february vip
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volume 2 issue 4 | NovemBeR 2009 | thVIPVOLUME 7 ISSUE 4 | February 2014 | theVIPmag.
complimenta
o f s o u t h e a s t t e x a s
The Dogu
Rice DynasGreat SETexarestaurants an
food truck
Top ChTiffany Der
in season
THEFOODISSUE
How to nfashioinspiration
Februaryfresheproduc
...for those
who loveto eat!
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EaEditor
DAVID [email protected]
Contributing WritersCATHLEEN COLE
LArENA HEAD
grACE mATHISjANE mCbrIDE
HOLLI pETErSENCHEryL rOSE
PapContributing Photographers
SCOTT ESLINgErLACIE grANT
rEN SHEppArDLEE E. STINSON
Graphic DesignerDAVID CONSTANTINE
AveTo advetise in VIP,
409.880.0700
Cac UVIP of Southeast Texas
380 main Steetbeaont, TX 77701
to sUbsCribE
pLEASE CALL 409.838.2821 Or SubSCrIbEONLINE AT www.THEVIpmAg.COm
to disPlAy thE mAgAzinE
AT yOur buSINESS LOCATION,pLEASE CALL 409.838.2821
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TO SubmIT AN EVENT, OrgANIzATION Or pErSOfOr CONSIDErATION IN AN upCOmINg ISSuE,
SubmIT ONLINE AT www.THEVIpmAg.COm Or [email protected] by uSpS AT ADDrESS AbOVE.
A dv f hea newpapePublisher
mArK ADKINS
jOIN uS ON fACEbOOK!.aceook.co/thevia
on the coverThis season take your fashion inspiration from Februarys seasonal fruitsand vegetables, like the parsnip-inspired look on the cover from S&MFamily Outlet in Beaumont or the beet-inspired outt, left, from Splashof Karma and Daisy Parc Boutique. See other fresh looks on page 24.
Photography: Lacie Grant; Styling: Grace Mathis and Larena Head;Hair: Brooke Boyett; Makeup: Katy Dubuisson; Model: Kristen Campbell
c o n t e n t s
vipmagazine
06 vi leise06 Food trucks
10 vi oth10 The Dietz honey farm
14 viesonalit14 The Doguet Rice
Dynasty
19 Tiany Derry:
Catching up with our
Top Chef
22 vi hoe22 How and why to clear
out your kitchen chaos
24 vi stle24 Fresh fashion: Taking
inspiration from seasonal
produce
31 ood&dink31 Promoting SE Texas
dining
34 Gumbo variations
38 Recipe: King Cake
39 vi sotliht39 SE Texas events
44 vi advise44 Favorite SE Texas meals
47 Calendar
49 Crossword puzzle
50 vi voices50 Should you buy a
farm?
insidefebruary
19
06
38
10
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The mark of a successful surgical procedure
is leaving almosT no marks aT all.
Facing gallbladder surgery? Theres no need to be scared. Or scarred.
CHRISTUS Hospital St. Elizabeth is the only hospital in Southeast Texas offering
da Vinci Single-Site surgery. Performed by general surgeon, Kevin Dean, MD,
this revolutionary, minimally invasive technology provides the same results
as traditional open and laparoscopic surgeries, yet requires a single tiny
incision in the belly button. So patients experience virtually no scarring,less chance of complications, minimal pain and shorter hospital stays. Ask
Dr. Kevin Dean about the remarkable gall bladder procedure that scarcely
leaves a mark da Vinci Single-Site surgery.Kevin Dean, FACS, MDGeneral Surgeon
"'* ->9(>@ 2>9#:&=2>5&? &.(:36>1&:, *5 %
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text by Jane McBride
Whether its entertainment, art or cuisine, one of the
most common complaints we hear is the dearth of
experiences in Southeast Texas. Yes, trends might
be a tad slow coming to Beaumont, but then we ap-
preciate them so much more when they do.
The cultural food truck phenomenon that began in California in
2008 is thriving here, so quit your whining, get out and enjoy somecreative dishes served from a walk-up window.Locally, hungry diners can nd everything from traditional Ameri-
can fare to food that carries the avors of countries around the globe.Nyjuma Howard creates West Indian/Creole fusion while Monica
Cobbs gourmet sandwiches add French touches to a Vietnamese staple.
Mmmmm... mobile
munchies
f o o d t r u c k s
food dining
photography By Lacie grant
B Mr
Monica Cobb has thechops to turn a foodtruck pickup into ane dining experience.
The personable chef has years ofculinary training, including stints atWolfgang Pucks famous Hollywoodeatery, Spago. She honed her skillstraveling the world, from Egypt toItaly, Belgium and England.
Cobb is a strong supporter offood trucks, not only for the charmand energy they bring, but also forthe opportunity they provide tothose who want to cook for a livingwithout the steep start-up costs ofbrick and mortar restaurants.
You can have the freedom totest new products in the food indus-try without having to go into crazyamounts of debt, she said.
Paired with local growers, food
trucks create a synergy of commu-nity that can bring farmers, chefs,artisans and musicians together tocreate mini-festivals where they cansell their goods and enjoy a creativeatmosphere, Cobb said.
There is a burgeoning scene ofart, culture and science that is grow-ing here, and (food trucks) are an-other little blossom. Weve workedreally hard with the City and HealthDepartment and have made positivechanges with a template that allowspeople to make it happen. It opensup the playing eld for everybody.We want to support local busi-
nesses.While Cobb continues to expand
her menu, the faithful foodies whohave followed her for years most of-ten request her banh mon. And yes,its a play on words based on hername and the Vietnamese sandwichserved on Banh mi bread, a roll withFrench beginnings. Choices includelemongrass chicken, black strap mo-lasses pork, or shrimp, covered withfresh greens like cilantro, carrots,pickled daikon and more, bathed inher signature dressings and sriracha.
Cobb, who was trained in Asianfusion cuisine, says friends from theVietnamese/French community haveshared techniques.
In Southeast Texas, we have arich diverse culture. The possibili-ties are endless.
Cobb and Howard are exploringthe possibility of developing a foodtruck map that will guide diners tothe locations of trucks in the area.Its a bit tricky, since many foodtrucks dont have permanent loca-tions but travel around from place toplace, often following events.
6 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup
3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 quart roasted winter vegetables, recipe followsKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb carrots, peeled
1 lbs celery, chopped
1 lb parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
3 T good olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 T chopped fresh at-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1-inch
cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so dont cut too small.
Place cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil;
season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until tender,
turning once with a metal spatula.
Sprinkle with parsley and season to taste.
In a large saucepan, heat 3 cups chicken stock. Place one-half of the roasted
winter vegetables and chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor tted with
the steel blade (or use a handheld blender). Blend until smooth. Pour soup back
into the pot and season to taste. Thin with more chicken stock to the consisten-
cy you like and reheat. The soup should be thick but not like a vegetable puree.
Yield: 8 servings
Banh Mon Renegade Street Food, 4585 Calder, (310) 463-0127
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The Jamaican Cajun
Howard, who grew up in Brooklyn, createsdishes that carry the inuences of the Ja-maican foods of her paternal grandmother,Ivy Howard. She adds the red and brown
sauces of her South Carolina mother, along with the
Cajun and Creole-inspired dishes of Southeast Texasand Southwest Louisiana.
Ive always wanted to see West Indian food herein this area because you have to travel 70 miles toHouston to have a Jamaican or Trinidadian meal,Howard said.
Her fragrant dishes are infused with spices foundin West Indian and Cajun cooking. Her most populardishes are curry chicken, oxtail stew and shrimp andcrawsh etouee.
You can nd Howards truck downtown Mondaythrough Friday in the parking lot across from theJeerson Theatre. She caters on the weekends and at-tends seasonal Southeast Texas festivals and carnivals.Beginning in March, she can be found at Lunch on the
Lake at the Beaumont Event Center, along with otherfood trucks and concessions.Howard agreed to share the recipe for the signature
dish of Jamaica: saltsh and ackee. Ackee is a fruitnative to West Africa that found its way to Jamaicain 1778. You can nd canned ackee in large grocerystores. The traditional saltsh is cod, but other typesof sh sometimes are used.
Salt Fish and Ackee
1 can ackee lb. saltsh boneless/skinless
1 medium white onion, sliced
1 habanera or scotch bonnet pepper, seeded
and diced
fresh thyme
1 medium tomato, cubed
tsp black pepper
2 T vegetable oil
2 scallions, sliced
medium sweet bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
Soak saltsh overnight in cold water to
reduce salt. Drain, rinse and pat dry.In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetab
oil. Add sliced onion, garlic and habanera pe
per. Cook two minutes or until the onion is s
then add the sweet bell pepper, thyme, black
pepper and scallions. Cook for an additional
two minutes. Add saltsh and cook a for 3-5
minutes. Add cubed tomatoes last to preven
them from being mushy. After a quick toss,
the ackee. To prevent the ackee from becom
mushy or broken, do not mix. Heat an additio
minute, then distribute the ackee gently with
fork. VIPThe Jamaican Cajun, 505 Orleans, Beaumont, 409-233-8241
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text by CATHLEEN COLE
D
ietz Farms in Meeker just north
of Beaumont is buzzing with
activity, literally. Thats becauseits the home base of Dietz
Honey Co., owned and operated
by Tim and Stephanie Dietz.
Starting a family bzzzness
The Dietz family has more than 300 beehivesthroughout the area including Sour Lake, China,Beaumont, Winnie and Groves. We try to stay inthe Golden Triangle, Stephanie said, adding thatthey have hives on their farm too.
Stephanie and Tim grew up on farms and havealways had gardens and animals. Years ago, Timwas an organic farmer, Stephanie said. AndTims dad had bees.
The couple brought bees into the family in2005 with 20 hives and started Dietz Honey Co.in 2009. It started out as a hobby. We reallyenjoyed it talking about honey, Stephanieexplained. We like to educate people about thebees.
It took a couple of years to get the opera-tion up and buzzing. Stephanie was working atDoguets rice, turf and feed store on Major Drivein Beaumont in 2010 and started selling jars ofhoney from that location. Also that year, she wasasked to sell her honey at the Beaumont FarmersMarket. It kind of all went from there, she said.
The beehives are all on private acreage. We
try to watch out for pesticides, Stephanie noted.We prefer organic gardeners.
Tim checks the bees anywhere from once aweek to once a month. The spring and earlysummer are our busiest times, Stephanie said.
Thats when they move bees and pull, or harvest,the honey. Harvesting happens one time a year,usually around July 4th. After that, Tim andStephanie stay busy lling jars with honey andcleaning everything up. Its a sticky mess,Stephanie admits.
Its just honey, honey
The Dietzs honeybees produce about 90pounds of honey per hive. With about 300 hives,thats close to 27,000 pounds of honey.
Its a total chick-power thing, says Stepha-nie, explaining that beehives are made up ofmostly females. All of the worker bees arefemales. Males are called drones and their onlyjob is to mate with the queen bees in the hives.
(Theres only one queen per hive.) When theyrenot needed, theyre kicked out.
Dietz honey is sold at retail stores includingBasic Foods in Beaumont, Jacks Pak-It in Beau-mont and Lumberton, Down to Earth in Neder-land and Five Star Feeds in Port Arthur. And its100 percent pure honey. If you taste it, you cantell the dierence, Stephanie said. Weve hadpeople ask, What do you put in your honey?Honey.
Bee happy
Tim is very diligent about taking care of hisbees, saying, If theyre not happy, Im
The Dietzs keep bzzzy with their beesBZZZNESS
A honey of a
l o c a l h o n e y
vipworthy
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Honey health! Honey has been used for medici-
nal purposes since ancient times.
! Honey has distinct antiseptic
properties, which is why its good
for sore throats.
! Honey acts as an antibacterial
and antifungal agent and helps
disinfect and speed the healing pro-
cess in wounds, scrapes and burns.
Put it on a cut, put a bandage on it
and leave it alone,Tim advises.
! Eating local honey can help ease
or banish allergies completely by
helping to strengthen immunity to
the local pollen thats causing the
allergies.
Bee attractive! Bees nd blue, purple and yellow
owers most appealing. Flat or
shallow blossoms such as daisies,
zinnias, asters and Queen Annes
lace will attract the largest variety
of bees.
! Plant a garden that has a variety
of plants in bloom from early spring
through late fall. Stephanie says her
bees love basil and sunowers.
! Plant wildowers and native
plants in your garden and landscapefor wild bees.
! Loss of nesting habitat is a seri-
ous problem for wild bees. Provide
a good nesting habitat by keeping a
small brush pile or some areas with
dry grasses or dead tree limbs.
! Keep a pan of water mixed with
honey or sugar in your yard to feed
the bees.
! Garden more naturally, Stepha-
nie advises. Avoid pesticides.
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not happy.Its hard work, he acknowledges, but he believes
hes doing his part to help pollinate area gardensand orchards. In the United States, most of thefruit, vegetable and seed crops are pollinated byhoneybees. Tim blames the prevalent amount ofinsecticides and pesticides being used, often bypeople who dont have the knowledge to apply itcorrectly, for the declining population of bees. Itsreally sad, he said.
The beekeeper medicates the bees with natural
remedies. Cinnamon kills mold in the hives and alsonaturally repels mites. He mixes it with powderedsugar and makes it available to the bees. They onlyeat the powdered sugar but theyre walking in thecinnamon, which they bring back to the hives. Gar-lic around the hives keeps ants and hive beetles outbut the bees wont eat it. He also mixes lemongrassoil with sugar water. The bees drink it and it keepstheir little systems clean and ushed.
Even though he gets stung occasionally, Timwants to make sure no harm befalls the bees. Mydad said, Son, were here to assist the bees, not totell them what to do. I try to help them, he said.The bees dont need us. We need the bees. VIP
12 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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From left, Darby Doguet, Mike Doguet, Debbie Robbins, Greg Devillier and Kevin Robbins
DOGUET DYNASTY
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text by CHERYL ROSE
Though you can pick
up a package of
Doguets rice at a
local Market Basket,
you can also nd it in
Saudi Arabia or on a
cruise ship or in New York City. The little
grains that grew in a wet eld in Texas
and then were milled in Beaumont travel
the world as major retailers distribute the
most important area commodity: Rice.
Great grain
Rice has been farmed in this area of
Texas for more than 100 years. Its theNo. 1 commodity, said Mike Doguet,general manager of Doguets Rice MillingCo. in Beaumont. Other grains dontdo well because we get too much rain.Its really the only crop that will do wellhere year in and out. Its a dicult areato farm, but rice does well because ricegrows in the water.
Rice farmers from as far as 200 milesaway sell their crops to Doguets to dry,mill and package. From there, distribu-tors send the rice across the globe. Ihave people tell me all the time, We hadDoguets rice in Japan, or somewhere,
Doguet said. We sell to brokers and itdoes end up all over the place.
Debbie Robbins, president of thecompany and Doguets sister, nds itrewarding work to provide a staple ingre-dient needed by people everywhere. It isa wonderful thing that our rice is all overthe world, she said. We dont alwaysknow where the nal product goes. We
have seen pictures of people with ourproduct in Mexico and other countries.Its really satisfying to know how we aremaking an impact.
The company currently employees 40people at the mill with an additional 20or so in their additional family businessesof turf, cattle and crawsh. The companyocially started in 1979, but the Doguetfamilys roots go much deeper in the soil.
Family tradition
The Doguet family has been in therice business from farming to millingto brokering for multiple generationssince the 1920s. Company founder DarbyDoguets grandfather was a rice farmerin Louisiana, but Darby chose to go intothe business side of the industry. Withhis wife Norma and their six children,
he moved around the area from Bay Cityto Winnie as his career shifted. Alongthe way, he managed various rice dryers,managed the Winnie Rice Farmers Co-opand worked as a commissioned buyer.
In 1974, he started the ChambersCounty Seed Co. in Winnie and broughthis son Mike, fresh out of college, intothe business. Then in 1979, he purchasedthe Amelia Rice Dryer, establishingDoguets Rice Milling Co. in Beaumont.
Over the years, the business hasexpanded and changed but has stayed fo-cused on its core product of rice: Brownrice, white rice and now, organic rice. In
1997, Doguet and Robbins bought theirfather out of the mill. Robbins son, GregDevillier, came into the business aftergraduating from Texas State Universityin 2006. Starting at the bottom, he hasworked his way up through the companyand now is a part-owner and serves asthe vice president. Devillier and his wife,Donnell, are expecting a baby boy next
month, setting up a potential fourth gen-eration to the family business.
Shifting to organic
When the Doguets rst bought themill, they only had the equipment tomake brown rice, which they sold as anexport. They added white rice in 1984,after upgrading equipment to clean therice and remove the hull. Our rst cus-tomer was Market Basket, who has beena big part of our growth over the years,Doguet said.
Doguets still mills brown rice andsells the rice bran (the part removed fromwhite rice) to the feed industry for live-stock. After adding white rice, the nextbiggest shift in business has been goingorganic. They contracted 50 acres oforganic rice with a local farmer in 1986.
That has grown to 5,000 acres this year.Sixty to 75 percent of our business is
organic rice now, Doguet said.Robbins and Devillier see the best
prot for rice coming from the demandfor organic options. The organic side isgoing to grow if we can get more knowl-edge to farmers, Robbins said. Theyare scared about what it takes to farmorganic. We are giving them encourage-ment because it will help our businessgrow and its better for the environmentand better for healthy eating.
Being out front with an organicoption has positioned Doguets nicely
as consumers become more concernedabout where and how their food is grown.Doguets rice is also doing well in regardsto consumer reactions to gluten andgenetically modied food.
As of right now, no rice is GMO,Robbins said. Weve added gluten-freeto the label. Our business is rice only sowe have no cross-contaminants. Rice
The Douet famlys rce mllempre crosses three eeratos
ad travels aroud the world
photography bySCOTT ESLingER
d o g u e t s r i c e
vpworthy
>>
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is sodium-and cholesterol-free also,and is a big nutritional product.
Highs and lows
As a commodity, the price of ricegoes up and down and the weathercan bring good years and bad years.
Rice has been great for our fam-ily, but there have been some hard-ships, Doguet said, remembering thestress of Hurricane Rita. Green ricewill smolder and burn if left untend-ed and the mill was full as farmerswere desperately cutting and bringingin as much crop as they could beforethe hurricane. The mill lost power.Doguet remembers they were ableto get a generator from San Antonioin the nick of time. We didnt lose agrain of rice and within two days wewere operating, he said.
Robbins knows the impact oftheir business goes beyond the mill,providing a living not only for theiremployees but for area farmers, too.Leading a company in a male-domi-
nated industry hasnt been dicult,she said. I have tomboy tenden-cies anyway, being raised with olderbrothers, she said. Also, farmers aregood, honest, hard-working peopleand real easy to work with.
The future
The future of rice in Texas hassome risks. A lot of land that wasonce rice farms is now residentialsubdivisions as farmers age out andno one wants to work the land. Per-sistent drought hasnt helped, either.Weve lost 60,000 acres of rice 3,000 organic from the water
restrictions, Doguet said, referring tofarmland closer to Houston.In addition to working for the
company, Doguet and his wife, Lisa,farmed rice for about 25 years, butgot completely out of rice farmingin 2010. Hes also announced thathe will retire from the company in ayear, having already sold his portionof the business back to Robbins andDevillier. He has been mentoring hisnephew to become his replacement.Greg has worked his way up throughthe dryer and mill, buying and sell-ing, Doguet said. Hes taken what Iknew and put it all in the modern age
of computers.Robbins is also beginning to think
about retirement in the next ve to10 years, with the expectation thatDevillier will buy her out of the busi-ness and keep it going. Robbins andher husband, Kevin (who also worksfor the company), would like to enjoytheir farm where they raise cattle andrice. I just love nature, she said.I love looking out at the lake andwatching the ducks and birds come inand out on the farm. I love watching
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sunrises and sunsets; its very calm-ing.
Devillier, who descends from ricefarmers on both sides of his parent-age, has worked in every role at thecompany to prepare for ultimatelyrunning the business. He has a lotof fresh ideas, particularly on theorganic side, Robbins said. It canbe hard for someone young to comein and tell older people that havebeen there awhile what to do, but ourpeople respect him and listen to himbecause hes worked to learn aboutevery job.
In addition to specializing in or-ganic, Devillier sees opportunity forthe company to package private >>
All About RiceTexas is one of only a few states that can
grow rice, though it has slipped from the
top as a producer as farmers have changed
crops or sold out. Arkansas is the current top
producer. But Southeast Texas stays competi-
tive in the industry because of good water
management.
Rice needs plentiful water, Doguetexplained. We have one of the only areas in
the country that has the water supply neces-
sary. Also, 95 percent of the rice elds here
are gravity fed they dont need a pump
which is real economical. Thats one of the
reasons why the area has thrived with rice
because of the low cost in water.
Doguet praised the Lower Neches Valley
Authority for keeping the water prices down
and for the foresight of the farming ancestors
who designed and built the canal system
through the elds by hand.
And though rice likes water, elds also
need to drain or too much water can kill the
seedlings. Much of the local area hasnt hadsufcient drainage, but Doguet is hopeful that
the huge drainage district project currently
being cut to the intercoastal canal will make
a positive impact.
Another advantage in Southeast Texas is
that farmers can often get a second crop of
rice if they time the planting correctly and the
weather cooperates.The rst planting goes
in during spring with the rst harvest in July
or August. A second crop can then be grown
with a November harvest, though it can be a
gamble with frost. The rst crop takes 110
days to mature, the second needs 60 days,
growing from the roots of the rst.Because of the amount of rainfall, there
is a small window of time to get the ground
ready and to get the crop harvested, Doguet
said. A lot of years you start with dry ground,
and then we get rain that wont stop.You
have to ght mud and rain. Fortunately, rice
is a real forgiving crop.
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label rice for various retailerssuch as H.E.B. and others. Thecompany recently passed an as-sessment the Safety Quality
Food Audit that will open uppossibilities with large, multi-national companies that requirethe audit to do business.
As the only family memberof his generation involved in thebusiness, Devillier feels respon-sible for the family legacy. Theredenitely seems like a weight onthe shoulder for the impact onlives, he said, to keep all youremployees working and for thefarmers who depend on us to buytheir rice. VIP
The Future?Agriculture in general, not just rice,
is losing the younger generation fromfarms all over the country.
Back when we were kids, Iremember hundreds of farmers, butthe numbers have dwindled, Doguetsaid, pointing to economic factors and
lifestyle as deterrents.Most people leave the farm to go
to 40-hour a week jobs in ofces, hesaid. Farming is seven days a week,ghting weather and the governmentfrom sun up to sundown.There are alot of headaches in farming and itsvery expensive to farm.
Unless a young farmer inheritsland and equipment, getting started infarming is prohibitive. Doguet got hisrst combine second-hand from hisfather-in-law. Most farmers, if youregoing to date their daughter, they are
going to put you to work, he said. Ididnt mind working. I took over thatfarm and farmed for 25 years. I paid$147,000 for that combine.The sameone new today costs $350,000. Ayoung guy getting into the businesscant do it without help.
The average farm in the area haswell over $1 million in equipment,Doguet estimated. Even with the chal-lenges, there are several young farm-ers following in their dads footsteps.Doguet knows one 24-year-old gradu-ate of Lamar University who is nowfarming 600 to 700 acres in organic
rice. We denitely need younger,innovative farmers, he said. Mostfarmers in business now are collegegraduates. But its a dangerous thingin this country with a small portion ofthe population feeding everybody. Weneed to get more prot into the agsector.
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text by CATHLEEN COLE
Be aumonts celebrity chef Tiany Derry
is constantly cooking up new ideas
to keep her career fresh. Television
shows, T-shirts, a cookbook and a line
of spices are currently on her menu.
Born to cook
Food has always played a big part in Derryslife. She remembers helping her mother in thekitchen when she was still a toddler and startingto cook by herself when she was just a few yearsolder. Family dinners were an important part ofher childhood growing up in Beaumont. Familybirthdays and holidays were based around bigmeals. For Mothers Day, the men of the fam-ily cooked. For Fathers Day, the women of thefamily prepared the meal. We tried to outdo themen, Derry noted of the friendly competition.
Derry credits her mother, Louisa Austin,
for teaching her how to cook. My mom wasadventurous, Derry said, adding that she oftentried new foods and new recipes. I think thatsthe base. I add on to those things. That was thefoundation. My mom started it.
The young chef began her culinary career atInternational House of Pancakes on Eastex Free-way in Beaumont where she started as a serverat 15 years old. One day, the kitchen sta neededhelp. She jumped right in calling the orders tothe cooks and making pancakes. I loved it, sheremembered. It was so much fun. But she hadto keep her grades up anything less than theA-B honor roll at Ozen High School and her
CATCHING UPWITH OURTOP CHEFTiffany Derry is addingmore fresh projectsto her career menu
t i f f a n y d e r r y
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parents would make her quit herjob.
After graduating from highschool in 2001, she attendedthe Art Institute of Houston andearned an associate of sciencedegree in culinary arts in 2003.From there she moved on tone-dining establishments as anexecutive sous chef and later asan executive chef. In 2010, sheearned a spot as a contestant for
Bravo televisions reality programTop Chef and appeared in sea-son seven, when she was voted fanfavorite, and season eight.
Although her cooking and hertastes moved toward ne diningand ne foods, she still likes a bigstack of pancakes with bacon ora fast-food burger with fries nowand then. I denitely love all ofthat, she admitted. But I havea deep appreciation for the nerfoods. I denitely cannot go with-out the ner foods.
More television in the mix
In September 2011, Derryopened a restaurant called PrivateSocial in her new home base ofDallas. She got the restaurant upand running and sold it in January2013. Thats when she startedpromoting her television careerand launched a consulting rm for
restaurants called T.D. Concepts.Derry is now a regular food ex-
pert on Spike TVs Bar Rescue.This spring, shell host SpikesHungry Investors with Jon
Taer and John Besh. The showputs two struggling restaurantsto the test to prove they deservea second chance at success. Therestaurant that shows the mostpromise of improving wins a largecash investment. Each episodetakes place in a new city around
the United States. (There will bea few Texas restaurants featured,but she cant divulge them.) Itsa great mix because all of us getalong so well, Derry said.
Why is television such a goodmedium for the chef? People tellher shes real, she said. Im notacting. I dont put on a show.
New recipes for success
This year, Derry will oerT-shirts with culinary-related slo-
gans on her website and in a fewTexas-based stores. One sloganreads Know your roots and dpicts root vegetables. Im big oknowing where you come from,she said. It grounds you.
By years end, although shehasnt announced the title yet,Derry plans to have her memoircookbook published.
Theres another big project,its currently simmering on the
back burner. Its a line of Derryspices and spice blends produceby Beaumont-based Texas CoeCo., makers of TexJoy seasoninand spices. Were still workingthat, she said.
Sage advice
Even though Derrys televi-sion career is taking o, she stiwants to open more restaurantsIm planning for another concin the fall, she said. I denitewant more restaurants.
Whats her advice for someothinking of opening a restau-
rant? Go work in one rst, shadvises. Just because you enjocooking at home doesnt meanyou can run a restaurant. Truthtold, cooking is just a small parrunning a successful business. Ycant be just a chef. You have toa business person. VIP
20 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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text by BarBara Mahany
Lets start with the
ugly truth: Your
kitchen has gone
to pot and we
dont mean the
cooking kind,
the kind you cant nd for all the
whatchamabobs and doohickeys
youve hoarded over the years.
You cant see the countertops(yes, those quarried-just-for-you landing pads you haventeyeballed since the day they weresmacked down).
You can barely yank open theextra-wide utensil drawer, whatwith all the thingamajigs youvestued inside. Psst, do you re-ally need three dough scrapers?
And whats with the ve orangepeelers, the deep-dish pizza pangrabber you havent used in 16years, and, excuse me, pleaseexplain the microwave probe thatlooks for all the world like some-thing that belongs in a carpen-ters tool belt?
Oh, sure, you could call in thedemolition crew and start fromscratch. But weve got a smarteridea: Pare it down. Ditch thedetritus. Dial up the bliss thereby the cutting board. Find your
kitchen Zen.I call all this stu that builds
up life plaque, says life coachGail Blanke, author of Throw Out
Fifty Things: Clear the Clut-ter, Find Your Life. It clogs tharteries of our lives and, Godknows, it stops up our creativit
Seekig te ZeGail Blankes guide to the uncluttered kitchen:
! Start simple. Pick one drawer 15 minutes is all were asking. Set a
timer.! As you rife through, ask: Do I like it? Am I using it now? Do I want to pass
it to my kids? (If the answer is no, anywhere along, slap on the eviction notice.
! Remember: You dont have to toss Grannys corncob-shaped platter into
the trash; you can always donate.
! Once you conquer that lowly drawer, youll be emboldened to take on a
cupboard, the pantry maybe even the dark recesses of your fridge.
clearing spaceWt to do we ou kitce
Ze is buied deep beet gzillio wtcmbobs
k i t c h e n s
vip home
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Seeing as she wrote 271 pageson the subject, Blanke can cleara kitchen in a matter of minutes(follow along with her de-clutterguide below). Most of whats
clogging the joint, she says, isthe debris of indecision.
You really need that oyster-shucking knife you havent usedin 11 years?
Lest you think shell haveyou tossing the kitchen sink, shesoothes: Im not a minimalist.Im a middle-of-the-road person.The dierence is I dont keepanything around that I dontuse.
And therein lies your home-work.
Were not talking abouthaving the tidiest kitchen onthe block, says Blanke, weretalking about being free. Youclear the clutter, you clearyour mind.
Heres inspiration: Blanke,a rst-rate cook, one who candebate morels versus chan-terelles with the best of em,says the most sumptuous partof any holiday is what goes on
way before dinner is served inthe kitchen, the cleared-of-life-plaque kitchen.
In her old farmhouse, itsve grown-ups and an oversizegolden retriever, ringing roundthe cookstove. Its a candleburning on the clutter-freecounter, a lamp glowing in thecorner (because there arent18 odd appliances hogging allthe real estate). Its not beingworried that when one of thesous chefs is rummaging fora pie cutter hell be impaledby one of umpteen redundant
whatchamahoojies.When the kitchen is a place
where the ones you love arentelbowing for inches, wheretheres room to peel and chopand stir, it makes people feellike they belong, feel cozy,says Blanke. You have casualconversations that you mightnot otherwise have. Thatswhat we remember its notabout having a perfect dinner,its about creating somethingbeautiful together.
Chef and author RosannaNafziger Henderson downsizedfrom her already undersizedkitchen when she married thispast summer, squeezing into amere 60 square feet in whichshe still manages to churn but-ter, ferment sauerkraut, evenmill her own buckwheat.
She savors getting by witha few utensils that connect herto the ways of cookery longago, weave a little exerciseinto her day and create much-needed pauses in the rush tofeasting.
One of the main things
about being in the kitchentogether is doing paralleltasks, and the conversationsthat happen when your handsare doing something, saysHenderson.
And, adds Blanke, makingroom in a kitchen for goodsouls and conversation allowsfor the richest recipe of all:You want the people whovecome into your home to walkaway dierently from the waythey arrived. MCT
theVIPmag.com | February 2014
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Inspired by the colors of some of Februarys seasonal fruits andvegetables beets, parsnip, tangerine, broccoli, asparagus, bok
choy, red onion and lemon here are Februarys freshest looks.
f e b r u a r y f a s h i o n
vstyle
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beetThe color of passion is dramaticallyreected in an elegant gown. Thisiconic winter hue belongs in everyoneswardrobe. Unleash your inner goddess.
Burgundy oppy hat, Splash of Karma,Nederland, $22; Burgundy scarf, DaisyParc Boutique, Nederland, $15; Burgundymermaid gown, Daisy Parc Boutique, $250.
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red onionSimplicity is striking. Find comfort in reliable basics, such as wide-leg pants and a soft sweater. A modern take on classic colors.
Wine pleated pants, Splash of Karma, Nederland, $52, Magenta ombresweater, Splash of Karma, $59, Rhinestone necklace, Dillards, ParkdaleMall, Beaumont, $58.
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lemonDont be afraid to embrace your inner child in a cozy lemonyellow sweater. Add a pop of color on the face with lipstick orblush to keep a vibrant glow.
Sparkle cable knit sweater, S&M Family Outlet, Beaumont, $16.
tangerineBe sweetly bold in a sassy orange ensemble. An unexpected mixof fabrics and layers is always daring.
Orange shorts, Daisy Parc Boutique, Nederland, $49; Angora wool blendsweater, Dillards, Parkdale Mall, Beaumont, $79; Orange denim biker
jacket, Dillards, $69.
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asparagusStay cheeky in fresh shades of green that complement anyskin tone. A variety of hues makes for a chic visual salad.
Green eece drawstring jacket, S & M Family Outlet, Beaumont,$68; Pea green structured handbag, S & M Family Outlet, $60; Goldand emerald drop earrings, Dillards, Parkdale Mall, Beaumont, $15;Vintage green gloves, stylist owned.
28 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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parsnipWith a monochromatic look, createinterest with a mix of unusual textures.Pale tones make smoky eyes standout even more. A soft shade of grey isuniversally user-friendly.
Italian wrap sweater, S & M Family Outlet,Beaumont, $100; Silk organza rufe skirt, S& M Family Outlet, $170; Faux fur jacket, S& M Family Outlet, Beaumont, $63; Vintage
starburst earrings, stylist owned. VIP
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EATING
FORACAUSE
text by CHERYL ROSE
T
heres a good chance a third of the people reading
this worked in the food industry at one time. People
dont realize the restaurant industry is the largest in-
dependent industry in the country, said Charles Duit,
chef instructor at Lamar University and food servicedirector at Calder Woods. One out of every three people has worked
in the industry in their lives.
Taken together, area restaurants and related industries make alarge economic and employment impact. About 170 restaurants aremembers of the Sabine Area Restaurant Association (SARA), the localchapter of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA). Being a memberof TRA has many practical benets for restaurants, such as collectiveinsurance deals, advocacy, marketing and education.
However, the local chapter has taken membership to a higher level,using their fraternity of food experts to raise more than $1 milliondollars over the years to support other nonprots. Through two majorfundraising events, Taste of the Triangle and Chefs Delight, SARA
Through Taste of the Triangle
and Chefs Delight, SabineArea Restaurant Association
voluntarism is a cycle of giving
vipworthy
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has raised more money thanchapters in Houston or SanAntonio at various times and isone of the top in the state eachyear for giving back to the localcommunity.
At these events, all the foodis provided for free, but it takesa lot of time and eort for thesebusinesses to prepare and stathe booths, said Jay Jenkinson,the vice president and director ofoperations for Cheddars Beau-mont/WOW Food Concepts andthe current volunteer presidentof SARA. Its a gift. Its a circleof giving.
SARA, then and now
Though the restaurant in-dustry is competitive, it is also aclose-knit community, local res-
taurateurs insist. Everyone re-lates to the challenges everybodyhas, Jenkinson said. When wecome together, its powerful.
Monica Roberts of CourvillesCatering has been involvedwith SARA for the last decade,particularly in organizing Tasteof the Town.
The restaurant business isntas cutthroat as people think itis, she said. We have a goodtime and support each other.
The associations roots goback to 1946, according to FrankMessina of Debbs-MessinasLiquors in Beaumont, who hasbeen involved with the group for40 years and led Chefs Delightfor 24 years.When I got in-volved as a young man, so manyof the leaders were indepen-dent restaurateurs, family- andlocally-owned in the GoldenTriangle, Messina said. Therewere very few chain operations40 years ago. So many of theleaders of the organization then
were self-made no education,but great business people.
Jenkinson said the list of origi-nal members reads like a whoswho of mom-and-pop restaurantsof the era. It was more than agroup of restaurateurs; it was agroup of close friends.
The group became an ocialchapter of TRA in 1986. As theGolden Triangle has grown, morefood concept and chain restaurants
have moved to the area, whilemany of those founding mem-bers have passed on, sold out orretired.
Current leaders view this trendas a positive indicator of the localeconomy and the opportunities forgrowth, though an ongoing chal-lenge to encourage involvement.Messina estimates only a third ofthe 170 members are active in theassociation.
Giving spirit
The Taste of the Town eventhas raised more than $1.1 milliodollars in the past 30 years. Thodollars in turn were donated tosupport the Babe Zaharias SpecOlympics, Some Other Place, thSoutheast Texas Food Bank andBoys Haven and Girls Haven.Those organizations know wherto come when they need a handRoberts said. For example, SAR
A Bg FalyAny restaurant can elect to join SARA,
with membership fees scaled by gross
prots. However, many of the key leaders
throughout SARAs history have been
associate members, meaning they dont
own a restaurant but provide some kind
of service to the industry.Messina, who
owns liquor stores, is a good example,as is David Heilman of Ace Imagewear
in Beaumont who served as the top
sponsorship chairman of Taste of the
Town for years. Geographically, the local
chapter stretches from Orange to Winnie
and Jasper to Port Arthur.
photography bythe BeAumont enterprise
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2014 Taste ofthe TriangleThe Sabine Area Restaurant Association
will host the 31st Taste of the Triangle
in March. The event is typically lled to
capacity. Restaurants that participate
donate the food and staff for the event.
Guests pay one ticket fee and then cansample foods at the booths that have
numbered anywhere from 40 to 115 on
big year. Drinks and a live band are part
of the festivities. Sponsorships are avail
able and allow early admittance.
When: March 4, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Beaumont Civic Center
Tickets: $20, available through Tick-
etmaster, Beaumont Civic Center and
H.E.B. Dowlen Road.
provided a new freezer when GirlsHavens broke.
SARA also spends about$20,000 each year at the SoutheastTexas State Fair YMBL LivestockAuction. The processed meat isdonated to the same nonprots.
The other major event, ChefsDelight, occurs in the fall in con-junction with the Golden TriangleChefs Association. This event hasraised as much as $125,000 in one
night. The proceeds go to supportscholarships to Lamar Universityand Lamar Institute of Technologyculinary programs. SARA volun-teers estimate they have donatedabout $500,000 in scholarshipsand equipment, in addition to a$250,000 endowment they estab-lished in 2008.
Creating an endowment isunheard of for a small chapterlike us, Duit said, adding that 21
scholarships were awarded in Janu-ary. SARA also gives two scholar-ships to the Lamar Universityprogram to high school students.Prospective students compete towin a scholarship in either theculinary or front-of-house division.
Fresh blood wanted
The SARA leadership viewstheir biggest challenge as freshblood: new volunteers to the orga-
nization and skilled new employees to the restaurant industry.
The challenge for us is toreach out into the new organiza-tions that have come to the areaand embrace them, Jenkinsonsaid. Though they are mem-bers and many support SARAby providing booths or buyingtables at our events, we need toask them for some human capitato continue our eorts.
Messina echoed thesethoughts, concerned that manyof the most active board mem-bers are in their 50s and 60s.
In addition to convincingvolunteers to step-up, all restau-rants worry about having capablemployees due to workforcecompetition. Alternative indus-tries are pulling away workers,but people are always eating,Duit noted. Restaurants are thelargest supporter of minority anfemale management. People riseto the top of their local restau-rant faster than anywhere else.The possibilities are unlimited.You can start as a dishwasherand end up the manager.
Investing in the Lamar culi-nary students is just smart busi-ness to pay it forward, as SARAmembers view it.
Im starting to see someof my students get involved,Duit said. They left school,went into the workforce andhave come back to help. Theyremember beneting from thescholarships. Thats my personawow moment, seeing themcome back. VIP
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text byMATT LEE And TEd LEE
Gumboshould be
as straight-
forward and
approachable as its name. But
something about the spicy Creole
soup seems rigid and intimidat-
ing. Whenever we mentioned
gumbo in a group of food lovers
we heard cryptic warnings:
If you make it right, its themost expensive dish youll evermake.
If you dont let it sit for threedays, its not gumbo.
Its all about your roux.You cant make a little bit of
gumbo, so dont even attempt it.Gloomy advice like that tends
to induce kitchen cramp, thecooks version of writers block, sowe were thrilled to attend a gumboduel at the Southern FoodwaysSymposium in Oxford, Miss., notso long ago where two competi-tors gumbos were so wildly dif-ferent that the mere suggestionof competition seemed downrightunsportsmanlike. In a leafy grove,competitors ladled out their nestgumbo to 120 restaurant critics,chefs, culinary historians andplain old eaters, who voted byapplause.
Here were stews that had incommon only the white bowls inwhich they were served.
Leah Chase, the chef and ownerof Dooky Chase in New Orleans,
served a superb traditional Creolegumbo, a rich, smoky gravy full
of good things: shrimp, chickenwings, crab legs, sausage, hunks ofbeef brisket.
Fritz Blank, the chef and ownerof Deux Cheminees in Philadel-phia, ladled out a tribute to hiscitys pepper pot, a gumbo with allthe fundamentals of Ms. Chases:a thick soup with gentle spiceand heat, textured by a variety ofmeats.
But where Ms. Chases soupwas a brackish, silky broth thick-ened with roux and le powder,Mr. Blanks was jack-o-lanternorange and velvety, thickened by a
puree of rice, leeks and butternutsquash. Ms. Chases gumbo got itspep from paprika and hot sausage,Mr. Blanks from ginger and haba-nero chili.
Both gumbos were deeply com-plex, wildly exotic and perfectlybalanced all at once: alternatinglybriny, hot, savory and sweet ele-ments mingled to mesmerizingeect, producing a slightly mys-terious, almost spiritual pull thatmade us reach for spoonful afterspoonful.
But if it seemed like food madeby gods, both chefs advice wouldinspire any cook whos been scaredo by gumbo.
You can do what you like togumbo, Leah Chase told us afterthe duel. The other day I madeone with quail and venison sau-sage for a group of hunters.
Fritz Blank was just as reas-suring. Gumbos like meatloaf,he told us. Everyone makes itdierently.
Though theres little mysteryto what makes gumbo tasty, its
(To Each His Ow)
g u m b o
food dining
THE GUMBOVARIATIONS
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spice, always retains a sense of the exotic.Though Cajun and Creole cultures
have nourished the gumbo tradition overthe years, gumbo evolved into more thana few variations as it spread throughoutthe Eastern United States. In Philadel-phia, pepper pots like Mr. Blanks, with-out roux or le, but with peppery heat,tripe or turtle and sometimes dumplings,are attributable to the citys large 18th-century population of West Indians. Inthe Carolinas, the word gumbo conjures
the aroma of shrimp, crab and okra sim-mering together.Knowing all that, and emboldened by
Leah Chase and Fritz Blank, we set out tomake our own version of gumbo. Sincemaking it is, in essence, the creation of aavorful stock, many gumbo recipes sim-ply begin with water. But if you have thetime to prepare it, a rich stock made withone of the ingredients in the gumbo canadd a more robust avor. After reserv-ing the meat from the duck we roastedfor a gumbo, we threw the carcass intoa stockpot with a few bay leaves, addedwater and simmered it for an hour. For agumbo that called for peeled shrimp, we
reserved the shells and heads and sim-mered them with celery and onion.
If you dont have time to make astock, you can give gumbo a sweet, brinycharacter by adding a couple of cleanedhard-shell crabs to the pot. And ofcourse, you can save real time by usingcanned broth.
As for the thickening, the truth is,any gently avored starch works well,including yellow potato, sweet potato andpureed rice.
A pinch of le powder on the tonguetastes like green tea, but in the amountsin which its commonly added to agumbo a tablespoon per gallon itsavor remains more a matter of faithand speculation. File is added only afterthe ame has been turned o, so if yound your soup too thin at the end of thesimmer, add some le. If you prefer athinner, brothier gumbo, just leave itout. File can be found in most SoutheastTexas grocery stores.
Okra has an almost slimy quality,referred to as ropiness, but it can be eas-ily cooked out, by sauteing it in a smallamount of butter or oil, over a low ame,and stirring constantly until the okrais dry. It browns nicely, with a pleasantroastiness.
Chefs like Steve Manning at Bayou inHarlem make roux in large quantities andstir it, spoonful by spoonful, into a hotgumbo stock until the soup reaches thedesired consistency. But you can also usethe hot roux like fat, sauteing the veg-etables and herbs in it to bring out theiravor before adding them to the pot.
Peanut and vegetable oils are mostcommonly used for roux, because theirsmoking points are higher than those ofbutter and lard. But you can choose yourfat according to cost, taste or inspira-tion (use the fat from the roasted duck if>>
mystique may persist simply because eventhe quickest gumbos invite long oppor-tunities to meditate, to peer into the potand wonder whats going on beneath thetumultuous surface. Gumbos links to thespiritual world are hard to break.
Ms. Chase tells a story about givinga dinner in 1942 for a group of TuskegeeAirmen who steadfastly refused to eatthe gumbo she and a friend had preparedbecause they feared the le she put inthe pot was a voodoo powder intended to
ensnare the men. One of the men wastelling the others, Dont eat the gumbo! Ifyou eat that gumbo, youll never leave NewOrleans.
The simplest denition of gumbo is asoup made by simmering meats, seafood,vegetables and spices in a thickened stock.Usually its served over rice. But over thecenturies it has taken on the same aura as-sociated with biscuits and pie crust: homeyand simple, but not easy to execute.
The one thing that really denes it,though, is the way it is thickened. Gumbois much denser than a simple soup; thebroth has a thick, almost viscous con-sistency. And that characteristic is most
commonly created by making a roux,cooking our and oil together until theythicken and darken. Otherwise, gumbocan be thickened with le, which is justpowdered dried sassafras leaves. Or itcan be thickened with okra, which adds abrambly avor along with a mucilaginoussubstance. (The name gumbo comes fromthe Bantu word for okra.)
Roux, okra and le powder are the holytrinity of gumbo, and it is in them thatmost of the gumbo partisanship is vested.Families throughout the South can be ar-ranged more or less along the three lines,though many will use a combination.
The mythic roux not only thickens butalso broadens and enhances the stewedavors of the gumbo. To Frank Brigtsen,of Brigtsens in New Orleans, a good rouxhas a deep, nutty taste like roasted peanutsor pecans that marries with the stock togive gumbo its avor.
Creole cooks in Louisiana usually pre-pare some variation of three basic recipes:a Creole gumbo that includes sausages,beef, veal, ham, chicken, whole crabs orshrimp and is thickened with roux and lepowder; a simpler okra gumbo thick-ened with okra and including a variety ofshellsh; and a gumbo aux herbes (orgumbo zherbes), made with as many as 10
varieties of greens and traditionally servedduring Lent.
All American gumbos trace theirorigins to a melding of cultures in the 17thand 18th centuries, when the settlementof the Louisiana Territory and frenetictrade across the Atlantic brought Spanish,French Acadian, Portuguese, African, WestIndian and Native American foods intoa fortuitous collision. Rich Spanish shstews, African okra, American sassafrasand hot peppers from Jamaica all becamecore elements in a new American dish,whose murky depth, evoking sea, land and
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youre preparing a duck gumbo).To make a roux, measure out
roughly even quantities of fat andour. Heat the fat over a low amethree or four minutes, then addthe our and whisk the mixturecontinuously for the next 30 to45 minutes to avoid burning theour (a scorched roux makes agumbo taste bitter, and must bediscarded).
Roux can range in color from
a blond, condensed-milk white toburnished, toasty brown, depend-ing on how long you cook it.Gumbo cooks tend to use a rouxthat is a shade somewhere betweenpeanut butter and dark chocolate.
Mr. Brigtsen uses a milk-choc-olate-colored roux in two gumbos,one made with rabbit, the otherwith seafood and okra. The darkerthe roux, the more toasty the avortends to be, but as a roux darkens,its thickening properties decrease;for that reason, some gumbo cooksprefer to use a more golden roux.
The meats that avor and addhearty texture to a gumbo requiresome premeditation, to ensure thateach element is properly cookedwithout overcooking. The most de-licious gumbos we tasted combinedas many textures as there were a-vors, from the most tender threads
of crab meat to the resilient crunchof shrimp to the chewy morsel ofveal.
Subtly avored seafood, likecrab meat, shrimp and oysters, re-quires a more delicate touch. Addit close to the time you turn o theame. Toss in the shrimp 5 to 10
minutes before the ame is turnedo, and oysters and crab meat onlyat the moment. In a gumbo thatincludes both oysters and toma-toes, the oysters should be addedshortly before the gumbo hits thetable, as they will react with theacid in tomatoes if allowed to steep
for longer than an hour.At the Shoebox Cafe, Alexan
Smallss spicy roux-and-okra-thickened gumbo is textured bycorn, nely diced green and redbell peppers, chicken and oysterThe okra is cut lengthwise, intostrips instead of the commonrounds, and a mound of rice ispiled in the center of the bowl.Along one side of the rice, sixsteamed shrimp are added as a g
nish, cool, sweet, and unadorneda nice counterpoint to the soupsspicy heat.
A similar shrimp and okragumbo gets more traditional trement at Bayou, with rounds of oand shrimp bathed in rich browroux-thickened soup. Mr. Man-ning, who spent 20 years as a chin New Orleans, said, Its a clasdeathbed recipe, given to him bfriend whose grandmother, a NeOrleans native, passed it on to hgrandchildren before she died.
Thats one way to get a greatgumbo. But making it up fromscratch isnt all wrong, either. Aall, the gumbo duel in Mississipwas not settled with a clear winnEach competitor received suchresounding, sustained applausethat the moderator had to call itdraw. VIP
36 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
In Louisiana, Mardi Gras is more than one day in one city. It is a statewide
celebration, and it is never the same party twice. This time, bring something
better back from your vacationstories you will be telling for years.
2014 Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
THE
LONGER
!
THINK.
PARADE ISTHAN
YOU
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In Lake Charles/South-
west Louisiana, Mardi
Gras does not just mean
parades and costumes
its a combination of Carnival
krewes with community spirit
and tradition.
Lake Charles/SouthwestLouisiana boasts the second larg-est Mardi Gras in the state withover 60 krewes, more than 20family-friendly events, and a newSouthwest Louisiana Mardi Grassmartphone app.
The magic of Mardi Graskicks o the Friday before FatTuesday and the fun does notstop until the last oat rolls dur-ing the Krewe of Krewes Parade
on Fat Tuesday, March 4. TheMerchants Parade starts the fes-tivities on Friday night, Feb. 28.
Throughout the weekend,there is Childrens Day, witheducational activities for kidsfollowed by a Childrens Parade.
The Krewe of Barkus parade of
royal dogs and the Iowa Chicken
Run are sights to see! The avorof Mardi Gras wouldnt be com-
plete without food events such
as the World-Famous Cajun Ex-
travaganza and Gumbo Cook-o
and the Taste de La Louisiane or
music festivities such as the free
Zydeco Dance.
Kings, queens and captains
for each krewe, known as royalty,usher in the Mardi Gras season
by promenading at the Royal
Gala, held the Monday before Fat
Tuesday, March 3. Lake Charles
is the only place in the state
where the public can see all royal
courts in their full regalia.In Southwest Louisiana local
traditions and costumes frompast seasons are archived in theMardi Gras Museum of ImperialCalcasieu open year-round. The
museum, located in the CentralSchool Arts & Humanities Centeat 809 Kirby Street, houses thelargest collection of costumes inthe South. The museum encom-passes six rooms, and includesanimated narrators, videos, aparade oat and even talkingchickens. The museum is openTuesdays through Fridays from1 - 5 p.m. Admission is $3 foradults, $2 for children and seniorcitizens, and group rates areavailable.
For more information onMardi Gras in Lake Charles/
Southwest Louisiana as well asinformation on the Mardi Grasapp, visit www.swlamardigras.com or call the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Conven-tion & Visitors Bureau at (800)456-7952.
Mardi Gras: Louisiana Style
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s e t e x a s e v e n t s
vipspotlight
YWCA Holiday Gala
Laura Bell and Linel Moody
Camille Briggs, Michelle Crayton
Linda and Joe Domino
James Trahan,Tootie Koons Sherr ie and Jeff Branick Walter Smith, Mart in Lee, Jr.
Dorrie, Jonathan and Sumone Adolph
Judge Donald and Marie FloydJamie Smith and Alice Ramsey
Andra Pitre, Sharae Reed
Elise Fulton Smith, Noel Smith, Hazel Tanner, Tanya Tanner and Kathy LeeFelton Fontenot, Joe Bailey
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Pour Les Enfants
Lunch on
the Lake
Rachel Grove and Clint and Heather Woods Jessica and Jason Whi
Judith Quimby, Debra Moore Molly Benoit, Marvin Benoit
Victoria Zizmont and Gwen Gerber
Kenny and Jill Wiebusch
Denny Wiseman and Stephanie Price
Cassy Yates, Cacy Goodwin
Sheila and Greg Gentry and Karen Fontenot Kim and Troy Tucker
Charlotte Sterling,Ashley Lafeur, Staci Powers Deborah Queen, Lynn Huckaby
Crystal Sanders, Rita Ochs, Ana Garciarene sheppa
lacie grant
Chris Kovatch and SaraBrooke Burnside James and Trudy Johnson
40 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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Main St. Market
Katie ONeill, Katie Beaver, Lindsay Homann Nancy Black, Robin Lockhart
Corrie Terry, Savanna Moore Diane Cannon,Al icia McKibbin
Stacey White, Christina Ceravolo, Dixie White Melodie Babineaux,GenieCampise
Ike, Luca, Chris, Amanda, and Cheryl Akbari
Meg Baertl, Summer Sanderson Kathy Green, Phyllis Fernandez
lacie grant
theVIPmag.com | February 2014
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PN-G 60sHoliday Party
LamarissimoConcert
Ron and Susan Arceneaux and Travis and Bonney Bryan
Olivia Stevenson, Ally and Emily Steelman Trinity Belcarris, Grace Steelman
Martha Petit and Sandra Latiolais
Jamie Anderson, Dean Steelman
Terry Jackson and Sylvia McDufe
Mary Louise Crim and Elizabeth Miller
Mike Borel, Lana Guidry and Mike Simon Peggy and Glenn LaGrange
Stel la Jones and Wanda Verdon Sara and Harrison Root
Beth Duncan, Charlene Leonard and Joedna Smyth
scott eslinger
Linda Martin, Diana Weldon, Shirley Hvezdos and Catherine Nichols
42 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
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BCPs Annie
Sherry Hanson, Patsy McDonald and Anita Lewis Jim and Teetsie Champagne
Margaret, Francis, Clare and Randle Coker Kim Traylor, Darlene Johnson
Erin Watson, Jean Moncla and Celia ColemanRoss Simmons, Natalie
Bergen-Henengouwen
Diane Lovelady, Valerie Conerly, Nina Marks, Hannah Bagwell and Julia Bagwell
Mary Bolton Cockrell,Virginia Nutt Janci Kimball, Paula Bothe and Joy Lynne Bakers
cotteslinger
Sugar PlumBreakfast
Crissy Clarke, Brenda, Jadyn and Lara WilsonMonique Steinhagen,
Brenda Wilson
Bonnie and Joey Tortorice,
Connie and Lily Hebert
Kathryn Lamb, Mary, Patricia
and Isabella Tortorice
Merrit Malley, Shanna and Macy BriggsKay Blankenship, Gabbiand Paige Grisanti
Kaylyn Smith, Madison Moore, Juliana Strickland,
Gillian Laird, Sarah Wilson and Caroline Mayer
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Jackie Jackson
Owner, Jackies
My favorite dining out
place isCARRABBAS.
The Spiedino Di Mare
is my favorite dish! And
the hot bread, herbs and
olive oil with the Caesar
salad before the meal is
really good. They have
great service and a nice
atmosphere.
Tony Brown
Ozen High School stud
football and track star
My favorite is the grille
pork and shrimp sprin
rolls with the rare-eye
noodle soup atPHO
FOUR SEASONS.
Blue Broussard
Broussards Mortuary
Musician/Singer, Blue
Broussard Band
I really enjoyNEW YO
PIZZA & PASTAin
downtown Beaumont.
ambience, food and w
are the perfect combin
tion. I love their house
salad and house dress
in addition to the pizza
also enjoyELENAS M
ICAN RESTAURANTa
both their College St. a
Phelan locations. Teca
Tuesdays are a favoritfor my friends and me
like their P.J.s special
(chalupa, taco and bur
and the beef quesadill
Cindy PartinPresident, Junior League
of Beaumont
I loveFINCH HUTTON
in Nederland and their
Firecracker Mussels when
available and any of their
seafood specials. I ap-
preciate the atmosphere
and the people and the
food is fresh and made to
order. My husband loves
their Tomahawk steak.
We also loveJUJUS
CAJUN CRAWFISH
SHAKin Fannett during
crawsh season. BYOB
and crawsh? Enough
said. In Beaumont, we
loveVAUTROTS CAJUN
CUISINEs chicken
and sausage gumbo or
fried shrimp or anything
they make. They are
family-owned, using fam-
ily recipes and allowing
BYOB. We also loveNEW
YORK PIZZA AND PASTA
downtown. The pizza youcan make-to-order or the
Shrimp ala Romano, all
made fresh with delicious
ingredients. We like to eat
out and try new things.
Dana Babineaux
CARRABBAS every time!
Its always consistent no
matter what! My go-to
favorite is their let-hands
down the best steak in
town.
Carolyn Howard
Executive Director, Beau-
mont Main Street
I love, LOVE the chopped
beef sandwich and
coleslaw atTONYS BAR-
BECUE! Its WONDERFUL.
THEBESTTHINGI EVER
ATESoutheast Texansname their favoritedining-out dishes inthe Golden Triangle
Mark Petkovsek
Tiger Safety and retired
major league baseballplayer
The Thursday lunch of
spaghetti and meatballs at
the oldQUALITY CAFEin
downtown Beaumont.
Rabbi Joshua Taub
Temple Emanuel
My favorite meal would
have to be the MLG Salad
with blackened tuna atMAJOR LEAGUE GRILL
in Beaumont. I love black-ened sh and combined
with the salad, it makes
for a perfect meal. It is
consistently delicious. I
can be a very boring res-
taurant eater; when I nd
something I like, I order it
every time.
Bob Wortham
Judge, 58th District Court
I have three that are too
close to call.CARLITOS
grilled shrimp,SCHOO-
NERSgrilled whole
ounder,BIG JOHNS
GRILLSoxtails. You can
go to Houston or any other
city and not nd a meal
that can match them.
e a t i n g o u t
vipadviser
compiled byCHERYL ROSE
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Chelsea TiptonMusic Director, Symphony
of Southeast Texas
My favorite meal around
Beaumont isPITA PIT. Itis served fresh with good
service and you can put
lots of veggies in your
pita. It doesnt make me
feel so weighted down.
W.L PateOwner, Pate Resource
Group and Beaumont City
Councilman
We do have so many great
restaurants in the area
likeSUGAS, CARRA-BBAS, THE GRILLandFLOYDS, but the bestmeal that I have had is
courtesy of theHOLIDAY
INN AND SUITESand Ex-ecutive Chef and AssistantGeneral Manger Leonel
Ducharme. I purchased
a Chefs Table Dinner as
an auction item. The fol-
lowing is the menu: potato
galette, fried goat cheese
salad, roasted pumpkin
soup, glazed pork belly,
sliced tenderloin of beef,
julienne vegetables and
a Madeira wine sauce
nished with pumpkin tart.
It was superb!
Russell A. WaddillPartner, Neos Marketing
I have several favorite
meals that depend on my
mood. Here are my top
four:
1.CARRABBASfordinner: Fish of the day (ti-
lapia, snapper) with wolf
sauce, side of zucchini
frittes and garlic mashed
potatoes, Mediterranean
salad to start with, that
awesome warm bread,and Peroni beer on tap.
2.KATHARINE & CO.for lunch: Mango and
avocado salad with
pecan-crusted chicken,
black iced tea.
3.JASONS DELIforlunch: The Managers
Special half a Chicago
Club with a side of fruit,
cup of tortilla soup, black
currant iced tea and ice
cream cone!
4.WILLY BURGERon the
weekend: #2 Cheese-burger with sweet potato
fries and side of barbecue
sauce, Shiner Bock on
tap OR anything from the
breakfast menu!
David Parkus, M.DChristus St. Elizabeth
My favorite meal in
Southeast Texas isGREATCHINA RESTAURANTsMongolian beef.
Austin WilliamsVice President of U.S.& Global Sales, Games
People Play
For breakfast,WILLYBURGER.The kids lovethe chocolate pancakes
and the adults like the
breakfast sandwich. Then
for lunch, the grilled ahi
tuna sandwich from Willy
Burger is AMAZING. For
dinner, I go toTHE GRILLbecause its quiet and
you can actually hear theperson you are talking to.
Their Drunken Gumbo is
GREAT, as is the tuna and
the sea bass. The best
brunch in town isSUGAS.Other top hits include
HONEY B HAMfor greatgumbo, the sh tacos
fromBAYOU CAFEandCARMELAS for Mexican,hands down.
Richard JamesEntrepreneur and
Co-Founder of the Gusher
Marathon
For a unique, sin-fully delicious treat, I
likeBOOMTOWN BBQCOMPANY! An order ofa G7 sandwich, torpedo
(sausage, peppers, and
mustard wrapped in a tor-
tilla) and a cobbler (apple,
blackberry or peach
they are all good) will keep
your stomach happy!
Stephanie MolinaDirector of Marketing,
Beaumont Convention and
Visitors Bureau
My favorite meals wouldbe fromTHE GRILL,FLOYDS&BOOMTOWNBARBECUE.
Paula ONealExecutive Director, Some
Other Place
My favorite food is Mexi-
can. I loveCASA OLE, LACANTINA, ELENASandevenTACO BELL. My fa-vorite dish is queso. Casa
Oles is my favorite.
Nancy BeaulieuJustice of the Peace
I love the lobster ravioli
fromCARRABBASandthe Caesar salad and
bread that goes with it.
Jody NolanOwner, World Gym
My two favs are the
veggie egg white omelets
atWILLY BURGERwith
my grits, wheat toast andcoffee and the chicken
and sausage gumbo from
HONEY B HAM.
Summer LydickOwner, The Painted Wall
I am loving the tuna
burger, rare, atWILLYBURGERlately! Its like asushi burger. The wasabi
coleslaw and mayo on it
are a perfect combination
and their food is always
consistent. Its a quick,
easy meal with friendly
service and a great local
place. I LOVE support-
ing LOCAL as much as
possible.
Larry BeaulieuRetired KFDM General
Manager, Anchor
I likeCAF DEL RIOschile rellenos because
Mexican food makes m
happy seven days a w
Kristyn Henderson
Lamar University Cheeand Mascot Coordinat
My favorite breakfast
isTASTY CREAMDONUTs ham, egg ancheese croissant or th
jalapeno sausage and
cheese kolache. They
both amazing and che
I also love a good ap-
petizer;PAPPADEAUXfried alligator is the be
around!
David ConstantineEditor, VIP Magazine
Im a breakfast person
and my favorite is thebreakfast buffet at
HEMINGWAYS CAFEtheMCM ELEGANTEHOTEL, especially be-cause I can get Starbu
with it. Otherwise, I LO
the gumbo atFLOYD
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46 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
Get your garden ready!
At Bur ns Antik Haus, you will fnd stunning
hand-selected items rom all over Europe.
New items put out daily!
Open Tues., Wed. & Thurs. 10-5 Fri. & Sat.,10-3
2195 Calder Ave. @ 6th. Beaumont
409.835.3080
***+%,"&!'&!)-',!+#$(
Its time to fall in LOVE with
Kameleon Jewelry at Nickolinas.
This interchangeable jewellery makes the perfect gift for
your sweetheart.Nickolinashas a variety of jewel pops,
so you canchange your pop to change your mood!
Nickolinas
1257 W. Lucas, Beaumont, TX 77706
409-896-2543
www.facebook.com/nickolinas www.nickolinas.com
For Heavens Sake
4190 Calder Avenue, Beaumont
409-898-3340 [email protected]
Distinctive Serving Pieces
3fabulous nds#$*)10$,+ '$ 0-($ ).% *!$1,
/$,&!).%1+$ '$ 0-($ *- !)($"
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GirlsHaven GumboFestivalFebruary 2211 a.m.-5 p.m., Parkdale Mall,Beaumont. The event featuresa gumbo cook off, childrensmidway and a variety of livemusic. Gumbo $7 (1 large or4 small bowls). Admission andparking free. (409) 832-6223Ext. 102.
Boomtown Film andMusic FestivalFebruary 21-22Annual showcase of some of thehottest independent lms andlocal musical acts, held at multiplelocations around Beaumont, includingthe Gig, the Logon Cafe and LamarUniversity, Beaumont. Forschedules and ticketinformation, go towww.boomtownfest.com or facebook.com/boomtownfestival. (972)740-0829.
great datesinfebruary
Great GatsbyHeart BallFebruary 86-11 p.m., MCM EleganteHotel and Conference Center,Beaumont. Bishop Curtis Guillory
and Dr.Wayne Margolis arethe honorees. Mid Life Crisiswill perform. Presented by theAmerican Heart Association.Tickets $150. Reservations: (409)550-1753 or www.heart.org/goldentriangleheartball.
Mr. Habitat 2014February 21Annual fundraiser for Habitat ofHumanity, where 10 leading men ofBeaumont vie for the prestigious goldhammer and hard hat during threegruelling rounds of competition. Think
of it as a beauty pageant for someof the areas hottest men. 6:30 p.m.,Event Centre, Beaumont. Tickets $50per person; $400 for a table of eight.(409) 832-5853.
Mardi Gras ofSoutheast TexasFebruary27- March 2Downtown Port Arthur. Parades,concerts, childrens activities, carnrides and games, food and more.(409) 721-8717 or www.mardigrasportarthur.com.
Thursday Feb. 27
Festival grounds open 5 to 10 p.m.
4:45 p.m.:Courir du Mardi Gras Para6 p.m.:J.A.G in concert8 p.m.:The Stark Experiment in conc
Friday, Feb. 28
6 p.m. to midnight
7 p.m.:Krewe of Krewes Parade7 p.m.:American Sons in concert10 p.m.:Robert Earl Keen in concert
Saturday, March 1
Noon to midnight
1 p.m.:Krewes Royalty March3 p.m.:Port Arthur Playboys in conce5:30 p.m.:Motorcycle ShowcaseParade5:30 p.m.:Lil Wayne & Same Ole 2Step in concert6 p.m.:Krewe of Aurora Parade8:30 p.m.:Concert to be announced10 p.m.:Casey Donahew n concert
Sunday, March 2
Noon to 8 p.m.
2 p.m.:Munchkin Parade3 p.m.:Champagne Room in concert4 p.m.:Truck Parade6:30 p.m.:Travis Matte and theKingpins in concert
Event Submissions"8 +8/ !).$ )9 $.$91 +8/ -8/;& ;>=$ 18 748:81$6 "8 >1 ->1! ,;2?&)1$2% 1>:$2% ;8')1>89% '891)'1 7!89$% -$( )&&4$22
)9& ) (4>$# &$2'4>71>89?18 [email protected] 2!8/;& )44>.$ )1 ;$)21 *0 &)+2 >9 )&.)9'$ 8# 1!$ $.$915
theVIPmag.com | February 2014
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February 1
Classical Mystery Tour
Symphony Pops concert featuring
a tribute to the 50th anniversary of
the Beatles coming to America, 7:30
p.m., Julie Rogers Theatre, Beaumont.
Tickets $17-$41. Senior, student and
group discounts available. (409) 892-
2257 or www.sost.org.
Cabaret
Beaumont Community Playerspresents the Tony Award-winning
musical about an American girls
romance with an English writer
set against the background of a
crumbling Germany at the start of
the Third Reich, 7:30 p.m., Betty
Greenberg Center for the Performing
Arts, Beaumont. Tickets 23-$35.
Reservations: (409) 833-4664 or www.
beaumontcommunityplayers.com.
BAL Group Exhibition
Work by Faye Nelson, Sheila Busceme
and Marty Arredondo, and a second
exhibition by Herman Hugg andJerry Newman, open with a reception
7-9 p.m. Feb. 1 and will be on view
through Feb. 22 at the Beaumont Art
League, Beaumont. Hours: 11 a.m.-3
p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Free. (409)
833-4179 or www.beaumontartleague.
org.
February 1-2
Bodon Gun and Knife Show
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 1; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Feb. 2, Robert A. Bob Bowers
Civic Center, Port Arthur. Adults
$7, children 12 and younger free,
weekend pass $12. (713) 724-8881.
February 4
Harlem Globetrotters Fans Rule Tour
7 p.m., Ford Arena, Beaumont.
Tickets $21, $25, $35, $55 and $80
at the Ford Park Box Oce, and all
Ticketmaster outlets. (409) 838-3435.
February 5
Daughters of the American
Revolution Good Citizenship Awards
1:30-3 p.m., McFaddin-Ward Visitor
Center, Beaumont. Awards recognize
and reward male and female high-
school students who exemplify
the qualities of a good citizen:
dependability, service, leadership and
patriotism. (409) 832-2134, (409) 755-
0507 or email [email protected]
Fred Eaglesmith
7 p.m., Courvilles, Beaumont. Tickets
$30 advance only. Tickets include
buet and show. Reservations:
(409) 860-9811 or email bigrich@
cajunavors.com.
48 February 2014 | theVIPmag.com
February 6
Were Going on a Bear Hunt
9:30 and 11:30 a.m., Lutcher Theater
for the Performing Arts, Orange.
Tickets $4. (409) 886-5535 or www.
lutcher.org.
First Thursdays on Calder Avenue
5-9 p.m., starting at the Mildred
Building, Beaumont. (409) 833-9919.
February 7-8
For the Love of Quilts
Golden Triangle Quilt Guild Show, 10
a.m.-5 p.m., Beaumont Civic Center,
Beaumont. (409) 749-0818 or www.
goldentrianglequiltguild.com
February 7-9
Tuesdays with Morrie
Drama about a sports commentator-
journalist who rekindles a friendship
with one of his former college
professors who is dying, 7:37 p.m.,
Orange Community Playhouse,
Orange. Tickets $15, students$10. (409) 882-9137 or www.
orangecommunityplayers.com.
February 8
Family Arts Day
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Art Museum of
Southeast Texas, Beaumont. Free.
(409) 832-3432 or www.amset.org.
Free Family Fun Day
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Museum of the Gulf
Coast, Port Arthur. (409) 982-7000 or
www.museumofthegulfcoast.org.
The Great Mountain6:30 p.m., Lutcher Theater for the
Performing Arts, Orange. Tickets $10.
(409) 886-5535 or www.lutcher.org.
February 9
Southeast Texas Arts Councils
Annual Hearts for the Arts
6-8 p.m., Broussards Centre,
Beaumont. Tickets $30. Recognizes
outstanding achievement in the arts
and humanities in southeast Texas.
Reservations: (409) 835-2787 or email
Foreigner7:30 p.m., Ford Arena, Beaumont.
Tickets $35, $45 and $55 at the Ford
Park Box Oce, and all Ticketmaster
outlets. (409) 838-3435.
February 12
Ray Wylie Hubbard
7 p.m., Courvilles, Beaumont. Tickets
$30 advance only. Ticket includes
buet and show. Reservations:
(409) 860-9811 or email bigrich@
cajunavors.com.
February 14
The St. Petersburg String Quartet
Advance general admission $20; $
at the door. Part of the Piney Wood
Fine Arts Association 2013-2014
Signature Series. Tickets at www.
pwfaa.org or (936) 544-4276.
Blue Man Group
8 p.m., Julie Rogers Theatre,
Beaumont. Tickets $45, $55 and $7
at all Ticketmaster outlets. (409)838-3435.
February 15
Symphony Ball
6:30 p.m., Event Centre, Beaumon
Presented by the Symphony Leagu
Beaumont. www.slbmt.org.
February 14-15
Million Dollar Quartet
Musical based on the true story of
the famed recording session where
Sam Phillips, the Father of Rock
Roll brought together Elvis PresleJohnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and
Perkins for one unforgettable nigh
music, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, and 2 and
7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, Lutcher Theater
the Performing Arts, Orange. Tick
$35-$65. (409) 886-5535 or www.
lutcher.org.
February 14-16
Legally Blonde, the Musical
Musical based on the hit comedy
about a young woman whose eor
to get back at the boyfriend who
dumped her, leads her to Harvard
Law School and an exciting new
life