Public invited to sample the culinary arts at ‘Breakfast on the Veranda’

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

When one thinks of the fine arts, one typically thinks of things like painting and sculpting, or perhaps music and poetry.

Stewart Dalton wants to remind people that preparing food, at its best, can be an art form as well.

“Art is a celebration of the senses, and taste is definitely one of the senses,” he said.

Dalton is a culinary artist, and folks can get a sampling of his work next Saturday morning, June 30, when the Charles City Art Center hosts “Breakfast on the Veranda.”

Dalton will be offering culinary delights in two sittings, the first from 8:30-9:30 a.m., and the second from 10-11 a.m.

“I hope people get a good breakfast and hope they can enjoy the art center’s veranda,” said Dalton, who admitted that what the art center has is actually more of a patio, but they’re calling it a veranda that morning. In the case of bad weather, breakfast will be moved inside.

Dalton did this once before, about four years ago.

On the menu will be a couple of different kinds of quiches, including a vegetarian quiche and a broccoli-cheddar-ham quiche. Dalton will also prepare a baked dish that doesn’t have a name, but it’s a recipe passed down from his mother. The dish contains an egg and cream mix, laid over bread and soaked overnight, then baked with ham, cheese and seasonings.

Dalton’s cooking partner will be Lenny Weisenberger, a retired cook from New York, who Dalton said makes a really good omelet.

Sides will include American fries and a plate of fresh fruit, as well as some of Dalton’s sweet bread. There will also be coffee, tea and an assortment of beverages.

Cost is $15 per ticket, and hungry patrons of the arts can call the arts center for reservations at 228-6284, or make reservations on the CCAC’s Facebook Page. All proceeds after expenses will go to the arts center.

Dalton has served as both chairman and vice-chairman of the CCAC, and has lived in Charles City for 26 years.

“This is home for me,” he said.

Dalton is originally from Wisconsin, and attended grade school and high school at various places throughout the Upper Midwest, including Mount Pleasant and Newton, Iowa. His interest in the culinary arts stems from his childhood, when he was surrounded by good food.

“I come from a family of good cooks,” he said. “They weren’t professionals, but family reunions were culinary feasts.”

While working on getting a psychology degree at Northern Illinois University, Dalton found that he was also working in restaurants to pay for it.

“I kind of decided that I was making more money cooking than I would with an undergraduate degree in psychology,” he said.

So he dropped out and enrolled in the culinary arts at tech school in Madison, Wisonsin He learned the finer details of gourmet cooking from Robert Hearst, a highly-regarded chef and restauranteur, then Dalton worked in a number of upscale supper clubs in Wisconsin and Illinois.

He married and had two children. He managed a couple chain restaurants, then worked at Sara Lee. A daughter with special needs prompted a career change, and Dalton went into social work.  He still does a lot of catering for local non-profits.

Although he will be making breakfast food for the event on the 30th, Dalton said his favorite things to cook are soups and chills. He does a lot of baking as well, and sells his baked goods at the local farmer’s market.