The March of Dimes Gourmet Gala is back again for its sixth appearance. With a circus ball theme, "The Greatest Food on Earth" will be featured in a three-ring extravaganza at Little America Hotel on Saturday night, March 9, beginning at 7.
The black-tie dinner gives Salt Lakers the opportunity to watch celebrity cooks at work in designer kitchens while supporting the work of the March of Dimes. The exquisitely decorated kitchens feature gas grills or ranges supplied by Mountain Fuel Supply Co.Following the cooking demonstration, Little America chefs will replicate the menus and serve the dishes for dinner.
The celebrity chefs are judged in categories for appetizers, entrees and desserts. All-Clad Metalcrafters will award the winner a copper All-Clad pan with an engraved lid. The Utah prize winner will join the ranks of All-Clad winners from other cities, including Dale Evans Rogers at the Tulsa Gourmet Gala, and Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City.
The judging coordinator is Wil Pliler of the New Yorker magazine. Judging for the event will be Douglas Fiero, publisher of Food and Wine Magazine; Al Church, restaurant reviewer for the Deseret News; Bob King, restaurant reviewer for The Event newspaper; and Julie Wilson, food and beverage manager for Silverlake Lodge, Deer Valley Resort.
This year's celebrity chefs will include James F. Welch and Tracey Welch of American Express; Richard Kieffer and Jerry Holyoak, the American Society of Interior Design/First Interstate Bank; Bob Egan and Randy Fields of IBM; Mountain Fuel Supply's Don Cash and Nick Rose; Northwest Pipeline's Herm Assmus and Lloyd Hightower; and, from the Salt Lake Times Printing and Publishing Co., Richard and Jackie Bjornn.
Amanda Dixon and Scott Seeger will represent KSL Radio, and Salt Lake County Commissioners Jim Bradley and Randy Horiuchi will show they can take the heat in the kitchen as well as in council chambers.
Interior designers responsible for creating kitchens are: Julie Bullock, George P. Miller and Tanya Mace for Crawford & Day; Sara Barnhill, Tiffany Lewis and Ryan Gardner for the Ricks College ASID Student Chapter; and Jeff Landry, Jill Bickmore and Marilyn McSweeney for Commercial Contracts.
Nola Chase Interior Design is represented by Nola Chase and Loralee Chase, with R. Lee Last designing for Clark-Leaming Design. Other designers include Bruce Finlinson, Jeff Cobabe, Brian Thomas, Julie Dunn, Susanne P. Snow, Kara Webster, Annette Bell, Susan Marriott and Ginger Kemp.
Julie Hightower is chairman of the event, with Cathy King as co-chairman. Members of the coordinating committee are Jerry Holyoak, Ann Allen, Kara Webster, Kimberly Sharp, David Ellis, Reed Knight, Chick Raney, Sondra Glazener, Melda MacMay, Becky VanDongen and Cathy Carey.
Committee members are Larry Orton, Nate Sharp, Georgia Dalrymple, Val Bagley, Laura Headden, Chris Wilde, Lance VanDongen, Scott Collard, Robert Hawkes, Joy Lambert, Sherry Shelton, Glenda Bradley, Joyce Barra, Merelyn Worthy and Judy Johnson.
Other committee members include Doris Tobian, Wendell Bennett, Sherrie Shelton, Ed Box, Maureen Leavitt, Debra Dickerson and Steve Yeager.
The March of Dimes chapter chairman is Marion Palmer, and Steve Carey is executive director.
Master of ceremonies for the Gourmet Gala will be Craig Clyde, and music will be provided by the Joe Muscolino Big Band. Reception music will be by the Stoddard Brothers. Graphic design is by J. Scott Collard.
Corporate sponsors of the event are: American Express; American Society of Interior Design; IBM; KSL-TV; Mountain Fuel Supply Company; Northwest Pipeline Company and Salt Lake Times Printing and Publishing Company. Patron Sponsors are: Deseret News Publishing Company; Jim and Glenda Bradley; Stan Brewer; Cathy and Peery King; First Interstate Bank; First Security Bank; Ford, Bacon and Davis; Gastronomy, Inc.; Huntsman Chemical; Intermountain Health Care; Eric Johnson & Friends; Kennecott; Little America Hotel & Towers; Northwest Pipeline Corp.; Redman Van & Storage and Utah Power & Light.