Ron Ben-Israel Cake, photo by Monica Stevenson

The Chicago Sun Times tells us about the sensitive guy who announces to his beloved that before they go any further he needs to tell her something. That something turns out to be his revelation that he plans to serve pie on his/their? wedding day.

“So?,” as former Vice President Cheney, another sensitive charmer, is said to have asked. “So!” “Why Knot?” seems to be the reaction of the affianced…

Weddings are very sexy occasions — not only for the bride and groom, whose passion is on display for all to see, but also for those who are invited witness the joining of two into one. The occasion of the marriage ceremony gives us all a lot of great ideas as once again we turn our attention to matters of food and drink in general, and wedding cakes in general, and now — pies in particular.

Fashions change. Today’s wedding cake master designers like Sylvia Weinstock, Ron Ben-Israel, and the Ace of Cakes, no longer, (or mostly no longer), look with favor on those old-time tacky plastic bride and groom figures standing stiffly on the top cake layer.

Pedestals and pillars have been jettisoned and cascades of fresh flowers have gained favor among the eco-friendlies. Now five or even six cake layers are placed one on top of another, each one composed of a different symphony of flavors.

So if pie it is to be, what’s the big deal?  If pies and cup cakes don’t quite jell with the glamour of the occasion, there’s yet another alternative. Krispy Kreme tells us, doughnuts can be created into a  stunning make-believe wedding cake when festooned with cascading ribbons and real, or almost real, certainly life-like, flowers. Thoughtful brides are handing out boxes containing two-for-the-road-doughnuts to their departing-but still-hungry-after-the-reception-guests. The doughnut favors are $2 a box plus $50 to have them passed out by a Krispy Kreme representative.

The best edible wedding day advice yet comes from a couple who, having lived together for a few years, decided to march down the aisle holding a dozen hard boiled eggs that they decided to put all in one basket.

If you want a career in wedding cake designing and decorating or pie making or cake art, you can read more in  FOOD JOBS.

Wayne Thiebaud, Cakes, 1963 Courtesy www.nga.gov/education/classroom/counting_on_art

A writer from FOOD ARTS magazine told me a very sad story. I’m so glad it has the following happy ending that, indeed, is to be continued…

I trained to be a professional pastry chef. That’s all I had ever wanted to do. Yet a medical problem made it too difficult for me to stand and work the long hours in a restaurant. I had to do something. In a moment of misery, I took myself off to the museum, and there I saw an extraordinary retrospective of Wayne Thiebaud’s works.

Suddenly I knew what I would do. I realized I simply had to adjust my thinking and reorient my passion for creating memorable experiences. I decided to change my pastry brush to a paint brush – and inspired by Thiebaud, I would, and could, paint a picture of the most delectable cakes and delicacies I once made standing up.

I started my own business, recreating wedding and other special cakes as paintings. I used photographs of the cake as the model. I’d remove one slice, so you could see the layers and fillings, and I drew upon my old skills to reproduce the cascades of flowers and other decorative elements in acrylic paints so that the memories of the big event could be kept forever.

I found my clients by contacting event planners and caterers. I also made friends with hotel banquet managers who would tell me about upcoming parties. I sent my catalog to brides who announced their engagements in the newspaper.

I posted photos of my work on a web site and was amazed at how quickly the orders came in. Word of mouth is my best advertising though an article in the local newspaper also helped a lot.

I’m planning to add another element to my work. I’m thinking about making a specialty of edible menus using chocolate and gold leaf.