Sensational Summer recipes were shared as Barbara McKnight served as chef, teacher, and inspiration for Hines Interests corporate communications afternoon team-building event held at Culinaire - Inspired Cuisine & Events on August 2nd.  

"Thank you Chef Barbara McKnight for teaching us some of your secret recipes!"
​- Mark Clegg, VP - Corporate Communications, Hines Interests

CULINAIRE'S own Barbara McKnight was on the cover of the Bellaire section of the Houston Chronicle on Friday, June 1st.

"We are so grateful to you and your wonderful team for helping us reach this exciting milestone. We truly appreciate the extra effort your team makes to ensure food doesn't go to waste. Your (CULINAIRE'S) generosity and community-mindedness has helped us expand our reach to 49 charity sites serving over 12,500 needy Houstonians each week. We look forward to continuing working with your team, as we rescue our next million pounds," Barbara Bronstein, Founder, Second Servings of Houston.

From the Houston Chronicle Article - Starting only three years ago, Second Servings of Houston has now rescued more than 1 million pounds of surplus food, valued at more than $6 million.

This is perfectly edible food that would have gone to waste, but is now feeding people. Food waste is a growing problem in America, with the USDA estimating that as much as 40 percent of available food gets wasted annually, costing $165 billion and damaging the environment with potent greenhouse gas emissions at landfills.

Wasted food could potentially feed up to 25 million Americans. In the U.S., one in six individuals faces food insecurity. Houston’s situation is worse, with one in five Houstonians facing food insecurity. To combat these issues, Second Servings delivers high quality, unsold and unserved food to 47 approved charity meal sites, and is Houston’s only prepared and perishable food rescue organization.

Second Servings was able to reach 1 million pounds of rescued food with the support of 175 donors, including Hilton Americas, Brothers Produce, Slow Dough Bread Company, Snap Kitchen, Culinaire, and Legacy Restaurant Group. Second Servings picks up unserved and unsold food from distributors, retailers, hotels, universities, sports venues and other regulated food businesses, and delivers it to charities within the same day. Donors partner with Second Servings to schedule surplus food rescues on a regular or occasional basis.

Read the full article here:
Houston Chronicle Second Servings Article

Click here to learn more about Second Servings of Houston

On May 23rd, Culinaire - Inspired Cuisine & Events hosted The Heritage Society at Culinaire Headquarters, a.k.a. Hofheinz House, a historical home once owned by Judge Roy Hofheinz and built for Owen Cochran in 1912. Current owner Barbara McKnight provided a guided tour of the Houston Landmark and discussed she and her husband, Lance's, purchase and renovations of the property. These renovations included the addition of a new commercial kitchen as well as, staff headquarters.

More about the Cochran-Hofheinz House - Built by O.L. Cochran in 1912.
 

• Cochran-Hofheinz House, 3900 Milam, was built in 1912 for Owen Cochran, the president of First National Bank. It was purchased in 1956 by former Houston mayor Roy Hofheinz. Hofheinz moved his offices to the house. That is where he created the Houston Sports Association and first discussed the concept of the Astrodome.

 
The Historic Society hosts a monthly program event around Houston’s historical places and Hofheinz House is the last program for their season.

To learn more about the Heritage Society:
The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park
1100 Bagby Street
Houston, Texas 77002
713-655-1912
www.heritagesociety.org
 
City of Houston Landmark Designation: 
“Headquarters of CULINAIRE Inspired Cuisine & Events”
 
Judge Roy Hofheinz also lived in another City of Houston Landmark, Cochran-Hofheinz House, located at 3900 Milam Street (aka 3918 Brandt Street) in the James Bute Addition. The Cochran-Hofheinz House, most likely constructed in 1912, may be the work of Russell Brown Company. The home was built for Owen L. Cochran, who was president of First National Bank, one of Houston’s largest banks. In 1956 the home was purchased by Roy M. Hofheinz from one of the Cochran heirs. With Robert “Bob” Smith, Hofheinz, who had moved his offices to the house at 3918 Brandt Street, now known as 3900 Milam, created the Houston Sports Association for the purpose of obtaining a major league baseball team in Houston. It was in the offices of Hofheinz on Brandt Street (3900 Milam) where the idea of a covered sports stadium was first discussed, which resulted in the eventual construction of the Astrodome.

The family-friendly event novelties and diversions included a petting zoo, henna artist, fortune teller, sitar player, and live Beatles cover band.
​

The Children’s Fund Gala

The sold out Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory themed event was held at Silver Street Studios on April 14, 2018. Culinaire Inspired Cuisine & Events was thrilled to create unique culinary bites supporting the retro and fun-filled theme.

Culinaire worked very closely with Chairs Kate Oshins and Whitney Russell to manage the catering budget for maximum impact and ROI.  The result:  a record-breaking fundraising effort for The Children's Fund.

Since 1972, The Children's Fund is a wholly volunteer organizaion that gives wings to charities that support Houston's most needy children.


When you donate, 100% of each dollar is converted into a saved life, a cured body, a full tummy, a brighter future and a healed heart. The Children’s Fund builds on Houston’s rich tradition of philanthropy by educating and encouraging its members and supporters to give in a way that significantly improves the quality of life for disadvantaged children.


The Children’s Fund charities are selected through a rigorous review process from over 80 annual requests.

Visit Children's Charity Fund to learn more or for photos of the event.

At the stunning grounds of a River Oaks estate, CULINAIRE created exquisite cuisine miniatures as envisioned by the bride, with a focus on aesthetically and culinarily inclined selections. 

CULINAIRE - Inspired Cuisine & Events, in partnership with Richards Flowers of the Events Company created the elaborate, yet highly personal wedding reception. 
​

Something for Everyone Inaugural Benefit in Three Acts - April 8, 2018
The three events pair established female stars of Houston's food and beverage industry with up-and-coming cooks, providing opportunities for the mentorship of tomorrow's culinary leadership and uniting all in the name of women's health.

I’ll Have What She’s Having invites you to a fundraising event in three acts (3 events on 1 day and location), bringing together over 50 of our best known female chefs, up-and-coming culinarians and beloved industry professionals to create an unprecedented dining experience in Houston. This trio of events aims to raise funds $1 million dollars in support of Texan healthcare. Similar to the atmosphere of the Taste of Things to Come pop-up series, Something for Everyone aspires to create an inclusive opportunity for all Houstonians to support women's health and women in the restaurant industry.

Beneficiaries
All proceeds will fund essential women’s health services at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC), Legacy Community Health, Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and The Rose. 

• Texas has more uninsured women than any other state, including many women in the restaurant industry and our own organization. These organizations serve as principle providers of affordable, high quality healthcare to uninsured people in our region. The physicians and healthcare workers at these institutions are fighting to provide care in an era of diminishing healthcare funds. We are proud to stand with them.

• IHWSH, with your help, aims to contribute funds to benefit women who cannot otherwise afford cancer screening and treatment, birth control, STD testing, perinatal care and family planning. With the near constant political threat of Medicaid cuts and “defunding” of our vital community health centers, events such as ours serve to demonstrate our city’s broad support for health care access and are a funding source of growing importance for uninsured and under-insured women of Houston.

April 8 Schedule of Events

Hosted by Lori Choi, Tracy Vaught, Gracie Cavnar and Mimi Del Grande at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire. Three acts—three opportunities to support the cause at different price points on the same day at the same location. 

4-6 pm: Amuse Bouche. A mix and mingle affair with open access to seven cocktail, beer and wine stations, with passed small bites by up-and-coming Houston culinary stars Kaitlin Steets (T Rex), Madelyn Lester (Nancy’s Hustle), Mary Cuclis (Pondicheri) and Patricia Burdette. Tickets are $99 each. Patrons may bid on silent auction items.
6:30 pm: Al Fresco. A picnic-style party with mocktails, beer and wine and picnic baskets for 2 featuring a cold picnic dinner with locally sourced ingredients crafted by Barbara McKnight (Culinaire), Janice Schindeler (Words and Food) and Claire Smith (Canopy, Alice Blue). The basket includes re-usable utensils, plates and a shopping bag. Picnic baskets for 2 are $250 and patrons may bid on silent auction items.

6 pm: Charitable Feast. Welcome reception begins at 5:30 pm, followed by a three course dinner prepared by Anita Jaisinghani (Pondicheri), Erin Smith (Feges BBQ), Jamie Zelko (Zelko Concepts), Lynette Hawkins (Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino) and Monica Pope (Sparrow Cookshop), sourced by local farmers. Sommeliers Vanessa Trevino Boyd and Monica Townsend will curate wine pairings produced by women winemakers and women-owned wineries. Live auction begins at 7:30 PM. $500 per person.

Purchase Tickets

Learn more about I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING

Barbara McKnight is proud to have hosted a meeting of the minds, at Culinaire's Hofheinz House,  with some of Houston's preeminent event professionals including;
  
Chef Barbara McKnight, Owner, Culinaire Inspired Cuisine and Events
​Boyd Bryan, Director, The Corinthian
Richard Boles, Associate Director, The Corinthian
Frank Garvey, Owner of The Corinthian and Garvey Companies 
Radikah Day, Owner and Chief Editor Weddings in Houston 
Rebekah Johnson, Founder and Owner of Bergner and Johnson Designs
Julia Abbott-Koivumaa, Founder and Chief Consultant, Valocom Marketing
Ryan Shrewsbury, Account Executive, Culinaire Inspired Cuisine and Events

 An inventive and decadent lunch was served following a signature cocktail and hors d oeuvres.


MENU
 
Lobster Bisque
 
Salad of Baby Greens
with confit baby tomatoes, seared mushrooms,
avocado, fried almonds
miso-Champagne vinaigrette
 
Angus Short Rib “Indochine”
Pinot Noir jus with lemon grass and star anise
 
Knotted Long Beans
Forbidden Rice
 
Lemon Budino
raspberry-kirsch coulis, ripe berries