Locals take first place

Richard Ruskell, the Montage Resort & Spa’s executive pastry chef,

and Louise Chien, assistant pastry chef, finished in first place for

their sugar showpiece at the National Pastry Competition, held July 6

and 7 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix. The

Sugar showpiece was a colorful rendition of a queen bee overseeing

her hive.

The National Pastry Competition was created to bring together the

most talented pastry chefs in the country. Twelve teams from all over

the United States, each led by a known pastry chef, competed for a

prize of $50,000 and the right to represent the United States in the

2006 World Pastry Competition.

Each team had to incorporate the theme, flight, into the assigned

number of plated desserts, cakes, frozen desserts, miniature pastries

and chocolate candies, as well as in a sugar showpiece and a

chocolate showpiece. Ruskell and Chien practiced for hours before the

contest.

Stephen Durfee, pastry chef instructor at the Culinary Institute

in Napa Valley, was also on the Montage team. All necessary parts for

each recipe had to be made on site, and the creations were judged by

three panels of judges.

The team that won the most categories would move on to the world

competition. This team won one of the three categories -- the sugar

showpiece category -- narrowly missing the grand prize and the chance

to advance to the 2006 World Pastry Competition.

But they are going for the gold again and plan to return to the

next competition in two years, to try again for the chance to win

$50,000 and a chance to compete in the world contest.