Tasting Event Pairs Aspiring Chefs with Industry Mentors

Cheers to PEARLS Who Cook flyer. Photo submitted.

PEARLS for Teen Girls is partnering with several local chefs for a unique twist on the traditional pairing dinner—one that brings together industry veterans and young women interested in the culinary arts.

The experience aims to inspire teen girls while offering them first-hand insight into the triumphs and challenges of working in a commercial kitchen.

The initiative will culminate in a Jan. 23, tasting event, Cheers to PEARLS Who Cook, which will be held at Kinship Cafe, 2153 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

“The goal was to organize something a little different,” said Caitlin Cullen, PEARLS board member and director of Kinship Community Food Center. “There’s a bunch of young women in the PEARLS program who are really interested in culinary arts. It’s one thing to watch Food Network, but to be in an actual commercial kitchen, there’s a different vibe to it.”

Participating chefs include Josh Mendiola of Sanford, Micaela Erickson and Joe Sutter of Radish, Shania Hutchins of Kinship Cafe and Tomira White of Delicious Bites.

The process began with a meet-and-greet in mid-January, where teams got acquainted and began to brainstorm menu ideas. For some, like Hutchins and her partner Zuri, the connection was immediate.

“They are both wild-childs, and they both love comfort food” Cullen said, noting that the pair arrived with complimentary hairstyles — Hutchins in a flowing, cherry-red wig and Zuri with long, hot-pink braids.

The colors turned out to be an influence for their dish, a magenta-hued spinach artichoke crostini dyed with beet-pickled red onions. “They’re going very whimsical and romantic — their plates are even heart-shaped,” Cullen added. “They’re really here for the whole experience.”

The Radish team, paired with sisters Cyraiah and Cristiae, is approaching the project with a much different flavor profile, but with an equal level of enthusiasm. Inspired by the girls’ favorite foods—soup dumplings and sushi—the group will create “Icy Girl Dumplings” stuffed with winter veggies and shrimp.

The “super hands-on” sisters spent several hours at the cafe on Wednesday, forming dumplings alongside Erickson and Sutter, according to Cullen, who added that the whole family is in on the fun. “Mom and Dad are involved, their little sister was there — it was a real vibe.”

Mendiola and his partner, Ava, will present a South Asian-style meatball flavored with lots of herbs and lesser-known vegetables such as chayote. A complex and deeply-flavorful broth, days in the making, will accompany the one-bite dish.

Due to a last-minute substitution, White won’t meet her partner until the day of the event, but plans to make up for lost time by involving the young chef in plating and presentation.

During Thursday’s event, each chef team will have its own table where guests can walk up and grab an appetizer-sized portion of their collaborative dishes.

The free event is a riff on Cheers to Hospitality, a ticketed tasting experience typically held in the fall. Cullen said the PEARLS version will focus more on socializing, offering space to mingle, as well as couches and tables where guests can sit and eat.

“This is just a chance to expand our community, and a way for people to get to know PEARLS a little better,” she said. “Maybe you’ve heard of us, maybe you just really like food.”

Either way, she’s excited for the opportunity to introduce more people to PEARLS, calling the organization “a really essential part of Milwaukee’s nonprofit scene.”

Founded in 1993, PEARLS strives to empower young women and gender-expansive youth through self-development tools, guidance and support, according to its website.

“It’s been almost 35 years that this organization has been going,” Cullen said. “And it shows no signs of stopping.

The tasting event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To RSVP, or to donate, visit the event website.

Photos

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