Is Your Edible Book a Masterpiece? These Pros Will Help Us Decide.
Saturday Dec. 1, you’re invited to submit an edible creation based on a book, character or title to the Library’s first edible book contest. Bring your entry to the the Cherrydale Branch Library between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Puns are encouraged!
Professional bakers David Guas of Bayou Bakery and Justin Stegall of Bakeshop will be judging the contest. They will be evaluating entries based on creativity, wit, and visual appeal.
Justin Stegall
Owner and Baker at Bakeshop in Clarendon.
Photo of Justin Stegall
Before the shop doors opened for the first time, Bakeshop consisted of Justin baking out of a tiny kitchen, doing custom orders and delivering around the DC area – all while pushing his conventional oven to the limits working on a menu that would feature childhood favorites and American classics for his future hometown shop. After finding a perfect little spot in a nice Clarendon neighborhood, Bakeshop was built from scratch.
Justin says “I have a major sweet tooth, so this line of work was a no-brainer. My mom got me started at a young age, letting me measure out her dry ingredients. Turned out I enjoy sifting flour. I’m happiest when Mom is in the shop baking with me. Wearing shorts everyday and cookies right out of the oven are also major advantages of the job.”
David Guas
Executive Chef and Owner of Bayou Bakery in Courthouse.
David Guas
photo courtesy of Scott Suchman
Guas’ particularly appealing dessert style is best described as ‘elegant comfort food,’. His first cookbook, DamGoodSweet – Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth New Orleans Style, was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Dessert Cookbooks” of the year in 2009. This year he is a finalist for the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Award in the American Category.
A Louisiana native, Guas brings his love of the outdoors (hobbies include riding his Harley, hunting and fishing) and fresh ingredients (he’s fascinated by local honey) to his work. In November 2012 he was featured in an 8-page spread in Food & Wine Magazine, and has earned accolades and recognition from such exalted sources as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Esquire, Pastry Arts and Design and Food Arts magazines.