Night in Old Spain

On the evening of November 6, 2007 a threshold event was undertaken by the committee of the Philip A. Mahl Memorial Kitchen as a beta test to examine the validity, talent and dedication of the committee and the feasibility of the ambitious project that the committee had undertaken. The facial objective was to organize a cultural and culinary event at a level of authenticity and presentation rarely attempted by even the best equipped and qualified. Here in Del Rio Texas we expected a miracle.

The occasion was conceived as a trial event to acquaint an influential segment of the Del Rio Community of the goals, aspirations, needs and objective of the Committee’s project. Some of our invited guests were already major contributors and some had never heard of our committee and our goals. The theme chosen by the committee was “a night in old Spain” with the cultural element to be framed by a culinary exploration of the table of Spain. As the menu developed, classical and modern elements were introduced to demonstrate to the participants the full gamut of the Spanish culinary palette.

The committee, a subcommittee of the Del Rio Council for the Arts, composed of Danielle Hill, Diane Hernandez, Jennifer Ramage, Shannalea Taylor, Rosario (Bibi) Valdez, Ralph Howard and Jeff and Mona Mahl spent weeks planning the event and testing the various dishes, presentation and culinary elements. Also instrumental was the irreplaceable assistance of a long list of volunteers, including Rita Daniels, Council for the Arts Board President, Krystle Moore, Adrian and Sylvia Rubio, Romelia Rubio, Olga Magana, Dolores Valdez, Dr. Steve Torre, and Alicia Nava who assisted in the planning, execution and final cleanup of the event. Bridgett Fleming volunteered to photograph the event. Also of notable mention was the assistance of Mr. Polo Del Rio, managing director of the Del Rio Ramada Inn who provided the tables and chairs and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Flores of the Herald Restaurant who provided the plates and a long list of other essential equipment. Lastly, the crews of the City of Del Rio who worked diligently to get the banquet hall ready for the event.

The event was held in the former sleeping loft of the original 1922 firehouse of the Del Rio Fire Department, with final food preparation performed in the downstairs space planned for the Memorial Kitchen and the upstairs classroom. Only in the last moments prior to the appointed hour did the room seem to come together. The walls were repainted, the powder room completely redone, the magnificent Howard Family Grand Piano with its lid propped up in the corner, the table set with burnished linen, crystal, porcelain, tapers and candelabras lit.

Fortuitously, in the early planning stages of the event, it became clear to the committee that one of the Del Rio Council for the Arts’ sponsored events, as part of the Firehouse Fantastics theater presentations was the performance by Flamenco Vivo de Carlota Santana with the theater presentation scheduled for November 7, 2007.

An inquiry with the group’s management confirmed that Madam Santana could provide a short, informal class as an introduction to Flamenco and that she had no objection in integrating the Flamenco class into the committee’s planned dinner.

An invitation was extended to six members of the Flamenco Vivo Dance Company to join us for dinner as a real test of our sazon and to allow our guests to interact with the artists and the artists to enjoy some food from home.

The miracle of the event is that dinner was prepared for 48 guests without a kitchen, without a dining room and without a trained staff. The miracle is that somehow it worked.
When the guests arrived, they were greeted at the head of the stairs by committee member Mrs. Rosario (Bibi) Valdez, the wife of Del Rio Mayor Efrain V. Valdez who offered the arrivals flutes of cava (Spanish Bubbly) with hibiscus blossoms.

Once in the dining room, the guests encountered the tapas table with the large Jara of Sangria served by Krystle Moore, (below, left)

   

A display of typical Spanish ingredients and products including books on Spanish cooking and a Torta de Santiago. (above, right)

The pièce de résistance was the whole Serrano Ham on its stand carved to order by Ralph Howard, and the wheels of aged Manchego and Garrotxa cheese, accompanied by Spanish olives, caperberries, and country bread.

When the class was concluded, the guests were seated and dinner service began.
The wines selected for the meal was a white Marques de Caceres 2006 from the province of Rioja for the seafood course and a red 2003 Condesa de Leganza Crianza from the province of La Mancha for the meat course.

Committee member Mrs. Eileen Doctor (pictured below on right) prepared the four-star seafood paella and the made from scratch fruit sorbet. Ms. Doctor had prior professional catering practice behind her, and it showed.
Diane Hernandez  prepared the Jara of Sangria, the Gazpacho and aioli. No one should be surprised that each of her elements was on the mark since Diane is a recipient of the Grand Diplome le Cordon Bleu, London and had interned at the venerable Union Café, London. Diane currently oversees food service for the San Felipe Independent Consolidated School District. The meat course, was a stew of pork and red peppers with lemon, cumin, garlic, and pimenton de la vera accompanied with couscous. The dish is modern variation based on traditional Iberian ingredients and combinations. Jeff and Mona Mahl, the parents of Philip, who never cooked professionally but have been amateur cooking enthusiasts for many years, prepared the dish. The Mahls also prepared the lemon mousse with pomegranate seeds.

Dinner was concluded with the lemon mousse, (Served by Volunteer Romelia Rubio)

Slices of Torta de Santiago, coffee ole, Spanish Brandy and luscious, sweet, Pedro Ximenes Sherry. The dessert table was decorated with plates of Spanish Almond Turron candy, Quince gel preserve (membrio) and marzipan sweets.

In all, a spectacular event and hopefully only the first of a long tradition of classes, community, cooking, eating and development of a unique cultural and artistic laboratory for the community of Del Rio.

Photos of some of the guests who shared the evening with us.



Mrs. Byron Hodge and Francisco Orozco YiYi (Singer and Percussionist)
Mr. Byron Hodge and Judge Tom Lee in the background (above, left)
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Plyer (above, right)

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Flores (above)
Mr. and Mrs. John Pendergrass (left)