t may have been April 1, but the “Food Dudes Cookers” didn’t fool around as they helped raise money for a good cause and sent folks home with smiles and full bellies.
The Taylor Educational Enrichment Foundation’s Sixth Annual “Food Dudes” event Saturday at the Williamson County Expo Center supported classroom and educational initiatives.
Organizers said the fundraiser was bigger and better than ever.
“We have 36 cookers this year,” said Anita Volek, the foundation’s executive director. “I think the max we have had in the past has been 25, so we are up quite a bit.”
Hundreds of visitors showed up to sample and vote on the homemade victuals prepared by the “Food Dudes” volunteers.
The fare included gorditas with chicharrónes topped with avocado crema and cotija cheese from chef Mike Erickson and his students in the Taylor High School’s culinary department; cakes from the former Kolache Shoppe with Irene and Debbie Bucanek; and District 4 Councilman Robert Garcia and Jesus Lopez, who got “Pho real” with their chicken and shrimp spring rolls and a variety of dipping sauces.
Attendees chose winners in four categories: Stan and Johnnie Werner for their “Mrs. Pat’s Famous Banana Pudding” in the dessert category, Syrissa and Anthony Dominguez’s N’Awlins Street Team for their Cajun boudin dip for best appetizer, Sheryl Wilkens and Trish Littlejohn for their German noodles for best side dish and Taylor Independent School District board President Marco Ortiz and wife Debra for their sweet chili pork and cabbage stir-fry over steamed rice in the best entrée division.
The victors received frying-pan cast-iron trophies.
The best-in-show award went to Sean and Cassie Leschber’s “Krazy Korn,” featuring cream corn topped with brisket, sriracha, cilantro and green onions.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you to our cooks,” said Mark Schroeder, TEE’s board president, as DJ Jake Ness spun retro tunes including Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” “The food was phenomenal. You put so much time into preparing it and helping us. We just can’t thank you enough.”
Participants also bid on items during silent and live auctions, including an iron fire pit cut out with “Once a Duck Always a Duck” as well as the mallard duck mascot of Taylor High, created by instructor Scott Bishop’s welding class at the school.
Volek said the foundation sold about 400 tickets for the event. To date, the foundation has raised about $500,000 in support of Taylor ISD teachers’ classroom needs, ranging from butterfly farms to microscopes for kindergartners, according to officials.
“We solely do classroom grants,” Volek said. “Any classroom grants that we give, this goes directly into that pot.”
This past academic year, Erickson received a $25,000 grant to acquire a barbecue trailer for his class and Bishop received a gas-powered portable welding machine for students.
Volek said the idea for “Food Dudes” came to them through a mutual connection from College Station Education Foundation’s “50 Men Can Cook” fundraiser, which for 15 years has aided the College Station Independent School District.
“Moppy Miller is responsible for stealing the idea,” Volek said with a laugh. “But it has just become a community event. We have great sponsors. Our community sponsors are just amazing. The volunteers from our community, the men and the ‘dudettes’ who are cooking, just enjoy it.”
