GOURMET CHEFS SLICE, SIMMER FOR SENIORS.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer Chefs worked diligently for about eight hours Saturday, slicing and dicing vegetables, forming tiger shrimp into a ball and arranging fruit platters in anticipation of The Ultimate Dining Experience. For most in the kitchen of the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 19-story luxury hotel with a height of 250 feet (76 m) and length of 400 feet that (122 m) occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. , the Experience was more than just a charity banquet to benefit the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by Senior Concerns, it was personal. ``I'm big when it comes to volunteering for seniors,'' said Susan Devens, a graduate of the Westlake Culinary Institute. ``We're all going to be where they are some day. My mother is 80 years old, so the cause is dear to me. It's sad to see life slip away, so I like to contribute.'' Senior Concern officials said they expect 340 people to attend tonight's sold-out dinner. It will be hosted by actor John Schneider John Schneider is the name of the following unrelated people:
The dinner itself will be made up of dishes from chefs throughout the area: Dean Marlatte at the Hyatt, Jennifer Naylor from Granita gra·ni·ta n. A granular dessert ice with a sugar-syrup base, usually flavored with fruit purée, coffee, or wine. [Italian, from feminine past participle of granire, to make grainy, granulate in Malibu, Ray Swanson of the Westlake Village Inn, Steve Cayman of 2087 - An American Bistro in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , Robert Rubino of the Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village and Phyllis Vaccarelli of the Westlake Culinary Institute. To get ready for the big event, the chefs and their assistants, as well as some students from the cooking school, prepared some of the meal beforehand. ``The food is actually the major focus,'' said Frances Prince, executive director of Senior Concerns. ``These are gourmet dishes. Each chef prepares one dish and they're wonderful.'' On the menu is crispy shrimp and seafood spring roll, prosciutto-wrapped greens, wild mushroom agnolotti Agnolotti ('priest hats' in Italian) is a kind of ravioli made with a small round piece of flattened pasta dough, folded over with a meat and vegetable stuffing inside. They are prepared by either poaching them or by browning them in a frying pan with butter. , green apple cider sorbet, porcini-crusted lamb, a trilogy of desserts and more. Senior Concern officials started the event as a small fund raiser, with a dinner in a local church where the meals they served to their clients was the menu offering. Eventually, the Hyatt offered its facility to have a more formal banquet and the event took off. ``It's the seniors,'' said Marlatte, of why the chefs and the hotel got involved. ``Everybody has parents; and seniors are usually forgotten about.'' The nonprofit group was established in 1975 with the area's first Meals on Wheels n. 1. A program that delivers hot meals to persons, such as the elderly or disabled, who are confined to their homes and unable to cook for themselves; also, the meals thus delivered. Such programs are usually conducted by governmental or charitable organizations. program. It serves approximately 4,500 seniors throughout the Conejo Valley, all homebound home·bound adj. Restricted or confined to home, as of an invalid. or with special needs that require a caregiver. Prince said the fund-raising goal this year is $40,000, and will be used to subsidize those seniors who are unable to pay the program fees. The organization also controls the Fitzgerald Senior Day Support Center for Seniors, Safe Return and Senior Advocates. |
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