The Arpajon bean fair

My arrival into this fair sent me back in the years when I participated to those contests. The age coming, I was invited this year not to cook recipes but to judge the recipes of others, as a national jury member. I am then standing, this saturday early morning (at 7:30 AM)under this large hall where the president and instigator of this jury Philippe Gardette was waiting for us.
Few people in France know this man. However, this outstanding cook has updated, in a 15 year time, cooking contests for minor and major chefs all over the cooking galaxy creating a real interest of the great hotels or restaurant "brigades" for a renewal of recipes coming from the French cuisine.
Heading the "French Chef's Hats" (the "Toques Françaises), he made a new wind blowing into our profession. Through his missions for the "week of the taste", in schools or in prisons, his radio and television broadcasting (recently in the "Des racines et des ailes" French television magazine), he actively contributes to make people discover our jobs and our training of the large public. To be fully frank, it must be said that the movie "Ratatouille" has well ended this great year of promotion of the French cuisine around the world.

Well, during this day, we have estimated nice dishes made under the Corsica theme : cold dishes, chocolate pieces and sugar works (all of them more beautiful than the others).
Some colleagues made demos for the greatest taste enjoyment of the numerous visitors.
We must highlight that the first 3 winners for sugar masterpieces were Japanese cooks working in high standard cake shops.
One of them even won the higest prize and received a Sèvres flower pot coming from the French Republic Presidence.
We wish that the addition of nice pictures of this event will give to all of you the desire to pay a visit to this fair next year.
We, the A.F. Touch team, will make our best efforts to blow to your direction, all epicurian friends and visitors, an essential wind : DESIRE

Patrick Asfaux, for A.F. Touch