Was watching the foodtv network today and happened to catch the 2002 World Pastry Championship. Looking at the GORGEOUS showpieces I had to wonder, can anyone here make something even remotely like these? Images of Showpieces

Background: Among other things like making petit-fours and cakes to be tasted, each team has to create 2 showpieces - 1 entirely made of chocolate and the other entirely made of sugar. In 2002, Japan won for their sugar showpiece and Belgium won for the chocolate (and poor Team Canada's sugar showpiece broke while it was being moved).

So, could any of you make something like these?

Those are incredible! I have never attempted anything close to that! I doubt I could make anything near that incredible. It would be fun to try.

I belong to the "The uglier it is, the better it tastes" school of baking, lol!

I remember watching as Canada's broke (I have no Idea why I was watching this)

I truly do believe that if I tried I could do it. After watching "Passion For Dessert" with Jacques Torres on the food channel make smaller versions of sugar art, it looks moderately hard. He has also made a chocolate Las Vagas, he makes it all look so easy, but I know it's not. My mom used to make very elaborate cakes for people but nothing that would win a professional prize.

Was Jacques Torres the person who did a special a year or two ago on chocolate around Easter-time? I remember watching a show where the person did all sorts of neat figures - including figures like a bunny which were 'jumping out' of either an egg or a basket!

And yeah - I saw Canada's fall as well.. of course, I hadn't been watching the show prior to that to see what it was actually looking like before it broke!

I have not attempted anything like those wonderful confections but I personnally know people who do it for a living. I'm a restaurant manager in New York City and I have several friends who are master pastry chefs. Pulled sugar is a very hard medium to work with. It wrecks havoc on your hands. I have a very good friend who does those elaborate cakes for weddings and such. She can take a photo of a person and recreate it on the top of a cake! She is incredible. I was lucky enough to go to the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park for a graduation celebration for a special class on baking. It was a lovely cocktail party with fabulous hors d'oeuvres and then the desserts. Each student was represented and I had a very hard time deciding what to eat it was all so beautiful. The restaurant business is tough work but it does have its perks! My hat is off to all who perform such a labor of love because love is in every bite! There are two food shows in New York every year and you don't have to be in the business to attend, just pay the registration fee. The largest one is in November at the Javits Center. You can taste all kinds of food, drink, wine, beer and see the newest products, furniture, tableware, etc. and there is a pastry competition where you can get up close to those display pieces and seminars with famous chefs and resturanteurs. Chicago has a show also, but I don't remember when they have it.

At first I was wondering, "Where's the pastry?"... I think the Belgium one, with the flesh-coloured person...might be hard to swallow! I do appreciate the artistry. I almost think it would be a shame to eat it! Fascinating! And NO...I couldn't do that!

Wow, that's not food - it's art! Most of it doesn't look even remotely edible!!

I'm with Ms Batt when it comes to desserts! I love cooking 'fork food', but can never be bothered with 'afters'!

Wow That's truly awesome! It would be almost like defacing a priceless Art piece to eat those!
The only one I know who could do that is Ren33's Hubby! He is amazing!
As for me I am not a fancy cook! It has to be easy and with as little clean up as possible!

Thanks for showing us that link! PF

Good one. I did attend the "Eat your Art out" show once...an annual event at one university art gallery where the contestants made an artwork that was edible...the judges judged it, a gong was sounded then you ran around eating to your heart's content, the exhibits that looked good!
It was like Hansel and Gretel and the witch's cottage!
However, not every exhibit was good to eat!
The Statue of Liberty was made of green cream of wheat!
There was one called Chicken Nureyev, a chicken with ballet slippers made of boiled eggs!

I think I ate the sushi garden...about five terraced floors of the best sushi...you had to hold your ground though...lots of people had it pegged.

Those are truly masterpieces - I liked Austria's the best. I definitely saw an edible cake there! Yesterday I baked apple cobbler for the first time (from scratch) and it turned out so great that I figures someone should give me an award! I was very pleased with myself! I'm afraid it just looked like an apple cobbler!

wow! I had enough trouble making the MootherGooses pretzels

Of course I am a hotel management graduate. As per The faculty in charge, I can make dishes Unique in every sense....

1) Crepe Suzette that reminded the faculty of the medicines he used to take for 'constipation' problems (when he was a kid)
2) A cream soup to celebrate the rainy season
3) the best 'punching bag' Coffee mousse (truly unbreakable)
4) he's even asked the "lab assistant" to bring the cow next to his house to graze on the Mexican rice
5) Diamond - hard bread rolls & croissants
and many more...

Though most of these dishes are patented, I will make an exception to FT members - anyone interested in knowing the recipes, please feel free to ask ( and I am not JOKING)