Supporting good people with great ideas is an excellent way to help a trade thrive. We at the Chicago School of Mold Making believe that good ideas should have a chance to grow. And chefs who seek to compete should have a chance to test themselves. Welcome to our Culinary Art Events.
Since they were our customers as competing chefs, we have supported passionate innovators Chef Paul Bodrogi, event producer of Pastry Live and Chef Jimmy MacMillan producer of the CRPC series. These chefs give their all by producing ground-breaking culinary arts events where daring presentations are welcome. In addition to supporting Chef Paul Bodrogi and Chef Jimmy MacMillan, we also support our customers at the Latest Events internationally. We return from our travels rich with photos and stories, sharing the adventures through Pastry Postcards. (There are plenty of savory ones too!)
Please peruse our stories and photo collections, it’s our pleasure to share the remarkable work with you!
Latest Events
Tasting Gold at Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 2017
Pastry captures our imagination like few other things can. It is a magical mix of childhood desires, edible fantasy and sensory delight.
Throughout the last 15 years, we have worked with many remarkable competitors. Not only for teams competing at du Monde de la Pâtisserie, but a multitude of talented chefs, both local and international. It’s been a fantastic to create custom molds to help the chefs reach their next level at competitions…
Pastry Postcards from the IKA Culinary Olympics
Pastry Postcards showcases the 2016 IKA Culinary Olympics, the largest culinary competition in the world. As chefs from all over the globe come together to compete. We at Chicago Culinary FX are proud to have helped our clients bring to life their ideas on this world stage. Through imagination and creativity, each team of chefs […]
Pastry Postcards IKA features the work of Team USA at the 2016 IKA Culinary Olympics, the largest culinary competition in the world. Team USA placed 4th highest score, and we at Chicago Culinary FX are proud to have helped our clients
Pastry Live 2016 – For Chefs by Chefs
Now in it’s fifth year, Pastry Live continues to be a good example of what gathering of the pastry community can be—By chefs, For chefs. See Over 85 chef competitors put their best work forward in seven competitions.
This Owl Cake by Stephan Schubert, Executive Pastry Chef at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa.
Custom Chocolate University Donor Gifts
A prominent university reached out to Chicago Culinary FX, the custom branch of the Chicago School of Mold Making, to recreate an iconic bronze statue in the miniature form of an 8” chocolate figurine. The client explained they wanted to give chocolate replicas of the ‘founding father’ to their largest private donors at an upcoming […]
Held in the artistic capital Paris, 20 top chocolatiers from 20 countries came from around the globe to showcase their best masterpieces to the theme “Inspired by Nature”.
In Pastry Live 2015, ninety competitors put their best foot forward in seven competitions. Over three riveting days, chefs competed in the Signature Plated Desserts, Chocolatier of the Year, Art of Cake, Student Chocolate Challenge, Dessert Cup, Pastry Atlanta and National Showpiece Championship events.
Our friends at Cacao Barry presented another great opportunity for Pastry Chef to shine; the annual L’Art du Chocolatier, held here at their Chocolate Academy in Chicago. Contestants Wilfredo Barajas, Helen Hong and Anthony Vellut presented impressive work for this year’s theme “The Roaring Twenties”.
One of my favorite world-class culinary events is the prestigious Bocuse d’Or. Held every two years in Lyon, France, the Bocuse d’Or was created to by legendary Chef Paul Bocuse to showcase excellence in the world of gastronomy. The top 24 artist chefs from all over the world demonstrated their culinary mastery by preparing the […]
Culinary World Cup 2014, Luxembourg
One of the highlight of my job is covering world-class food events like the Culinary World Cup 2014, Luxembourg. Officially known as Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup – ExpoGast, it is held only every four years. In 2014, the five-day event welcomed 105 international teams that consisted of over 1,000 chefs and confectioners. The […]
U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition
Shortly before the USACAT team was competing in the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, they contacted us to make custom molds and specialized production tools. To support the team and catch them in action, I headed to Erfurt to cover the event. After enjoying the teams work, for which they took silver (hot food), I […]
Cacao Barry L’Art du Chocolatier 2013
L’Art du Chocolatier 2013 Challenge At this years L’Art du Chocolatier 2013 event, Jérôme Jacob, Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Hotel & Casino won First Place and Best Tasting in Cacao Barry’s L’Art du Chocolatier Challenge. Second place was awarded to Sean Pera, pastry cook at for Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, North […]
Coupe du Monde 2013 Another spectacular event, this year 22 teams representing five continents at the Coupe du Monde 2013, prepared breath-taking work in front of an enthusiastic audience. Presenting ice, sugar and chocolate showpieces, and four other desserts, it was riveting to behold. The winners of the two days, 10-hour event were: 1st place, […]
At the2013 Bocus d’Or event, Thibaut Ruggeri of Maison Lenôtre and representing France, won first place and took home the golden Bocuse d’Or statue. Silver was awarded to Denmark’s Jeppe Foldager of Søllerød Kro Holte, and Japan’s Noriyuki Hamada of Hotel Bleston Court took home the bronze.