Enjoying my favorite dish of the evening!
Thursday, September 9th, I had the pleasure of attending Party in the Kitchen, A Benefit for Open Hand. If you ever have the opportunity to join in on this annual event, it is an experience of a lifetime and a culinary masterpiece. In short, the fundraiser hosts Atlanta’s best chefs from the finest restaurants around the city. Each chef prepares a signature sampling and, as you can imagine, you simply cannot pass up any of the stations. The food was amazing and the entertainment kept the 400+ crowd on their toes. There was a silent auction (Which yours truly took home a haircut and facial from Urban Body! Yay!) and a live auction that boasted a dinner for 12, prepared by chefs Kevin Rathburn, Gerry Klaskala, Shane Touhy, Peter Kaiser and Kevin Maxey at the bidders home! It was so much fun to see the crowd dressed to the nines in their bright whites enjoying the music and food- I really had a blast! That being said I wanted to share my favorite dish of the evening. I mean it was all about the food!
With so many to choose from, the competition was fierce, but there was one in particular that stood out in my world. I have to admit that my weakness is in the sweeter foods, so finding an appetizer that managed to incorporate the sweet and savory into a delectable bite, simply did the trick! Being the health conscious wellness professional that I am, I often limit myself to true decadence to once or twice per week- and boy howdy am I glad I saved room for it on Thursday night. Executive Chef Shane Touhy of Dogwood restaurant (www.dogwoodrestaurant.com) concocted a Foie Gras Custard with Cornmeal Johnny Cake, Georgia Peach Compote, and Moscato Syrup. Please understand that simply adding Moscato to any dish will win you major points in my world, but the use of the southern staples like peach and cornmeal brought a southern elegance that was as playful as it was sophisticated. I wish I was better with words to adequately describe the dish to you, but alas, I am a Tech grad, and verbiage was never my forte! For those of you who are visual, take a gander at the dish below!
Foie Gras Custard with Cornmeal Johnny Cake, Georgia Peach Compote, and Moscato Syrup
Ashley and I did manage to snap a shot with Chef Touhy, himself and are looking forward to visiting him at Dogwood to try out his other creations.
So all-in-all, it was a phenomenal evening and Open Hand raised a significant amount of money to support our Comprehensive Nutrition Care™ which helps people around Georgia prevent or better manage chronic disease through home delivered meals and nutrition education. Remember that your support of Good Measure Meals™ also supports this mission, so if you were unable to attend Party in the Kitchen, you are still doing your part!
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