. That's what it takes and that's why I get so defensive when certain people smugly criticize with no idea what is involved. To all of you on this site who have given their opinions and their time, I thank you.

Sorry it took me so long to go on to find out how some of you that were there felt about the event. To begin with, the Belgian Team has all of their medals, and along with their manager Marc Debailleul, have convinced me that their outburst was spontaneous and regretted. I would like to say the same for the French and Pascal Caffet, Philippe Parc and Alex Gye-Jacquot seemed to agree with their 3rd place finish. Olivier Bajard, their manager is not dealing with it as well but I have received his congrats on the organization. Steve, I know it's late but if you go on our websire pastrychampionship.com you will find every score from every judge for every category. The next time you see any other competition in the world do that, please let me know. Whoever wrote that I was surprised was correct. I never expected this result and. truth be told from a business standpoint, was not happy. Clearly, having the USA win both times is not in the best interests of the event, BUT it was the way it turned out and we don't cheat. The winners won because the judges scored them the highest. Clarification of rules and scoring is also on the website. I dont know if Belgium and France will return but I suspect they will. Belgium didn't lose because of degustation (although USA did beat them at it). They lost in the work category. They didn't put on a pair of gloves in 2 days, they were cited for stacking chablons (against the rules as it creates a pseudo-mold) and they had pots and pans in the sink at the end of day 1. Still, they lost by 1 point. I think they are a fabulous team and I have grown friendly with Stephan Leroux and Serge Alexandre. Philippe Rheau is also a nice man who was so drained, he couldn't deal effectively. There is no doubt that both Belgium and France acted in bad taste and with poor sportsmanship. They'll learn. I think one of the problems is that in other "World" events, atheletes are schooled in accepting things gracefulle. "I only want to help my team," or "With the help of God we'll.... Here, there young men go from shoppes to a world stage and have no coaching on sportsmanship. It happens but it is unfortunate. The pastillage idea was designed to make the playing field more fair for teams having to travel. It worked well. There is no judging in the room, only an official making sure only one team member was working at any one time. I hope those of you who were there came away understanding that this event is the most fair and unbiased in the world. I promise you it is.

You got me guys. I just received a message to go on the site and see what you are all saying about us. To begin with, I have never alibied PAD's shortcomings in terms of delivery and content. In fact, I have repeatedly asked all of you to send us your ideas or suggestions. Alacarte, tan319 makes it sound as if I am going to demand to know who you are so I can make some horrible trouble for you. C'mon folks - is there anyone out there who can honestly say I have ever done a vindictive thing to any pastry chef (or anyone else for that matter)? If you weren't paid, why didn't you contact me and tell me what was going on. I don't know the reason or the circumstances but we don't stiff writers. Sometimes we take a long time to pay and for that we are guilty but never stiff. Have any of you out there ever used a chocolate or product other than the one you really wanted to use because of a management dictate? Maybe it was $ dictated. I can tell you that unless you are living under a rock, EVERY magazine that takes advertising bends over for their advertisers. To us, that means including them in round-ups (which I suspect alacarte's article probably was). We do not, nor have ever been a magazine of ratings and what is acceptable and what is not. Our philosophy is simple. Don't say something good about something that is bad. Other than that, it's a dollar business, as is every establishment all of you work for. Tan319, take the last 2 years of PAD and look at the Signature section. Usually 4 or 5 recipes and bio's per issue. How many of them are "competition" pastry chefs? We are happy to feature new chefs to the magazine if they let us know who they are. Scooped by Food Arts!!!!!!! Is this sacrilege or something. They have a good magazine and come out many more times a year than we do so their lead times are shorter. It happens. Do I like it? No. But I can live with it. Steve, you seem to have a very realistic viewpoint of the business and if you stop believing that Haymarket and Carymax are motivated by evil, we will usually be on the same page. I do not like the fact that frozen or wholesale desserts are cutting into jobs. I don't like it at all. In fact, those of you who believe I am only in this business for the money, should clearly understand that any loss of pastry chefs or jobs hurts my circulation. And, to set the record straight - I am not in this for the money, any more than each and every one of you out there. But, frozen and wholesale desserts exist and we need to cover that. I was talking to Philip Braun, the president of Albert Uster, and he is carrying ICEESCAPES, a product that fits into this category. He wants it to be successful and of high quality but he really hopes it is used as a means of supplementing hotel requirements. Do I believe him? Absolutely - I know him and he is a straight shooter. We're all in business and most of us try real hard to do what's right. Try giving the benefit of the doubt unless the evidence is to the contrary. But keep on demanding answers from me and others like me. It keeps us alert. Till the next time.

Okay. I should proof read my stuff before hitting the send button. The second paragraph, first sentence should read I have decided to cut back on my schedule.

Whew!!! For a minute there I thought I had an incurable illness and no one was telling me. Let me set the record straight. I have decided, because my schedule to cut bacv. Putting on the National and World Pastry Team Championships along with the World Pastry Forum, and now the National Bread & Pastry Team Championship out of Atlantic City and finally, entering into discussions with High Noon Productions to create and execute shows for TVFN, I'M BUSHED. Add in my 3 and 6 year olds and life gets complicated. However, I have no intentions of cutting back on PAD and Chocolatier is in good hands. Also, I have not left my company. I have a great deal to say about how it is run and what goes in it. But, it is hard to let go. I am by nature a control freak so when I see the 20th anniversary issue of Chocolatier not include Jacques Torres an one of the 20 best artisans, I get sick, then angry. But, you cant let go and then second guess everything your people do. Our plans for Chocolatier are to take it to 4 issues a year, have them revolve more around holidays, add a chocolate newsletter for Gold Club members written by Clay Gordon, offering lots of discount coupons, etc. and spruce up the quality. Naturally, we will raise the price because we havent for 8 years and the new package will be more expensive. It will be better but will be more consumerish and I realy enjoy the profesional side of the business more. You folks make me feel connected - even you Steve. Nothing will change with PAD unless we get good ideas from pastry chefs on what they want and are missing. We'll try hard to accommodate them. On a personal note - your comments about the magazine, my column and me made me feel more appreciated then I have ever felt in 20 years and I cannot tell you what that means to me. It's easy to be misunderstood when everything is judged on who has the largest and loudest opinions. I only hope to someday meet all of you. Thank you again Drew, without you I would not have been able to connect with these people.