The good folks at Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam are once again bringing a feast from one of the state's finest restaurants to a fun, swanky affair in Charleston.
At this year's "A Taste of ..." benefit dinner, lucky guests will be able to savor the flavors of Lewisburg's Stella's from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24 on the Clay Center stage.
If you've never had the pleasure of dining at Stella's in Lewisburg, you're missing out. The restaurant occupied a charming little white house (with outdoor courtyard) on a side street before moving to a main street last year. Now in the larger house (with outdoor courtyard) that used to house my beloved Tavern 1776, it's still serving up fine food and service.
But if you'd rather not make that trek down the turnpike, you can still enjoy some of the restaurant's culinary handiwork right here in town.
An antipasto buffet of stuffed peppadew peppers, stuffed figs, marinated vegetables, roasted tomato caprese crostinis and assorted cured meats and cheese will be complemented by a main-course spread of grape leaves stuffed with rice and lamb, coconut curried mussels and Cuban pulled pork sliders with Mojo sauce.
Then you can cap off the night with chocolate truffle mousse with raspberry coulis or blueberry-swirled lemon curd cheesecake. (Or, who are we kidding, both!)
I'm salivating. Right here, right now.
Craft beer and wine will be paired with many selections, plus an additional cash bar will be available - as will live music from the Total Meltdown Band, offering a unique take on traditional bluegrass music. (They killed it during last year's "A Taste of Muriale's" at Ferguson's bath, kitchen and lighting showroom on Spring Street.)
Tickets are $60 (or two for $100) and can be purchased at the Habitat ReStore at 301 Piedmont Rd., the Habitat office at 815 Court St., by calling 304-720-0141 (ext. 20) or by visiting www.hfhkp.org.
I was invited to attend but, sadly, will be out of town that night. Someone PLEASE go and tell me all about it. In glorious detail.
nnn
Judging this past weekend's 2016 Charity Cookie Bake-Off was a belly-busting assignment - not that I'm complaining one bit.
During the course of Saturday's Kanawha Valley Senior Services charity event at Charleston Town Center, I got to nibble (OK, inhale) 16 different cookies in three different divisions alongside fellow judges Amanda Barren of WSAZ, Kanawha County Commissioner Dave Hardy and Robert Roswall, commissioner of the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services.
Although some creations appealed to me more than others, there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. And the creativity displayed by both children and adults was impressive.
There were meringue birds on toasted coconut nests, Twix thumbprints, Devil Dog dark chocolate cream sandwich cookies, gooey butter cookies, crème brulee-topped cookies, cherry nut-filled rolls and many more.
At the end of the day, first place honors went to Sheila Mosteller for her Texas Sheet Cake Cookie, second was Maxine Flint for Grandma's Peanut Butter Pie Cluster Cookie and third place went to Glenda Johnson's Peanut Butter Fudge Cups.
In the Lil Baker category, Kaylee Jo Chandler won first place with Emily Harper right behind. Business category honors went to the Alzheimer's Association's "Brain Food Cookies." Not sure what made them brain food, but I know what made them excellent: It was the surprise gooey, caramel-chocolate cluster tucked inside an already solid peanut butter cookie base.
And the People's Choice Award? Well, it went to the same cookie I gave my top score to: Mary Kate Elkins' unassuming, but massively delicious, macaroons.
So, people, you have good taste!
n n n
A longtime reader reached out asking for help tracking down a cherished restaurant recipe from her childhood. Maybe someone out there can hook her up?
Jeananne Leone of Dunbar said she grew up with her family making visits to the A&W drive-in restaurant on the West Side of Charleston.
"It was always so exciting to hear my mother say, 'We're going to the root-beer stand!' We started going when I was just a little girl, in the 1960s, drinking root beer in their baby mugs."
She reports that she later found one of those mugs at an estate sale - much to her delight.
"I remember the silver window tray with the rubber feet that hung over my father's door window. It always had a washcloth on it and the hot dogs came wrapped in paper," she said. "My favorite was that hot dog, with chili only. I continued to enjoy those visits with my family through the years, so when the restaurant closed up shop, I was heart-broken. It was like losing an old friend."
Jeananne says she's searched for years for A&W's hot dog chili recipe - through friends, online, via receipt request services - but to no avail.
"I've received several claiming to be the real chili recipe from the '60s. Although one had the texture I remember, the taste was not the same. I've come to believe that, perhaps, each restaurant prepared their own recipe since there seem to be so many variations out there from all over the U.S. Is there any way you could get this recipe for me? Would you try to end my suffering quest?"
I'm not into suffering, so can anyone out there help us out?
Jeananne says she doesn't know who the owners were, or if they are still living, but perhaps they passed the recipe down to their children.
"I would be forever grateful if you could find it!"
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy/. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by e-mail at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."