Among the contestants were Tom Longboat, an aboriginal runner from Canada whose inclusion was fervently opposed due to his race, and Dorando Pietri, a 5ft 2in, 22-year-old Italian pastry chef.

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For the chef, puff pastry, which he calls mille-feuille, is nostalgic stuff.

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's founder, pastry chef Christine Moore, started making sea-salt caramels.

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When eating a brownie one day, he says he realized the corner brownies were the best (middle-brownie lovers will disagree) and recruited his now-wife, in school to be a pastry chef, to brainstorm with him.

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