Bon appétit - Chef's Table ready to flaunt young chefs

Chef’s Table return for its 12 season on Friday, featuring new menus and new students of The Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College.

Starring culinary arts interns and senior sous-chef students, the program involves the professional chef students completing their first-year internships as they deliver first-class cuisine, service and entertainment to Flathead Valley patrons and visitors to the valley.

Patrons who attend Chef’s Table enjoy light hors d’oeuvres followed by a three-course dinner that varies each week. The meals are comprised of an appetizer, sorbet, main course and a featured dessert accompanied by homemade cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries. The students are responsible for the entire presentation, including the food and beverage preparation, plating and service.

This season, the program will introduce two new international dinners.

On Oct. 24, the students will present “Taste of Asia,” featuring savory slaw with citrus, ginger and mustard; chicken and shrimp eggrolls and lime noodles with vegetables, basil and sesame; teriyaki chicken, hoisin-glazed pork, sweet-and-sour chicken kabobs, shrimp tempura with basil, rainbow roll and egg drop soup; and coconut cheesecake with passion fruit sauce and tropical fruit chutney.

On Nov. 21, guests will experience “Taste of France,” featuring wild mushroom quiche; French onion soup; tournedos Rossini with filet mignon, foie gras and black truffles with sauce madère and bouquetière of vegetables; and crêpes Suzette with tangerine ice cream.

Patrons are invited inside the 3,224-square-foot instructional kitchen in the college’s Arts and Technology Building where dinner is served. During the event, world-trained Executive Chef Howard Karp serves as the evening’s emcee, introducing each course and how it is prepared. At the program’s conclusion, the students introduce themselves and identify their roles of the evening.

Chef’s Table will take place every Friday night throughout the fall semester, excluding Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and Nov. 28. Tickets start at $42 per person. The Dec. 12 wine-maker dinner will include wine pairings with each course and an additional amuse-bouche and cheese course. Menus can be viewed online at www.fvcc.edu/chefstable.

Reservations are required, and tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.fvcc.edu/chefstable or by calling 756-3632.