Immediately following the Chicago premiere of the documentary in which Pfeiffer plays a key role, Kings of Pastry on October 1st at the Gene Siskel Theater, he left for the airport to travel back to the “promised land” as he likes to call it, to receive the award. Originally from a small town near Strasbourg in Alsace, Pfeiffer began his pastry training there, going on to work as Executive Pastry Chef for renowned establishments and international dignitaries. Chef Pfeiffer, along with Chef Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., later founded The French Pastry School in Chicago.

Read the rest of this announcement on the French Pastry School’s web site.

The film follows ACF member Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago and two other distinguished pastry chefs in their quest to do more than the best they can do in pastry, “but the best that can be done.” This is the essence of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, a competition held in France every four years for artisans in the effort to achieve perfection in their craft, and be named one of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.

Kings of Pastry will be showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center from October 1st through October 7th, 2010. Follow this link to purchase tickets.

Additional premieres in cities across the United States will take place at the following locations:

OPENS October 8th – Los Angeles, CA – Laemmle Music Hall
OPENS October 8th – Denver, CO – Starz Film Center
COMING in October – San Francisco & Marin City, CA – Balboa & Lark Theaters
OPENS October 8th – Kansas City, MO – Screenland Crown Center
OPENS October 22nd – Santa Fe, NM – The Screen
OPENS November 26th – Seattle, – WA Northwest Film Forum

For more screenings and information, visit www.kingsofpastry.com.

Ariane Daguin was born into a world of great food. Her father, André Daguin, is famous throughout France for his artistry with foie gras and other Gascon specialties. Ariane was expert at deboning ducks, rendering duck fat, preparing terrines and cooking the game birds her grandfather hunted by the time she was ten.

A career in food might have seemed natural, but Ariane decided to pursue an academic degree at Columbia University. While working part-time for a New York pâté producer, Ariane was in the right place when the opportunity to market the first domestically produced foie gras presented itself.  She and a co-worker pooled their financial resources and love of food to launch D’Artagnan as the only purveyor of game and foie gras in the U.S. at the time.  Devoted advocates for natural, sustainable and humane production, Ariane and D’Artagnan have been at the forefront of the organic movement in America, pioneering organic, free-range chicken (years before the FDA allowed the word “organic” on the label), and humanely raised veal.

The creation of D’Artagnan coincided with a growing sophistication in American cuisine.
According to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, “D’Artagnan changed food in America by introducing high quality products to the American market, items Americans weren’t familiar with like foie gras, game and wild mushrooms.  The emphasis has always been on organic products and free range as well.  As chefs, we can only create great food with great ingredients, something D’Artagnan has always supplied us with.”

In 2005 after two decades of collaboration, Ariane acquired her partner’s share of the company to become sole owner.  Now, five years after that momentous decision, Ariane is proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of D’Artagnan in 2010.

In addition to running D’Artagnan, developing new products and researching innovative and ecologically responsible methods of production, Ariane is founding president of Les Nouvelles Mères Cuisinières, an international association of prestigious women chefs, and she is on the board of City Harvest. Recognized in 1994 by The James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America,” Ariane is now a member of the Awards Committee.  In 2005, Ariane received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Bon Appetit magazine, and in September 2006, was awarded the French Legion d’Honneur.  She lives in New York City with her daughter Alix, who grew up alongside D’Artagnan.

For more information, and to see D’Artagnan’s line of fine foods, please visit www.dartagnan.com.

In his acceptance speech, Gerin announced his desire to open the Academie to American chefs – both male and female – who have been trained by French chefs. Gerin’s first board-team comprises of 2 pastry chefs, 3 French chefs de cuisine and 2 American chefs de cuisine.