2008 Cocoa Sutra
Participating Chefs : Sculpture Garden : Cocoa Couture : Cocoa Sutra : Cocoa Cabana : Cocoa Lounge : Entertainment : Photography : Event Sponsors : Special Thanks : Volunteers
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Alliance Bakery • Peter Rios Peter Rios is the owner and Executive Pastry Chef for Alliance Bakery in Wicker Park, Chicago. Specializing in custom and creative cakes, Alliance Bakery provides a wide assortment of desserts and pastries. From custom made Wedding Cakes to fine individual desserts. Alliance Bakery is provides Wholesale and Retail customers with every sweet desire to make a event memorable. www.alliance-bakery.com • 773.278.0366 |
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Charlie Trotter's • Della Gossett Charlie Trotter’s is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world where Della Gossett is the pastry chef. For over 18 years, the restaurant has dedicated itself to excellence in the culinary arts. Not willing to ride on its laurels, Charlie Trotter’s is continuously forging new directions and has been instrumental in establishing new standards for fine dining worldwide. The restaurant is recognized by a variety of prestigious national and international institutions. In 1995 Charlie Trotter’s was inducted into the esteemed Relais & Chateaux and in 1998 was accepted as a member by Traditions & Qualité . It has also received Five Stars from the Mobil Travel Guide (one of only two Five Star restaurants in Chicago ), Five Diamonds by AAA and seven James Beard Foundation awards, including ‘Outstanding Restaurant’ (2000) and ‘Outstanding Chef’ (1999). Wine Spectator named the restaurant ‘The Best Restaurant in the World for Wine & Food’ (1998) and ‘America‘s Best Restaurant’ (2000). |
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Chris Freeman This instrumental project is an attempt to communicate my spiritual journey in the language of music. I firmly believe that in the absence of words, a certain delicate yet deep freedom emerges that can engender something truly authentic for both the artist and audience. I am in no way implying that music with words/lyrics is inferior, or an impediment of any kind. I only mean to say that music can assist people in working through certain life questions and sometimes it's important to take a break from words in order to allow the artist and listener to engage a mystery that must speak for itself. |
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Coco Rouge was founded in 2000 by pastry chef Jeremy Brutzkus. Coco Rouge was established as an online business also supplying many boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants. In October of 2006 Coco Rouge opened a retail location producing everything on site in an open kitchen. The space also boasts a small seating area where one can enjoy confections by the piece out of the display case with a hot chocolate, single estate coffees and rare tea as well stunning retail displays with various types of confections and a small assortment of baked goods. The space is located in the neighborhood of Wicker Park on Division near the intersection of Damen. www.cocorouge.com • 773.772.2626 |
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College of DuPage • Chris Thielman Chef Christopher Thielman is a Certified Executive Chef, a Certified Culinary Educator and has been a member of the American Culinary Federation since 1987. Throughout the year, he teaches Culinary and Pastry Arts classes at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, where he is fondly known as "Chef T." He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1980 and finished his Master's Degree at Roosevelt University in 2001. Chris is also well known in DuPage County for his televised demonstrations of assorted culinary delights on the College of DuPage television show "Images". For the last 21 years, Chris enjoys travel, which led him to develop a French Country Cooking course for College of DuPage students and community members. Each summer they travel to a chateau in central France for a week of culinary classes and excursions to local attractions. www.cod.edu • 630.942.2380 |
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Dena Jackson • Artist
Dena Jackson comes to us from Houston, Texas . She proceeded to Washington, D.C.’s historic Howard University, where she studied Architecture for two years, and then switched to the School of Fine Arts to study Graphic Design. One painting class was part of the curriculum, so she did what was required and graduated and headed to Atlanta, Georgia where she attended the Portfolio Center. She studied Art Direction, which lead her to where she is today pushing products for Fortune Five Hundred companies. So painting has become her release from the grind, along with her greeting card company, www.laughlinescards.com. denajac@yahoo.com |
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European Imports • Karl Helfrich European Imports Ltd. is a family-owned importer and distributor founded in 1978 by Seymour Binstein. The company began as a cheese importer supplying primarily the Chicago market. In 1984 European Imports Ltd. started its foodservice division, supplying product to an extensive list of major hotel and white tablecloth restaurants in the Chicago area as well as servicing caterers and foodservice jobbers. Nationally, the foodservice business is handled through foodservice distributors with customers in Arizona, Minneapolis, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pompano Beach, St Louis and Texas. In 2000 European Imports Ltd. acquired Pee-Wee Imports to expand foodservice operations in Arizona. In 2001 an Arizona warehouse was opened to enhance service to retailers and foodservice segments in that rapidly growing market. Products for the foodservice division include olive oil, vinegar and vegetables in bulk, meat and game, baking chocolate, pastry ingredients and par-baked bread. www.eiltd.com • 773.227.0600 |
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Kehoe Designs Kehoe Designs event+style is committed to designing events that bring our clients’ visions to life. Our talented team of professionals uses resources of the highest quality to create trend-focused, upscale events that are rich with imagination. Our company is built on the desire to be the best in our industry. www.kehoedesigns.com • 312.421.0030 |
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Jessie Smith-Larson • Artist |
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Lilypad Design • Jenelle Wittmann LilyPad Design is owned by Jenelle (Nel) Wittmann, a soon to not be starving artist from Sherwood, Wisconsin. Residing in Chicago for four years has given her the means and motivation to take a dream and make it a reality. LilyPad Design would like to thank The French Pastry School for giving her such a wonderful opportunity to work with such a great group of people and for such a fantastic cause. lilypadnel@gmail.com • 773.562.2455 |
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Robert Morris • Laura Vaughn Pastry Chef Laura Vaughn, MCFE, is the Pastry Instructor at Robert Morris College, Illinois' leading private, not-for-profit college . She has been the Pastry Chef at Emmet’s Tavern and Brewing Company and Isabella’s Estiatorio. She’s the Education Chair for the International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA), a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and Pastry Chicago. Chef Vaughn is a contributing editor for “Sizzle” magazine, and has competed in many culinary competitions, culminating in winning the American Culinary Federation’s 2003 Junior Chef of the Year. She heads the popular RMC Hospitality and Dinner Clubs. www.robertmorris.edu • 800.762.5960 |
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Siggy • Marriott
Marriott International, Inc., is a leading worldwide hospitality company. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington DC, in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, Marriott International has more than 2,700 lodging properties located in the United States and 65 other countries and territories. www.marriott.com • 312.836.0100 |
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Sweet Collective • Alison Bower, Lauren Pett, Cathay Rayhill Three female pastry chefs, brought together by a shared passion for quality, artistry and flavor were searching for a kitchen where collaboration would not compete with individuality. The result is Sweet Collective - Rich Chocolates & Candies, Ruth and Phil's Gourmet Ice Cream and The Sugar Syndicate Specialty Cakes and Pastries. Three independent pastry shops under one roof, coming together in the spirit of support and interaction. www. sweetcollective.com • 773.293.0888 |
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The French Pastry School
The French Pastry School at the City Colleges of Chicago is a culinary institute dedicated solely to the art of pastry. The school was co-founded in 1995 by internationally acclaimed Master Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sebastien Canonne, M.O.F., who teach the school's six-month L'Art de al Patisserie program along with a roster of award-winning Chef Instructors. Offering the finest pastry training in the United States, the school produces the best-prepared chefs entering the profession. The foundation of instruction is the European artist-apprentice teaching model, which employs constant exposure to master chefs, hands-on training and the use of the finest tools and ingredients. www.frenchpastryschool.com • 312.726.2419 |
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Vanille Patisserie • Dimitri & Keli Fayard A gourmet French pastry shop in the heart of Chicago, Vanille Patisserie creates artful pastries that combine classic European traditions with modern flavors for the contemporary palette. French for vanilla, Vanille (vah-NEE) provides a variety of carefully crafted creations, personalized wedding and special occasion cake consultation, handmade chocolates and candies, delicious entremets (mousse cakes) and luscious tarts. Vanille is owned and operated by Dimitri and Keli Fayard, a graduate of The French Pastry School. |
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Vosges Haut-Chocolat • Katrina Markoff Vosges Haut-Chocolat creations are made with the finest ingredients from around the world, sourced by Owner and Chocolatier Katrina Markoff. Three days following graduation from Vanderbilt University Katrina headed to Paris to pursue her dream of studying the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. Then, using her palate as her guide, she embarked on a world tour that commenced with an apprenticeship in Spain under the direction of Ferran Adrià and continued eastbound through nine countries. www.vosgeschocolate.com • 888.301.9866 |
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Zarda King • Kamal Hans From the land of the Kama Sutra, Zarda King Ltd. (a privately-owned importer and distributor founded in 1969 by Bhim Hans) has been supplying thousands of customers around the US with over 1,000 products from South Asia. Zarda King Ltd is well recognized for their high quality products, including tobacco, beauty products, incense, spices (essence), and ayurvedic herbals. In 2005, ZTL launched a new line, Hookah1, dedicated solely to hookahs and hookah tobacco, more commonly known as shisha. They carry a wide variety of narghiles, ranging from the very simple to the ornate, including a 3 foot hand-blown glass hookah, stenciled in hieroglyphics and gold. In addition, they carry over 30 varieties of shisha, including Anise, Double Apple, Mint, Chocolate, and an all herbal (tobacco-less) shisha. You can enjoy the award winning brands of Cleopatra, Salloum and Afzal in the Cocoa Sutra room. |
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