HEY! Turns out, you can eat dessert first!

Or not. At Getting Our Just Desserts, you’re free to have dessert first – or you can head straight for the hors d’oeuvres and savory nibbles.

And rightly so…really, who could pass up Amy Binkley’s bolognese (what will she put it over? a crostini? a bit of macaroni? oh, the possibilities!) – unless, of course, you’ve already spotted Sherrye Chapin’s incredible brownies?

No need to save room, but you will definitely want to save time to get to one of those workshops.

Learn all about assessing (and tasting!) chocolate, decide which cheeses will work best for your own holiday dinners or parties, take a break to learn more about tea tasting, learn how to taste olive oil (hint: you don’t really want it on a bread cube) – and then learn how you can share your food news with the world at the intro to food photography.

PLUS – major silent auction this year. Unreal. Weekends in Sedona. Wine tours and tastings. And more!

Nov. 19. Between 2 and 5 p.m. at the Art Institute, 23^rd Ave and Dunlap. Be there!

(Here’s how to be there: go to blacktie-arizona//rsvp – with the code justdesserts11 and order tickets . Tickets also at the door!)

Treats for all!

Want an extra treat?

Really – how could you possibly even think of missing more than two dozen of Arizona’s top women chefs presenting a sweeping array of sweet and savory nibbles? You’ll enjoy three full hours of nibbling – plus there’s entertainment!

That’s right- entertainment. An extensive silent auction. Mini-workshops. Chocolate. Cheese. Olive oil (really, the oil, not Popeye’s gal). And for all you food bloggers – food photography.

Right now get over to Getting Our Just Desserts (see the Facebook page, OR you can go to blacktie-arizona//rsvp – with the code justdesserts11 and order tickets NOW!)

Stick around here and you’ll find out who’s making what (so you can make a beeline for that exhibit the minute you get through the doors at the Art Institute of Phoenix at 2 p.m. on Nov. 19. And don't forget - every penny of your ticket price is tax deductible, as you help support Careers in Culinary Arts in Arizona.

Whatever you think...

of Mark Bittman, he certainly posted an interesting letter this week....

see it here http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/hey-chef-get-with-the-program/

Tough meet, but tasty finish

This year’s Robert Bland Culinary Salon, staged this past weekend at East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), drew a formidable set of competitors in a formidable judging.

This American Culinary Foundation event, presented by the ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona, is a high level contest with an exceptionally high bar to cross. Nonetheless, these six students – all of whom also were in C-CAP’s TopTen group during this past C-CAP competition, took these medals:

Tiffanny Miller - Flagstaff HS - Silver Medal

Alyssa Falshaw - Flagstaff HS - Bronze Medal

Shoshannah Wright - Payson HS - Bronze

Christopher Andrade - Valley Vista HS - Bronze

Emery Van Gilder - Catalina Magner HS - Bronze

Royce Schlittenhart - Canyon del Oro HS - Bronze

These two students also went home with medals:

Jessie Beekman - Flagstaff - Silver

Kylie Radford - Flagstaff - Bronze

We’ll expect to see all eight students through this year’s practices and finals next spring!