November's News

Well there's that big food holiday, of course, as well as today being Chef Kevin Garvin's birthday. But there's some other fun things going on around Dallas in November, some in-town, some just outside. First, today is voting day, go vote. OK, here are some of the other fun things you can do this month:

November 2-5th and 9-12th (This week and next) - AIWF's "Days of Taste" program is what we need in all schools to help kids get over their "vegetables are yucky" phobia. Chefs, growers and the Dallas Farmers' Market combine with volunteers to help kids learn about good food. You can't miss them, they are all over the market in groups right before lunchtime picking out their veggies for the pasta salad they'll make back at the Resource Center. If you see them, slip them a few strawberries for dessert.

November 5th (Wednesday) - March of Dime's annual "Signature Chef" fundraiser is down at the Fairmont Hotel and Chef Kent has lassoed 20 restaurants, each plating small dishes of tasty treats. Tickets for the event are here, and the price includes helping kids who are born with some serious life-threatening illnesses.

November 8th (Sunday) - Help fund a cooking scholarship and dine on some "world-class" cuisine at Stephan Pyles Restaurant for "A Decade of Dining", a fitting name for 10 years of sending fiscally challenged students to top culinary schools. Chef Stephan has called in a fun group of Celebrity Chefs, each cooking a course. Last years winner is sous and there is a live wine auction for more fun.

November 14th (Saturday) - Chef Florine of Florine Bowman Homemade Quality Pastries will be the lead judge at this year's North Haven Gardens Fall Harvest Pie Contest. Chef Sevy probably doesn't realize yet that the first prize winner gets at $50 gift certificate to Sevy's Grill (I'll tell him later) as well as a $100 gift card to North Haven Gardens ($75 NHG gift card for 2nd, $50 NHG gift card for 3rd). And at 1:00 they have a wonderful fruit tree (FREE) seminar, it's worth every penny.

November 14th (Saturday) - Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce is holding the First Annual Pecan Harvest Festival, featuring the "Nut Ball Hop" (a dance, I swear), vintage cars, vendors selling food and stuff, and pecans. Chef Andre Bedouret, instructor at Milestone Culinary Arts Center and El Centro Community College will be judging the Pecan Cooking contests for cake, pie, candy and cookies - all leftovers to be consumed at the Nut Ball Hop (no kidding). No word on whether it will be a wet or dry event, and I'm not talking about rain.

November 14th (Saturday) - PR person extraordinaire Karol Wilson chairs the annual Fur Ball, "Paws in Paradise" for the Dallas SPCA, which is food-related because (not Chef) Claire Heymann is the Honorary Chair. They will be auctioning off one-of-a-kind specially made dog and cat food bowls. Not made by chefs, but I'm going to make that suggestion for next years event.

So that's it for todays edition, plan accordingly.