Mastering chocolate
Barbara Revsin
Posted: August 1, 2007
Chicago—"Very carefully" is how Vincent Pilon, executive pastry chef of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, describes the way he packed his unassembled showpiece for the U.S. National Competition of World Chocolate Masters organized by Barry Callebaut. Not carefully enough, as it turned out, since the showpiece lay in more pieces than planned by the time Pilon completed his marathon 26 hour drive to Chicago for the May 19 competition at the French Pastry School.
At stake was an opportunity to compete in the first Salon du Chocolat Professionnel in Paris on October 20 to 22, an event scheduled to run concurrently with the consumer-oriented Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. A seasoned competitor at 32, Pilon wasted no time mourning his loss. He got right to work and started over.
Like his fellow contestants—Naomi Gallego, pastry chef of PS7's in Washington, D.C.; Jove Hubbard, executive pastry chef at David Burke's Primehouse at The James Hotel in Chicago; Jimmy MacMillan, executive pastry chef of The Peninsula Chicago; Oscar Ortega, pastry chef/owner of Cioccolato Pastry Shop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; David Ramirez, executive pastry chef at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando; and Joseph Utera, an instructor at the Ramirez's Culinary Academy Le Cordon-Bleu in Orlando, Pilon incorporated this year's theme, "National Myths and Legends," into his designs. "The Great Spirit," his re-created chocolate showpiece, exalted the Native American legend of the eagle as a symbol of universal power.
When the last of the seven judges finished their duties and results were tallied, the ticket to Paris had Pilon's name on it. And as he explained, the upcoming competition is important both professionally and personally. Not only does his family live in Paris, but this will be the first time they can actually watch him compete. And, he crows, "The competition will give me an opportunity to show them that I made the right choice when I left France to work in the United States."
