Soup’s on for the kids at annual fundraiser

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This article was published 16/03/2019 (2756 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If someone had told me when I was growing up that my professional life would involve stuffing my face with free food, I probably would have laughed in disbelief.

Then, I would have fallen on my knees in gratitude, which is what I’ll be doing this morning at The Forks when I once again join a panel of “expert judges” for the Great Manitoba Food Fight.

This will mark (prepare to be impressed) the 11th consecutive year I have been on the judging panel for this early spring food fight, wherein teams of budding food scientists and nutritionists from the University of Manitoba duke it out to see who has created the tastiest and most marketable new food product.

I have no idea what happened, because I am writing these words on Thursday morning, but I can tell you what happened Wednesday afternoon, when I had the honour of stuffing my face for free as one of the judges at the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba’s seventh annual Stone Soup fundraiser.

I don’t wish to brag, but at this delicious event in the lobby of Manitoba Hydro Place, I accomplished something that will probably earn me several major journalism awards — I powered through 10 bowls of soup in a single sitting.

I did not do this alone, fortunately.

Joining me on the panel were former NDP MP and MLA Judy Wasylycia-Leis, Winnipeg Goldeyes star outfielder Josh Romanski and my good buddy, the comedian Big Daddy Tazz, who also served as the MC.

The original idea was for us each to sample a handful of soups and then compare notes, but Judge Judy quickly shot down that notion, declaring: “No way! I want to eat all 10! Full portions!”

So that’s what we did.

The way it worked was volunteers would waddle over to our table laden down with bowls of soup and baskets of bread, and then we judges would slurp away and make insightful judging remarks.

For example, when my pal Tazz noticed that Romanski, the American Association’s MVP in 2017, was accompanied by the Goldeyes’ fuzzy yellow mascot Goldie, he loudly chirped: “If anyone finds a yellow hair in their soup, blame Goldie!”

This year’s fundraising soup scrap featured top-flight chefs from six city restaurants, Red River College’s culinary program, John G. Stewart School, Aurora Farm and 17 Wing.

When we were not wiping soup stains from our faces and shirts, we judges quizzed each other about our personal relationships with soup, as you can see from this conversation I had with Wasylycia-Leis, whose last name, according to Tazz, is worth 12,000 points in a game of Scrabble.

Me: “Judy, what kind of soup do you make?”

Judy: “I make a blueberry soup with wild blueberries, and I love to make Zoupa, an Italian soup with the spiciest sausage I can find. That goes in the Crock-Pot with potatoes and chicken stock and, at the end, lots of cream and kale. You have to have lots of kale. What kind of soup do you make, Doug?”

Me: “Campbell’s.”

Judy: “Sigh.”

At one point, we were served one called the Soup of Tomorrow, which prompted me to observe: “Hey, look, we’re having the Soup of Tomorrow TODAY!”

Judy snickered and replied: “That sounds like a political slogan. I think I campaigned on that in the last election.”

Do not get me wrong, however. We judges could not have been more serious about judging all the entries, many of which were served with nifty appetizers, such as teeny-tiny grilled-cheese sandwiches, which definitely should be the next big culinary trend.

I could wax poetic about each and every soup, but allow me to mention that all the guy judges on the panel fell in love with the Smoked Brisket Black Bean and Sosken Stout entry from Brazen Hall Kitchen & Brewery on Pembina Highway.

It was a spicy, smoky barbecue in a bowl made from a brisket they smoked for 16 hours outside the restaurant and featured their signature house-made stout.

“I thought the brisket was phenomenal!” gushed Judge Josh between slurps.

“I gave it my first five (top marks). I’m a huge meat guy. I love barbecue!”

Chimed in Tazz: “I wish I’d brought some Tupperware. Next year, we’re bringing takeout containers.”

That concoction earned Brazen Hall’s team of Stefan Kristjansson, front-of-house manager, and chef Ryan Cruz the coveted silver ladle for top judges’ selection.

“We’re feeling fantastic,” Stefan chirped.

“It’s not on our menu yet. It was special for this event. We were confident. The definition of brazen is confident and bold.”

Added Ryan: “We wanted to highlight our barbecue. It’s great when you see people’s faces light up when they try your soup. We like to put our winners on the menu.”

The People’s Choice Award — which earned another ladle and their name engraved on the ceremonial soup pot — went to the Turkey Brie with Asparagus Soup from FrenchWay Cafe & Bakery on Lilac Street.

“This is wonderful!” chef Ashley Hebel beamed, hoisting the engraved silver ladle.

“We try to cook as much as we can from fresh. We cook for the people and when they tell you to your face that your food is good, it’s a real mood booster.”

The best thing of all was that the soup battle raised cash and awareness for the nutrition council, which provides funding for breakfast, lunch and snack programs that serve more than 29,000 children and youths in 259 schools throughout Manitoba.

Here’s a number that should raise your eyebrows: last year alone, the council, founded in 2001, funded an astonishing 4.5 million meals and snacks for kids in Manitoba schools.

Organizer Viola Prowse, past executive director of the nutrition council and current board member, said it is hoping to raise at least $20,000 from the soup throwdown. Every cent is vital, she said, because kids can’t focus on education when they’re worried about being hungry.

“People don’t realize how big the need is,” Prowse told me as I wiped a soup stain from my shirt.

“We provide only 11 per cent of what schools require to run nutrition programs. There’s still a lot of funds they have to raise.

“Every year, the demand increases. Every year, we have more applications. There’s a tremendous need in the north and the remote communities. It’s difficult for them to have access to fresh foods.”

What I’m trying to say is put down your spoon, kids, and go to childnutritioncouncil.com right now and click on donate. Then join me in a big bowl of soup, because there’s room for all of us in there.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca