Multicultural Center’s ‘Taste of Culture’ offers a worldwide trip for the tastebuds

On the Cover: Chef Gunter Kilian of DiamondJacks Casino & Resort Cover photo by Lora Fairchild

Bringing together many ethnicities represented in northwest Louisiana for an evening of food and live entertainment, the Multicultural Center of the South’s eighth annual “Taste of Culture” fundraiser will be from 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 at DiamondJacks Casino and Resort in Bossier City.

The event will feature an exciting tapestry of foods presented by participating restaurants and local cooks of many descents including Chinese, Greek, Lebanese, Indian, Mexican, Italian, African, Malaysian, Philippine, Korean, Turkish, Scottish, Creole and more.

A highlight this year will be German delicacies of the Black Forest prepared by DiamondJacks’ Chef Gunter Kilian.

Kilian was born in Germany and has traveled the world as a chef, working in Baden, Berlin, Island Sylt and on two cruise ships, as well as with well-known restaurants and resorts in the United States. He has also catered parties for Queen Elizabeth in King Hussein’s Palace, former French President Giscard d’Estaing, Jimmy Carter and Charlton Heston.

“I am especially excited and honored to be chosen as the featured chef at this event,” he said. “I enjoy sharing the foods of my homeland and my most prized dishes such as Black Forest Flammenkuchen and Käsespätzle.”

Flammenkuchen is translated to “flaming cake,” and Käsespätzle is a type of gourmet cheese and macaroni casserole, Kilian said.

“Flammenkuchen is kind of a pizza style, with black forest ham, onions, Swiss cheese, bacon and ‘crème fraîche,’ all baked in a very hot oven until the dough is crispy,” he said. “Käsespätzle is an appetizer dish; it’s little dumplings with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese.”

Kilian said there is some local appreciation for German food thanks to Barksdale Air Force Base.

“There’s not a big German population here, but there’s a lot of military families and people locally who were stationed in Germany, and they learned to love the German foods. This event is a great idea and a wonderful chance to bring all these multicultural people together,” he said.

Contributor Lynn Mandina is Sicilian and a member of the Sons of Italy Heritage Club and will bring classic meatballs and sauce with a savory mix of onion, garlic, tomato, sweet basil, Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, along with a separate light dish of prosciutto wrapped around cantaloupe or honeydew melon.

“We’re trying to bring back some Italian presence here,” she said. “Italians aren’t as well-known locally because many who came here and settled long ago were in the food business as farmers, butchers and grocers, but those folks have passed on and a lot of their kids have become married and left town or become professionals in other fields because they wanted a better life, and that was sort of the point anyway when their parents came to America. But the club still meets at Cascio’s Market Bistro in Bossier City every second Tuesday of the month, and we go on outings to the racetrack and do charitable events.”

Patricia Kim, a member of the MCS board of directors, will bring Korean Japchae, a flavorful glass noodle dish with beef and chicken, and Kimbap, a type of almost-sushi with strips of carrot, radish and crabmeat, rolled into rice and seaweed.

“We’ve cooked these dishes for many years in my family,” Kim said. “A lot of Koreans locally gather at the three different Korean churches in town; Baptist, Presbyterian and Nazarene, where they tend to cook every Sunday for the congregations. Many Korean wives married GI’s and are affiliated with the military base here.

“Koreans are a very supportive group and eager to assist, but they’re also hard workers in business so it’s hard to get away, and that’s why it sometimes seems some of the other cultures locally are more active. There’s a shyness, and the language barriers can be challenging. The community is really supportive, though, and the Taste of Culture event is a great place for education and to experience the different types of food Koreans and other cultures offer.”

Loreta Leavitt comes from a Filipino heritage and is the current president of the MCS. She’ll bring palabok, a dish made with minced pork, rice noodles, atsuete, garlic and lemon, and covered in a thick, orange, shrimp-flavored sauce that is simmered for several hours.

Leavitt agrees that the military presence here contributes greatly to the diversity of cultures in this region.

“There’s a growing population of Filipinos here because of Barksdale,” she said. “And the MCS is a wonderful venue for educating people locally about all of the different cultures. Most people don’t know it, but this is only one of four centers like this in the country. We have a lot of wonderful programs in the community.”

Live entertainment at the event will include dance and performances by the participating local cultural organizations with Tom Pace and KSLA-TV’s Charisse Gibson acting as emcees for the evening’s silent auction.

Located in the heart of downtown Shreveport, the MCS was established in 1999 to educate the public about the diversity and history of Shreveport- Bossier, northwest Louisiana and the South. Two floors of cultural exhibits, musical programs, artistic endeavors and demonstrations help visitors learn about the practices and traditions brought to this country by Jewish, Hispanic, Native American, Irish, Cajun, African- American, Middle East, German, East Indian, Greek, Asian, Creole, Scottish and Slavic immigrants, past and present.

The Taste of Culture supports the yearround educational programs of the MCS, the only center of its kind in Louisiana and only one of a few in the nation. Their Teen Council program provides a platform for local teens to voice their ideas and opinions on diversity, develop leadership skills and make their mark on the community through organized community projects. The Multicultural Children’s Early Childhood Education Academy builds fundamental literacy and learning skills through interactive cultural diversity activities. Thousands of students participate in these programs each year.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets ($50 each), go to the website, www.mccsouth.org, or call 424-1380.