Recipe for Success // August 2015

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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! A LOVE LETTER TO

RANDY EVANSGET IN ON OUR

RECIPE CHALLENGE!

AUGUST 2015

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YEAR ONE!2005-2006

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Gracie Cavnar FOUNDER & PRESIDENT

Glen Boudreaux SECRETARY

Frank Steininger TREASURER

Monica Pope CHEFS ADVISORY CHAIR

Deanna Hoelscher, Ph.D. SCIENCE ADVISORY CHAIR

Amy AntonHelen BowHeather CarlucciCarrie ColbertArvia FewKaren GarciaKendrick McCleskeyPaula McHamLisa MellencampDr. Melanie Mencer-Parks

Genevieve PattersonHolly SmithMichael SwailChisholm TateSusie WoodardJeffrey WootenBob Cavnar, EMERITUSLaura Spanjian, EX OFFICIO

Paula ArnoldKristen BergerCathy BrockElena BuleyHoni BoudreauxKathryn CastellanosPhyllis Childress Yvonne Cormier, M.D. Isabel DavidDeborah Duncan

Anna Eastman Ellie FranciscoRoland GarciaJennifer & Lance GilliamMimi del GrandeMelanie Gray & Mark WawroJoanie HaleyLucia & Justin HamiltonLaura JaramilloShelley Taylor Ludwick

Soraya McClellandGinni MithoffSara MorganLeisa Holland-NelsonRoz PactorCynthia PetrelloLaura Max RoseMickey RosmarinStuart RosenbergJeff Shell

Heidi & Marcus SmithKate Allen Stuckenburg Mark Sullivan Stacey SwiftClaire Cormier ThielkeKim TutcherStephanie WalkerAshley WehrlyAndrea White

John BrockCarolyn CarcassiBryan CaswellCharles ClarkLouis CressyRobert del GrandeRandy EvansLance FeganChris Garcia

Peter GarciaLauren Gockley Jason GouldAnita JasinghaniOuisie JonesAl KingSandra ManginiJim ManningVeronica Ortiz

Monica PopePhilippe SchmidtJohn SheelyRandy RuckerChris Shepherd Claire SmithBrendon TreanorScott Tycer

Gracie Cavnar CEO

Molly Kaminski COO

Justin Meyers DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND GARDENS

Sandra Cook DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Gabie Caballero OFFICE MANAGER

Cindy Lucia MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

Susan Reedy GRANTS OFFICER

Marisol Castro ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS

Stephanie Hill EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO CEO & AMBASSADOR 

Rachel England SEED-TO-PLATE NUTRITION EDUCATION™ PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Justin Kouri CULINARY EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Kristen Evon VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

FOUNDING CHEFS ADVISORY BOARD

Joe ApaGarth BlackburnJohn BuchannanDavid CorduaNeal CoxKaz Edwards

Giancarlo FerreraRichard KaplanMonica PopeBarbara McKnightGary MularskiRyan Pera

Jean Philippe-GastonEllen SchwartzSandra ShaferRuffy Sulaiman

CHEFS IN SCHOOLS 2015-16

COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

7 Happy Birthday to Us! 8 Thank You Randy Evans 16 Recipe Challenge 18 Volunteer of the Month: Alicia May 20 Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ 22 farmers marKIDS 25 Delicious Alchemy, Celebrating Ten Years of Recipe for Success 26 A Word from our Special Event Chairs 27 Fall Schedule of Events 28 Honi and Glen Boudreaux on Hope Farms

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If I wanted to teach kids to cook, would you help me?”

Question posed to Monica Pope by Gracie Cavnar

“Photo by Phyllis Hand

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

August 5, 2015, is Recipe for Success Foundation’s tenth birthday, when the new non-profit I registered with the Secretary of State was officially acknowl-edged and our work could commence. When I received that stamped docu-ment, I had a list in my hand of the projects I wanted to execute with this new foundation: teach kids to cook and garden, publish cookbooks for kids, create an urban farm in Houston and produce a kids cooking television show. It was a lot, but I am a headstrong Gemini; I was confident in my vision, fueled by my passion and enabled by a generous grant from my husband, the support of my kids, the enthusiasm of my friends and the ability to work for free.

Ten years and 30,000+ kids later we are commencing today on a yearlong celebration of our roots while we plant the seeds of our future. Throughout the year, we will be celebrating all those folks—family, friends, chefs, volun-teers and patrons who have helped turn my dream into a reality. Before the year is out, we will have checked the box on each of those original projects, with some having grown to a national footprint beyond my wildest dreams and even added a few more. We aren’t pausing, satisfied that our work is done, but we are taking the moment to reflect on that original vision and all that has gone into turning it into a real Recipe for Success!

CONTINUE READING HERE

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to us!By Gracie Cavnar

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I knew that chefs could be powerful partners in instilling a deep appreciation of food in young children, but a great chef is not necessarily a great teacher. Randy is an extraordinary teacher. He has been an amazing advocate since our beginnings.”

Gracie CavnarFounder, Recipe for Success

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GOOD BYE UNTIL NEXT TIME

In 2006, when Recipe for Success first rolled into classrooms at MacGregor Elemen-tary, Chef Randy Evans was there. Randy was one of the twenty-two Houston chefs who answered Gracie’s plea to help her create a program that connected kids to their food and teach them to cook. Since then he has shown up at MacGregor every month for nine years. From the beginning Randy was engaging and inspiring. He didn’t just show up in the classroom, he developed many of the recipes we continue to teach today—favorites that embody our mantra that healthy food can be scrumptious.

Recipe for Success has had an impact on Randy, too. After spending so much time in our gardens with his students, he decided to include a kitchen garden at his restau-rant. When his own children came along, he taught them to cook using the same tools we developed for schools. When we needed a spokesman, Randy was ready at the drop of a hat and over time, our talking points merged into one narrative. He traveled with Gracie from New York to the White House to help spread the word about the work we were doing in Houston. His commitment left an indelible footprint and lasting impression on the many volunteers, teachers and students with whom he shared the classroom. Tremendously generous with his time, he loved to tell stories of his farming heritage and instill the pure joy of home cooking not only in the kids at MacGregor Elementary, but also their teachers, parents and the classroom volunteers. His passion infected the Recipe for Success Foundation staff and our many support-ers in Houston and beyond.

“Randy was one of the early chefs in Houston who supported area farms and I had interviewed him about it for a story in the ‘90s, so I knew his passion,” says Recipe for Success Founder, Gracie Cavnar. “When I decided that the best solution to childhood obesity was to change eating behavior in the next generation, I asked if he would

Thank You Randy.

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NUMBER OF HOURS RANDY HAS SPENT IN SEED-TO-PLATE NUTRITION EDUCATION™ CLASSES

NUMBER OF 4TH GRADERS RANDY HAS TAUGHT WITH RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

AMOUNT OF MONEY RANDY HAS HELPED RAISE FOR RECIPE FOR SUCCESSFOUNDATION PROGRAMS BY COOKING

NUMBER OF MILES RANDY HAS TRAVELED TO PROMOTE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS FOUNDATION

NUMBER OF TELEVISION APPEARANCES ON BEHALF OF RECIPE FOR SUCCESS FOUNDATION

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225$100,000

6,000

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Randy teaching his fourth grade students at MacGregor how to make Sweet Potato Muffins in 2006.

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help me teach kids about food by connecting the produce in their garden to the meal on their plate? I knew that chefs could be powerful partners in instilling a deep appre-ciation of food in young children, but a great chef is not necessarily a great teacher. Randy is an extraordinary teacher. He has been an amazing advocate since our begin-nings. He may be moving and we won’t get to play in the classroom every month, but we are still counting on him to help us spread the word—healthy eating can be fun and delicious!”

Randy may have moved away from his hometown, but not from Recipe for Success! From his new post at H-E-B’s new culinary center in San Antonio, he shifts from a Recipe for Success hometown anchor to Texas ambassador.

A NATURAL IN THE CLASSROOM

“We worked with whatever was growing in the garden, sometimes that was eggplant or Swiss chard, so the kids may have never seen those things, but Randy would have a simple recipe,” says Mary Stork, who volunteered in the classroom during the first few years of Recipe for Success Foundation classes at McGregor Elementary with Chef Randy. “He went about it in an uncomplicated way and made it delicious.”

“Randy was very approachable—the kids could ask him anything,” says MacGregor Elementary teacher Terri Zawacki, whose 4th grade classes Randy taught for seven years. “He supported the kids in every way he could. He didn’t lecture—he simply talked to them.”

“The kids frequently asked him off-the-wall questions and he could answer all of them,” remembers Amy Anton, a Recipe for Success founding Board Member and a volunteer in MacGregor classes with both Randy and Monica Pope.

Amy explains that with every lesson Randy managed to inject joy into the learning process. “From volunteering in classes with Randy I learned that if you want to teach kids, you have to make it fun and get on their level. He made the kids want to learn about healthy food. He loves to eat and to cook and he infuses that joy into his teaching.”

In 2006 when Recipe for Success was just getting started in the classroom, Jodie Eisenhardt helped Gracie coordinate the chefs, making sure supplies were ready for each class. “Watching him with the kids, I saw that they not only learned and discov-ered they liked to eat healthy food, but also learned his passion for the ingredients and how he prepared them,” she says. “He had such passion for teaching the kids the lessons that he grew up on.”

“Randy is one of the superstars of the program,” says Alyssa Dole, who was a Seed-to-Plate Instructor at MacGregor from 2011 to 2013 and now cooks at Colitivare.

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“He made my job easy: He was interactive with the kids, giving helpful tips and hints, and he would make the effort to help any who were struggling. It was obvious that he really cared and enjoyed himself.”

BEYOND COOKING LESSONS

Teacher Terri Zawacki recalls a field trip to Haven. “He showed the kids a map on the wall with pins showing where the farmers and growers were located. That real-ly showed the kids just how hands on he is about the quality of the ingredients and where they come from. That moment left such an impression on the kids.”

“He always went above and beyond when the kids would visit the restaurant,” says Alyssa Dole. “He kept his playful nature during the tour of the restaurant, telling the kids that when they returned with their family to ‘be sure to tell the server you are my student and ask for me to come out and say hello.’”

Dr. Patricia Allen, MacGregor Elementary’s principal for the last nine years admits that Randy’s enduring commitment and enthusiasm was both impressive and unexpected. “Honestly, I was kind of surprised that he just kept coming back—it’s rare,” says Dr. Allen. “He was always enthusiastic; it always seemed new and exciting for him;

Randy dazzles the guests attending A Gala In Small Bites: Full Moon Rising in 2010 at the Cavnar’s home where he prepared East Texas classics with a contemporary twist.

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he never got burned out. Even when he was changing restaurants, when big things were happening in his career, he remained dedicated to teaching the classes at MacGregor.”

Dr. Allen explains that Randy knew how to make learning fun, which left a positive, and lasting impression. “He gave them a joy of trying new food that they didn’t know before and that helps the kids take on other challenges with unfamiliar things,” says Dr. Allen. “That spilled over into their other classes and other situations in life. The kids took that model of thinking home to their families, so he touched even more people than just the kids in his classes.”

Dr. Allen thinks that Randy’s tenure and dedication also demonstrated to parents that MacGregor was a good school, a good place for their kids. “And his continued dedi-cation showed everyone that Recipe for Success is a great program,” she says.

“Randy has a special personality that not every chef has,” says Kathryne Castellanos, who worked with Randy when she was director of marketing for Brennan’s and later as general manger at Haven, and who was also involved with Recipe for Success from the early days as a volunteer and serving on the board. “Randy’s science and biology background allowed him to naturally weave in those subjects into his cooking

Randy talks to a TV reporter during the Collard Green Throwdown we produced for Food Day 2011 at City Hall Farmers Market featuring dished created by several of our Chefs Advisory Board.

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I know Randy has inspired many little chefs throughout the years to become confident in the kitchen and certainly his last day of class was no different.”

Emily PaulSeed-to-Plate Instructor,

MacGregor Elementary

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Randy with his first “graduating” class holding their certificates of achievement in May 2007.

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lessons—that really showed the teachers that the Recipe for Success program had value beyond the plate.”

“Learning is power and the program empowers kids,” Kathryne adds. “They take that knowledge home to their family and tell parents things like ‘I made this in class’ and ‘take me to the grocery store next time and I’ll show you the ingredients.’”

But there were other benefits for the teacher, too. Kathryne also saw that “teaching the classes was a fun break for Randy from the pressures of working in the restau-rant. It was a playful release to look forward to,” she says.

LASTING IMPACT

“I know Randy has inspired many little chefs throughout the years to become con-fident in the kitchen and certainly his last day of class was no different,” says Emily Paul, the Seed-to-Plate Instructor at MacGregor in 2014/15. “At the end of the class period, Ms. Zawacki surprised him with a giant card drawn by one of the students. It was a drawing of Chef Randy with one special detail drawn by his right hand: a carrot in a skillet. At MacGregor, Randy imparted a love of fresh, local produce and the skills to make it tasty—for both teachers and students alike.”

Teacher Terri Zawacki explains another positive influence. “Before I met Randy, I had a very structured way of teaching,” she says. “He made me want to let go and let kids have a freer experience in the cooking classes. It became such a creative release for the kids from having to focus on the state tests in writing and math and so on.”

Beyond the classroom, Randy’s influence is Houston spreads across restaurant kitchens, dining rooms, farmers markets and in the homes and hearts of many Houstonians.

“He is a Texas treasure, and really a national treasure,” says Jodie Eisenhardt. “He has been a critical part of Houston’s culinary scene by the way he showed us his passion for his food and the quality of the ingredients. I love that he will have a broader reach through his position with H-E-B. He is always smiling, so gracious to everybody. He may sometimes come across as a simple country guy, but he really is a food intellectual.”

“He has been such a staple in Houston’s culinary circles,” says Terri Zawacki. “He’s truly going to be missed.”

“We will do our best to lure him back to Houston for Delicious Alchemy,” promis-es Gracie Cavnar. “And we are already on his doorstep in San Antonio, strategizing a plan to bring Recipe for Success programs to the Alamo City. Recipe for Success hasn’t seen the last of Chef Randy Evans!”

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RECIPE CHALLENGE!WE GIVE YOU INSPIRING RECIPES−YOU SEND US YOUR FAVORITES! Chef Justin Kouri, our new Culinary Education Coordinator, is kicking off a fun recipe exchange featuring his tantalizing dishes from RecipeHouse along with his picks of those submitted by our readers, followers, and fans−that’s YOU! What are you doing to ban lunch box boredom and jazz up your back-to-school lunch routine? Send your yummiest recipe−it can be super simple or a four-course meal−for a packed lunch to [email protected] by August 17 and you could win the August Challenge and be included in next year’s VEGOUT! COOKBOOK.

Check out some of Chef Justin’s other simple and delicious ideas, including the colorful Veggie Shish Kebab—and watch for his September recipe inspired by National Whole Grain Month.

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VEGGIE PANINIRecipe by Justin Kouri

This flavor-packed recipe for a lazy weekend or picnic lunch replaces sugar loaded condiments with a healthy alternative!

Don’t have a Panini Grill? There’s no need! We’ll show you how to make your own press with the grill pan you already own and an extra brick!

INGREDIENTS

CORN SPREAD4 ears corn2 limes, juiced1 jalapeno, small dice

SANDWICH8 slices multigrain bread¼ head red cabbage, shredded2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced1 red onion, thinly sliced8 slices of fontina cheese

PROCEDURE

CORN SPREADShuck corncobs and remove kernels. Place the corn and lime juice in a food processor and blitz until almost smooth, about 5 minutes. Strain and discard solid remnants. Add corn mixture to small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in jalapeno. Allow to cool completely.

SANDWICHHeat Panini grill or make shift grill (grill plate and foil covered brick) over medium high heat. Spread cooled corn spread on one side of both slic-es of bread. Arrange cabbage, tomato, onion and cheese on one slice of bread. Close sandwich with remaining slice, spread side down. Place sand-wich on Panini grill and cook until cheese begins to melt. If using a make shift grill position sandwich on grill and place brick on top. Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip sandwich, placing brick back on top and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cut in half and enjoy!

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It’s good old-fashioned learning, hands on, touching, feeling, smelling! During the school year, they’re in the classroom all day−smelling is not part of learning in the average school classroom. This brings a whole new dimension to their learning.”

Alicia May

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WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST TO VOLUNTEER WITH RECIPE FOR SUCCESS? Alicia May: Recipe for Success jumped out at me because it’s everything I love. I’m a retired teacher so it gets me back into the classroom. I love to cook, I love to garden, so it just encompassed everything I enjoy. Being new to Houston, it was a nice way to meet people.

WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK WEEK AFTER WEEK? YOU’RE OUR SUMMER CAMP MVP SIGNING UP EVERY WEEK. WHAT ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DO-ING GETS YOU JAZZED?AM: It’s just how happy the children are. A lot of kids don’t like vegetables. I know parents are sending their kids to the camps so they can learn more about food, and maybe the kids are hesitant to try new foods, but Recipe for Success is doing a great job of getting them to try their vegetables and making it fun. There’s the odd child that pouts in the back once in a while, but most of the time they all have smiles on their faces the entire time. They’re happy at camp. I’m doing what I love, it’s a small classroom setting, and I don’t mind doing the dishes, because interacting with the great instructors and the children−it’s a positive thing during my day.

There are also no electronic devices. It’s good old-fashioned learning, hands on, touching, feeling, smelling! During the school year, they’re in the classroom all day− smelling is not part of learning in the classroom. This brings a whole new dimension to their learning. READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW WITH ALICIA ONLINE HERE.

Are you ready to get back into the swing of volunteering this year? Volunteer Opportunities for August, September, and October opportunities are available. Sign up today!

Everyone must attend an orientation prior to volunteering for us. Upcoming Volunteer Orientations in August and September are posted, please sign up to join us!

If you are especially interested in volunteering in one of our classrooms or have any questions, please email Kristen directly at [email protected].

Alicia May AUGUST 2015 VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTHVOLUNTEER AT MACGREGOR AND BRISCOE ELEMENTARY AND SUMMER CAMPS

King Ranch has always had a belief that we need to take care of one another and teaching our children how to create healthy habits is the foundation for our future. Over the past several years, we have continued to educate and encourage our employees through our own wellness program. This is a great opportunity to now include the whole family. I look forward to hearing about the children helping their parents in the kitchen and making long lasting family memories.”

Robert J. UnderbrinkPresident and CEO of King Ranch, Inc.

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KIDS IN OUR SEED-TO-PLATE NUTRITION EDUCATION™ ARE EATING AS MUCH AS 30% MORE VEGGIES AFTER JUST ONE YEAR.

SEED-TO-PLATE NUTRITION EDUCATION™ PREPARES CHILDREN WITH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING DECISIONS FOR A LIFETIME.

OUR PROGRAMS GREW 1485% AND REACHED OVER 30,000 KIDS IN JUST TEN YEARS.

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CALIFORNIAIn Petaluma, Meadow School is putting their fifth grade teachers through our training and certification to provide yearlong Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ for their 69 students and inspire a culture of health campus-wide.

HOUSTONThe third grade teachers at Kipp Zenith Academy in Sunnyside and second grade teachers at Kipp Legacy Preparatory School on the Northeast side of town are going through our training and certification so that the schools will provide Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ to a total of 360 students.

GREATER TEXASSanta Gertrudis Elementary School, in Kingsville is building gardens with the help of The King Ranch and will offer our Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ to their 44 second & third grade students. READ MORE HERE.

BRING SEED-TO-PLATE NUTRITION EDUCATION™ TO YOUR SCHOOL! LEARN MORE HERE.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST RECIPE FOR SUCCESS AFFILIATE PARTNER SCHOOLS!

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BECOME FARMERS MARKIDSAND OPERATE A MARKET STANDDURING FARMERS MARKIDS DAYS

OCTOBER 20-26, 2015GET MORE INFORMATION AND DOWNLOAD A TOOLKIT HERE

farmers marKIDS is generously supported by Wells Fargo Foundation

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Now, thanks to a generous “seed” grant from Wells Fargo Foundation, we are taking farmers marKIDS to a whole nother level!

We have begun the planning for an interactive farmers marKIDS website created just for kids playing on tablets and mobile devices, complete with games and video con-tent. In September, we begin shooting a “reality series” with after-school students at MacGregor Elementary as they plan and prepare for their farmers marKIDS stand on October 24. University of Houston documentary film students will be shooting the series as a part of their fall class with Temple Northrup. The final produced segments will be on the new website and featured on our You Tube channel for all to enjoy and to inspire legions of children to become farmers marKIDS themselves.

Guiding us all in this process will be Sandy Damashek, a pioneer in children’s inter-active media, who helped launch the Interactive Group at the Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop). Since then, she has been at the forefront of new media, creating the preschool channel of AT&T’s interactive TV trial, producing inter-active movies for The Amazing Space (children’s interactive museum), scripting aug-mented reality flashcards for Cypher Entertainment, and, most recently, collaborating on the prototype for PlaySquare TV’s Touchable TV platform for the iPad.

With a Master’s Degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an unof-ficial degree in lifelong play, Damashek’s avowed goal is to create inventive and com-pelling programs for children across the media spectrum.

We can’t wait to play with Sandy!

If you would like to support this exciting multi media project, contact Cindy Lucia.

FARMERS MARKIDS REALITY TV!

Sandy Damashek

In 2014, we created the farmers marKIDS curriculum to offer as a free resource to educators and parents from our website. You can download it now. It’s designed to provide children with knowledge and tools to transform their garden produce into a farm stand to serve the sur-rounding community, while gaining food and financial literacy through experiential learning. Then we launched farmers marKIDS DAYS every October 20-26 to encour-age kids across the country to operate their stands in celebration of Food Day.

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RSVP: [email protected]

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CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Delicious Alchemy is the expression of our vision: A world where healthy eating is the norm and a culture where nutritious food is shared, appreciated, and celebrated.

It’s a fête in four parts: The Dinner Conversation, The Banquet, The Art of Food and The Pot Luck. We will begin The Dinner Conversation at our first gathering on September 2 and continue through the year, culminating in a three-day food affair that runs the gamut from haute cuisine to hot casseroles.

The Dinner Conversation will capture Houstonians from every neighborhood and walk of life sharing their most powerful food memories, life-changing meals and fondest family food traditions in personal essays, poems, written, recorded and video interviews and photography collected for posterity on our website.

The Banquet will seat one hundred guests on one long table under the sparking chandeliers of The Dunlavy on May 19 to dine on a sumptuous ten-course meal prepared by ten of Houston’s iconic chefs and founding members of the Recipe For Success Foundation’s Chef’s Advisory Board. Request an invitation.

The Art of Food on the evening of May 20 will tickle all your senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch, featuring a juried art exhibit and silent auction, jazz, poetry, and of course food prepared by our town’s most creative chefs offered in a free flowing party that might last until the wee hours.

The Pot Luck will cap the weekend when we pay homage to the kind of shared community meals—pancake breakfasts, spaghetti suppers, chicken dinners, church picnics and block parties—that the towns and cities across America were built on.

I hope you will come along with us as we cook up our Delicious Alchemy!

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CARRIE COLBERT GETS DRESSED FOR DINNERON SEPTEMBER 22ND

STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON NOVEMBER 18TH WITH ARVIA FEW AND KRISTEN BERGER

I could not be more excited about chairing this season of Dress for Dinner. This wonder-ful series of events marries two of my loves−food and fashion! What could be better? In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Recipe for Success, we will be kicking things up a notch this year, with some extra special touches. We would love to have you involved!”

Carrie Colbert

I am particularly excited about helping Recipe for Success because I have seen first-hand how the program impacts not only the children, but the entire family! My favorite story was from a little girl who told me that she loves to garden, learn how to cook the healthy food and then go home and do the recipe with her Daddy...love it! I am so grateful for this program.”

Kristen Berger,Co-Chair

Blue Plate Special Café Awards Lunch

Carrie Colbert

Kristen Berger

Arvia Few

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SEPTEMBER 2, 6:30PM10th Anniversary Season Kick-off at Elaine Turner Boutique (Free event, RSVP now!)

SEPTEMBER 22, 6:30PMDress for Dinner at Versace Boutique with best selling author Lucy Sykes followed by Dinner with the Author (Tickets $50 & $350. Buy now!)

OCTOBER 9, 7PMSteak (R)Evolution, a film screening at MFAH with Dinner Conversation Panel following, featuring Glen Boudreaux of Jolie Vue Farms. Film only repeats October 10.

OCTOBER 11, 5-8PMBistro Menil First Anniversary Event & Wine Auction, benefitting Recipe for Success Foundation. (Request Tickets)

OCTOBER 24 & 25, ALL DAYHouston’s Best Bites at Discovery Green benefitting Recipe for Success Foundation and featuring Farmers marKIDS DAYS on Saturday and Kids Cooking Challenge with Whole Foods on Sunday (Free Event)

OCTOBER 28 6:30PMDress for Dinner with Aquazurra at Saks Fifth Avenue followed by Dinner with the Designer (Tickets $50 and $350. Buy now!)

NOVEMBER 4, 6:30PMDress for Dinner with Giuseppe Zanotti Boutique (Invitation only)

NOVEMBER 5, 5-8PMMid-Main First Thursdays Celebration benefitting Recipe for Success Foundation (Free Event)

NOVEMBER 18, 11:00AMBlue Plate Special Cafe Harvest Market and Awards Lunch honoring Amy Anton, Glen & Honi Boudreaux, Phyllis Childress, Peg Lee and Kim Tutcher (Tickets from $150. Buy now!)

DECEMBER 1, 6:30PMDress for Dinner Men’s Holiday Shopping Night, Mio Boutique, 1848 Westheimer (Free event)

FALL CALENDAR

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Gracie, I know all about non-profit farming; what can I do to help?”

Glen BoudreauxNovember 10, 2005

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Honi & GlenBoudreaux

Glen and Honi are committed to expanding the farm belt around Houston and to building a sustainable urban farm system inside the city to help alleviate access issues in our city’s poorest neighborhoods. We can’t even add up the hours that they have spent over years with Gracie in meetings to plan, layout and negotiate a site for Hope Farms, which has suffered fits and starts through the years as one real estate deal after another fell through. No one gave up. In the meantime, these founding members of the Recipe for Success Board of Directors have contributed endless energy and resources to encourage healthier diets among Houstonians and created a model of agricultural best practices at their Jolie Vue Farms near Brenham. They co-founded the Rice University Farmers Market and launched the first home delivery of farm-raised products in Houston. Read more about their efforts. The Boudreauxs were our Champions of Food Justice in 2013 and will are excited to honor them again this year at the Blue Plate Special Lunch on November 18.

BRINGING THE VISION FOR HOPE FARMS TO A REALITY

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PHOTOS

FRONT COVERRandy Evans

PAGE 2TOP: Pastry Chef Lauren Gockley, Executive Chef Bryan Caswell and the crew from Bank at the Tutcher’s Gala in Small Bites dinnerBOTTOM CENTER: Chefs Chris Shepherd and Charles Clark at the Cavnar’s Gala in Small Bites DinnerBOTTOM RIGHT: Phyllis Hand, Mary Beth Aspromonte, Jim & Cindy Thorp

PAGE 3TOP LEFT: Yvonne Cormier and Kelli Blanton at the Mayell’s Gala in Small Bites dinnerTOP RIGHT: Gracie Cavnar and Charles ClarkBOTTOM: Nick Tutcher, Lynn Wyatt, Susie Cunningham, Kim Tutcher, Clayton & Shel Erikson and Greg Boyd at the Tutcher’s Gala in Small Bites dinner

PAGE 5LEFT: Justin Myers, with John, a summer camper at RecipeHouseRIGHT: Chef Ruffy Sulaiman, Hilton Americas at RecipeHouse

PAGE 6BACK ROW: John Schenk, Bryan Caswell, Randy Evans, Scott Tycer; MIDDLE ROW: Randy Rucker, Jason Gould, John Sheely, Charles Clark, Jeb Stuart; FIRST ROW: Sandra Mangini, Al King, Monica Pope, Ai Culinary Student (girl), PeterGarcia, Claire Smith, Ai Student (boy)FRONT: Gracie Cavnar

PAGE 22The farmers marKIDS at MacGregor Elementary school, October 2014

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It’s Time to DRESS FOR DINNER SEASON VII With Chair, Carrie Colbert

Five Spectacular Fashion ShowsFive Amazing Dinners with Celebrity Designers and AuthorsInsider Events for VIPS and Season Ticket Holders

Mark your calendars for the evenings of SEPTEMBER 22 AND OCTOBER 28, 2015 plus MARCH 3, APRIL 12 AND MAY 4, 2016

Become a VIP or Season Ticket holder for invitations to insider events throughout the year, like the Grand Opening of the new Giuseppe Zanotti Boutique coming up in November.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SEASON DETAILS

Illustration by Gretchen Röehrs

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SEASON DETAILS

VEGGIES! WAYS IN3030TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

DAYS

VOTE FOR VEGOUT!WE NEED YOUR VOTE TO GET OUR NEW VEGOUT! APP ON STAGE AT SXSW INTERACTIVE. WATCH OUR VIDEO ABOUT THE NEW VEGOUT! APP, CREATED BY PARIVEDA SOLUTIONS. SIGN UP WITH THE PANEL PICKER, AND VOTE STARTING AUGUST 10. ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE TOO!

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waiting so long for: faces in a circle at the table, the hesitation, the nod.The beginning.

Porkchop Gravy, An Invocation (excerpt)By Bill Kloefkorn

P.O Box 56405Houston, Texas 77256713.520.0443www.recipe4success.org

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