Photos by Natalie Gutenkauf.
The 5th Annual Cooking for Kids Competition benefiting The Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center (JJCCC) at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach was quite the theatrical and culinary extravaganza backed by a rich guest list of over 300 community leaders, movers and shakers.
The competition started well before the ephemeral event, which was held November 20 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment center, with seven local Long Beach ‘celebrity teams’ working to raise a combination of online fundraising efforts, community sponsors and donations for the event.
While Team Magic Carpet to a Cure and Team Carter’s Cobra Kai seemed to be in the lead going into the event with nearly $10K raised each, it was obvious that no team was going to go down without a fight as exhibited by the elaborately decorated booths that cohesively made up a sort of carnival-like wonderland in the Promade Ballroom.
Eerie purple lighting set the gothic stage for Team Sofia’s Maleficent, an ode to the Disney movie, complete with 15 year-old Sofia, an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia patient, dressed in costume as Maleficent herself. Chocolate covered crab apples sat ominously on platters, as celebrity chefs Charlie Beirne and Veronica Quintero, both with the Long Beach Convention Center, eluded that while their apples may or may not be poisonous, their blueberry grilled cheese sandwich were sure the please the palette.
“This ceviche is so spicy I just might need a fireman,” said event judge Dede Rossi, Executive Director at Belmont Shore Business Association Belmont of Team East Meats West’s seafood ceviche served with guacamole salsa and dried plantains. Celebrity chefs, Long Beach Police Commanders Paul LeBaron and Rich Rocchi perfectly cured the fish ceviche.
The attention to detail that celebrity chef’s Elizabeth Borstine and Terry Henry put into their booth was truly a work of art. Two full size European-style red telephone booths with a lifelike Buckingham Palace Guard mannequin set the backdrop for Team Mission for Madison’s booth. Their sous chef, 11 year-old Madison who is being treated for Sickle Cell Disease, was certainly their driving inspiration as evident in the collection of baby photos and hand written notes from Madison reading, “Thank you for making my day!”
While teams were doing their best to persuade judges, Chef Paul Buchanan made his statement early, “You can’t persuade me. I judge the food for what it is.” Buchanan was later spotted grabbing seconds of Madison’s Shepard Pie, “this is dynamite … incredible flavors.”
Team Magic Carpet to a Cure, comprised of Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price and Naples resident Jonathan Schnack, tapped into their heritage for inspiration for their booth. “I’m Lebanese and Susie is Persian,” said Schnack dressed in a genie costume. “Suzie and I both decided that this theme fit us best and using a recipe from Open Sesame, we had our theme and we had our dish.”
“They were not permitted to double the size of their booth,” said event judge and Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee of Team Magic Carpet to a Cure’s Harem-like tent housing a real live fortune teller. “But we will let that one go tonight” said DuRee, clearly attempting to instigate some playful banter by using the threat of fire codes as ammunition.
DuRee is no stranger when it comes to stirring up trouble at this competition. Two years ago, Team Berlin comprised of DuRee and Executive Director of the Bixby Knolls Business Association Blair Cohn, were the mischievous duo that sabotaged fellow competitor, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe’s booth with caution tape and warning signs.
This year’s competition found DuRee as a judge and Cohn as Master of Ceremonies. At the end of the night, it was Team Magic Carpet that took home the win. But not before each team was given a chance to come up on stage and recognized for their hard work. Most importantly, each child representing Miller Children’s Hospital as the team’s sous chefs were given a trophy.
Over the past four years, the Cooking for Kids competition has raised over $340,000 and the Memorial Medical Center Foundation is reporting an additional $70,000 for this year competition.
Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center provides comprehensive, family centered care to children with cancer and serious blood disorders. The Center is known for its comprehensive psychosocial programs and multidisciplinary approach to patient and family centered care. Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center improves outcomes, prevents complications and enhances the quality of life for children with cancer, and serious blood disorders, by integrating new clinical research efforts into treatment plans.
To make a donation, contact Renae Waestman-Furlow at rfurlow@memorialcare.org (562) 933-8604
Natalie Gutenkauf’s daughter Berlin was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor when she was 5 years-old. Team Berlin won the 2012 Cooking for Kids Competition. Three years after her surgery, Berlin is tumor free.