Two Fabulous AIWF Foodie Events

If you are not a member of AIWF, shame on you. It is a great foodie organization that not only hosts great events, they donate time and money to culinary charities. Next Monday, March 10, AIWF is throwing a bitchin’ dinner party at York Street . Chef Sharon Hage is preparing one of her special seasonal menus. Seating is way limited and the evening will benefit Days of Taste, a unique discovery-based program that teaches fourth and fifth graders how food weaves its way from the farm to the table. The price is a steal–$125.00 for members and $150.00 for guests. Hurry. This will go fast. 214-696-2493.

Then on Friday, March 14, AIWF is bringing in eight big deal wine makers from the Loire Valley will be at Central Market in Dallas for an informal tasting. Now, listen up. Wine from this area of France is some of the finest in the world. My two favs, Sancerre and Muscadet Sevre et Maine, will be there along with several other small-production, artisanal wines from the region. It’s a cheap date: $25 for members, $30.00 guests. GO. 214-696-2493. NOW.

Avner Set To Ramp Up

Could ramps be the new ranch? Hmm, probably not. However, Aurora chef Avner Samuel is teaching a cooking class on ramps, the rising star of the onion family. These delicate little jewels, sometimes referred to as wild leeks, taste like a spring onion with a kick of garlic. They only grow a few weeks a year. The class is set for Saturday March 29 at 10 a.m. $95 per person. 214-528-9400.

Aye, Carrabba’s

Teresa Gubbins has this interesting news over at Pegasus.

Way to Go Amol Thanky

This past Saturday, Amol Thanky of the Texas Culinary Academy won the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas‘ 8th annual Stephan Pyles Scholarship Cook-Off.  After two days of Iron Chef-style competition, Thanky took home $15,000, thank you really though.

Ingredients in the mystery basket included quail, acorn squash, and Texas goat cheese (yum). Besides the cash, Thanky also gets to hang with Chef Pyles in California this fall at a celebrity fundraiser, as well as assisting him at his annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef dinner. Thanky is also invited to come cook at my house anytime. (Insert golf claps here).

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Sprinkles Loves Mom and Dad

 I love Sprinkles cupcakes. Except during Lent. Just look at these delicious boxes of cupcakes they sent over to the office, and picture the angel and the devil perched on my shoulders, duking it out with their tiny fists.    Anyway, for Mother’s and Father’s Day (May 11 and June 15, respectively), Sprinkles is making personalized cupcake boxes. Mom’s comes with lemon, dark chocolate, red velvet and vanilla, and Dad’s is filled with peanut butter chip, red velvet, black and white, and vanilla milk chocolate. They also have cute stickers on the top of the boxes.

Follow the jump for more pics.

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The Mansion Gets A New Sous

I haven’t seen a picture of him, but his name tells me he’s totally cute: Jason Maddy. Anywhoo, he’s Mansion execuchef John Tesar’s new sous chef. (Say that three times.) Maddy, who I hear loves to play the drums and watch the Stars, most recently served as sous chef at the Driskill Hotel in Austin where he worked with David Bull. Hmm. Bull is the brains behind Bolla, the fine dining restaurant in the heart of the newly refurbished Stoneleigh Hotel. I still have not eaten at the Mansion since they completed a multimillion dollar renovation which included face lifts to the Mansion Bar, Mansion Restaurant, Chef’s Room, and Chef’s Table. Bad dining critic, I am. But from talking with Bill “Freckle Face” Addison, I understand it’s a real bobby dazzler. Look out Dallas, we just may become a top dining destination after all.

The Next Big Food Controversy

We’re moving past the organics debate and on to genetically modified food. Yes, I know it’s sorta old news–many plants such as soybean, corn, and wheat have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. Love it or hate it, it is growing out of control and, like everything else these days, it’s getting very political. This morning comes news that a major web-based campaign led by religious investors has been launched against 60 leading companies, including McDonald’s, Campbell Soup, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, PepsiCo, Wendy’s, and Hershey’s, to shun sugar from genetically modified sugar beets. The forces behind the movement, The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, is a coalition of nearly 300 faith-based institutional investors, representing over $100 billion in invested capital. I just started reading Seeds of Deception and I hope you will too. And guess what? The FDA is not required to label food that contains GMOs. Watch your back; no one else is. And now for something completely different.