Ski race will mark Franey's birthday

Chefs from across the country will mark the 70th birthday of Pierre Franey, the "60 Minute Gourmet," with a toque-to-toque competition on Jan. 13 that will take them away from their kitchens.

The event is the annual chefs' skiing race at Ski Windham in New York state, organized by Marnier-Lapostolle, the French producer of Grand Marnier liqueur. The race will be followed by a gourmet banquet.

Nine chefs from Maryland, including the Tidewater Grille in Havre de Grace, the Cafe Royal in Potomac, Troia's International Cafe in Towson and Albert Uste Imports in Gaithersburg, are scheduled to compete in this mid-Atlantic regional race.

Pastry chef Jacques Torres of Le Cirque restaurant will create a 4-by-6-foot birthday cake for the occasion.