Aiken High School culinary students to prepare benefit dinner at Houndslake

For the second straight year, Houndslake Country Club will hold a benefit dinner later this month for the Aiken High culinary arts program, and the students will do most of the work.

That's by design, of course. The high school students of Jean Gorthy will get some valuable work experience at the Aiken High Celebrity Chef night Sunday, Jan. 23. Houndslake will donate half of the proceeds to the school program.

"It has been a pleasure to work with the students," said Houndslake General Manager Jeff Howell. "They do this celebration nearly all by themselves."

The dinner raised nearly $1,000 for the culinary arts program last year, and Howell is hopeful the event will double that or more in 2011.

"It has been amazing to get this financial support in these tough economic times," said Gorthy. "You can't put a price on the experiences this has given these kids. Jeff has such a huge heart."

Dinner will be served at the club Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, and $25 from each ticket will go the culinary arts program. The event is open to the public. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and Cisco Food Services are partnering with Houndslake for the event.

The menu will include a seafood-stuffed chicken breast, Carolina rice pilau, asparagus bundle salad with citrus vinaigrette dressing, chocolate box dessert and, as an appetizer, "Kiss my Grits."

Sophomores Dion Cook and Tom Diehl came up with the name, Gorthy said with a laugh. It's shrimp and grits with a shrimp kiss garnish.

She is grateful for the previous culinary opportunities provided by Westside Bowery owner Sam Erb and Carla Cloud, director of the Aiken Downtown Development Association. Through those activities, Howell learned about Gorthy's program and wanted to get involved. Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt and Aiken High Principal Garen Cofer have been supportive throughout the process, Howell and Gorthy said.

"Jean does so much with what she has to work with at school," Howell said. "This gives them a chance to come to our kitchen and use our oven, convection oven, grills and pizza-maker. We had about 70 people last year and would like to get 100 this year."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.

Want to come?

* Event: Aiken High Celebrity Chef Night, in which school's culinary arts students will prepare a five-course meal.

* Location and date: Houndslake Country Club Sunday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.

* Sponsors: Houndslake is hosting the benefit event in conjunction with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and Cisco Food Services.

* Admission and proceeds: The meal is $50 per person. Of that amount, $25 is tax-deductible and will be donated to the culinary arts program.

* Reservations: The dinner is open to the public. To obtain reservations, call Megan at 648-6805. There is no deadline and if capacity is reached, the club will start a waiting list.