Dallas Farmers Market Loses One Of It's Best Friends




Ida with Sevy
1996 Friends of the Farmers
Market Hoedown



 Ida Papert, great mother (Mombo), wonderful wife of the late Sam Papert, Jr, cookbook author and founding member of Dallas Farmers Market Friends passed away yesterday. She was needed elsewhere.



It’s not about how or when you die, it’s about how you live. Ida lived well. She was instrumental in organizing a non-profit way, way back in the 1990's to help support and build up the Dallas Farmers Market. From implementing the Farmer’s Hoedown fund raiser every year, to organizing and working the seasonal Chefs Cooking Series at the DFM Resource Center, to writing and selling 1000 copies of the Papert Family Cookbook whose sales enriched the market. And this was what she did for retirement.

Looking through my archives I’m finding many, many pictures of Ida, from the cooking classes, hoedowns, dinners and even a cruise we went on together over the last 20 years. After 15 years of DFM cooking classes, she wrote a second cookbook, Extra Helpings, to help fund a DCCCD scholarship endowment named after Jim “Sevy” Severson. To thank him for a good 15 years of success and friendship, but to also help finance a student’s dream of becoming a chef.

We saw her last having dinner at Suze with one of her sons, about a month ago. She looked beautiful. Frail, but appearing to be in good health, she was wearing a stylish white coat, her smile as big as ever. Hopefully that smile, and her good name will be remembered by Dallas in years to come as we miss her spirit and enthusiasm.  Rest in peace, Mama Ida.

First Taste - Crossroads Diner Has Officially Opened

I was fortunate to be invited on Friday to a mock service meal at Chef Tom Fleming's new place, Crossroad's Diner on Walnut Hill Lane just east of Central Expressway.   Out and about running errands, I stopped by the diner around 10:30, and sure enough, was welcomed to my solo table.  Sitting at the table next to mine was Meaders Ozarow of Empire Bakery, and we spent a pleasant breakfast chatting across our tables about our teenage children (she's a Booker T mom) and the restaurant business in general.  

Serving breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, the menu is extensive for both meals.   As a hard-core oatmeal afficianado I love places that know their rolled grains, their's had the requisite bite and flavor.  Crossroad's breakfast specialty is a large cinnamon roll drizzled with a delicious caramel sauce and sprinkled with pecans - I could have eaten three.  I don't review restaurants, but I will say it's nice to have a new spot in the neighborhood to visit that serves a great breakfast and lunch menu.  I'm hoping this is it, they are certainly filling a niche.



Breakfast - click to enlarge



Lunch - click to enlarge



Who Said Food Porn Is Dead?

Don't think so.  Just take a look at the 2011 North Texas Food Bank/Kent Rathbun/Central Market calendar.  13 months of pictures and recipes that will leave you wet drooling.  With photos by Pat Haverfield, Central Market underwriting and Kent's impeccable, 5-star sense of style, it's absolutely orgasmic delicious that 100% of the proceeds go to help feed the hungry.   Each month features an Elements by Kent Rathbun ingredient, and there is an accompanying coupon for purchasing same ingredient during the month.  So in a way, you get paid back for good food porn behavior.   Available November 16th at the Dallas and Plano Central Markets as well as http://www.ntfb.org/ , $19.95.

I need a cigarette and a glass of wine now, please.

June Contest Winners Announced

There were three "Memory Lane" contests in June.

Name The Chefs Winner:  "Michael", who named 6 out of 12 correctly, and who wanted to know where this was taken (Dallas Farmer's Market in the shed that is now enclosed - which wasn't back then).  Michael, honey, you didn't let me know who you are, so contact me about collecting that prize at ahillcrestmom@aol.com .

For the record from left to right, back row:  Bernard Mueller, Tom Fleming, Marc Cassel, Helen Duran.  Middle row:  Samir Dhurandhar, Gilbert Garza, Joanne Bondy, Kevin Ascolese, Kathleen Ellington, Jim Severson.  Front row:  William Guthrey, Annie Wong.

Who Dat? Was won by another chef who used to be cooking in Dallas, Ron Rosenbaum, formerly of Nana and the Crescent.  He correctly identified the mystery man above as Robbin Haas, former Executive Chef of Nana who we lost track of after he moved to Florida. 

Ron, it turns out is now in Chicago, Executive Chef at The Casino.  Ron - great to hear from you!  I spent an hour yesterday digging in boxes - because I knew I had a picture of you and your wife, and here it is.  Aspen Food & Wine Festival (we were all at Maroon Bells) in.... '89?  '90?  Dude, you won a jar of Sevy's Ancho Chile Relish, please drop me a line and let us in Dallas know how your doing!

The second part of this puzzler involved naming where Robbin Haas is now.  And a few weeks ago while at dinner at Salum, chefriend Kevin Garvin provided the answer, without realizing there was a contest going on.  "Hey, did you hear?  Robbin's up in Montauk (Long Island), he's executive chef for Montauk Yacht Club."   Kevin doesn't know it yet, but he won a $25 gift certificate to Sevy's. 

Looks the same.

Wedding Bells Are Ringing For Chris Ward

According to Mercury Grill's Facebook page.  Ms. Rebecca Jackson will become Mrs. Chris Ward in a ceremony tomorrow.  Great news and congratulations!

The Crossroads Diner Coming To North Dallas

Could this be the satisfaction of Dallas' fondest food requests?  A great diner?  Run by a former Yankee?  According to Tom Fleming (Lombardi Mare, Pappas Bros., Old Hickory Steak House @ The Gaylord, Central 214), who is in final lease negotiations for a location on Walnut Hill Lane, they've set a goal to cook the "best damn breakfast in Dallas".   "Potatoes?", I ask.  "Everything is from scratch", he replies.  Save me a seat, baby.

At the Dallas Farmers Market Cooking Series class this Saturday, Tom will be treating attendees with items he's planning for his chef-driven comfort food menu.    The restaurant itself will be a family friendly and value driven spot, cooking breakfast and lunch Tuesdays through Sunday, and an early dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to start.  Partnering with Tom in the kitchen is Carl Strelecki, formerly of Standard and Central 214.  They will also have a beer and wine license.

Sevy & I drove by a week ago, and noticed someone had left the light on.  Tom says once the ink is dried on the lease, the chandelier (above) is for sale, as is a 4 burner wok and lots of indestructable green vinyl chairs.

Memory Lane, Ultimate SideDish Supper - Chapter 3

Reason number one why I love D Magazine is because they have great writers.  Reason number two is because they have fun events, like the cruises they organized in 2003 and 2004, an opportunity to enjoy vacation with a group of Dallas chefs.   The picture above is from the 2003 cruise through the Caribbean with featured chef/restaurateurs Sevy, Kent Rathbun, Gilbert Garza, Lisa Garza, Chris Ward, Monica Greene, Joanne Bondy, and me.  The cruise left Ft. Lauderdale, right after they replaced the propellor that fell off as soon as we all boarded.  But a late start cannot stop a chef on vacation - I believe our group rocked that little ship like no other before it. 

Nancy Nichols, with Girl Friday Aimee Deputy (now at Central Market), set up such a fantastic program guests of the ship who were not part of our group were asking the cruise line if they could come to the cooking demonstrations.  Each stop included activities on islands with chefs, one time it was a market tour, another it was a round of golf, I believe Kent went scuba diving with a group.  And for those who had the stamina to stay up, Monica was crowned Queen of the discoteque by the time we left. 

Rocked. The. Casbah.

Memory Lane, Who Dat? - Chapter 2

From top, clockwise:  MM (left) with Robert Del Grande (Cafe Annie, Houston) at S. Texas Deer Ranch, 1988; MM (right) wth Sevy (left) in Florida circa 1992;  1989, Aspen Food & Wine Festival (from left), MM, Richard Chamberlain, Lisa Chamberlain, Sevy.

Let's just call him Mystery Man, or MM for short.  While here he earned raves for his cuisine, but I won't say where.    If you can give him a name and the place he imprinted with his excellent cuisine, you win a jar of Sevy's Ancho Chile Relish.   If you can give me the details on where he is now living and working, I'll cough up a $25 Sevy's Grill gift certificate.  Because there's a bunch of us here who miss him. 

Memory Lane, Name the Chefs - Chapter 1

I have been shoveling cleaning out Corporate for two days now, and it looks like there's another 2 days of work left to go.  I'm not the most enthusiastic secretary when it comes to filing, let's just say I save it up for a 4-day file-a-thon.  Kind of like blog posts sometimes.

This week in the interest of (little) time, I will be posting old pictures from Dallas' kitchens.  So it's time for another contest:  whoever is first to name all twelve chefs in the picture above wins a $25 Sevy's gift certificate (hint, middle row right happens to be my boss).

UPDATE:  I'm changing the rules - whoever names the MOST chefs in the picture above wins (about 3/4 have their names on their chest, just sayin').  And this contest is open to everyone - professional or not.

May Is Mascarpone Month

Paula Lambert is one of my favorite Dallas food people, while she's been friends to the likes of Julia Child and Alice Waters, her passion remains the Dallas food scene and she spends many hours giving back to our community.   I'll admit, she's been a long time friend, I remember having dinner at her dining room table when I was 28 years old.  I'm not sure of her exact age then, but I think she was only like 28-and-a-half at the time.

And then there's her cheeses, which are superb enough on their own merits for anyone to want to love this genteel, gracious, Fort Worth native.  One of my favorite sold at her Mozzarella Company (down on Elm in Deep Ellum - store hours Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-3pm) is their Pecan Praline Mascarpone Torta.  I've stopped counting the number of parties I've attended and brought a plate of this cheese encircled by gingersnaps.   It's a sell out every time.

So when I opened our monthly statement from Paula Lambert's company and read her May newsletter (available via email, IJS), it was a reminder to stop by and purchase some more when I'm down at the Farmers Market on Wednesday.   And when I finish writing this, I plan to "Like" The Mozzarella Company on their facebook fan page.   According to Paula,

Mascarpone is not actually a cheese.  It is a clotted cream.  In Italy, Mascarpone and other fresh cheeses such as ricotta are known as laticini (little milk products) rather than cheeses.  Mascarpone is very rich.  It is classified as a triple creme meaning that its butterfat is higher than 72%.  It has a creamy, thick and velvety texture.  It has the taste of cooked cream with a very, very faint hint of tartness.

We make our Mascarpone by heating cream in a bain marie.  Once the temperature of the cream is about 200 [degrees] F we add an acid that causes the cream to curdle.  After a few moments, we carefully and delicately ladle the curds into a cloth to drain overnight in a very cool place.  The next morning we have Mascarpone.  In Italy Mascarpone is typically used in desserts such as Tiramisu.  It can also be sweetened with sugar or honey to serve with other desserts or added to savory sauces.  Alone it can be melted on pasta for the ultimate cream sauce.  And it is great on scones.

But besides the news of Mascarpone Month, there's all kinds of things going on with the Mozzarella Company this week.  Tomorrow night at 8 pm (and again at 11 pm) you can watch Chefs vs. City, All Star Dallas, where the teams compete at Mozzarella headquarters.   Then Thursday, Paula is the featured producer talking to kids about food down at Dallas Farmers Market for the Days of Taste program sponsored by the D/FW Chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food.   Cheese is one of those things kids know generally from the hard white stuff on their frozen pizza or the melted goo mixed in their EasyMac.   Who would think that cheese can be sweet, and like a dessert?  I hope they get to taste a little of my personal favorite.

And Saturday, the 15th, the Mozzarella Company is participating in the Fort Worth Herb Festival from 9 am to 3 pm at the Botanical Gardens.  Darn, they are not having an Herb Salad Dressing Contest - because I have a "runner up" recipe if they were.

Diploma, Diploma, Who's Got the Diploma?

That little devil Lucian LaBarba has it in his mind to one day do a scholarship fundraiser in Dallas for that new culinary school growing up down in San Antonio.   What a meal that could be, I'll help.  

The CIA (Hyde Park) alumni I know of here in Dallas are at some of the finest joints in town.  There's Sevy, Kevin Garvin, Dean Fearing, George Brown, Anthony Bombaci, Samir Dhurandhar, Doug Brown, Sharon Hage, Brian Luscher, Joel Harloff.

I know there's quite a few more, so if you know of any feel free to leave their names here.

UPDATE:  Shi*!  Holben - David Holben.  I am so sorry!

UPDATE UPDATE:  Katie Brown, again, apologies - I should be shot for missing that one.

A Modestly Great Guy

Sometimes internet fishing can bring up some delightful results.  Chefriend Kevin Garvin never once mentioned winning this award to his friends - and we were all with him at the Cancer dinner he was in Napa cooking for. 

He's a great guy, a marvellous chef and from his appearance on this video, CEO quality.

More News on the SA CIA

Heard back from Chefriend Dr. Victor Gielisse about the future plans for the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America (they call it CIA, SA - but SACIA translates from Spanish "to satisfy", so I prefer my way).   He says "the location is fantastic and we believe we have a real opportunity being in Texas to grow and extend the CIA Brand".   Gosh, San Antonio, Riverwalk, great food, Schlitterbahn - I'd go to school there!

I'm not sure that there is any other culinary school in the middle of the country that offers the extensive programs the CIA does.  Looking up culinary schools shows the top of the list located either on the left or right coasts.  So should this venture become a success, it would be a real draw for students to San Antonio - with most graduates likely looking to start their careers in the Texas region.

This also marks the CIA's efforts to recognize and elevate Latin foods to the stature of other cuisines, the growth of the Latin restaurant market has been strong with 33% of ethnic restaurant sales (Asian 32%, Italian 25%, Technomics survey).  In some cities up to 63% of foodservice workers are Hispanic, and their working trend is moving away from menial jobs to leadership positions.  

Further, there has been a gap between consumers interest in Latin American foods and their education in the nature of these dishes.   Many "traditional" recipes have been changed as they migrated North, but the original dishes are of value educationally.  Teaching preparers and diners in these subleties will raise the standards for foods of Mexico, South and Central America.

Based on the low number of Hispanic culinary leaders in the country (as compared to the large number of Hispanics in the workforce) this program can help elevate future Latin American chefs to a creditable level of competence in their native cuisines.  Currently the 30-week certificate program offered has a goal of 50% Hispanic student enrollment, so far 75% of the students who have been through the program are Hispanic.

So what is this 30-week certificate, anyhow?  It is

designed to blend a love of cooking with culinary discipline and fundamentals creating an opportunity for aspiring chefs to develop the skills hey will need no matter the type of cuisine they ultimately cook.  The program includes courses that are equivalent to the first year of education at the CIA and is taught by chefs from the CIA in Hyde Park and Greystone.

Now, about the location, 22 acres along the banks of the San Antonio River.  Plans are to transform it into an urban village with retail, restaurants, art galleries and traditional open air produce mercado.  And an events facility and the Center for Foods of the Americas.  Visiting chefs from top restaurants in Latin America.   San Antonio I hope you are drooling over how delicious this could be!

Artin's Grill in Plano is Open

Dining out anonymously in Plano can be a challenge for a chef/owner who's been around for 25 plus years.  Sevy and I went on "date night" last night with Richard  Chamberlain and wife Lisa, and they knew people at both restaurants we were checking out.    Not just staff, but guests came by to say "Hi" to this great guy - and he doesn't even have a TV reality show!

We had intended to have some appetizers at Coast Global Seafood, but on the walk from the parking  garage noticed a new place had opened directly across the street.  Artin's Grill, according to Chef Christopher Short (who knew RC) it has been open for one-and-a-half weeks.  And he confirmed after we took a gander at their menu, they are directly positioned to compete with Houston's, their menu style and layout is very, very similar.  I would describe their decor as, Tall.  But I don't review restaurants on this blog.

I didn't try either of the appetizers the boys ordered at the bar (Calamari $9, Taquito's $9), my calories were devoted to wine (Mer Soleil $16) and I don't know if the Absoluts the boys drank ($7) were a good price or not since I (rarely) drink vodka.   LC was our designated driver and had water - good girl.   They do not seem to have a website up yet.  The only two guests dining stopped by on their way out - their daughter had graduated with the Chamberlain's daughter last year.  Does everyone up here know Richard?  It appears so.

We couldn't stay long - we were hurrying back to catch Chefriend Kent on the Channel 5 news.  Boy does he look wonderful with his new hip!

Culinary Institute of America Cooks Satisfaction in San Antonio

In the early 1980's Jim worked at Cafe Pacific, it exposed him to a new level of food and helped him decide that his career needed a more formal education (thank you Jack Knox).  So at the "late" age of 26 he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, requiring a two year commitment to living around Poughkeepsie/Hyde Park, New York.  Back then most of the top culinary schools in the U.S. were either on the left coast or the right, and for those in the middle it required moving to one or the other sides of the country.

I was not enrolled, I just hung out and listened, drank beers with the group at Augie's, (occasionally) snuck into the school Cafeteria, and participated where possible (basketball cheerleader chant:  Mirepoix, Mirepoix, Roux, Roux, Roux.  Chop 'em up, Dice 'em up, Throw them in the stew!).   It is a group-based educational process, and Jim's two-year group was an amazing mix of people from around the states and the world, they spent more than just classtime together.  I like to say we "took big bites of life", we were poor but managed to travel, to enjoy and explore food and life together.

For those not familiar with the educational process by which this school trains their students, I could recommend a great book that details the expectations and sacrifice it takes to earn a degree from this institution.   It was (back then) a mix of old-school "hands on" European apprenticeship (up at 4 am) with modern educational techniques, textbooks, tests.  But also stressed with the classical learning was the training to see food as an art form, visually and flavorfully, and to keep innovating the shape of that form.  They strive to teach the love of the art, as well as master the technique of the art.

Word came last night via Lucian LaBarba that there is a new branch of the CIA now open in San Antonio.  Financed by a very large ($35 million) donation from a SA gentleman, Christopher Goldsbury wanted to take the "This stuff's made in New York City!" chant to a new level.   His four year campaign finally convinced the school that the city of San Antonio could well represent the Center of Foods of the Americas.  His donation helped finance the San Antonio site (which currently has a 30 week program), establish a program of Latin Food studies at the Hyde Park campus, and provides full 2 and 4 year scholarships for those who finish in the top of their San Antonio class to continue their studies in Hyde Park. Longer term plans for the SA campus is for expansion into a degreed program for it's students.

I wonder if they know their initials, SACIA translates from Spanish, "satisfies" or "to satisfy"?  How fitting.  According to their website,

Located at the gateway to Latin America, the CIA, San Antonio attracts a unique blend of students: future chefs, food lovers, and established culinary leaders. Through educational programs our goal is to elevate Latin American cuisine to its rightful place among great cuisines of the world.

Set among restored 19th century buildings once part of the Pearl Brewery, the CIA, San Antonio campus is as diverse as the culinary world itself. Located on the San Antonio River just north of downtown, the 20-acre Pearl Brewery site is developing into a exciting center that will be filled with cafés, schools, lofts, services, and events. The CIA classrooms and kitchens are state-of-the-art, dedicated to real-world experiences, creating an ideal setting for learning.

A strong Dallas link to the CIA is former restaurateur/chef (and now Associate VP of the Culinary Institute of America) Dr. Victor Gielisse, C.M.C, C.H.E..  Many Dallasites remember Victor's restaurant, Actuelle, a 5 star world-class restaurant he owned with his wife, Kathryn and partner Clive O'Donoghue back in the late 1980's.   Both of his cook books, Cuisine Actuelle (by Victor) and In Good Taste, A Contemporary Approach to Cooking (co-authored with Kathryn and Mary E. Kimbrough) are in The Collection.  Hey Victor, old buddy, we've got lots of interested students here for the school, as well as some excellent scholarship opportunities - let us help get the word out!

With over 35 chef graduates from the CIA in the Dallas area, what a fun time we could have!   Road trip on 281 anyone?

Hi Girls - What's New?

Girlfriends Tracy Rathbun and Lynae Fearing were on Good Morning Texas this morning, I missed it but found the link.  See what's going on at their delicious Shinsei Restaurant (disclosure - Tracy and Lynae are long-time personal friends and have previously given me a free Shinsei t-shirt, so when I mention that they have some of the finest Asian inspired food in Dallas, consider that).

Hey girls - see you tonight!

UPDATE:  If you can't get the above to work (like me), try this link.

Hubby Says "Yum", I Say "Can I Blog That?"

I've mentioned before that Sevy has developed products with Canyon Specialty Foods, their Star Chefs line as well as their Dean Fearing's line are sold at HEB/Central Market stores throughout Texas.   Last week an out-of-town group came into the restaurant, they wanted to see these sauces, dressings and dips used in actual dishes to get an idea of their ease of usage and quality.   And hubby came home saying that one dressing in particular was absolutely delicious, and a creative twist on old favorites - I'd call it Dallas Food for sure.  The Dean Fearing's BBQ Thousand Island Dressing bottle has only lasted in our fridge this long (1 week) because we've been traveling, it is truly tasty.

Now you may have grown up learning how to make homemade Thousand Island Dressing with Miracle Whip (ok, so maybe in Texas they use mayonnaise), catsup and sweet pickle relish.  "So", you think, "how much harder could it be to make my own and switch barbecue sauce for catsup?"  Well all I can say is good luck.  Because the delicacy of the flavors is incredibly complex, this is not made with just these three ingredients, it also includes capers, tamarind, lime juice, molasses, anchovy and ginger puree. 

And yum, lots of yum. 

Helping Save Babies

Food Parade from last nights March of Dimes feast fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel.

Del Frisco's David Holben prepared Beef Tenderloin on Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Bread Pudding with Pepper Bacon Demi Glace.

Sevy's Sevy served Sugar Cane Skewered Jumbo Shrimp with Mango Black Bean Relish and Citrus Butter.

Stephan Pyles was right next to us, his restaurant made a beautiful Ancho-Orange Duck Breast with Butternut Squash Polenta, Smoked Cracklings and Kumquat Marmalade.

And Anthony "Tony" Bombaci made a Mint-Lime Lemonade with Ahi Tuna, Coconut and Thai Chiles.

From Suze, hunky Gilbert Garza prepared Sweet Gulf Shrimp and Shellfish Portuguese with Basil Essence and Creamy Organic Brown Rice.

Abraham Salum of Salum might just make the mothers of my Jewish friends a little green with envy.  His Ropa Vieja (shredded brisket) with Onions, Tomato, Avocado, served on Fried Plantains was to-die-for good.  I sent everyone over to taste this one.

Friend Lisa C. was helping her husband at the Chamberlain's booth serving Apple Cured Duck with Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Cherry Pecan Sauce.

Chef Elvis was in the building, from Shinsei that is along with TJ Lengnick, serving a beautiful selection of various sushi rolls.

And "the kid" is back, and it makes me very, very happy.  I met Aaron Staudenmaier about 12 years ago (at the opening of Citizen) and he was literally, a kid.  He's back in Dallas again at Abacus, Jasper's and Rathbun's, and making great food like this Slow Braised Pork Belly, which was very tender.

Chef Jamie Samford of Winn Meat Company made a Imperial Wagyu Beef Roasted Tri Tip with Red Curry/White Soy Glaze on a Celery Root Puree and Sweet Mandarin Almond Salad.

Bringing the pot pie to new heights was Scott Gottlich's Duck Confit Pie, which I would visit Bijoux to have again.

And J. Chastain (and he goes by "J", I asked) of The Second Floor made the most beautiful Crab Ravioli with Aspargus, Wild Mushrooms and Tomatoes.









My pitifully poor camera and picture taking does not do justice to what these chefs created last night.  But best of all they created an environment where people wanted to help give money to help others.  And that's good cooking.

Samar

Old definition:  An island of east-central Philippines in the Visayan Islands northeast of Leyte in the Samar Sea, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The island was the first in the archipelago to be discovered by the Spaniards (1521).

New definition:  An island within downtown Dallas, part of the chain of Stephen Pyles Islands on Ross, an arm of the Dallas Arts Center.  The island offers tapas from three regions:  Spain, the Middle East (various countries), and India and you'll want to taste them all.

Luckily we were with two couples who have traveled extensively and have tasted the "real deal", which they fully endorsed as authentically flavored.  My impression?  You can have a wonderful meal and not have to mortgage the house, the setting beautiful and soothing.  Each plate was enough for two to have a full taste of the dish (but they are small, tapas sized helpings)  and in general the wine prices were really affordable.

Of course I don't review restaurants - and truthfully he sent our group out the entire selection of desserts, gratis.    But even if he hadn't, I'd still recommend giving it a try.

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.