Central Christian event abundant in great taste

Sara Mullet hadn't participated in any of the four previous Taste of Central events organized by Kidron's Central Christian School. As a matter of fact, neither she nor her daughter, Sandy Mullet, who entered her White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cheesecake, had ever attended the wildly popular event, which invites dozens of local cooks to prepare their favorite dishes, offering them in small samples to the hundreds of hungry guests who attend. But that didn't stop the Mullets from creating fabulous dishes that wowed this year's crowd.

"The family argued about which dish to enter, my breadstick recipe or the Barbecue Veal Meatballs. The meatballs won," said Sara Mullet.

The moment the doors opened Friday night, Feb. 18, the gymnasium was abuzz with hundreds lining up to sample the delectable desserts and amazing appetizers prepared and served by volunteer chefs of all ages. Central Christian School's choir director, Tim Shue, stood by his wife, Jennifer, who was serving Salmon Cheddar Quiche.

"You've gotta try this Deep-Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. It's just like fair food," he raved.

The dessert, which is exactly what it sounds like but possibly even more delicious, is made by coating cookie dough with tempura batter and then frying it to a golden crisp before dusting with powdered sugar. The result is a crunchy crust surrounding a warm, gooey center.

"People were laughing because I'm a physician and they thought I would have brought something healthier. I don't know anything healthier than chocolate chip cookie dough," laughed Daryl Steiner, whose son, Ryan, is an eighth-grader at Central Christian School. Ryan, who did all of the planning and preparation for his contribution to the event, has set his sights on being a chef and participated in the event to get a feel for what it's like to cook for a crowd. When asked if they deep fry other things, Daryl Steiner chuckled, "I deep fry everything I can!"

Bessie Nussbaum has been attending the event with her daughters and granddaughters, all CCS alumni, for the past three years. Miller, Delo Gerber, Goldie Yoder, Grace Miller, and Shawna Gerber, who is a teacher at CCS, great-granddaughter Kayla Munsey and family friend Cathy Murphy enjoyed sampling all of the different foods, spending time together, and voting for their favorite dishes, which is done by purchasing tickets that are then placed in jars at each chef's table. This year, they loved Meredith Mease and Kelly Steiner's Little Balls of Heaven and the Sweet 'n Smoky Pigs-in-a-Blanket prepared by Lindsay and Sherri Lehman because they were very different from anything else. They also favored the Caramel Corn Puffs, partly because young Kayla Munsey's father, Brian, was the chef.

Kathy Schmid of Kidron, donning her mother-in-law's "Mrs. Schmid" apron, decided to be a chef at this year's event after discovering through the school's Moms in Touch group that more participants were needed. Schmid, whose daughter, Irene Schmid, is a junior at CCS, stirred a simmering pot of Schmid Family Recipe for Lighter Clam Chowder.

"It's a family favorite that keeps evolving. This version is lighter because I used skim milk, less sour cream, less butter and no bacon."

Tasters nearby agreed that Schmid's contribution was delicious.

Bill and Amy Cook traveled from Northfield Center to taste the variety of foods and enjoyed connecting with friends from the area. They, too, were big fans of the Sweet 'n Smoky Pigs-in-a-Blanket, which they described as small hot dogs with a caramel and pecan sauce.

"They were so different! Everything was great. It was well worth the drive," shared the couple.

When voting began, some raced to stuff blue tickets into the chefs' jars, while folks holding just a ticket or two tried to determine which of their favorite recipes was most vote-worthy. And rightly so. The competition was tough, and not everyone could win. Only one entry would be selected from each of three categories: appetizers, main dishes and desserts. As the tickets were counted, tasters tried to guess the outcome. Would the Ham & Sweet Potato Chowder by Terry and Kay Shue take the prize in the main dish category, or would it be the Cheesy Potatoes, both ham and non-ham varieties, by Jana and Julie Sleutz? Would the Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting by Kelsey Hilty and Emily Miller come out over Bethany Nussbaum and Kelsey Shue's Chocolate Raspberry Truffles?

And then, the winners were revealed. In the appetizer category, it was hardly a surprise that Lindsay Lehman's popular piggies prevailed.

Lehman, a senior at CCS and another first-time participant, found the recipe in a Taste of Home magazine a couple of years ago and decided to try it. Now she prepares it regularly for family appetizer night.

"I've made it before for faculty and it was very popular, so I knew it was going to be a hit."

In the dessert category, Sandy Mullet's White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cheesecake melted the competition. And the winner in the main dish category was first-time participant Sara Mullet for her Barbecue Veal Meatballs.

"The meatballs are definitely a family favorite, but my kids are already insisting that we have to enter the breadsticks next year."

And as long as there are chefs like Lehman and the Mullets to share their prized dishes with the hungry masses, the event is sure to be a success for years to come.

Sweet 'n Smoky Pigs-in-a-Blanket

Lindsay Lehman and Sherri Lehman

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

48 (about one package) miniature smoked sausage links

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup chopped pecans

6 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons brown sugar

Unroll crescent dough and separate into triangles; cut each lengthwise into three triangles. Place a sausage on the long end and roll up tightly; set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a 12-by-8 inch baking dish. Arrange sausage rolls, seam-side down, in butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.