49
Diners and donors
Celebrate food and friends while
supporting a good cause
by
H
• 1
ero n
1
- an you possibly
think of a better
way to spend an
j evening? Dinner at
My House for Our
House invites you to enjoy fine
dining in fabulous settings, have
tun and meet fascinating people,
all while making a contribution
to AIDS patients’ care.
The unique fund-raiser is in
its ninth year. Area chefs again
are offering their services to pre
pare and serve exquisite meals,
many in their own homes. The
hosts pay for all of the costs
involved with their dinner par
ties and donate all of the pro
ceeds raised to Our House.
Development director Lisa Logie reports
generating about $51,000 from last year’s fund
raiser. That represents 6 percent of the organi
zation’s annual budget. This year it hopes to
reach $60,000.
Our House was founded in 1988 to serve as
a hospice for AIDS patients. Since that time it
has become a 12-bed residential care facility
with 24-hour medical services. Located in
Southeast Portland, it has served 370 men and
women, providing specialized care for those in
advanced stages of the disease.
Logie explains why Our House is no longer
a hospice. “Back in the mid-’90s we averaged a
death a week," she recalls. “Now people with
A ID S live longer due to the improved medica
tions available. Some people come here to get
meds regularly. Some come for gtxxl nutrition.
Some come to learn new life skills, then they
return to the community. Still, 53 percent of
people with A ID S do not respond to the new
drugs or find the drugs too toxic. So they live
out their remaining days at Our House.”
A lot of other things have changed since
the ’90s. “People used to come to us in their
20s and 30s,” Logie notes. “Now we see people
in their 40s. Also, 25 percent of our clients are
women.”
Everyone at the organization is grateful for
the generosity of the many people involved
with Dinner at My House for Our House.
Caprial Pence, famed chef and owner of Capri-
al’s Bistro and Wine, and her husband, John,
are in their third year as co-chairs of the event.
They, like everyone involved, are donating
m
Pat Jeung loves to entertain in the garden of his home
learned to cook and clean. There was no
their time and talent. All of the money raised
allowance without getting your chores done.
goes directly to patient care.
Dad is a perfectionist. He cooked, too, and we
The planning committee has put together a
often cooked for guests. The atmosphere
colorful Hx)klet to advertise the event and to
was very disciplined, very
explain how it works. Lucky diners can
£® l , t ^
old-fashioned.”
chixise from among 46 meals offered from
Sept. 22 through Feb. 16, 2002.
The sheer variety of choices is a chal
lenge to describe. For example, you can
spend a weekend at the beach, dine
among original artwork, eat in an Italian
garden, dine in a Mediterranean wine
gallery, indulge in a Japanese tea cere
mony or hang out at an Epicurean bar
becue. You can step hack in time to
Mel’s Diner in the ’50s, share peasant
fare in an artist’s studio, take in the
view from high atop the KOIN
Tower, hobnob with area university
presidents, participate in a tradition
al Tet celebration or he serenaded
by famed musicians.
Besides fabulous food, atmosphere and fun,
Now in his 30s,
you can rub elbows with great chefs and com
munity leaders including former Oregon Gov.
Jeung is a world traveler and a self-
taught chef. He bought Chameleon, located in
Barbara Roberts, Human Rights Campaign
founding hoard member Terry Bean or Oregon
the HollywixxJ District, five years ago.
“It had been a fast ftxxJ joint,” he explains.
ian columnist Margie Boule.
“I gutted it and invented what you see here.”
This will he the third time Pat Jeung has par
What we see is an intimate, romantic place
ticipated in the fund-raiser. The chef and owner
tor fine dining “without the stuffy attitude,” he
of Chameleon restaurant grew up in Thailand
says. “You can wear casual clothes here or come
and Laos but attended high school in Portland.
in evening dress."
He started cooking when he was just 12.
Chameleon diners enjoy a fusion of C hi
His parents believed their kids should learn to
nese, Thai and Laotian food as well as exotic
he self-sufficient.
European fare. Jeung especially loves to prepare
“We all had chores," he relates. “We all
American Sign Language
French and Italian foods.
“We have something for
everyone,” he assures, “like
rack of lamb with rosemary
and thyme or Thai spicy
peanut sauce on butternut
squash ravioli.”
He loves to experiment
with textures and flavors. “I
don’t use a recipe. I create. My
menus are always changing.”
In fact, Jeung says he has a
lot of fun when he is cooking
and inventing new dishes.
“You kind of know what makes
a gcxxJ combo after a while.”
He is especially proud of
his mixed drinks, which are
similarly multicultural. His
specialties include Spanish
coffees, lemon drops, cos
mopolitans and mai tais.
As his contribution to Din
ner at My House for Our
House, Jeung is inviting 10
lucky people to his home for an authentic taste
of Italy. He will play host to “A ‘Big Night’ at ‘La
Dolce Vita’ ” at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 for $70 a plate.
Last year he traveled to Italy and
researched old recipes for a hook he is writ
ing called Deep Roots. In it he will share his
experiences of shopping for, preparing and
serving the food; the family history of
each meal; and the recipes
themselves.
Jeung, no doubt like all of
the generous people involved
with Dinner at My House for
Our House, enjoys participating
in the event. “It’s fun,” he says,
“and it’s for a worthy cause.”
Reservations at these dinners
fill up soon, so you’ll want to
reserve your choice right away. “We
are already three-quarters sold out,”
Logie says. “We typically sell out all
the dinners.”
In addition to the 46 signature
meals, Logie encourages volunteer
hosts to participate in special “Private
Events” in which they provide a dinner
party for their friends. Each person pays a mini
mum o f $60, and all of the money is donated to
Our House. j n
For a brochure or reservations , call the
D inner
at
M y H ouse
for
O ur H ouse
hot line at 503-736-9276.
HERON is a Portland free-lance umter and artist
who'd like to attend all of the dinners
( 5 0 3 ) 2 3 2 -3 6 0 0
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