Brendan, Alena, and Alex all smiles!

Alena, Alex, and I had the great pleasure of partaking in Taste of the Nation at the Omni Hotel in New Haven.  This is a yearly event hosted simultaneously all over the country by Share our Strength, an organization dedicated to eradicating childhood hunger.  Ben has always had the philosophy, that while we are in business to make money, charity work must be a huge part of who we are as a company.  This event is particularly fun because instead of just writing a check we are allowed to show off our culinary talents and let the audience be the judges.

There were over thirty restaurants, bakeries, and wine shops in attendance making for an amazing spread for the nearly 400 guests.  Each restaurant gets a small set up space where they cook and prepare their dishes for the audience meandering from table to table, sampling a huge variety of amazing food. This is the third year that La Cuisine has entered the event and we did not disappoint our adoring fans.

We prepared three items, two savory and one sweet, all in mini portions so that guests could come by and sample a bite of everything. Our first offering was a Chipotle Infused Potato Pancake with Marinated Grilled Flank Steak topped with an Avocado Cream Fraiche.  Our second offering was a Mushroom  Slider served with our Lemon Aioli on mini House Baked Brioche Buns.  And last but not least was our dessert, a Spring Berry Shot served in mini shot glasses.  Rhubarb compote was the first layer followed by a small thin round of vanilla cake then topped with strawberry mousse and finally a dollop of lemon meringue.  The dish conjured up images of spring and summer while maintaining the perfect balance between sweet and tart.  The reaction of our guests said it all as the different layers of the dessert all interacted harmoniously, generating big smiles and requests for seconds.

This event is particularly satisfying for an number of reasons.  First, you see several area business putting on their best face, presenting amazing food that is beautifully displayed. There is a slightly competitive edge to the entire event because the audience and a small panel of judges decide on best entree, best dessert, best table presentation, and people’s choice.  Because pride is on the line every restaurant really pushes the envelope with their food and presentation.  Finally and most importantly, it just feels good to know that 100 percent of the proceeds to this event go to ending child hunger. This year alone over $60,000 was raised on behalf of Share our Strength.  On a final note, the event was made just a touch sweeter for La Cuisine by claiming the title of Best Dessert on heels of last years Best Entree.  Hope to see you all next April for Taste of the Nation New Haven!