Culinary students sweep Cocktails & Cookies

Feb. 25, 201310:16 a.m.

Tiffani Price, the coordinator of the Butler Community College Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, and Gregory Cole, an instructor

I was a judge at Friday night’s Cocktails & Cookies event, a fundraiser for the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland that asked local chefs to turn Girl Scout cookies into something even more fabulous.

They did. It was hard to choose a winner from all the peanut buttery, coconut-y, chocolate-y, mint-y goodness on the tables at the Wichita Scottish Rite Center. Places such as Cero’s, Cocoa Dolce, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Doo Dah Diner made items ranging from cake pops to French macaroons to ice cream sandwiches. My co-judges Tanya Tandoc, Guy Bower and I were sugared to the point of delirium by the time we were finished sampling everything.

The amazing peanut buttery winner

The big winner of the evening was the brand new Butler Community College Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Students and staff from the program, which launched this fall, won not only the judges’ choice category but also the peoples’ choice.

They made a perfect layered dessert that utilized three Girl Scout cookie varieties: Thanks-A-Lots, Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties.

Congrats to the winners. Also, a little bit of trivia: Gregory Cole, the enthusiastic instructor who accompanied the students to the competition, is the founder of Little Bits cookie company.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Fundraisers | Comments

You know it’s nasty when restaurants close

Feb. 21, 20138:28 a.m.

No Tanya’s soup for you today

WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EAT?????

Oh yeah, we’re not supposed to drive.

It’s rare when a restaurant closes on a scheduled day to be open, but the fact that several around Wichita are closing or opening late today is a testament to how much white stuff we have on the ground.

Tanya’s Soup Kitchen — one of the city’s top purveyors of cold-weather food — announced yesterday via Facebook  that it would shut down for the day. Doo Dah Diner at 206 E. Kellogg announced the same thing this morning. I also saw that Chick-fil-A west has decided to delay opening until 10:30 a.m., which means no chicken biscuits for you.  Chick-fil-A west later decided to close for the whole day.

Also, Chef Jason Febres at Taste & See at 3825 E Harry St. just announced on Facebook that he’ll be closed for lunch today but hopes to reopen for dinner.

The Anchor also decided to close for the day.

The moral of the story: If you’re out today, check with your favorite restaurant before sliding over.

UPDATE:

Newport Grill at 1900 N. Rock Road reports that the parking lots at Bradley Fair are cleared and that it will open for dinner at 5 p.m. tonight. And Linda Davis from Wichita’s two Jimmie’s Diners wrote to tell me that they’re open as usual.

Redrock Canyon at 1844 N. Rock Road also will be closed on Thursday, managers report.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Lots of food fun at the Women’s Fair

Feb. 13, 201310:08 a.m.

The 15th annual Women’s Fair this weekend at Century II will, as usual, offer several opportunities to nibble, sip and gather cooking tips.

On Friday, local chef Tanya Tandoc of Tanya’s Soup Kitchen will put on a 6:30 p.m. cooking show, where she’ll demonstrate how to make two of her most popular soup recipes: tomato basil bisque and chicken tortilla. She’ll also be selling sets of her recipe cards.

Also on Friday: Both the  Crown Uptown and Fox and Hound will offer food samples during Friday evening’s “Girls Night Out.” Wine expert Guy Bower will put on a tasting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

At 2 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday, cookbook author and spokeswoman for Southwest Dairy Farmers “Kitchen Kimberley” will show how to make creamy chicken tortilla soup and fiesta salad with ranch dressing. At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, she’ll demonstrate the construction of creamy pasta salad, chocolate chip raspberry tarts and an easy cheese platter. And at noon on Sunday, she’ll be showing off a brunch menu featuring a three-cheese quiche.

New this year is the Pork Inspiration Cafe sponsored by the Kansas Pork Association.

It will feature ongoing cooking demonstrations, recipes, coupons, giveaways and more.

Chef Joe Parten of Carrabba’s will be on the pork stage at 3 p.m. Sunday showing how to make red pepper stuffed pork loin. He’ll also take the stage at 1:30 p.m. Sunday to demonstrate a recipe for Sicilian chicken soup.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, Mr. April from the 2013 Kansas Firefighters calendar will show the crowd how to make Fire House chili.
OH! And I almost forgot. I’ll be at the Wichita Eagle booth from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday if you want to stop by and talk restaurants.

Women’s Fair hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8.25 for adults, $7.25 for seniors and $5.25 for children 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. The Party Bus will provide free doorside transportation from Lawrence-Dumont Stadium parking lot.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , Filed under Chefs, Cooking demonstrations | Comments

You can learn to cook with Tanya

Oct. 5, 201210:04 a.m.

Tanya’s Soup Kitchen owner Tanya Tandoc has put on many cooking classes over the years. I took one wayyyyyy back when I first moved to Wichita and she was in her old location by the Eagle. I’ll never forget that class because I learned not only about the importance of a good knife but also that the reason restaurant food tastes so good is that it’s 95 percent butter, cream and sugar. Oh well!

Tanya hasn’t been teaching much while she’s been getting her new restaurant going, but now she’s ready to get back to it. She’s launching a new series of Tuesday-night cooking classes that look delicious. Here’s a list:

Fall Soups and Stews, Oct. 30: Tomato curry, butternut squash bisque with sage croutons, and other fun recipes.
Global Street Food, Nov. 6:  Street food and snacks from around the world, including socca from Southern France, Malaysian laksa, Indian samosas, and more.
Tapas and Small Plates from Spain,  Nov. 13: Herbed potato tortilla, chile-garlic shrimp, spicy chickpeas, roasted potatoes with red pepper sauce, and more.
Italian Trattoria, Nov. 20: Carpaccio, orecchiette with sausage and fontina, Tuscan bean bruschetta, and tiramisu.
Fast French, Nov. 27:  Onion soup with croutons and Gruyere, salad of tart greens with bacon and poached egg, chicken with tarragon sauce, and spice-poached pears.
Holiday Entertaining, Dec. 4: How to prepare holiday appetizers and meals that look elegant but are easy to plan and prepare.

The classes are $45 a person and include dinner, recipes and one glass of wine. They’re demonstration-style, which means students can watch Tanya do the preparation. All classes are at Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, 1725 E. Douglas. Those interested should not call the restaurant but rather the reservation line, 316-631-5973.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and classes start at 6:30 p.m. Those who buy the whole series will get a $30 discount.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Chefs, Cooking demonstrations, Soup | Comments

New culinary program having a sweet opening

Sept. 14, 20128:36 a.m.

Warren Brown

Until recently, inspiring professional chefs who wanted to study close to home had to go to Johnson County Community College’s culinary arts program.

But as of this fall, there’s one in Wichita, too. Butler Community College recently added a Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts. The program results in an associates degree, and classes are held in the recently rennovated Boston Rec Center at 6655 E. Zimmerly in Wichita.

On Tuesday, those interested can tour the building during an open house and also can see a baking demonstration by lawyer-turne-dbaker Warren Brown, the founder of CakeLove and onetime host of the Food Network show “Sugar Rush.”

The open house is from 2 to 4 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m. and the demonstration following.

The new culinary arts program is lead by executive chef John Michael, a wine expert and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. The school has a board of advisers that includes several local chefs and foodies, including Tanya Tandoc of Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, Freddy’s Frozen Custard owner Scott Redler, Beth Tully of Cocoa Dolce and Scott Nicholson, the general manager of the new Fresh Market.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Febres commits a Celeb & Chef Cookoff three-peat

June 13, 20125:03 p.m.

Tanya Tandoc, right, announces Taste & See's Jason Febres the winner of the cookoff.

As I stated earlier, the Celebrity & Chef Cookoff, a benefit for the Orpheum that happens each summer at the Corporate Hills Marriott, is one of the must fun fundraisers put on in Wichita.

I was a judge for last night’s event, along with Chef Tanya Tandoc and Beth Bower of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and our job was hard. We had to taste the dishes come up with on the spot in 45 minutes by eight teams of local chefs paired with well-known Wichitans, who worked as their sous chefs.

The experiment Febres conducted in these test tubes was a total success.

Though we didn’t want to be predictable, the dish prepared by Taste & See’s Chef Jason Febres was definitely the best. He’s already won the past two years, so we tried everything we could think of to talk ourselves out of giving him the title again. But we couldn’t. He created a four-course tasting that included a fried egg/scallop/bacon combo and a test tube gazpacho shooter. His flavors were all clean and fabulous.

We also loved the dishes prepared by The Petroleum Club’s Jake Lippincott, who along with partner Kelly Uran of Bank of the West, made a delectable salmon and scallop duo. And the dish by Kevin Derks of Newport Grill included some amazing fried potato and brussels sprouts shavings that I’d love to eat again. His partner was Splurge magazine publisher Jody Klein.

The event also included plentiful samples of dishes from restaurants all over Wichita, including Lotus Leaf Cafe & , The Anchor, Cero’s, Two Brothers BBQ and more.

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Congressman Mike Pompeo, right, was paired with Marshall Roth, the executive chef of Treat America at Beech Activity Center.

Splurge magazine publisher Jody Klein, right, and her partner chef, Kevin Derks of Newport Grill, prepared another of our favorite dishes.

The judges: Tanya Tandoc, Beth Bower and me.

Bocconcini's chef Nathan Toubia with his partner, the WSU Foundation's Elizabeth King. The duo prepared a homemade ravioli.

Event emcees Dick Honeyman and his wife Bonnie Bing.

The Petroleum Club's Jake Lippincott, with his partner Kelly Uran, made a delicious salmon/scallop duo.

Tallgrass Country Club chef Ben George.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Chefs, Fundraisers, Uncategorized | Comments

Next week’s Celeb & Chef Cookoff one of the fun fundraisers

June 4, 20124:13 p.m.

The 11th annual Celebrity & Chef Cookoff, a popular fundraising event for the Orpheum Theatre, is just a week away, and I’m pretty excited for this one.

I get to be a judge this year, which means I’ll help my co-judges, local chef Tanya Tandoc and AIWF’s Beth Bower, choose the best cuisine prepared by teams of Wichita celebrities paired with Wichita chefs. (Above, see a video I co-produced from the 2010 event.)

Over the course of the year, I visit several foodie fundraisers, and this one is among the most fun. It’s full of good drinks, good food and — best of all — the excitement of watching local chefs in action. The celeb/chef teams compete “Iron Chef” style to come up with the best dish on the spot. A secret ingredient is revealed at the beginning of the contest.

This year’s chefs include Nathan Toubia of Bocconcini Italian Eatery, Peter Moretti of the Wichita Marriott, Kevin Derks of Newport Grill, Ben George of Tallgrass Country Club, Jake Lippincott of The Petroleum Club, John Fitzthum of The Candle Club, Marshall Roth of Treat America at Beech Activity Center and defending champ Jason Febres of Taste and See.

Among the celebs who’ve agreed to help cook: U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo and Jody Horner, president of Cargill Meat Solutions. My bud Bonnie Bing will emcee.

The event, which also will include prize drawings and auctions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. next Tuesday, June 12, at the Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 E. Corporate Hills Drive. Tickets are $75 a person and available at the Orpheum’s website or by calling 316-263-0884.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Chefs, Fundraisers | Comments

Ribfest contest info PLUS great grilling recipes

May 9, 201210:40 a.m.

I hosed off the back of my house for this photo shoot, people!

I was asked to contribute my favorite grilling recipe for today’s cover story in WichiTalk.

The problem: I don’t write recipes. I just use them, but I have a huge collection of fabulous ones to draw from. I got permission from Cargill to use a recipe for smoky spice-rubbed pork loin with cilantro cream sauce that I picked up nearly a decade ago at the Midwest Winefest. It was authored by Tanya Tandoc, who at the time was working as a spokeswoman for Sterling Silver meats.

It’s one of my most beloved recipes, and somehow, I’ve managed not to lose the original card in the 10 years I’ve had it. That’s definitely not common for me.

The card is now pretty beat up and stained with chipotle sauce and crusty bits of dried cilantro. But the dish is both spicy and cool, and everyone I’ve ever served it to loves it.

The finished product

I have a lot of favorite grilling recipes in my stockpile. Another is this amazing but simple flank steak recipe, and nothing is more fun than grilling pizza.

Anyone out there have a can’t- miss grilling recipe to share?

We’re running a contest tied to the Wichita Ribfest that’s soliciting great recipes. The winner must submit one that’s original or highly adapted, and he or she will get tickets to see ole Bocephus at Intrust Bank Arena.

You have from now until May 16 to enter.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Tanya’s pretty pergola ready to go

May 1, 20129:45 a.m.

The patio is covered, and Tanya plans to plant some vines that will snake up the sides.

As of today, the pretty new pergola at Tanya’s Soup Kitchen at 1725 E. Douglas is up, and the patio is open.

Crews have been working on the structure, which is covered on top to make it rain-proof, for a couple of weeks. Those who visit for lunch today can be the first to enjoy the new structure and enjoy a view of Douglas while they slurp their soup.

As for the Pug Brunch Tanya planned but had to cancel on tornado weekend, it’s still going to happen, but she’s been waiting on the pergola completion to reschedule. She’ll let me know when she has.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Outdoor dining, Soup | Comments

Tanya’s planning a very puggy birthday

April 9, 20123:48 p.m.

I can tell you one pug (Norton) who lives at my house who really wants to go to the Pug Brunch.

Can you believe it’s already been a year since Tanya’s Soup Kitchen reopened at 1725 E. Douglas?

This week, mistress of soup Tanya Tandoc will celebrate her restaurant’s first birthday (officially on Friday) with several days worth of activities, culminating in a PUG BRUNCH this Sunday.

The pug brunch, inspired by Tanya’s beloved pugs Olive and the late LuLu, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday on Tanya’s patio, which this week is being fitted with a new pergola. Humans pay $10 for food, which will include sandwiches, soups and a few breakfast items. Dog treats will be provided, too.

Pugs are particularly invited, but any friendly smaller-breed dog is welcome. Tanya’s husband, local musician Wayne Gottstine, will entertain on the patio outdoor and may be filming  a video of the event. Tanya is limiting the brunch to 40 pugs and 60 humans, so if you want to attend, make a reservation by calling 316-267-7687. (If the weather is iffy on Sunday morning, the Pug Brunch will be rescheduled for May.)

Other birthday activities Tanya has planned for the week: On Wednesday, she’ll start registering customers for two $100 gift cards she plans to give away during the brunch. On Friday evening, musicians Nikki Moddelmog and Curt Mitchell will perform and Tanya will be serving Indian food. On Saturday, she’ll offer birthday cake in the restaurant.

Slurpy Birthday to you, Tanya!

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant birthdays, Soup | Comments