Cajun chefs face off for title
Nine of North Idaho’s best chefs are donating their skills at the Art on the Edge mARTi gras party fund-raiser in Coeur d’Alene on Feb. 5.
The chefs will compete for the title of best Cajun chef in the Northwest, while partygoers enjoy a feast like no other this side of New Orleans. The mouthwatering menu is far too extensive to list, but here are some of the highlights: Crab Beignet with Creole Sauce appetizers; Spunky Crawfish Chowder and Cajun Seafood Gumbo soups; Catfish Étoufée and Jambalaya entrees; and the Marti Gras classic King Cake, along with Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce desserts.
Participating chefs include: executive chef Adam Hegsted of Brix; pastry chef Debbi Simel of Cafe DOMA; Sandpoint’s Trinity Cafe chef and owner Gabriel Cruz; executive chef Frank Ciccone of Cricket’s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar; chef Eldon Rush of Eldon’s New York Express; Greenbrier Catering and Events chef Kris McIlvenna; instructor chef Rick Schultz of the North Idaho College Culinary Program; chef Christian Schultz of Moon Time; and Wine Cellar chef Cheryl Callins.
The party will be held at Brix restaurant in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Tickets are $30. There will also be a Big Easy Raffle for hundreds of prizes and dancing to music provided by Out of the Blue. Raffle tickets are $20.
All proceeds will benefit Art on the Edge, which provides free art classes and mentoring for children in north Idaho. Buy tickets at Brix, Capone’s, Coeur d’Alene Cellars, St.Vincent de Paul’s in Coeur d’Alene or Enoteca in Post Falls. For more information, call (208) 773-1725.
Guest chef classes
The 9th Street Bistro in Huckleberry’s Natural Market will host a new guest chef cooking series that will help you hone your kitchen skills or tackle something new.
Starting next Wednesday, the bistro will host one class per month featuring a local chef and a unique menu item. Chef Robert Lombardi, corporate chef for Blackrock Corp. and pastry chef instructor for the Culinary Arts Program at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, will demonstrate flambéed desserts perfect for Valentine’s Day using sorbet, fresh fruit, dessert bread and syrups.
Other classes planned include:
March 23: Fearless Cooking for Large Parties on March 23 with chef Brett Fontana of the Hayden Lake (Idaho) Country Club.
April 18: Italian Cooking-Gnocchi with cookbook author Tullia Barbanti.
Mary 25: Lamb Cookery with chef Doug Fisher of the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy at Spokane Community College.
June 21: Vegan & Vegetarian Cooking on June 21 with chef Duane Sunwold a former chef and hotel restaurant management instructor at SCC.
The classes are $20 per person, per class and you can sign up for one class or the whole series. Space is limited. For more information, call Huckleberry’s Natural Market, 926 S. Monroe St., at 624-1349.