Feast supports graduating class
Students, chef bring fine dining experience to Fort Simpson palates
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, May 19, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Drawn in part by the lure of local chef Michel Benoit's renowned cooking, and in part by the prospect of helping out future graduates of Thomas Simpson Secondary School, scores of people lined up the evening of May 14 for a fine dining experience and silent auction.
Lauren Corneille-Lafferty cooks up some succulent pork tenderloin as the main dish for the event in the Thomas Simpson Secondary School gymnasium, which was painstakingly decorated in an array of lights. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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The four-course meal had room for 100 people and was served by eight of the school's 18 prospective graduates who also helped with the cooking.
Cam Neufeld and Ali Romanow from the Kole Crook Fiddle Association serenaded listeners with fiddle tunes and singing over the course of the evening.
On the menu was garlic soup, insalata caprese, pork tenderloin and strawberry crepes, as well as bannock buns.
Benoit and his team of chefs spent days preparing for the event which paid off with a total of $4,100 raised for the school's graduating class.
The event was one in a list of fundraisers this year's graduating class is undertaking. Funds raised go toward the graduation ceremony, including decorations and a dinner. Any leftover funds will be rolled over into next year's pot of money.
Teacher Sharon Allen, who is on the grad fundraising committee, said this year's graduates are also looking at the possibility of including outdoor activities during the ceremony.
Josh Bertrand, Lauren Corneille-Lafferty, Charles Blondin, Melissa Pascua-Matte, Randall Hardisty, Stephan Hardisty, Mary Drake and Rochelle Yendo all helped cook and serve while Blondin also gave a speech thanking community members for attending. Wait staff, organizers and cooks, including Benoit, all volunteered their time for the event.
Benoit said the cooking went well, despite a hiccup with the sauce for the main dish due to a lack of whipping cream. The sauce was made by Stephan.
"The sauce took two-and-a-half hours to make," Benoit said, adding it had to be constantly stirred throughout that time.
Allen said she was thrilled with the response to the event. Out of dozens of items auctioned off during the evening, only three did not sell - and some attracted an exponential increase over their opening price.
Some of the items included a wooden bench handmade by the school's trades students, a diamond willow plant stand made by teacher Stewart Chisholm, clothes and crystal glass sets, among others.
"This was quite a bit of money for this grad class," Allen said.
Future events include a car wash and garage sale at the school on May 28.
