Epiphany Croquembouche

Une pièce monteé. An assembled piece, a "crunch-in-the-mouth", usually served at weddings. My first really real mountain of choux was a glistening caramel tower upon a banquet table. A masterful piece built by Chef Michele Marcais at the Royal Sonesta, just made Chef of the Year. So it was a party and a haul-out-his-artillery-show-off-feast...never EVER miss that kind of invitation. I had spent the day before with him and Paul Prudhomme in a cook off. ( them not me) Again. Do not fail to show up for this kind of thing either.Boys playing with food...in the best kind of way. I was seated next to Chef Michele at their lunch. Little did I know he was cooking up the grand pièce for the next day's dinner. No wonder his eyes were sparkly.You see chefs at play, are like artists at play. Something to behold. And these chefs that day were like children again, laughing, joking and egging each other on...building treats one by one, much to my delight.

At auction. Click over on the right and it is yours.