Taster's Choice kicks off Mardi Gras events

If you’re looking to indulge in the feasting part of Mardi Gras traditions, look no further than the Eunice Community Health Center’s 5th Annual Taster’s Choice event.
“Last year, we had crawfish dishes, sweet potato bisque, king cake, seafood, wildlife, gumbo, sweets, and sauce piquantes,” said Yancy Fontenot, executive director for the Eunice Community Health Center. “We have had chefs and cooking teams from Eunice, Kinder and Lafayette. I know that Rocky’s Cajun Kitchen and Ronnies Cajun Cafe will be cooking this year, too.”
“The event is sort of the kickoff to Mardi Gras. We had a about 350 ‘tasters’ at last year’s event. We even had someone from France come in to buy tickets last year. She was here to see Mardi Gras.”
This year’s event will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the LSU Eunice Acadian Center. Tickets are $25 a person and can be purchased at the ECHC. There will also be music, silent and live auctions. Some of this year’s auction items include a massage certificate, a computer tablet, artwork, a Mardi Gras costume and a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. The center’s Facebook page will be updated as items are donated.
Tasters will have the chance to sample dishes including entrees, side dishes and desserts from about 30 chefs, and they will also be able to vote for the People’s Choice Award. A five-person panel of judges will also select winners in the professional and amateur categories.
“The event has doubled in the number of participants,” Fontenot said. “We had 24 participants last year, and 28 dishes were prepared.”
“Last year, students from the Savoy Sausage culinary school entered the competition, and they won in the amateur category. They made some kind of chowder. It was delicious.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the ECHC, which provides free and at-cost medical care for the working uninsured and under-insured people in the area. Fontenot estimates that clinic assists about 150 people a week, whether it’s lab work, pharmacy needs or an appointment.
“We help keep people out of the emergency room,” she said. “People with hypertension and allergy attacks can come here instead of going to the emergency room. We also help the elderly and underinsured, those with high deductibles or are in the doughnut hole and people who need medication after being discharged from the hospital.”
“Taster’s Choice is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the center, which provides money for our operating supplies,” Fontenot continued. “Former ECHC board member Barry Soileau helped start the event. He knew we needed a fundraiser. We tried a cooking contest, and it was a success. We hoped to made $5,000 the first year, and we surpassed that.”
For more information, call Fontenot at) 457-1205, Glynn Michaud 457-5213 or Kitty Cormier at 945-3744.