Toasting to the Season with Toastmasters!

(I tried to take better pictures, but by the time I was able to grab a camera, people started eating all of the food. Fourty-seven of the fifty-eight bean and salsa cups I made were already gone!!)

'Tis the season to eat and be jolly, and boy did we ever encompass both so well! The Toastmasters club held their Christmas party this evening. One of the lead speakers at this meeting was Ed Hipp, a very close friend and father figure of mine.
Ed Hipp recently went to the national Toastmasters convention and won first place for his comic relief speech. As we discussed the current status of our lives (the honors, the struggles, the humorously embarrassing moments...) I informed him about a trip to France that my school is teaming up with Kirkwood Community College to engage in. "Well, you know I need someone to cook for the Toastmasters meeting this coming Tuesday. Do you know anyone interested?"
Since I'm telling this story, obviously the answer was yes. As I planned for this event, Dell Hipp planned an appetizer list with me to be prepared. Mangal Tamang, another student that attends the Culinary Arts Program with me, also attends the Toastmasters meetings, so what better way to incorporate fellow classmates and spread the goodies!! Dell and I planned for him to split the load with myself.
Mangal Tamang prepared delicious chai that he learned to make in Nepal before moving to the United States. Wanting to add some spice to the table (also spice helps tame appetites so people eat less, shh...) I asked for him to prepare a spicy dip for chips. Indeed, he did. A hummus dip, rich in flavor and spice, watered the mouths of the people and the chips alike.
Preparing the more intense appetizers, I wanted to split the tastes down the middle; two savory, two sweet. The outcomes were a decomposition of spanakopita rolled into puff pastry instead of layered with Phyllo dough, beans and homemade salsa served in little Phyllo cups topped with a slice of roasted red pepper and a leaf of fresh basil, a hazelnut cheesecake bite with raspberry whipped cream and a mint leaf garnish, and finally two bite size tarts, one apple and one raspberry.
Although I bought the puff pastry and Phyllo dough, I made everything else by scratch (I even whipped the whipped cream) and tried to make it all as organic as possible. Despite the work, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Playing with food, figuring out how to make little cheesecakes with only 3 hours to prepare them, and a day full of learning accompanied by the joy of watching every last bit of food I made get eaten. Somebody even ate the last one I was taking home for myself!!
“A gourmet knows that the best part is not always the expensive part, and he will find that part, and then he will share it. A gourmet should want to share.” -Mark Kurlansky