Metroparks gala has delicious French accent

9/4/2005

A French theme and menu has been designed to reflect the focus of this year s Toledo Area Metroparks gala, Le Bal Masque, Manor House Masquerade, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Manor House at Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 5100 West Central Ave.

Chef Rick Whitehead of Gladieux Catering has created a great menu for the annual fund-raiser, which will benefit restoration of the historic mural wallpaper gracing three walls of the Manor House dining room. (The mural was created originally for a chateau in France.)

The Herb-Stuffed Chicken Roulade entree is both delicious and visually appealing. Roulade is the French term for thinly sliced meat rolled around a filling; the rolled package is secured and browned before it is baked or braised in wine or stock.

The evening will begin with hors d oeuvres such as smoked salmon on stone bread with fennel mustard, and mango and crab on toast round with wasabi mayonnaise. Following a sit-down salad, the entrees will be featured. In addition to the chicken roulade, beef tenderloin made with mustard Dijon rub, baby vegetables back by popular demand, french cut green beans in butter herb sauce, and smashed potato cakes will round out the entree. Petite pastries will be served for dessert.

The semiformal event with masks optional is $100 per person. Deadline for tickets is Oct. 3. Information: Call Denise Johnson at 419-407-9716.

Winning cheesecake

Mary Lou Richards of Findlay won first place and best of show in the Smile and Say Cheesecake contest at the Ohio State Fair in August. Her entry, Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, won first place and a blue rosette ribbon in the traditional category.

This is the first year the contest was sponsored by the Ohio Egg Marketing Program/Ohio Poultry Association.

Ms. Richards made a two-layer cheesecake with a layer of chocolate cheesecake and a layer of raspberry cheesecake. She decorated the top with chocolate designs and fresh raspberries.

It was a wonderful cheesecake, says Connie Cahill, coordinator of the contest. There were 55 entries in four categories. We were thrilled with the quality of cheesecakes. The contest will be held again at the 2006 Ohio State Fair.

Greek foods

When the Greek American Festival is held Sept. 9-11 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 740 North Superior St., there will an abundance of delicious Greek foods. Watch for the sampler platter, dinners, and a la carte items. You ll find moussaka, pastitsio, dolmathes, oregano chicken with rice pilaf, spanakopita, and tirapita. Wonderful Greek pastries such as baklava, diples, galaktobouriko (a custard pastry) will also be sold.

Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 11. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for seniors on Friday and Saturday, with children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult. Admission on Sunday is $1 per person.

Local cookbook

Kathy Shropshire, a Medical University of Ohio nurse, gathered some of her recipes and those from Medical University of Ohio employees, to create 124-page cookbook, Recipes for Hope ($10). Proceeds will be donated to the MUO Foundation for cancer research and patient care.

The cookbooks may be purchased at the hospital gift shop or the MUO student book store, or call Jennifer Schaefer at MUO Foundation at 419-383-6263.