While Escondido Golf and Lake Club (Horseshoe Bay, Texas) hosts regular appreciation dinners for its 350 member families, one menu stood out among the rest. At the Dine Around the World Member Appreciation Dinner, the club’s J-1 students were invited to present a dish from their home countries, with preparation and plating guidance from Executive Chef Jarrett “JC” Brown and Executive Sous Chef Erik Poffinbarger.
The goal was twofold: to better familiarize members with the J-1 team and to expand members’ culinary palates.
Escondido Golf and Lake Club has about 12 J-1 students across the front- and back-of-house, from countries including India, the Philippines, Jamaica and Kenya. Planning the dishes took about two weeks, which was enough time to refine the menu and source specialty items from online shopping platforms.
From Kenya, students prepared a pilau with assorted spreads and chutneys, served with fried carrot chips. From India, they prepared chicken kofta curry with garlic naan. Students from the Philippines served chicken adobo and sinigang, a pork belly soup. And from Jamaica, for dessert, students prepared a Jamaican rum-soaked fruit cake with hibiscus sorbet.
“The amount of pride that went into [their dishes]—it was really special,” says Poffinbarger.
“Even the decor,” adds Brown—”everyone brought a piece of memorabilia from their home—flags, textiles. Our young Jamaican future pastry chef didn’t have a flag, so he decorated the top of his fruit cake to represent Jamaica. It was truly impressive. We were very proud of the entire squad.”
Not only did members love the food and the opportunity to interact with the students, the process also created a sense of community among the team, both front- and back-of-house.
“It was great for team morale,” says Poffinbarger. “A lot of [the J-1s] are in the same household within employee housing, and you saw a different look to them the following day. They really came together.”
At members’ request, going forward, the club will host a Dine Around the World twice a year. The next will take place in July, with a new set of J-1s from different countries and cultures.
“It’s part of the tragedy and the beauty of it,” says Brown. “You hate to lose great individuals, but their progression and growth is part of the process.”
