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Pastry Competition 2010
Jei Grimes sweeps 3rd Annual Pastry Competition!
One of the ways through which The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas fosters and challenges new culinary and pastry talent is through competitions and scholarships.
The Annual Pastry Scholarship and Competition was launched three years ago by Quincy Adams Erickson to recognize the unique skill and talent that goes into pastry, which in the past has often taken a backseat to culinary.
The competition is named each year for a Texas Pastry Chef who has made a significant contribution to Texas’ culinary legacy. This year’s honoree was Pastry Chef Philip Speer at Uchi Austin, following last year’s honoree Naomi Gallego formerly of TRIO at the Four Seasons, and the inaugural year’s honoree, Pastry Chef Mark Chapman of Austin. It was hosted at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin (formerly Texas Culinary Academy)n
This year’s grand prize winner is Jei Grimes from Le Cordon Bleu, Austin who received a $5,000.00 culinary scholarship and will have his recipes featured in the Foundation’s online, interactive cook-book, Plate & Vine®.
The two runners-up, Samantha Wiff, and Sharon Gofreed, also from Le Cordon Bleu each carried home $1,000 scholarships. The competition encompassed five different pastry challenges, blindly judged by a panel of experts.
Meey Our 2010 Pastry Winner!
Jei Grimes
Jason (Jei) Grimes is a North Carolina native with 16 years of industry experience prior to any formal training. His love for food and cooking was sparked by his grandmother, who introduced him to the basics of cooking and fine dining at a young age.
“Coming from the mountains of North Carolina I was not exposed to much,” he said, “…my dream now is to open a confectioner’s shop.” On the cusp of graduation, Grimes feels that he has a firm grasp on both the business side and now the formal pastry training to go alongside it.
Following the competition, Grimes prepares to go to work that evening. As he cleans up his kitchen space he pauses, “I still can’t believe it.” But he won’t be much time for celebrating, “Tomorrow I’ll be right back here. That’s what this is about.”
*** NOTE: Recipes will be featured in the Foundation’s celebrity chef online cookbook, Plate & Vine® (www.winefoodcooking.com). WFFT members receive special discount pricing.
MEET OUR HONOREE & JUDGE:
 PHILIP SPEER – Uchi, Austin
Speer has been showered with awards and praise locally as well as nationally in Bon Appétit, Cooks Illustrated, and USA Today. He appeared as a judge on the Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" as well as part of Chef Tyson Cole's team that competed on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." Most recently, Speer was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist in the overall pastry chef category.
MEET OUR FINALISTS
SHARON GOFREED & SAMANTHA WIFF
(Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Austin students).
MEET OTHER WFFT JUDGES & CHAIRS:
Quincy Adams Erickson – Fête Accompli
Chef Quincy Adams Erickson is currently the owner of Fete Accompli,Inc., specializing in party food for takeout, delivery and full catering, located off 12th street across from the Tavern. Erickson was the previous owner of Amuse Bouche, LLC, a catering company. She is a graduate with honors of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France with the prestigious Grande Diplome de Cuisine et Patisserie. After returning to the States, she published two articles about her food adventures in France that appeared in the Austin American Statesman and is working on a book about her humorous experiences moving to and living in Paris and two cookbooks- “French Food with an Attitude” and “Basic, Classic, Eclectic”.
Erickson is currently serves on the Board of The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas after having served on the Executive Board of Texas Hill Country Wine Food Festival for 5 years and a volunteer or participant for 10 years. Currently, Erickson also teaches occasionally at Central Market including her new series, “Basic, Classic, Eclectic”.
Aimee Olson – Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Austin
Chef Aimee Olson has been the Department Chair of Baking and Pastry at the Texas Culinary Academy for the past six years. She was the Executive Pastry Chef at the four diamond Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado during which time the chef was nominated times for the James Beard Award. She also worked as a Pastry Chef for James Beard Award Winner Barbara Lynch at No. 9 Park in Boston. Chef Olson was Assistant Pastry Chef at the Inverness Resort in Denver Colorado; and Catering Assistant at the Corner Bakery in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Denver; Certificate of Baking and Pastry and Certificate of Restaurant Management from The Cooking And Hospitality Institute of Chicago; and a Pastry Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Chef Olson is past President of Les Dames D’Escoffier Austin Chapter.
Pat Sharpe – Executive Editor and Food Editor, Texas Monthly
2008 Pastry Scholarship Winner
Carrie Reed, Texas Culinary Academy
2009 Pastry Scholarship Winner
Liz Sterling, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
HOSTED BY:
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin is set in a 52,000-square-foot facility designed to inspire and support the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Program. Few institutions possess the prestige of Le Cordon Bleu and its programs. The school takes pride in exceeding expectations with a curriculum that helps prepare graduates with the skills they need in today’s competitive workplace.
SPONSORED BY:
Plate & Vine – Online, Interactive Cookbook
In an effort to remain on the cutting edge of the Texas culinary industry, the Foundation partnered with Keeper ® Collection, LLC (www.keepercollection.com). This joint innovative project is an online, interactive cookbook featuring Texas celebrity chefs that sheds a new light on modern cooking.
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