PastryScoop.com definitely scooped a talented group for this year's Sweet Success conference including (from left to right): Nathan Miller (The Kitchen), Sam Mason (wd~50), Kee Ling Tong (Kee's Chocolates), Jean-François Bonnet (Tumbador), Nicole Kaplan (Eleven Madison Park).

THE SUGAR RUSH
PastryScoop.com's 2nd Annual
Sweet Success Conference

New York, NY. October 2005—There was definitely a palpable excitement and buzz in the air (or maybe it just was all the sugar!) on the corner of Broadway and Grand Street in New York City as close to 300 people descended on The French Culinary Institute for a day of sweet sampling and rubbing elbows with like-minded dessert lovers at PastryScoop.com's 2nd Annual Sweet Success Conference on Sunday, October 16th.

The event brought together 14 top pastry talents who hosted a dozen sold-out workshops which included sessions on how to bake perfect pies with Melissa Murphy and Andrea Lekberg from Sweet Melissa Patisserie, cheesecakes with Nicole Kaplan from Eleven Madison Park, cookies with Shelly Kaldunski from Martha Stewart Living, and cakes with Nathan Miller from The Kitchen. For the pastry professional, Sam Mason from wd~50 demonstrated the cutting edge possibilities of hydrocolloids in a workshop that was both delicious and inspiring. Cynthia Peithman of Cakeline took the mystery out of custom cakes with a lesson on how to make silicone molds for wedding cake decorations. Karen DeMasco of Craft put the focus on the fall harvest with her seasonally inspired creations, and The FCI's very own chef-instructors Hans Welker brought down the house with donuts (that's Berliner to you) while Tina Casaceli and Jürgen David showed off the creative possibilities of DIY chocolate bars. And to further the chocolate fervor, Kee Ling Tong of Kee's Chocolates hosted another wonderful workshop on chocolate truffles and bonbons. Jean-François Bonnet of Daniel fame and soon to open Tumbador, wowed the crowds with his impressive 4-star chocolate desserts. To round things out, chocolate maven Alison Nelson of Chocolate Bar presented her own ode to living the chocolate lifestyle with a workshop devoted to all things chocolat.

In between each two-hour workshop, guests mingled over tasty snack breaks which included more desserts and chocolate samplings, an ice cream cocktail social, and a brownie and dessert wine tasting. Door prizes were awarded, everyone left giddy with goodie bags... full, happy, and looking forward to PastryScoop.com's next conference on Sunday, May 21st, 2006.

Participating chefs and their workshop topics included:

• Grand Marnier presents Four-Star Chocolate Desserts with Jean-François Bonnet from Tumbador
• Silicone Molds for Cake Decorating with Cynthia Peithman from Cakeline
• E. Guittard Chocolate presents DIY Chocolate Bars with Tina Casaceli & Jürgen David from The French Culinary Institute
• Whole Foods Market presents Fall Farmers' Market Desserts with Karen DeMasco from Craft
• Chocolate Bonbons and Truffles with Kee Ling Tong from Kee's Chocolates
• Rumford presents A Cakewalk Around the World with Nathan Miller from The Kitchen
• Pies 101 with Melissa Murphy & Andrea Lekberg from Sweet Melissa Patisserie
• Sorrento Cheese presents Cheesecakes with Nicole Kaplan from Eleven Madison Park
• Jellin' with Sam Mason from wd~50
• Eat More Chocolate! with Alison Nelson from Chocolate Bar
• Wholesome Sweeteners presents Cookies for Gift Giving with Shelly Kaldunski from Martha Stewart Living
• Donut Time with Hans Welker from The French Culinary Institute

To request high-resolution photos, email info@pastryscoop.com

Sam Mason of wd~50 inspired attendees with his creativity and unique dessert style.	There was plenty of talent to teach at this year's Sweet Success conference (from left to right): Jürgen David (The FCI), Nathan Miller (The Kitchen), Melissa Murphy (Sweet Melissa Patisserie), Karen DeMasco (Craft), Andrea Lekberg (Sweet Melissa Patisserie), and Tina Casaceli (The FCI).	The James Beard award winning chef, Karen DeMasco from Craft, showed attendees how to make the most of the season with delicious fall farmers' market desserts.
Hans Welker of The French Culinary Institute shows off his irresistible Berliners, the delicious German version of the classic donut.	After a delicious sponsored break filled with pastries galore, these attendees still had room to sample the chef's treats.	Shelly Kaldunski of Martha Stewart Living showed attendees how to make, decorate, and package cookies for homemade holiday gifts that would make Martha proud.
Melissa Murphy, along with Andrea Lekberg (not pictured) of Sweet Melissa Patisserie, taught the secrets to the perfect pie and showed attendees why they won the city's Best Pies and Tarts in Zagat's 2005 NYC Gourmet Marketplace Guide.	Attendees look on as they gain insight into the unique world of hydrocolloids that have allowed wd~50's Sam Mason to create some of the most delicious and inventive desserts.	FCI chefs, Tina and Jürgen, show off one of their DIY chocolate bars.
Tumbador's Jean-François Bonnet prepares for his workshop which gave many the chance to taste true 4-star desserts.	Cynthia Peithman of Cakeline delicately removes the top layer of her wedding cake for serving as The FCI's Lee Anne Wong looks on. With the use of silicone molds, this is definitely a work of art!	There are few boundaries when it comes to chocolate for Alison Nelson of NYC's Chocolate Bar. Here, chocolate makes an unexpected but tasty appearance in a spiced meatball recipe.

PastryScoop.com would like to express appreciation to all who have provided support for
the 2nd Annual Sweet Success Conference.

About PastryScoop.com

PastryScoop.com is an online resource designed to inspire and educate both pastry professionals and serious amateur bakers. It provides free content on such topics as dessert trends, baking tips, and food events in order to increase overall awareness of the pastry arts and to promote creativity within the field.

About The French Culinary Institute

Founded in 1984, The French Culinary Institute teaches culinary protocol, language, and techniques supporting the creation of not only French dishes but also virtually any dish in Western cuisine. The FCI offers separate and diverse courses for both aspiring and working culinary professionals and amateurs.

Press Contacts:
Judiaann Woo (646) 254-8543, jwoo@pastryscoop.com
Kate Brown (646) 254-7550, kbrown@frenchculinary.com