The Bocuse d'Or, Team USA, and Me

Program book for the Bocuse d'Or fundraising dinner held in Milan, Ohio on March 15, 2014

Hi! It's me, again!

I know - it's been forever. I've been wined and dined, done a lot of schmoozing, and made many great new friends since I dropped in for a quick update last month. Toledo is a great, underrated food town with some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

"Flowers and Fruit," Henri Fantin-Latour

I've been to a Shabbat dinner for which I was warned to stop eating at noon, so I'd be ready for all the food. I've been to a tasting event to sample the dishes and wines being served at a high school auction. I've been given a personal tour of still life paintings at the Toledo Museum of Art. I've eaten the Garbage Salad at Grumpy's, which has everything in it from lettuce to poppy seed dressing to four kinds of cheese to chicken to raisins ... and everything works beautifully together! I was invited to a Lenten fish fry, which was my first in decades and Craig's first ever - he loved it.

So, life is a whirlwind of food and typing and deadlines and stress and fabulous events, all at once. Really, truly, I am having a LOT of fun, despite the chaos and the transition period! If you want to keep up with my adventures more closely, you'll have to follow @BladeFoodPage on Twitter or like The Toledo Blade Food Page on Facebook. Time is a luxury that I hope to one day have again, so unfortunately I'm only popping in here when I've got a really good story to tell.

And I've got a REALLY good story to tell today.

Two members of the United States' Bocuse d'Or team - Chef Philip Tessier and Head Coach Gavin Kaysen - were in Ohio on Saturday to prepare an 8-course meal for a team fundraiser, seeking money to help train for next January's main event. They had an array of all-star chefs with them, each taking the lead on one of the courses. And while I didn't get invited to the dinner, I did get invited to the Culinary Vegetable Institute, where the event was held, to interview Chef Tessier, to watch in awe as the chefs worked on the meal, to see the world-class Institute, to meet new friends, and to just generally wonder - to quote the Talking Heads - "Well, how did I get here???"

Well, I got this email, to start with:

"I am writing to invite you for behind-the-scenes access to a very special event. The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation is hosting a fundraising dinner at The Culinary Vegetable Institute on March 15 ....

While it is not uncommon for chefs of this caliber to gather in NYC, Aspen or L.A., this event is a rare opportunity for the Midwest to rally in support of a national organization that represents the U.S. internationally ....

Are you interested in observing in the kitchen as chefs prepare for the dinner on Saturday?"

GASP!!! There is no adequate way to convey, in mere letters and words, the vacuum sucking sound as the air left my lungs, as my eyes bulged, as my mouth gaped. "GASP!!!" is woefully inadequate, but it will have to suffice. The planet stopped spinning, and my heart may have stopped, as well. I just sat and stared at the screen.

Because most of you know that I obsess about the Bocuse d'Or. I have babbled about it here. I've read Knives at Dawn, about the 2009 competition. I follow the chefs involved with Team USA on Facebook and on Twitter. I wake up at 4 a.m. on "game day" to study and admire the meat dishes, the fish platters, the garnishes, the presentation trays, everything.

You might say I'm a fan.

So I tried to persuade my co-workers (editors, graphics department, ANYone) that it was A BIG DEAL that these folks were coming to Ohio. A BIG DEAL. Internationally acclaimed chefs were coming to our state, recognizing us, acknowledging us, not dismissing us as a bunch o' chili mac-eatin' rubes. The Bocuse d'Or was coming to OHIO.

Huh? What is that? Say that again? Can you spell it? I know - very few people are as fixated as I am upon this.

But they could see that, clearly, it was A BIG DEAL to me. No, readers couldn't buy tickets anymore. No, readers couldn't attend. No, readers had no access. So it didn't warrant promotion. But it warranted recognition and acknowledgement in return for what was being bestowed. This was news. They told me to put in a request for a Blade photographer (a very sweet guy named - love it! - Jeremy Wadsworth) to accompany me, and head on over.

The Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio

So, that's what Craig and I did. We headed down to Milan, Ohio - an hour away, and eons away from the urban environment of Toledo. We had an adventure.

We got to the Institute (CVI) - originally a family farm that now provides produce to restaurants, offers CSAs and gift boxes, and also has a retreat center with an extraordinary kitchen, an event center, a library. It's professional and yet intimate. We walked in and were enthusiastically welcomed; Linley Murphy greeted us, and she knew me by name ... I was SO impressed! She showed us around, offered us something to drink, and then Craig went off to the cupola to relax in a reclining chair in a sun room. (Despite this dreary-looking photo, the sun did come out and shine down upon the site!)

Team USA Head Coach Gavin Kaysen

And I went downstairs to be a grown-up and a professional, when all I wanted to do was squeal like a tweenybopper.

There, in the kitchen, were the chefs - faces I recognized, names I knew, people whose talents and gifts I am utterly in awe of. Gavin Kaysen - I've watched him on "Chopped" as he competed for charity, and here he was 5' away from me doing interviews while trimming spring onions. Jonathon Sawyer of Cleveland, on the list of semifinalists for this year's Best Chef: Great Lakes at the James Beard Awards. Chef Tessier, who is heading to France in January to represent the U.S. along with his commis, Skylar Stover.

In Ann Arbor, once, my BFF Wendy and I were stuck in traffic trying to head downtown and park for an event. We knew that this many people were not planning to see a Brazilian dance troupe. What were we missing - was there an accident??? Well, we finally got to the structure, parked the car, got in the elevator to head to the theatre. And in the elevator, folks were talking about Robert Plant ... he was in town and performing that night. Oh. Didn't know, didn't care, but at least that explained the traffic issues.

But I cared desperately about the artists, trendsetters, chefs I was watching as they danced in the kitchen. As expected, there was none of the screaming and ranting that you see on "entertainment"-style television shows. These were professionals, friends, colleagues, collaborators. Farmer Lee Jones, whose family owns the CVI, wrote in the dinner's program book: "After all, what matters more than pursuing excellence in whatever you choose to do?" I was witnessing the realization of that statement, fluidity and grace in action.

It was just so fascinating to watch as hundreds and hundreds of small yellow flowers were picked over one-by-one, as sauces were stirred and blended, as everyone seemed so calm as they were working hard, of course, but really weren't working because they so adore what they do. I caught a whiff of a vinaigrette that smelled of apples and wine, and it was so sharp and so sweet that truly, even as I type, I can almost feel again what I felt in that instant, almost recall the fragrance. Every sense was alert, and yet there was no sense of over-stimulation, of stress, of rushing, of time limits. I just stood and watched, absorbing it all while knowing that I couldn't possibly convey everything I was experiencing in any coherent way to others.

These are the headlining chefs I watched in their intricate dance, and the dishes they prepared:

Hors d'oeuvres:
Jonathon Sawyer
Aged Beef Suet, Spring Vegetables, Five Year Anchovy Sauce, Côte Rôtie Vinegar
Cold Gold Duck and Foie
Italian Chicharron

Jamie Simpson
Cucumber, Yuzu Curd, Cucumber Bloom

First:
Curtis Duffy
Salsify Cooked and Raw, Trout Roe, Black Lime, Apples Compressed in Ferrari, Mountain Mint, Oxalis

Second:
Jennifer Petrusky
Iberico Ham & Garlic Consommé, Black Garlic, Iberico Ham Chips

Third:
Jamie Simpson
Potato, Sea Urchin, Nasturtium, Barley, Crème Fraîche

Fourth:
Eli Kaimeh
Sauternes Poached Foie Gras, Pistachio Genoise, Cherry Bomb Radish, Watercress Blooms, Saba

Fifth:
Philip Tessier
Bacon Wrapped Monkfish, Pommes Maxim, Petite Pois à la Française, Red Wine Braised Escargots

Sixth:
Michael Rotondo
Grimaud Farm Guinea Hen, Tempura Turnip, Reduction of Nettles, Jalapeño

Seventh:
Gavin Kaysen
Lamb Mosaic, Fine Herb Pesto, Niçoise Olives, Red Pearl Onion, Confit Pepper, Natural Jus

Eighth:
Thomas Raquel
Matcha Custard, Puffed Wild Rice, Toasted Rice Sorbet, Hojicha Branches, Lychee Snow

Final Bite:
Thomas Raquel
Golden Egg

I was offered an opportunity to speak with any chef I chose ... oh, my word. I hated to impose, to interrupt; and yet, I was there precisely to meet with these people and to publicize their work. (I haven't quite grasped, yet, that I'm "media" and that I get privileges!) I knew I wanted to meet with Chef Tessier, as he's the candidate heading to France to compete, the one the fundraiser was supporting. And so, he came out of the kitchen, walked over to a table in the dining room that had already been set up beautifully, pulled out a chair for me, and sat down to talk.

Team USA Chef Philip Tessier (The Blade/Jeremy Wadsworth)

He was very friendly and keenly focused, smiled a lot, and he was deeply passionate, committed to his art; he also speaks even faster than I do.  Chef Tessier talked about the need to "look outside the culinary norm," and noted that it is a "disservice not to learn from the ground up" with technique being critical to performing and innovating and competing. He agreed with me that, much as Meryl Streep explains to Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada" that an absurd haute couture look eventually evolves into a ready-to-wear sweater, the creations produced by chefs at the Bocuse d'Or level eventually "trickle down" to influence how the rest of us grow, cook, and eat our food. While in the past, Bocuse d'Or candidates have maintained their restaurant schedules, their training schedules, their fundraising schedules, and made attempts to have family time as well, Chef Tessier has "backed out of the kitchen a bit" and is focusing on a recipe archive for The French Laundry, enabling him to have more balance as he prepares for the competition. We discussed the importance of preparing food, that "you can eat better by cooking" although this is difficult in food deserts where "wholesome foods are hard to come by," thus compromising health and quality of life.

After Chef Tessier went back into the kitchen, I simply observed from a distance, not wanting to intrude upon the the choreography, the balance, the rhythm. I spoke with Chef John Selick as he took a short break; he had come from Cleveland to assist in the preparations, and half-joked about "kids in the kitchen"-type reality shows, alternately encouraging children to pursue his own chosen field of culinary arts, but also insultingly saying that even kids could do his job with no respect or regard for the decades invested in it. He agreed with Chef Tessier about the need for technique, saying that he actually enjoyed spending hours preparing carrots or potatoes. It was informative, as one becomes far more aware of texture, of size, of aroma, of every aspect of the ingredient while learning so many other important skills through years of training that can't be approximated or compensated for if they're lacking.

Having taken a few moments to go upstairs to observe the kitchen from above, with its own unique vantage point, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the servers, Dan, who works at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland. He is quite knowledgeable about food, and enjoys making "a good cut of rib eye," pizza (though we both acknowledged the need for a pizzeria-quality oven to do it justice), and potatoes. Neither of us would be attending the dinner, though Dan and his fellow hotel servers would be present; but he noted that the best chefs have the waitstaff taste the food before bringing it to guests, so that they can be well informed about what they're serving.

I also had chances to speak with women in the CVI's marketing department - Alex Scheufler, who's been there for 6 years (and sent the gasp-inducing invitation), and Carole Firth, who's been there a whopping 3 weeks. Both are originally from Ohio, left for awhile, and then came back. In my own short 6 weeks in the state, I have heard over and over again about people who have either lived in Ohio their entire lives or who have left but returned again. There is something about it that lures people back, that calls them home. And Ohio also lures world class chefs, as evidenced by Saturday night's gala fundraiser. Before he went back into the kitchen, Chef Selick uttered a statement which nailed the essence of Saturday's event. He pronounced the state, region, and the Institute itself - on that day, at that time - to be "The center of the culinary universe."

This entire scene was like something out of "Brigadoon." It all happened in a small house on a small farm in a small town in Ohio. As I left, I knew the dinner would take place (I followed along as photos of each course were posted on Twitter). I knew everyone would be exhausted but thrilled once the dishes were washed and the kitchen was clean. A glass of wine or a beer, perhaps, stories told, lots of laughter among friends, and then to bed. And the next day, they'd go back to their homes and their restaurants, and it would all be over. A fleeting moment.

But I was there to see it, to witness the intricacies of getting ready for it.

And I got Chef Tessier's autograph on my copy of the program book, ready for him to win gold in January ... :)

For more about the Bocuse d'Or team coming to Ohio, read my article for The Toledo Blade here.

Team USA Chef Philip Tessier's course: Bacon Wrapped Monkfish, Pommes Maxim, Petite Pois à la Française, Red Wine Braised Escargots (Michelle Demuth-Bibb/The Chef's Garden, Inc.)

Let Them Eat Cake at Sweet Beginnings!

My judging clipboard; Best Decorated Cupcakes - adorable little shoes! Best Decorated Cake, and the row of cakes I was assigned to judge ... :)

I was thrilled to be one of the judges for the Perry Nursery School's annual fundraiser, Sweet Beginnings, last week. My category was "Best Tasting Cake" - gee, what a rough job, huh??? Taste three carrot cakes, a banana cake, two chocolate cakes, a pineapple cake, and an angel food cake ... whee!

So after assessing appearance, moistness, texture, uniqueness, and flavor, the "Best Tasting Cake" category was won by Perry's staff social worker Kathy Manta, for her carrot cake ... sigh ... :)

Winners in the other categories were:

Best Decorated Cupcakes: Rachel Stewart
Best Decorated Cake: Cheryl Baryo
Best Tasting Cupcakes: Pat Hutchins

There was also an amazing buffet, served by Fabulous Food, Inc.:

The Perry Nursery School is such a tremendously good cause, and I'm proud to do whatever I can to support them (primarily through publicizing this grand party; I wish I had more time, so I could actually volunteer there, too). Adorable at-risk preschoolers from low-income families - "the working poor," as Executive Director Sandy Hilton phrased it while speaking at the event - often with single parents or being raised by grandparents, come to Perry and are given pre-/post-school care, a good lunch, an education, counseling and, most importantly, love. They and their families are supported in many ways, far beyond just the three proverbial "R"s and learning to play well with others. Perry accomplishes a tremendous amount with limited resources, and so it's wonderful to attend Sweet Beginnings and find so many dedicated supporters, staff, volunteers, and others who work so hard to raise money to meet the students' and schools' needs.

Sweet Beginnings also offered a cooking demonstration by French chef Brigitte Romero, a cake walk (with the assortment of beautifully decorated cakes offered as prizes), a raffle, a cupcake tower-building competition, and a silent auction with prizes ranging from a handmade stained glass decoration to a Japanese tea set and from a golf outing to a culinary trip to Paris. I was thrilled to have the "buy it now" option, rather than agonizing over whether I'd win my chosen item and having to babysit it all night, and happily went home with a brand new cupcake carrier (something I didn't have and needed desperately!) and adorable little cupcake plates - perfect for serving, for using as a butter dish, and for taking pictures for ye olde blog!

Lucy Ann Lance, local DJ and community supporter extraordinaire, was the evening's emcee and did an amazing job keeping things lively. She gave some of the older children who attended the event an opportunity to shine by giving them chances to describe raffle items or choose winning tickets, which made things so much fun for everyone. MUCH credit goes to Perry's Development Director, Sandy Williams, for organizing this exceptional event - it was fabulous! I'm honored to have been invited to judge two years in a row, and am looking so forward to continuing to support Perry Nursery School!

 

CRUSH Birmingham 2012 - A Recap

Craig Rochkind, Paul Kittle, and Gina Kittle enjoying the CRUSH Birmingham fundraiser with me

On Saturday night, I attended the fabulous CRUSH Birmingham fundraiser to support The Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. So much amazing food! Such lovely wines! So many talented chefs! Such a great time ... :)

Craig and I schmoozed with the folks from The Root Restaurant, who'd made the stellar bacon-crusted caramel apples from Baconfest this past summer; we're hoping to meet up again next year to see what they create with the almighty pig. At CRUSH, they served a lovely, crisp-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside pork belly that is one of the contenders for my favorite dish. You already know that indecision is one of my hallmarks; there was so much unbelievably delicious food, how could I choose just one item??? Craig's favorite - he being far more decisive in this area than I am - was the pasta with grilled octopus served by Myles Anton of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. I just relished being able to eat my way through the party.

We chatted with James Beard Award semifinalist Matt Millar of Reserve, who has redeemed venison for me with his amazingly tender ragout. I'd only eaten venison once, decades ago, and found it gamey once I got past the stench of its cooking. But Matt's stew was succulent and addictive, and gives me even more incentive to make a road trip across the state some time, just for a spectacular dinner.

We also had a lovely opportunity to talk with Luciano Del Signore, another Beard Award semifinalist, who thrilled me by recognizing my blog name when I handed him a card. I'd written up his fabulous Pizzeria Biga this summer, he'd tweeted "mille grazie," I'd swooned .... (In my little food-obsessed world, remember, chefs are the rock stars!) He served a gorgeous vegan pepper and quinoa dish, and told us that Italians have been eating this way for centuries; but give the cuisine a new name, and magically it becomes popular here!

Katherine Camera, the sommelier who'd picked perfect wine pairings to go with the prosciutto dish that Beard Award nominee Brian Polcyn of Forest Grill had created, gave us very specific instructions. She told me to take a bite of the dish and then, before swallowing, to take a sip of the wine so that all of the flavors could meld together, enhancing each other. The red wine was really lovely; and we were very surprised to learn that it had come from ... get this ... Lebanon. I don't know 'bout you, but I don't normally think of Lebanon as a wine producer! But Katherine said there is a long tradition, and Lebanon is on the rise in the wine world.

There was luscious shrimp, beautifully smoked lake trout mousse, crisp potato chips, fragrant sweet honey, tender handmade pasta, crisp slaw, an exceptional pink champagne, a tart German white wine, a distinctive Greek red ... so many tastes, textures, and temptations!

We couldn't stay for the entire evening, as Craig's 13-year-old dog, Sammi - a very sweet little Bolognese (who looks a bit like a Bichon, or a lamb!) - needed care for a nasty cough and tracheal inflammation.

But just before we left, I was so thrilled that Gina and Paul Kittle, who'd won my ticket giveaway, were able to find me in the crowds! In his comment on the giveaway post, Paul had so very sweetly written: "I'd love to win to take my wife on a much deserved Date-Night! We'd enjoy the ride over to beautiful Birmingham!" They came from Muskegon, north and west of here, and spent the weekend downstate; they were able to visit their daughter who lives in the area, as well. So Paul and Gina had a perfect weekend of food, fun, and family - I'm so excited for them!

CRUSH Birmingham was an exceptional event for an even better cause. I was so happy to be able to support it ... :)

Shrimp with Michigan Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pudding and Sweet Potato-Ancho Chili Cream
Jim Barnett, Executive Chef of The Westin Book Cadillac in Dettoit

Hand-Rolled Pasta with Grilled Octopus, Mushrooms, and Fresh Tomato
Myles Anton, Executive Chef of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City

Sourdough bread spread with cheese and drizzled with local honey
Myles Anton, Executive Chef of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City

Broth with Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tortelli, Kabocha Squash, Spiced Heirloom Apple, and Toasted Pepitas
Daniel Campbell, Executive Chef of Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro and Bellapiatti in Birmingham

Crispy Braised Michigan Pork Belly with Roasted Butternut Squash Puree and Corn
James Rigato, Executive Chef of The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake

Venison and Wild Boar Terrine
Matt Millar, Executive Chef of Reserve in Grand Rapids

Venison Ragout with Gnocchi
Matt Millar, Executive Chef of Reserve in Grand Rapids

House-Cured Salmon with Potato Galette and Truffled Creme Fraiche
Paul Grosz, Executive Chef of Cuisine in Detroit

Quinoa Livornese-Stuffed Roast Pepper, Sauteed Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, and Braised Baby Artichoke
Luciano Del Signore, Executive Chef of Bacco Ristorante in Southfield and Pizzeria Biga in Royal Oak

House-Made Prosciutto with Olive Oil-Poached Mediterranean Salad and Pecorino Romano
Brian Polcyn, Executive Chef of Forest Grill in Birmingham and Cincos Lagos in Milford

Lake Huron Smoked Trout Rillette with Red Onion Relish
Steven Gostick, Executive Chef of Toasted Oak Grill in Novi

Lamb Tartare with Cream of Blue Cheese
Guillaume Hazael-Massieux, Executive Chef of La Becasse in Maple City

The Best Ticket Giveaway Ever!

I am offering the best giveaway ever, if you either live in the Detroit area or are willing to travel here for an exceptional event!

The Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan - "an independent nonprofit foundation whose mission is to provide and promote compassionate, personalized support to people in Michigan affected by leukemia and other related disorders" - is preparing for an exciting fundraiser.  (This is the same amazing charity that benefited from BRU Fest this past summer.) The event will feature fabulous food, world-class wines, award-winning chefs, and an opportunity to have fun while supporting an exceptional cause:

What a way to cork-off the season! The CRUSH MICHIGAN signature series of events will celebrate its fifth year with the CRUSH Birmingham 2012 Wine and Food Classic to be held on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan.

There will be 12 local executive chefs in attendance, featuring gourmet dishes. Wine personalities and Master sommeliers will describe, advise, and recommend some of the year’s most exquisite wine choices and pairings. There is also a CRUSH After Hours following the main event.

The mission of CRUSH MICHIGAN continues to be that of creating world-class regional wine and food fundraising events for the benefit of Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, an independent non-profit foundation serving families throughout the state of Michigan.

Did I mention that several James Beard Award finalists and semi-finalists are among that stellar crowd of chefs who'll be feeding guests? Look at this unbelievably impressive list of participants:

Brian Polcyn

Brian Polcyn, Chef and Proprietor, Cinco Lagos, Milford, and Forest Grill, Birmingham

Michael Laiskonis, Chef, The Institute of Culinary Education, New York

Myles Anton, Executive Chef, Trattoria Stella, Traverse City

Jim Barnett, Executive Chef, Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit

Jim Bologna, Executive Chef, The Rugby Grill, The Townsend Hotel, Birmingham

Daniel Campbell, Executive Chef, Tallulah, Birmingham

Luciano Del Signore

Michael Connery, Executive Chef, Capital Grille, Troy

Luciano Del Signore, Executive Chef, Bacco Ristorante, Southfield

Steven Grostick, Executive Chef, Toasted Oak Grill, Novi

Paul Grosz, Executive Chef, Cuisine, Detroit

Guillaume Hazael-Massieux, Executive Chef, La Becasse, Maple City

John Korycki, Executive Chef, Zazios, A Modern Italian Experience, Kalamazoo and Birmingham

Matt Millar, Executive Chef, Reserve, Grand Rapids

Bartholomew Broadbent

James Rigato, Executive Chef, The Root Restaurant and Bar, White Lake

Ron Edwards, Master Sommelier, Wine Consultant and Educator, Wine Talk Radio Host

Madeline Triffon, Master Sommelier

Claudia Tyagi, Master Sommelier

Bartholomew Broadbent, Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, California


Tickets to this extraordinary event cost $250 ... unless you can win a pair.

That's right: I've been given the opportunity to host this giveaway so that you - yes, you! - might win 2 tickets to CRUSH Birmingham 2012, so you and a date, partner, friend, loved one, whomever can join me at the party and enjoy swoon-worthy dishes and wines while supporting a great cause!!!

Here are the details:

- Leave a comment below telling me that you'd love to win tickets to this fabulous party and would be able to attend.

- Make sure you leave an email address, so I can let you know if you've won.

- The giveaway begins today, and will end at noon on Sunday, September 16.

- I will use random.org to pick a number, then send an email to the winner; you'll have until 8 a.m. on Monday, September 17 to respond, or I'll choose another number.

- The folks at Identity P.R., who are so generously providing tickets to CRUSH Birmingham, will contact the winner by email to confirm names and ages for you and your guest.

- You've gotta find your own way to Birmingham (it's a suburb of Detroit, for non-locals); sorry, no air fare or gas money included in the deal!

- The winner's name will be added to the VIP list, so all you'll need to do is check in at the door when you arrive.

So leave a comment and try to win the tickets! Post this on Facebook and Twitter and whatever other social media you can think of! Send it in an email! Get the word out, because The Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan is such a great cause, and this is going to be an amazing party to benefit sick kids and their families.

"Piepalooza" to Benefit Perry Nursery School

The Perry Nursery School is hosting its annual fundraising party and silent auction - "Piepalooza" this year, complete with a contest for "best tasting pie" - on March 14 at Washtenaw Community College.  And I am thrilled to announce that I've been invited to be a judge at the competition!  As they say, it's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it.  Happily, one of those somebodies is lil' ol' me.

Perry has been serving at-risk preschoolers since 1934, offering these adorable kids "future academic and social success while providing their parents opportunities for professional, personal, and parental growth."  In other words, they don't just teach the kids the letters of the alphabet and how to play well with others; at Perry the entire family is welcomed and cared for, served in a variety of ways to help ease the stresses that they face from low incomes, single parenthood, and other factors.

Now, of course, we all know that March 14 is Pi Day because it's 3.14!  Could this be a more perfect day to celebrate both the beauty of pie and the fabulous work that Perry does in taking care of its students and their families?

There are three categories in the "Best Tasting Pie" contest, if you want to submit an entry for my fellow judges and me to taste at the competition.  (You can click here for more information about how to do this, because pre-registration is required.)

- Best Tasting Fruit Pie
- Best Tasting Cream/Custard/Meringue/Chiffon Pie
- Best Tasting "Other" Pie - any pie that doesn't fit into the first two categories. No meat pies, please.

In addition to the pie competition that you - yes, you! - can enter, there will also be lots of other entertainment at the party: delicious appetizers and finger foods provided by the culinary arts students at Washtenaw Community College, beer and wine, Perry's famous silent auction (everything from antiques to entertainment to gift baskets and more), a tag team pie eating competition, a pie walk featuring Zingerman's pies as prizes, a baking demonstration by French pie expert Brigitte Romero, raffles ... an entire evening of festivity!

When I went to visit the school recently, a beautiful little blonde girl came up to hug me for no reason other than sweetness; she didn't say one word, but she did smile and show me the gap where she'd just lost her first tooth.  Perry provides her, and all of her friends at the school, with so many benefits: year-round education with extended childcare hours, a 1:8 teacher-to-student ratio, sliding scale tuition, family support services, two meals and an afternoon snack each day, an emergency pantry, assistance with English as a second language (many students speak Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and other languages at home), a social worker and speech therapist on-site, and so much more.  It is an amazing place with such dedicated staff!  Whether you buy a ticket or bring a pie, just be sure to join me in supporting such a good cause.

Since I'll be tasting all the pies rather than competing with my own entry, I thought I'd at least offer some inspiration for everyone else.  I baked this for my parents awhile ago, and my father said it was the best pie he'd ever eaten; considering that he's had nearly 85 years in which to sample the competition, I'd say he's a pretty good authority.

But if you think you've got a pie that's even better, be sure to register for the contest at Piepalooza and let me try it!

Cherry Almond Streusel Pie

1 9" deep dish pie crust in pan

Filling:
4 cups tart cherries
1/8 cup reserved cherry juice or water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons butter

Streusel:
3/4 cup cookie crumbs (I used Nilla wafers)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pie pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine cherries, cherry juice, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract; pour into the pie crust. Dot with butter.

In the same bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon, and sliced almonds; stir in the melted butter and spread over the cherries.

Bake for 1 hour, until the topping is golden and the filling is starting to bubble up.

Serves 10-12.

Caramel Apple Crisp Pie ... Oh, My!!

Two weekends ago, WEMU/89.1 FM in Ypsilanti -- where my friend Jessica Webster, head of the Food & Drink page for AnnArbor.com, is a DJ on Sunday afternoons playing "jazz and stuff" (as she once phrased it) -- was holding a pledge drive. (They still need to raise $300,000 to meet their Fall fundraising goal, so any contributions would be most gratefully appreciated; click here to donate.)

Somehow, before Tom and I tuned in, Jessica and others in the studio with her at the time had started a discussion of listeners' favorite pies. Well, that was easy -- Caramel Apple Crisp Pie! I had already been planning to make one, so the idea had been swirling around in my brain. First of all, it's just the proper thing to do in the Fall; but also, Tom is not an apple pie fan (gasp!), so I had to bake this in order to redeem the treasure that I believe the dessert to be.

Tom and I made a pledge to help the radio station, and I claimed Caramel Apple Crisp Pie -- combining a trifecta of desserts: apple pie, apple crisp and caramel apples -- to be my very favorite. It's apple crisp baked in a pie crust, topped off perfectly with a drizzle of caramel sauce ... an idea to which I give full credit to Jeremy, who suggested it several years ago in a moment of sheer brilliance.

And so, then it was necessary to bake this glorious specimen ... and bake I did. If I'd been at home rather than at Tom's, I'd have added a bit of cornstarch and a touch of cider to the apple mixture, then cooked it on the stovetop to give it a bit of a gel to bind the filling together better.

But since I didn't have either of those ingredients with me, I made it according to the instructions given below and that means the apple chunks have a bit of a tendency to fall out of the crust. Oh, well ... it hardly impacts the flavor, only the aesthetics. It's still luscious and sweet and slightly spicy and just wonderful!

So if you're tired of plain ol' apple pie, I invite you to bake this one. It's quick, it's easy, and it's absolutely divine ... :)

Caramel Apple Crisp Pie

1 crust for a 9" pie pan

Filling:
1 3-pound bag apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Topping:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 packet instant oatmeal (I used Maple Nut)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 425F. Place crust into a 9" pie pan.

Filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples into 3/4" pieces. Place into a large bowl and mix together with the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place the apples into the pie crust and dot with the butter.


Topping: Combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and walnuts in the same mixing bowl that you used for the filling ('cause there's no reason to wash extra dishes, right???). Spread over the apples. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the pie.


Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 30-40 minutes more until apples are tender when poked with a knife. (There's a lot of variation for this last step, depending upon the type of apple used, the juiciness, etc.) Check on the pie mid-way through the baking; if the topping is getting too dark, cover it with a piece of foil.


Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

(Entering this recipe into the Kitchen Corners November Cook-Off: "I Love Apples.")