What dreams may come
Culinary arts support bridge to stronger local industry
Last week, fate offered me an opportunity to support culinary arts I wanted to resist but couldn't.
Covering local culinary arts certainly cultivates a certain amount of support on its own; however, sometimes there are requests that, for one reason or another, become personal.
Ignoring the impulse to hide from a day sure to stir plenty of raw memories turned out to be the best medicine I've had since losing my son, Luke, in February.
A couple of months ago, I was offered the opportunity to serve as one of three judges for the State 4-H Roundup Food Showdown in Stillwater.
Problem was I already had agreed to act as master of ceremonies for Odyssey de Culinaire, which benefits the ProStart program, that evening.
But I reckoned if I was concerned about diving back into a setting fraught with reminders of my boy, I might as well
double-down.
And I’m glad I did. Organizers for 4-H told me the cooking competition has grown exponentially since it began less than a decade ago.
The final event involved six teams of two or three from counties across Oklahoma, competing in a competition to turn a bag of mystery ingredients into a delicious dish while strictly adhering to food safety standards and cost.
When the event began, only two teams competed for a trip to the national competition. Now, demand to enter is so great organizers are starting to wonder if they’ll need a bigger venue.
At the end of the day, Hadley Griffith and Andie Hadley from Pottawatomie County turned a half rotisserie chicken, riced cauliflower, garlic and chocolate into a tasty entree on time and left behind a spotless work space. They finished second to defending champs Katelyne Seal, Faith Cude and Gabriel Cude, from Sequoyah County, but by rule they will be the team to go to Nationals. Some competitions require a single winner, but those aimed at youth development are wise to spread the wealth to encourage greater response.
Pain and gain
At Odyssey, the evening offered a first in a decade and a half. When Patrick Clark II, of The Red Cup, stepped to the lectern to introduce his dessert course and apprentice, it wasn’t the first time he’d addressed an Odyssey crowd. His first time was nine years ago as a member of the ProStart program, proving firsthand what supporting culinary arts education can do.
ProStart currently serves more than 1,500 Oklahoma students, and is among the primary factors that’s improved the dining options we all enjoy today. Was great to see a full house at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel to see what chefs from Oklahoma City and Tulsa and10 culinary students could muster up for dinner overtwo nights.
My personal support for culinary arts education began when Luke started showing an interest about five years ago. At Francis Tuttle CareerTech, he found more fulfillment stooped over a cutting board in the Culinary Arts program than anywhere on Earth in his brief 19 years.
In the immediate aftermath of his death, the idea of mixing with eagerstudents clad in chef’s whites sounded like an impossibility. “Maybe next year,” was the drumbeat from my well-intended psyche.
Enduring barbed reminders is part of a loss like this. You try to deflect or run from them, but no matter how substantial your guard or fleet your feet, the loss and all those tiny unintended cruelties await. Fear is quick to take a foothold, convincing you it would be a lot easier to stay home —or in bed —than walk into a setting where those painful reminders assuredly wait.
But fear is greedy for your heart and will spread to survive. Cower to its whispers, and you can end up deluded into serving your insecurities with aggressive exclusivity.
As fear promised, I did have to battle pangs and tears throughout the day, but one trope I was never afraid to share with Luke involved pain and gain. We used to discuss how hurt offered as much if not more to learn from than happiness.
Ultimately, abandoning support of culinary arts even for a year was abandoning his memory.
And you know, the last thing I expected happened later that night. For the first time since he died, Luke appeared to me in a dream. See, I don’t dream too much. Been years since I had a dream I could remember the next morning. But early Friday in a deep sleep in the Skirvin hotel, I was looking at my son standing on our back patio. It was a party, a lot of people with him. It was daylight. He ran inside to give me a hug. I put my hand on the back of his skinny neck and squeezed the same way I did two days before he died. We held each other and said as much as we could in an instant that felt apt to vanish before it started.
I don’t pretend to understand dreams or the hereafter. Could just be that we were staying at the Skirvin and Luke found the ghost’s entrance. It would be just like him.
Whether spirit, figment or coincidence, the dream felt like a reward for choosing community over fear. And what could it hurt to lean into the idea?
Supporting programs like ProStart and 4-H is supporting our own future. Certain professions come and go with time, but we haven’t yet figured out a way to live without eating. And as chef Joseph Royer (Saturn Grill/The Metro Wine Bar and Bistro) once said to me, “If we have to eat every day, why not celebrate it?”
To learn about Oklahoma’s ProStart program go to okrestaurants.com or call 942-8181. Information about 4-H, which serves youth in numerous ways, can be found at 4h.okstate.edu.
Help me solve a mystery
As most of you who read this column know, a book I wrote was published by Arcadia Press called “Great Restaurants of Oklahoma City.”
A man who lives in California got a copy of the book, and it inspired him to reach out to me with a menu he had for a restaurant called Gilger’s Grill. The prices scream Depression Era, and it was located at 529 W Main St. The menu indicates there was another location called Gilger’s Ranch House at NW 10 and May Avenue, later in the neighborhood of Glen’s Hick’ry Inn and Adair’s Tropical Cafeteria.
I could find no mention of Gilger’s in The Oklahoman’s expansive archives of articles and advertisements, so I’m appealing to the public to give me a shout if you have any information about Gilger’s.
Email me at dcathey@ oklahoman.com, or give me a ring at 475-3155.
Y’all, come
Oklahoma’s chef emeritus, and the pride of Healdton, John Bennett is hosting a special dinner Aug. 12 at the Red Barn on Waldo’s Pond, 1516 E Britton Road. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails andhors d’oeuvres before chef Bennett (The Cellar at Hightower/Grand Boulevard Restaurant) will present a Mixed Grill a la Grecque, featuring rack of lamb with honey and mint sauce, beef short ribs with horseradish dust, Souvlaki of Tenderloin with grilled mushrooms, shallots and garlic with pita, and grilled bacon-wrapped chicken thighs with jalapeños, limes and herbs.
All served with Italian salsa verde, pink peppercorn yogurt, Parmesan cheese toast, summer tomatoes, vegetable tart, Rush Springs watermelon salad with cucumber, radishes, preserved lemons, Roquefort, and balsamic syrup. For dessert, The Cellar Trifle Chantilly.
I’ll be there helping out in the kitchen at Rhonda Kieson’s Oklahoma-centric event space. Reserve your seat by calling Rhonda at 476-3800.
Lunch service returns to Gabriella’s
Gabriella’s Italian Grill and Pizzeria, 1226 NE 63, recently returned to lunch service with what the 5-year-old restaurant calls Nana’s Kitchen. Nana is Vicki Muhs, who grew up in her great uncle Dom Giacomo’s iconic Isle of Capri restaurant in Krebs, also known as Oklahoma’s Little Italy.
Lunch service is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and includes daily specials. Find the full menu atwww.gabriellas okc.com; for more information, call478-4955.
Tower power
Savings & Loan Bar closed a couple weeks ago, but those milling around the Tower Theatre soon will have a new place to hang out by mid-August.
Scottie’s Deli, 423 NW 23,is NOT affiliated with Scotty Irani’s concept that once upon a time drew crowds to Nichols Hills Plaza with a similar name. The new place should be serving its house-cured meats and house-baked breads before school starts.
Keep up with Scottie’s progress on line at scotties deliokc.com.