Culinary Canvas Progressive Dinner offers something for the senses
(Special to the American Press)
F riday offers an indulgent and enriching experience that exists at the intersection of the visual and culinary arts.
The Culinary Canvas Progressive Dinner is a night of food and art that takes diners on a culinary journey, making stops in three cultural locations in Lake Charles: the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center and the Residency at the Museum studio.
Transportation to each location will be provided. Each ticket is $125 and can be purchased online.
From 6-9 p.m. guests will take a journey fueled by a love for art, guaranteed to be an 'enchanting evening,' said ICM interim Executive Director Ashley Royer.
The evening will start with appetizers at the ICM, located at 204 W. Sallier St. Dinner will start with seafood-stuffed pate choux dough balls paired with crawfish, rosemary grits and a crawfish cream sauce prepared by chef Benny Gray.
Dominique Espree, a self-taught mixed media artist whose vibrant work weaves themes of connection and expression through bold textures and neo-expressionist style, will be featured at the first location.
Guests will be transported to the Historic City Hall for the entree. Chef Lyle Broussard will serve pan-seared beef tenderloin with a butternut squash puree, spring vegetables, applewood bacon and mint-chive oil.
The main dish is paired with Maaliyah Symoné Papillion, a member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation who creates art that honors her cultural heritage and reflects a deep commitment to environmental preservation.
Guests will be treated to a little lagniappe. Local musicians Dominique Darbonne and Wesley Royer will perform as a duet as they dine.
The night ends at the RATM studio where guests will get to meet the artists and see their recent works. Chef Diana Schutte will prepare mango mousse dessert cups, custard slices and tiramisu cake.
This stop features artist Kat Bertrand. Her portrait work strikes a delicate balance between whimsy and melancholy, exploring the emotions and relationships that shape each individual.
Culinary Canvas serves as a way to introduce the new residents of ICM's RATM — a program that annually supports three area artists — each year. The residents create collections to be displayed in local museums and participate in events to connect with their community. Their first event comes weeks after the residency began.
The residents and chefs collaborated to marry the two mediums to create a layered, synchronous experience. This process lead to the creation of unique dishes. Schutte created a special custard that reflects the use of black and white in Bertrand's work; Broussard will incorporate edible flowers into his dish because Papillion uses plants in her art.
Wine and non-alcoholic pairings will be available at each stop.
The combination of several mediums allows guests to experience 'different transformative layers' of creation, Royer said.
'They've been meeting together and brainstorming color, plating, and how they are going to present this. … And so everything you're going to get to eat, not just the flavors, but like the presentation, is basically living artwork that you're going to consume.'
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