Gentlemen, fire up your ovens, grills, and breadmakers! Tie on those manly aprons and head for the kitchen—it’s time once again to brandish your giant spoons at Real Men Cook, the Arts Outreach annual fundraiser and lively showcase for brawny local talent.
This year’s event, slated for Oct. 25 at Flag Is Up Farms, marks the 17th time that amateur chefs and area wineries have gathered to raise money for the worthy projects undertaken by Arts Outreach. Here, as winery staffers pour their wares and macho cooks serve up generous tastes of signature dishes, guests can enjoy unlimited sampling, as well as the convivial company of friends and neighbors.
Look for as many as 50 creative fellows—including comedians, artists, engineers, school board members, and all-around nice guys—to be on hand with their hot pots and baking pans. A number of these kitchen wizards return year after year, coming from Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez Valley, and even as far away as Alaska to participate in this unusual event.
“Arts Outreach is a very good cause,” explained Catherine Affolter, Arts Outreach office manager. “We bring art into the community through workshops in schools and senior centers, and summer theater programs.
“And Real Men Cook has an appeal that’s hard to quantify,” she continued. “People do it just because they want to. It’s a fun, casual, locally driven event that gives local guys and vintners a chance to give back to the community.”
Divided into 12 categories, the edible entries run the gamut from appetizers and salads, to entrees and desserts. Presiding over the competitive, yet friendly contest, three professional chefs from area restaurants name their favorite dish in each category, and award 12 lucky winners paper hats hand-decorated by Affolter’s children, as well as bragging rights at next year’s cook-off.
Dishes on this year’s menu, many made from original recipes, include Spicy Pumpkin Bisque and Izzy’s Pulled Pork with McCrevis BBQ Sauce. Meat lovers will delight in beefy Gaucho Bowl Bites, while those with a sweet tooth will want to head directly for the Clan McKinnon’s Single Malt Mac-aroons.
For those who’d like to try these dishes at home, organizers have published a cookbook containing most of the recipes. The 17th edition of the Real Men Cookbook offers preparation details for treats like Papa Pete’s Go Green! Go Bleu! (a steak salad) and Calle Pico Potato Rolls (a bread-based meal incorporating hard boiled eggs, olives, pimentos, garlic, tomato sauce, and Velveeta).
Among the 25 wineries scheduled to pour are Buttonwood Farm Winery, Gainey Vineyard, Beckmen Vineyards, and Cambria Estate Vineyard. Smaller community-minded producers include Daniel Gehrs Wines, Tres Hermanas Vineyard, and Casa Cassara Winery.
Between samples of wine and food, guests can kick up their heels to the tunes of the Central Coast’s Debby White and Pureheart, a five-member group that plays a tasty mix of light rock and country music, while engaging listeners in a lively interaction. At last year’s event, guests raised a dust cloud on the dance floor and the band gladly returned for several encores.
A silent auction offers a diverse selection of goodies, including Santa Barbara Zoo tickets, tea for two at the Simpson House, and a gift basket from The Chef’s Touch in Solvang. Bidders can vie for the liquid treasures of Dan Gehrs and Longoria Wines, overnight stays at Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn and Spa, and a dazzling array of gift baskets from local businesses.
“I can even offer a one-month membership to Performance Fitness,” Affolter laughed, “to work off all the treats in those gift baskets.”
Auction proceeds and ticket sales help fund the mission of Arts Outreach, a nonprofit organization charged with “bringing art to life and life to art.” Activities supported include elementary school classroom workshops led by artists-in-residence, Summertime Arts and Drama programs, After-school Arts, semi-monthly Elder Arts entertainment, and the annual Applause Young Artists Showcase.
One of Arts Outreach’s primary fundraisers, Real Men Cook gives local chefs a chance to show their stuff, while making a positive contribution to the cultural life of the community. Area foodies benefit, too, for they can graze to their hearts’ content, knowing they’ve put their money toward a worthy cause.
“It’s a great event,” Affolter said. “You can eat and drink as much as you want until the food and wine runs out. I’ve yet to meet anyone who hasn’t left with a smile on their face.”
INFOBOX: Get real
Real Men Cook takes place Oct. 25, 6 to 10 p.m., at Flag Is Up Farms (901 E. Highway 246) in Solvang. Tickets ($55) include a souvenir wine glass and unlimited food and wine sampling, and are available at Book Loft in Solvang and Arts Outreach. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $60 each. For more information, call Arts Outreach at 688-9533.
RECIPE:
Triple Cream Mac and Cheese
by Real Men Cook chef Marty Martinez
Cut 1 lb. bacon into small pieces and saute until soft. Drain fat and add about 3 T. butter, 1/2 cup each chopped shallots and white onion, and 7 cloves minced garlic. Cover and saute over low heat until onions turn translucent. Add 3 cups whole milk, 3/4 cup chopped oyster mushrooms, and 1 tsp. Colman’s mustard. Cover and simmer five minutes.
Add 1/2 lb. St. Andre Triple Cream Cheese (cut into cubes), 1 tsp. white pepper, 2 tsp. fresh black pepper, and salt to taste. Stir about five minutes until cheese melts. Stir in 1 beaten egg and add 16 oz. cooked, drained elbow macaroni, rolling gently into the mixture. Transfer into a baking dish and sprinkle with 8 oz. shredded Colby Jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes, while you have a glass of wine.
K. Reka Badger writes until the wine runs out. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2008.