After four appearances on the Food Network Challenge television show, Stevie Famulari says her most recent stint might be the least exciting, but perhaps the most meaningful. To Famulari, least exciting means nothing collapses or catches on fire. In a competition titled "Cereal Bridges II," Famulari and her partner, Adrienne Toubbeh, competed against three other teams to recreate famous bridges from across the world with rice cereal treats. The winner received $10,000.
The 2009 spring flood of Fargo-Moorhead inspired Famulari, North Dakota State Universityq assistant professor of landscape architecture and food artist, to create a replica of Fargo's Main Avenue Bridge in honor of those who fought to save the community. In an effort to celebrate Fargo-Moorhead's victory, the Fargo Theatre has planned to air the show on Monday, Aug. 31, at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments, including rice cereal treats, will be served. The event is privately sponsored.
"I'd love for the community to be a part of this," Famulari said. "The Food Network Challenge producers contacted me during the flood, and the only bridge I would agree to do was the Main Avenue Bridge. I chose it because I love being part of this community and I am proud of the way the community handled the flood fight."
Famulari obtained all construction documents from the engineers who built the Main Avenue Bridge so that she could build her version in mathematical proportion. She scaled her piece, titled "One Point," down to about 4 feet wide by 4 feet tall. She used an electric pump to flood the piece with white water, which symbolized milk. "Milk would have smelled awful," Famulari laughed.
Because only one person completed their piece in the first "Cereal Bridges," the Food Network gave it a second try. In the first competition, Famulari and Toubbeh built the Seri Wawasan Bridge, which is located in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Their idea did not go according to plan and the bridge collapsed during the final presentation.
Famulari 2-2-2
Famulari's previous competition, titled "Mystery Client Cakes," also will air on Aug. 31.
During this challenge, she designed a cake for a client who was revealed only moments before the competition began. As a result of the show's circumstances, Famulari's cake was named Flambé and the episode went down in history when she became the first contestant to require a fire extinguisher.
While brainstorming an idea for the competition, Famulari was trying to think of a way that would top her previous performances. "Flooding the bridge was the only way that came close to topping a flaming cake or the collapsing of my other piece," she laughed.
For more information, contact Famulari at (505) 710-3586 or stevie.famulari@ndsu.edu or Margie Bailly at (701) 239-8385 or margie@fargotheatre.org. NDSU Graduate School announces new online programs
