Heather Bakes

Way back in January I was selected by Foodbuzz to attend the Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit dinner at Stephan Pyles. Though at that point I had not heard of Share Our Strength, I did love me some Stephan Pyles- so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this dinner for the better part of a year.

The evening began with a cocktail reception, giving all the attendees an opportunity to check out what would be up for auction later on: gorgeous artwork, some great foodie finds (I may have drooled on the Vitamix), and several celebrity chef-prepared private dinners.

By 7pm we were all gathering at our respective tables. I was seated in the very chic wine room with a lovely group, including Lisa, event coordinator from Stephan Pyles, and Andrea from Share Our Strength. I knew not a soul coming into this event, so it was wonderful to be seated with such a gracious and friendly group.

The dinner kicked off with a short video about Share Our Strength, a national organization formed to fight childhood hunger in America. I had no idea that one in six children in our country are at risk for going hungry, and I really would never have guessed that the statistic jumps to one in FOUR children in Texas. Share Our Strength aims to make a difference through fundraisers (such as A Tasteful Pursuit), providing nutrition education programs, awarding grants and pairing with individuals and corporations to raise awareness in order to make sure that no kid in America grows up hungry. A pretty fantastic cause, if you ask me. And apparently quite a few chefs agree, looking at both last night’s lineup and at the list of participants at prior dinners.

After the video came…

Course #1: Marinated Sea Scallop Jamaican Style with Coconut Milk, Lime, Scotch Bonnet and Mint

Prepared by Chef Brad Thompson, James Beard Award Winner, NYC.

This scallop ceviche was light and delicious. I loved the tiny bits of lime sprinkled throughout. There was a debate on the Eats Blog today as to what that little garnish on the top might be. Turns out it was a slice of coquito nut (kind of like a tiny coconut).

Course #2: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Flaked Alaskan King Crab, Avocado, Spring Onions, Bonito and White Soy Vinaigrette

Prepared by Chef Sara Johannes, Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, Dallas.

Chef Johannes stepped up to the mike to introduce the dish and I was blown away by how young she looked (same story with several of the other chefs as the night progressed). How impressive to be that talented and already at the top of the game in the culinary world.

Course #3: Slow Cooked Wild Salmon with Heirloom Tomato Fra Diavolo, Summer Squash and Zucchini Blossom

Prepared by Chef Billy Grant, Grant’s and Restaurant Bricco, West Hartford, CT.

The general consensus around our table was that this was the best salmon any of us had ever tasted. Perfectly seared on the outside but still moist and rare inside. The heirloom tomato sauce was wonderful, as was the fried zucchini blossom on top.

Course #4: Duck Breast with Black Pudding, Polenta and Cherries

Prepared by Chef David Uygur, Lola the Restaurant, Dallas.

Apparently the bacon-wrapped duck was prepared sous-vide, which was exciting for me given that I’ve never actually tried anything cooked this way before. Very moist and tender. I was a little nervous about the “black pudding” (AKA, blood pudding), but it was smokey, meaty, and not at all scary. I could have eaten an entire bowl of the cherry sauce underneath. This course made me a little sad because I hear Lola is closing its doors next month… we never had a chance to eat there, unfortunately.

Between the 4th and 5th course, Lisa snuck me into the kitchen so I could get some action shots- very cool. There must have been 20 chefs involved in the prep, and it was incredible to see how calm, focused and organized they were. Getting out 86 identical plates simultaneously over 6 courses (= 516 plates, FYI) is an impressive feat. And the service was impeccable, I might add.

There’s Mr. Pyles, 2nd from left:

Course #5: Pork Tenderloin with Bone Marrow Persillade, Pasilla Caramel, Tomato Confit and White Bean Puree

Prepared by Chef Matt McCallister, Stephan Pyles, Dallas.

The chef came to our table during this course (another young chef-prodigy) so we were able to pepper him with questions about the dish. The pork was prepared sous-vide as well, and the pasilla caramel was spiked with some sort of chile. Big fan of the white bean puree.

Course #6: Butterscotch and Chocolate Fondant Parfait with Semolina Croquette and Pistachio-Cardamom Cookie

Prepared by Chef Arturo Romanillos, Stephan Pyles, Dallas.

At this point I didn’t think I could eat another bite. I was wrong. This dessert had three standouts: the little ginger-stuffed semolina “doughnut hole” on top, the layer of butterscotch pudding in the middle, and (best part) the layer of Mexican chocolate fondant at the bottom. The parfait was served in specially-ordered champagne flutes (according to Lisa) with ice tea spoons… and you can bet I was scraping the bottom of that flute to get every last bit of the Mexican chocolate.

I should point out that each course was served with its own wine or beer pairing. Sadly I couldn’t really partake in this part, but everyone at our table seemed to love both the Van Duzer Pinot Noir- served with the duck breast- and the Jorge Ordonez & Co. Seleccion Especial #1 Moscatel, which accompanied the dessert.

The auction was a huge success and raised around $40,000 for Share Our Strength. Apparently Stephan Pyles was a founding member of SOS, and his passion for the organization was obvious during the auction. He continually sweetened the pot by throwing in extras (free flight, extra dinners…) to up the bidding. Pretty amazing.

So all in all a wonderful evening! I want to thank Foodbuzz for giving me the opportunity to participate in such an incredible event. I can’t imagine a better cause or a more dedicated group of chefs and staff.