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Denmark is so proud right now of her chef, Chef Rasmus Kofoed, for having taken home the first prize of the prestigious and sought-after culinary competition, the 2011 Bocuse d’Or.  This was held last January 25 to 26 of this year in Lyon, France, and the next one will take place two years from now.

The 2011 Bocuse d’Or competition asked that the contestants whip up two dishes – a meat and a fish dish.  For the meat dish, they were to work with Scottish lamb, and for the fish dish, they had to work with Scottish monkfish and langoustine as well as crab.  They had five hours and a half to prepare and cook the dishes; plus, they also have to create three garnishes to complement their signature dishes.  Once the time was up, they had to present their creations to the panel of judges made up of 24 prominent chefs representing each of the competing country.  The panel of 24 judges was headed by yet another three influential chefs – the President Founder (Chef Paul Bocuse himself), the Honorary President, and the President of the International Jury.

Chef Kofoed was among the 24 contestants who took part in the prestigious competition, and he truly deserves the title of 2011 Bocuse d’Or winner, particularly since he won first place at the Bocuse d’Or Europe competition last year.  He got to take home not only the most-coveted Bocuse d’Or trophy, but he also got to take home the prize money worth a whopping €20,000.  Of course, there is also the prestige that comes with being this year’s Bocuse d’Or winner, an honor that he shares with his country.

It is without a doubt that Chef Kofoed really deserves the title.  After all, he has prepared for this event for almost a decade, what with winning Bocuse d’Or bronze (2005and silver (2007) trophies prior to the 2011 Bocuse d’Or competition.  This automatically makes him as the first chef to have ever won multiple medals from the Bocuse d’Or competition.

The second place went to Sweden’s Chef Tommy Myllymaki.  He got to take home the Bocuse d’Argent rophy, and as for prize money, he received €15,000.  As for the third place, this went to Norway’s Chef Gunnar Hvarnes who went home with the Bocuse de Bronze trophy.  The prize money that he received was €10,000.

There were other awards though that were handed out at the 2011 Bocuse d’Or.  Japan’s Maiko Imazawa won the best commis award; Switzerland’s Franck Giovanni won the best fish platter award; and France’s Jerome Jaegle won the best meat platter award.  Guatemala also won a Bocuse d’Or trophy for having the best promotional campaign; while Spain won the best poster award.

It was indeed an exciting two-day duration for chefs all over the world as they watched and waited with bated breath who will win the grand prize of the 2011 Bocuse d’Or.  Countries rejoiced when their representative chefs made it to the top, and other countries were also disappointed as their bets ranked low.  However, we are bound to see them again in two years’ time, battling it out with the best of the best chefs in the world.

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The 2011 Madrid Fusion has come and gone, but the results of the three-day culinary conference will linger.  For those who were not able to attend and participate at the said events, then here is a recap of what went on during the 2011 Madrid Fusion.

The First Day

The first day of the 2011 Madrid Fusion dealt with cuisine and technology.  Here, celebrity chefs shared their techniques when it comes to using science and technology in their cuisine.  One of the topics that were tackled was a new machine, the Cryotuv.  This machine deals with vacuum cooking as well as the use of liquid nitrogen.

Other topics that were tackled included the Phillips crockery, the Slow Food Movement, innovations in kitchen appliances and products, among others.  The day was also interspersed with cooking demonstrations sponsored by a number of big chefs in the industry.

The Second Day

The second day dealt about the “cuisine without frontiers” concept.  The talk was brought about by the fact that, right now, the cuisines are changing.  Because of globalization, there are now lesser limitations when it comes to searching for new tastes, flavors, and textures.  So to capitalize on the changes, one is urged to use his imagination, creativity, and, yes, even sense of humor when it comes to whipping up innovative dishes.  The discussion led to talks of food pairing as well as food balance, which ultimately led to a cooking demonstration that showed how you can mix three different cuisines to come up with a very elegant dish.

Other activities that took place during the second day included the customary Truffle Auction, the sommelier competition, a discussion dedicated to wines, a discussion on the importance of social media networking, and a discussion on the hospitality sector.  Of course, the second day was also interspersed with cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs.

The Third Day

On the morning of the third day, the discussions were mostly about dessert making.  This included baking as well as pastry making, and this also included renowned pastry chefs sharing their knowledge and technical expertise.  The final day was also interspersed with dessert making demonstrations together with lectures on the theories and principles behind the techniques.

The final day also gave tribute to the top 20 chefs that have been very influential and have made brilliant contributions to the culinary world.  Some of the big names included the head chefs of the restaurants named in the S. Pellegrino, some of which are Chefs Ferran Adria, Juan Mari Arzak, and Andoni Luis Aduriz as well as Chefs Heston Blumenthal, Joel Robuchon, Thomas Keller, among others.

Closing activities for the three-day event included more talks about restaurants and the advertising as well as talks of the latest fad in cocktails.  It also included wine discussions.

Contests were held during the 2011 Madrid Fusion, some of which are the VIII Designer Tapas Contest and the III Recipes Contest, Haute Cuisine with Canned Fish.  Awards were also given, some of which are the Award Revelation Restaurant and the Award for Technical Precision.

The 2011 Madrid Fusion was well-covered by the media and journalists.  In fact, more than a thousand journalists came to the 2011 Madrid Fusion, with almost half of them coming from countries other than Spain.  The rest were from the country.  All in all, the 2011 Madrid Fusion has been a success.

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This year, 2011, marked the 12th celebration of the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie or the World Pastry Cup.  This huge culinary event has brought together thousands of food lovers all over the globe, especially those who love desserts.  It has also brought together 57 contestants representing 19 different countries to battle it out with each other in the hopes of taking home the much coveted 2011 World Pastry Cup grand prize and title.

Each country was to have three members in their team – a pastry chef, a chocolatier, and an ice-cream maker.  They were given 10 hours to create a mouth-watering array of desserts – three types of desserts made from chocolate, three types of desserts made from frozen fruits, twelve types of desserts served on a plate.  The desserts should represent the latest dessert craze in their own countries; however, it should also represent the traditions of the country, aside from it being the latest dessert trend.  Lastly, the team also has to create a sculpture made from hydric ice, a sculpture made from chocolate, and a sculpture made from sugar.

After creating their dishes, the teams have to present their creations to a panel of judges composed of 19 judges representing each of the competing countries.  The panel is then headed by the leader of the winning team that won the last World Pastry Cup competition in 2009 as well as by the President Founder, two Honorary Presidents, and the President of the International Organizing Committee.

The competition is a very huge feat indeed, considering that the teams only have 10 hours to prepare and create the desserts.  Fortunately, each team more than delivered, but, of course, there could only be one team who will take home the grand prize of €12,000 as well as the coveted title of the 2011 World Pastry Cup champion.  This year, the prestigious World Pastry Cup gold medal went to Spain.  The team from Spain was composed of Bordas Santacreu and Julien Alvarez as well as Josep Maria Guerola, and they garnered a score of 5678.

Second place went to Italy whose team was made up of Davide Comaschi and Emmanuele Forcone as well as Domenico Longo, and they garnered a score of 5450.  They won the silver medal as well as a second place prize money of €7,000.  Third place then went on Belgium whose team was made up of Dieter Charels and Pascal de Deyne as well as Marijns Coertens, and they garnered a score of 5337.  They took home the third place prize money of €4,000 and the 2011 World Pastry Cup bronze medal.

Other awards were also given by the awarding body.  Japan received the best sculpted ice award; South Korea received the best sculpted chocolate award, and the United States received the best sugar creation.  Taiwan took home the best promotional poster award, while England received the best promotional campaign award.  The award for best team spirit was given to Taiwan, while the special press award was given to Japan.  The awards were given on the second and closing day of the 2011 World Pastry Cup, and it was capped off by a dinner gala.

The whole event was indeed a huge success as it brought thousands of people together.  The winning country, Spain, truly deserves the honor of bringing home the 2011 World Pastry Cup gold medal and title.

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Another great culinary event that is going to take place this January 2011 is the Madrid Fusion.  If France has the Bocuse d’Or for its chefs and the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie for its pasty chefs, then Spain also has its own version of these big culinary events, the Madrid Fusion Food Fair, which is a very prestigious food conference and food fair.

Like its counterpart, Madrid Fusion is drawing a lot of international attention, what with it being headed and attended by some of the big names not only in Spain but in the whole culinary world as well.  Some of the top Spanish chefs that contribute greatly to the Madrid Fusion include Chef Ferran Adria, who is recognized as the father of molecular gastronomy, and Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz as well as Chef Martin Berasategui and the Roca brothers of El Celler de Can Roca.

Brief History of Madrid Fusion

Long gone are the days when chefs kept their culinary secrets to themselves, and long gone are the days, too, when just even the thought of borrowing another chef’s broth is deemed shocking.  Nowadays, it is no longer surprising to see one chef borrowing the recipe of another chef’s, all thanks to these food congresses and conferences.  Through these food conferences, too, they are given a venue to demonstrate their skills as well as teach others of their culinary knowledge.

One such food fair that is not only popular in Spain but worldwide as well is the Madrid Fusion.  Madrid Fusion is the brainchild of Jose Carlos Capel, one of Spain’s most prominent food critics.  He is not only a food critic but a very influential food writer and journalist as well for El Pais.  He saw the need to provide a good venue for Spanish chefs where they can get together and simply talk about Spanish cuisine and how to promote it to the rest of the world.

It was in 2003 that the first Madrid Fusion was launched.  It was well-attended by the big names in the Spanish culinary world like Chefs Carme Ruscalleda, Ferran Adria, and Quique Dacosta.  Chefs from other countries attended as well such as French Chef Michel Bras, Italian Chef Heinz Winkler, and Japanese Chef Tetsuya Wakuda.  These chefs held cooking exhibitions to demonstrate not only their culinary talents but to also teach young chefs who were present at the food fair.  Other Spanish chefs who held cooking exhibitions were Chefs Martin Berasategui, Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana, Sergi Arola, among others.

Other than cooking exhibitions, there were also other activities like food, wine, and coffee tasting events.  Speakers were also invited to share knowledge such as new ways of tasting wine, the greatest hams in the world, the tasting differences of water, wines, beers, brandies, coffees, etc.  Contests were also held, and awards were given to the winners.

The first Madrid Fusion also paid homage to so-called fathers of Nouvelle Cuisine, and the tribute was paid by the International Summit of Gastronomy.  Plaques of recognition were given to Chefs Paul Bocuse, Pierre Troisgros, and Michel Guerard to honor their roles and contributions to the culinary world.  Of course, awards and recognitions were also given to deserving chefs and restaurants, one of which is the Revelation Restaurant of the Year.

There were more activities that took place during the first Madrid Fusion food fair, and the media, both national and international, covered it.  The successful launching of the first Madrid Fusion reached millions of people that, during the next succeeding years, more and more people attended and participated at the food fair.

Madrid Fusion 2011

The Madrid Fusion 2011 promises to be a more interesting food conference.  Activities will range anywhere from interesting cooking exhibitions like micro emulsion sauces to aromatic garnishes, and lessons and tips when it comes to liquid cooking and food pairing will also be given.

Because social media marketing is becoming a big trend in the food industry right now, you can expect to see and learn from workshops that deal with social networks and how to take advantage of such social network sites and applications.  There are also discussions that talks about creating impressions and leaving legacies in the culinary world.

Awards will also be given, some of which are the Award for Technical Precision and Award Revelation Restaurant, among others.  Plaques of recognition will also be presented to deserving people, and this time, Madrid Fusion 2011 will honor gastronomic guides that have made big contributions to the culinary world.  Some of the awardees are the Gault Millau, Restaurant Magazine, and Lo Mejor de la Gastromia.  Other awardees include Slow Food, Carnet de Route, Makansutra, among others.

The Madrid Fusion 2011 will start on the 25th January, and this three-day food fair and conference will end on the 27th of January, 2011.  The ninth annual Madrid Fusion will be held at the Palacio Municipal de Congress, and it will start promptly at 9:30 am to 7:30 pm.

If you want to know more about the Madrid Fusion 2011, be sure to visit them in Facebook, and if you want to know more about the history of Madrid Fusion, then be sure to check out its official website.  As for what you can expect next week, here is a video link that you can click.

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