Riding the Culinary Carousel, My life in a Box

The Nitty Gritty information: The Culinary Carousel is a high-end tasting event, held at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington, Warren County, New Jersey. It is an event that raises the majority of funding for the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Warren County. This was the 18th year CC was held and I think it was about the 6th or 7th year I have donated my food and service to the event, as do about 13-15 other area chefs and restaurateurs. For several years, I was also a committee member, helping to put the event together.



One year, we made a fountain
using all natural resources
we harvested from the woods.

Culinary Carousel is hard. As a committee member, it was really hard at times to get the restaurants to participate, or send in their forms, or sometimes even show up and we would have to scramble at the last minute. A great deal of time was invested lining up the restaurants, doing follow up, meeting with other committee members, and then making a floor plan. All while conducting my life as normal AND finding something creative to offer. AngelFood's standard position is to offer appetizers during the initial entry/silent auction portion of the event. And I only worked on the Restaurant Committee. There are other committees who worked just as hard soliciting and creating silent auction baskets, volunteers, table decorations, etc...These are volunteers extraordinaire. The best of the best.

Held the third Monday of October, Culinary Carousel typically falls during or after an exceptionally busy time for us and it doesn't leave a whole lot of energy left for creativity. The problem with this is: I have used the CC to roll out our newest, most original, or at times, most outrageous offerings. It's part of the fun; thrilling the crowd. Just like a good Carnie would.

Our donation has evolved from the first year when I stayed in the kitchen, away from the guests, shuffling hors, while my staff butlered them. I had no presence there that year, I simply didn't get it. But the food was still good. Another year, the staff and I bussed the food, but I offered Rice Noodle wrapped shrimp and Thai Meatballs with a Lemon Grass Sauce in a pipette that guests had to squeeze into their mouths. Wild, fun, original at the time.



Asian Take-out Boxes,
Misting Buddha Fountain (and growing boy).

A different year Miniature Chinese take-out boxes filled with Vegetable Lo Mein were coordinated with the guest favors we sponsored, complete with custom-made fortune cookies with AngelFood messages. Loved those fortune cookies!


Another year, I offered Carnival Food for Adults: Homemade Soft Pretzels with Mustard Brie and Baby Cones filled with Avocado Mousse and Smoked Salmon Mousse that looked like ice cream cones. Also on that table, shrimp corn dogs dipped in onion marmelade.

Inside-out olives.
 

The year of Molecular Gastronomy was outrageous.Green Dot, a bystander prevention program, was the theme, so I made "inside-out" olives. They looked like olives, until you placed the spoon in your mouth. The texture was clearly in flux as the olive flavors burst in your mouth. Some people were thrilled, others were confused, but the effect was universal. It got your attention.


2012 Polenta, fresh mozzarella
and Tomato Vodka Sauce

But in the end, after each Culinary Carousel, we walk away so happy. We came, we cooked, we conquered and all in the name of ending domestic violence. No matter how stressful it was getting there. I used to think the joy came from the food and the event. This year I realized how wrong I was. It has very little to do with the food and the event. The Culinary Carousel is so important because it symbolizes My Life in a Box.



Table decorations and design help
courtesy of Donaldson's Nursery and Greenhouse.

See, I spend a great deal of time considering how I am going to offer the best of myself that year. Then I spend a lot of financial resources making that happen along with a lot of time orchestrating when the job is going to get done amongst all the other tasks in my life. BUT I cannot work ahead because the product, as all other products, must be of the freshest nature. And then the evening comes.

The best moment of the evening.
My son took an impromptu photo of
us together-unsolicited!!

The Culinary Carousel calls me to live in the glory of God, out loud, no hiding. Like the little drummer boy, I have no gifts to give, but myself. I create some beautiful food, decorate a gorgeous table (sometimes with the help of my bff at Donaldson's Greenhouse and Nursery!!) and then enjoy the evening with my staff, seeing many of my best friends in our community. My life in a box has come full circle. Gone is the time I wallowed and clamored for wholeness and healing as a domestic abuse survivor. Now I stand as a domestic abuse warrior and champion.

Make no mistake. Business is business. But this, this is personal.