I am just getting started with doing a few follow up items for yesterday's Taste Of Dutch. I have posted what few pictures I have on a new picasa web site I created for IDOS events... http://picasaweb.google.com/IDOSStormMtn/2008TasteOfDutch. I am going to start placing my IDOS events images here and keep the Storm Mountain Chapter events in the Storm Mountain chapter gallery because of storage limitation. And, I might be helping another chapter or two do something similar... and we can all link our sites together to share with the world. Wouldn't that be cool?
I am hoping that Jack, Dian, Mark, and any other's that took pictures will send them to me to add to this photo album. I have far too few images for such an amazing event.
Mark Hanson did an awesome job of summing up his thoughts of the event on his Black Pot blog site: http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/2008/04/another-big-dutch-oven-day.html. I really appreciate Mark's time and dedication of documenting his Dutch Oven cooking experience over the last year. His comments on the event are well written and impressive. He does go a little overboard with sucking up to me so much... but I don't mind the flattery. =0)I want to thank everyone that showed up to cook. I have to openly apologize to the Taste of Dutch cooks by saying I'm sorry I didn't get too many chances to visit your booth and thank you personally. I tried to tackle too much by stating I would cook the Rhodes bread all day long, and my jambalaya at lunch. I know most of you old pro's could have cooked circles around me... and most of you did! I know it is a lame excuse, but I got in over my head with cooking so much bread. It was a stress that I brought on myself and I know it showed. Mark Hanson REALLY saved my butt by helping cook and serve all that bread. And my two boys were simply amazing with how much they helped. It really bothers me that I didn't make more time to spend with all of you. I have pictures of a few of you.. .and I don't even know your names to associate with the pictures.
It does help to read the comments of Omar on the Yahoo groups forum and Mark on his blog site. Both said they were so busy they didn't even get to eat their own food. That's my point exactly. I got so busy with cooking and serving and talking about the chapter... that I neglected to get to know the cooks and thank them properly for helping me out. It is my loss.
Okay... enough with the apologies.
I am very impressed with the amount of labor Randy put into setting up over the weekend. He didn't seem to slow down at all. He bought every thing needed for our hand washing stations, dish cleaning stations, sanitizing buckets, all the charcoal, the charcoal drums and fire stick, the burners and pots for water... etc, etc. Thanks Randy!
And... thanks to Ted, Phil, and anyone else who helped keep all that hot water hot... all those coals lit... and everything else you did to help with the taste of Dutch. I know you guys were busy with the cook-off... and you still made the time to help us. I simply could not have done it all by myself. Thanks!
Okay.. .enough sucking up and being all mushy. Bottom line, I had a great time this weekend and it's because of so many great people that helped in so many ways. I truly hope it was a rewarding and memorable experience for all of you. And I hope most of you will join us at next year's Spring Convention.
Thanks,
Ranes
