Buffalo Township woman competes on Food Network show
She learned to bake in order to make treats for her daughter who is allergic to wheat, eggs and peanuts.
And she's a self-taught fantasy sculptor who's more used to working in polymer clay than modeling chocolate.
Still, baker Cathy Burnheimer of Buffalo Township and artist Les Polinko of Pittsburgh found themselves in the fall competing in a Food Network show “Winner Cake All” against three other baking teams for a $10,000 grand prize.
Under the eye of Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, Burnheimer and Polinko battled to create a themed cake that had the looks and taste that could win over a panel of judges while dealing with unfamiliar utensils, time limits and in Burnheimer case, third-degree burns.
The competition was so all-consuming the two only had brief impressions of their stay in California or their interaction with De Laurentiis.“She is perfect. She is the tiniest person,” said Burnheimer. She added De Laurentiis was whisked in and out of the locale, a tent set up in a winery overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and there was little off the camera chit-chat with the host.“Mostly it was very stressful,” Burnheimer said. “We're not that young and we were under the gun” to produce something spectacular. The whole trip only took four days from the competition to editing and publicity until they were back on a jet heading east just after midnight that Thursday.Neither is allowed to reveal the outcome of the contest or even if they made it past the first round.Those interested are going to have to watch their episode of “Winner Cake All” at 10 p.m. Jan. 21 on the Food Network.“I'm still dumbfounded we were selected,” said Burnheimer.<i>This is an excerpt — read about Burnheimer's experience in Sunday's Butler Eagle.</i>
