Puttin' On The Ritz

Sometime last summer the gallery was contacted by a British-based design firm who had seen a wood-fired ceramic piece displayed in our web shop (www.theislandgallery.net/shop/) and was interested in having two made especially for one of her projects. The ceramic piece was local artist Shane Watson's Skyline Vase; the project was the world's tallest hotel, the new Hong Kong Ritz Carlton.

Shane went to work. Despite the extremely high level of difficulty, including the threat of clay body shrinkage and the high failure rate often associated with wood kilns, he was able to produce on time and to the hotel designers' exact specifications two big, magnificent pieces that look something like this:

Wood-fired Skyline Vase Shane Watson, 2010

The vases were delivered (very carefully) around the beginning of the year and now grace the Ritz Carlton's Fire Pit Lounge & Bar on its 102nd Floor. The hotel opened its doors on March 30, 2011.

Great thanks to Walsh Greene Art & Design Consultancy for a challenging but smooth transaction, and Congratulations, Shane!

Bread Pudding Bake-Off Winners

5th Annual Bainbridge Island Pro-Am Bread Pudding Bake-Off

Official Results!

As usual, every pudding was amazing. An extra vote here or there could easily have changed the outcomes! However, after several recounts and the occasional battle over hanging chads, here are the Official Results:

Best in Show and Gold Amateur Winner Katie Brown (left)

Silver Amateur Winner, John Sydor (right)

Best in Show

Katie Brown

My Own Bread Pudding with dried apples, raisins marinated in liqueur, with caramel and dark rum sauce

Gold Amateur

Katie Brown

My Own Bread Pudding with dried apples, raisins marinated in liqueur, with caramel and dark rum sauce

Gold Pro

Doc's Marina Grill

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Silver Amateur

John Sydor

Blueberry maple sugar creme brulee bread pudding

Silver Pro

Salmon Canyon Cafe

Classic bread and butter pudding with blueberries and apricot glaze

Bronze Runners-Up

Amateurs:

Kate deVeaux

Jennifer Montgomery

Bobbie Morgan

Joan Sandler

Keith Thackray

Pros:

Bainbridge Thai

BIBBQ

Metro Market Catering

Clair Younker Moe

My Kids' Cookies

Pain d'Amore

San Carlos

Stephanie Of Course

Streamliner Diner

Our grateful thanks to all the magnificent bakers who put their time, talents and hearts into making this a success. Special thanks to our event partner, My Kids' Cookies and Barbara Reininger, who so generously invited our amateur bakers into her commercial kitchen, without which the true community spirit of the Annual Bainbridge Island Bread Pudding Bake-Off would not have been possible.

Bread Pudding Bake-Off Returns!!

Calling all bakers: The TASTIEST Local Benefit is back! Announcing:

THE 5TH ANNUAL BAINBRIDGE ISLAND PRO-AM BREAD PUDDING BAKE-OFF!

All Proceeds Benefit Helpline House

The Island Gallery, in conjunction with My Kids' Cookies, is delighted to announce the return of one of our most popular events. Local pro and amateur bakers gather together, wielding their finest bread puddings (sweet or savory), and slug it out for the honor of being named the baker of Bainbridge Island's Best Bread Pudding! The judges - anyone with a dollar for a taste and a vote - sample the entries and cast their vote(s) for best pudding. The ballots are counted, and Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in both Pro and Am categories and overall Best of Show are awarded!

(Returning Amateurs: Please read the Rules of Entry carefully - we've made some important changes.)

DATE: First Friday, February 4, 2011

TIME: 6-8 pm

LOCATION: 400 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island. The tasting will occur in the lobby area of the building, right next to My Kids' Cookies.

There are several ways to make sure your bread pudding is registered for the Bake-Off:

1. Below is a downloadable Entry Form, and the Rules of Entry. To download the form, right-click on the image, hit Save As, and choose a file to save it to on your computer. You can then print it, fill it in, and return the form via regular mail (address is on the form) with your $20.00 registration fee (checks are fine), or drop it off at the gallery no later than February 2.

2. If you prefer, you can e-mail your information to sr@theislandgallery.net and call 206-780-9500 to register with a credit card.

Could it be any easier?

Yes!

3. Call 206-780-9500 and register over the phone. We'll fill in the form for you and answer any questions you might have.