Primavera Cooks!

I had the most exciting afternoon!  I attended the apprentice chef meeting at Lodge on the Desert as they prepared for their September 8th Primavera Cooks! meal. If you're not familiar with the Cooks!  events, philanthropically minded foodies pay for the privilege of cooking at some of the most prestigious local restaurants.  They prepare a multi-course meal, under the guidance of the restaurant staff, to be served to the Cooks!  guests.  This all benefits the Primavera Foundation, the agency behind local programs for the homeless and working poor.

The theme for this meal is "from the tap."  Two of the wines used will be on tap, a new concept to me, but it makes a lot of sense - no glass bottle, no foil, no cork, a much smaller carbon footprint.  Executive Chef Ryan Clark led a lively planning session, making sure that the tap idea was represented  in every course.

The apprentice chefs are in for a memorable time, partly due to the fact that the Lodge's kitchen is under construction after a fire last February.  They'll be working in semi-trailers outfitted as  a commercial kitchen and walk-in cooler.  The chefs assured the apprentices that they've served parties of 200 and 300 from this  temporary kitchen. 

It was inspiring to listen to the passionate, creative discussion, and Chef Ryan was kind enough to share a couple of recipes with me and my readers.