Chef John Berryhill with Kathryn and Brian Shields at A Chefs' Affaire 2010.

The Menus is Set for This Year’s Gala and Concert on September 29

A Chefs’ Affaire presented by Sysco has been a special evening for 12 years. Its thirteenth year, on Thursday, Sept. 29, again at Boise Centre on the Grove, will be no exception. The dinner will be extraordinary. The wines will be fabulous. The silent auction will be full of unusual items and special travel packages, and the evening’s highlight will be the auction of the chefs from Boise to Ketchum who prepared the dinner.

And new this year to Idaho’s premier fine-dining experience is a special pre-dinner VIP concert and reception by Seattle’s LeROY BELL & His Only Friends.

Last year, for instance, A Chefs’ Affaire offered ground lamb “meatloaf” with kafta spices, polenta cake, fennel compote and strawberry gastrique. And that was just the first course.

The Chefs Go Up for Auction

The centerpiece of A Chefs’ Affaire, of course, is the live auction of the 17 chefs who prepared the evening’s epicurean delights. The winning bidders receive “their” chef’s donated time and talent as he or she prepares a meal for up to 14 people. Last year, Chef John Berryhill and Curtis Stigers got together at the event and offered themselves as a dinner-and-music package. Who knows what surprises are in store this year?

In the end, of course, A Chefs’ Affaire is a fundraiser. Last year, the 420 diners and generous sponsors brought the gross to $140,000, a 40% increase from the previous year.

Here is the menu and the talent at work on this year’s dinner:

Soup course: Manchego Veloute with Double XL Farms Pork Trotter Croquette, Arugula and Fennel Gelée.  Paired with a wine from Sawtooth Winery. Chefs are Greg Lamm of Brick 29 and the B-29 Streatery in Nampa, Mike Thaemert of Gweilo Sushi Catering in Boise, and Lynn Sheehan of Cucina Gemelli in Twin Falls.

Salad course: Avocado and Heirloom Tomato Mosaic with a Confetti and Organic Frisee salad with Lime Basil Vinaigrette and Chilled Citrus Chili White Prawns. Paired with 3 Horse Ranch’s Reserve 2010 Vivacious. Chefs are Chris Zahn of Zee Catering, Michael Mohica of Ono Hawaiian Cafe in Boise, and Vern Hickman of Renaissance High School in Meridian.

Lamb course: Lava Lake Lamb Chili Relleno with Red Chile Pumpkin Seed Molé, White Cheddar Grits and Cilantro Crema. Paired with a wine selection from Snake River Winery. Chefs are Eric Gruber of Shore Lodge in McCall, Matt Slighter of the Boise Centre, Cody Cornwall of Tavern at Bown Crossing in Boise, and Adrian Caracas of the College of Western Idaho at Boise State.

Pallet cleanser: Pomegranate and Koenig Huckleberry Martini  “Freezer Pop” by Greg Lamm.

Beef course: Snake River Farms Wagyu Shortrib & Korubuta Belly with red eye and Koenig reductions over Idaho golden beet & potato smash. Paired with Koenig Winery’s 2009 Sangiovese. Chefs are John Berryhill of Berryhill & Co., Alan Turner of Agri Beef in Boise, Dean Fuller of the DoubleTree Hotel Riverside in Garden City, and Patrick Jam of Cristina’s Restaurant in Ketchum.

Dessert course: Passion Fruit Gelée with Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta and Ginger Cotton Candy. Paired with a wine from Cinder Winery. Chefs are Maggie Kiefer of Life’s Kitchen, Christian Richards of Communique Cuisine, and Melissa Zortman of Crane Creek Country Club, all of Boise.

This gala event is brought to you by official sponsors AgriBeef, Albertsons/SuperValu, the Idaho Beef Council and Intermountain Gas Company. Course sponsors include Food Services of America, Hewlett-Packard, Regence BlueShield of Idaho and United Dairymen of Idaho.

Doors open for the dinner at 6:30 p.m. Concert doors (see below) open at 5 p.m. Tickets for the dinner, auction and concert are $150, and for the dinner and auction alone are $100.

For more information, please contact Shauna Stonehocker at 208-577-2698 or sstonehocker@idahofoodbank.org. Tickets are available at http://www.idahofoodbank.org/?page=a-chefs-affaire

LeRoy Bell to Play at A Chefs’ Affaire VIP Concert

LeRoy Bells’s musical legacy stretches from Philadelphia to Seattle, from the 1960s to today. His uncle, Thom Bell was co-creator of the Sound of Philadelphia. LeRoy worked with his uncle as a songwriter, and Elton John earned a gold record for his “Mama Can’t Buy Me Love.”

In 2004, with socially conscious lyrics and a style described as “acoustic soul,” LeRoy stepped out as a solo performer. He has recorded five albums – Spending Time, Two Sides to Every Story, Live in 3D, A Change is Coming and Traces – and opened for artists from B.B. King and  Etta James to  India.Arie and Erykah Badu.

Save the Date

LeROY BELL & His Only Friends will perform at a special A Chefs’ Affaire concert prior to the dinner and auction on Thursday, Sept. 29. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the concert starts at 5:30 p.m. Seats are limited. Tickets for the dinner, auction and concert are $150, and for the dinner and auction alone are $100. To reserve tickets contact Shauna Stonehocker at 208-577-2698 or sstonehocker@idahofoodbank.org. Check out LeRoy Bell at www.leroybell.com.