Most homes have a china cabinet that is filled with delicate pieces that are only used for special occasions. Casually referred to as “the good plates,” these pieces are usually picked out with love and a desire to eventually host a fine meal with cloth napkins.
For a few lucky ones, that elegant meal will have the power to heal.
On April 18, Lucy Milliano’s china cabinet was completely bare. Each piece from her collection, as well as her friend Karen Petter’s, was tenderly arranged to serve 20 guests and raise money at Paducah’s first Feast for St. Nick Dinner.
The Feast was an event where 11 Paducah homes served a fine dinner to friends and neighbors to benefit the St. Nicholas Family Clinic. The clinic, located at 1901 Kentucky Ave., strives to provide health care to working individuals and families who are without medical insurance or financial resources necessary to pay for private insurance and/or medical care.
According to executive director Anita Wyatt, in 2008, the clinic counted 5,320 visits and treated 1,914 patients.
Initially Milliano was apprehensive about preparing a meal for 20 people.
“At first I was worried like, ‘Can I do it?’” she said.
But she was encouraged by her friend Petter, who promised to host the event with her.
“I’m always up for a party,” Petter said.
Then when Milliano was told the main entrees would be prepared for them by Pam Edwards, member of the Feast for St. Nick Planning Committee, she was happy to open her home.
“I think it is a great cause, and I knew we could get people who would support it,” she said. “It is a place that does wonderful work for the community.”
Edwards spent three days preparing enough food to feed 150 people. She said several considered having the dinners catered, but Edwards, who volunteers her culinary expertise at her church and St. Mary events, was confident that they could handle the task.
“We can do this,” she said. “We just have to choose things that are very simple and easy for people to do.”
The homes had their choice of menu options. First they chose between Caesar or summer salad. The summer salad included strawberries, mandarin oranges, blue cheese and candied pecans. The response from the tasting the month before was so overwhelming that almost every house chose summer salad.
“It was so good and so different,” Edwards said.
Then the homes had a choice of pork tenderloin or lasagna.
Edwards took a different approach when preparing the lasagna. The homes were given a choice of meat, or spinach and prosciutto. Then, instead of layering one large dish, Edwards took the individual noodles and rolled them up with filling inside. Then she filled the pan with the individual servings of lasagna.
“We could fit nine to 12 servings in each pan, and we baked 10 pans,” Edwards said.
The pork tenderloin was marinated in a savory concoction — created by a legendary Paducah chef — composed of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and onion.
“The pork was a Curtis Grace recipe,” Edwards said.
So the hostesses’ main responsibility was to mingle with guests, provide wine and prepare an appetizer.
The Milliano house whetted their guests’ appetite with roasted shrimp, a cheese assortment and bruschetta.
Milliano and Petter also made sure there was a selection of both white and red wines to complement the pork.
“Because you don’t want to limit your guests,” Petter said.
Petter said when they started putting together each other’s linens and china pieces, there was a harmony.
“With the chairs and the colors everything just worked,” she said.
Milliano said she was most impressed with the benefit’s organizers for their ease and organization.
“We didn’t have to provide much. They made it easy to have this in your home.”
Edwards said the St. Nick planning committee hoped to double the number of homes next year, and already the response had been huge.
“We already have five more homes asking to sign up for next year,” she said.
The dinner was a huge success, bringing in $16,000 for the clinic.