Get your taste buds ready for a winning ticket

It’s time for another helping of helping. The Taster’s Choice is a delicious way to help the Eunice Community Health Center.
Ticket sales are already underway for the 4th Annual Taster’s Choice, “Le Courir De Mardi Gras Pour Le Clinic”, which is the pre-Mardi Gras culinary event and fund raiser put on by Eunice Community Health Clinic on Wednesday, February 26th at LSU Eunice.
Dr. Jack Miller said that he is one of many locals selling tickets for the Taster’s Choice event, which he described a friendly competition.
“A lot of competitors set up and cook food and then people are encouraged to sample and vote for as many of the food entries as you desire,” said Miller. “It’s better to get a ticket in advance. The best way to get the tickets is to call the Eunice Community Health Center or the Maple Avenue Pharmacy.”
Miller said that the sampling and voting begin at 6 p.m. in the Acadian Center at LSUE . Taster’s Choice will continue as this year’s musical guest, Jason Frey & Lagniappe, kicks off at 7 p.m. and continues with the live entertainment through the event, which will end at 9 p.m.
The music of Jason Frey & Lagniappe will stop only for an intermission– which will allow for the live and silent auction results and winners of the cook-off, according to Miller.
Yancy Fontenot, executive director of the clinic, said that while fund raising for a good cause has never tasted so good, she is still looking for more cooks to enter the Taster’s Choice cook-off.
“If someone likes to cook, this event is free to enter and it’s for people, professionals or amateurs, who just like to cook and be in the kitchen,”said Fontenot. “To me, this is like a great way to advertise their restaurant or catering business. And they get to showcase their food. It could even lead to catering jobs for some people.”
She said that nearly 20 cooks have already thrown their chef’s hat into the ring. She said that returning culinary delights from T-Boy’s Boudin & Cracklins of Eunice, iMonelli Restaurant of Lafayette and Tre Mar Foods of Eunice will be just a few of those kitchens providing samples for a good cause.
Fontenot said that each chef must prepare 300 servings at a serving-size of two to four ounces. She said that the categories are divided into professional and amateur. Each chef must submit a dish as either entree, side item or dessert item.
“I’m just excited that it’s the fourth annual Taster’s Choice benefit,” said Yancy. “And it really does benefit the community. And we’re just hoping for a good crowd to come out and enjoy themselves for a good cause.”