The Pro-Am

My beautiful wife, Kitty, enlisted me to cook for a political fundraiser last week. I never mind helping her out, particularly when it means that people will be eating my food, but this one was particularly exciting gig. I've recently come to know and love the guys from Parlor Market, Craig, Gary, Jesse and Ryan and at this event, I got to share the kitchen with them. The event had a Latin "Fiesta" theme so we met for drinks and decided to make some great Mexican street food. With trips to McDade's and Carneceria Valdez, we put together a menu of Pork Tacos, Chicken Tacos and Watermelon Chipotle Salsa.

The night before the event we all gathered at the private event space of Parlor Market and knocked out the prep work and made the salsa. We also made the decision to braise the pork overnight in a braising liquid with plenty of Rogue Mocha Porter and Chipotle Ale.

The day of the event, we made the sauces, cooked and shredded the chickens, pulled the pork, packed everything up at set up at the sky terrace of the Electric 308 Building. About ten minutes after we got everything set up, the rain started and we had to make a double-time effort to move it all to the main lobby on the first floor. We served the pork tacos with a redeye gravy mayo and the chicken tacos with a tomatillo salsa verde. We also gave the party-goers the options of pickled onions, pickled radishes, chopped cilantro and lime.

The food was a big hit and everything went beautifully with Kitty's red wine sangria. And best of all...I got to hit the kitchen with the hottest new pros in the Jackson culinary scene. Perfect.