Cooking Up a Gourmet Food Event

The chairmen for Food Fare ‘86, the Los Angeles Planned Parenthood Guild’s huge gourmet food event March 5 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, must be gaining tons. With panache and flamboyance, they’ve been darting here and there assembling 70 chefs, caterers, cooking teachers and retailers to participate in their cooking extravaganza, and, with those contacts, can one resist food?

Benefit co-chairs Mmes. Donald J. Alschuler and David Kelton are working with Mrs. Gordon S. Bodek, who is in charge of caterers, vendors and teachers. Mrs. Charles Speroni is liaison to the chefs. Mrs. John Cacavas is auction chairman.

This is the format: chefs from La Toque, Valentino’s, Max Au Triangle, 385 North, India Restaurant, L’Orangerie, Trumps, Chaya Brasserie and others will demonstrate the techniques that establish their reputations. Guests will sample the fare. Food, cookware and gift items will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $35 for the morning event, which begins at 10:30, and $50 for the evening event. The latter begins at 6 p.m. and includes a mini-supper and Robert Abell’s live auction, featuring a $1,000 shopping spree at Robinson’s and round-trip tickets for two to Paris.

Planned Parenthood is eager for support; call (213) 223-4462 for tickets.

Mrs. Robert C. Rusack is guild president. The organization is the largest private provider of reproductive health service in Los Angeles County through its nine centers.

Philanthropists Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels not only will perform for the United Hostesses’ Charities membership luncheon Feb. 19, but they’re in the spotlight to be honored by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center support group for their dedication to the community.

Louise Taper, president, and Bea Stern, special events chairman, and Ginny Clements are major movers in the event. Bonwit Teller will present the spring-inspired fashion show featuring young California designers.

Charities supports the medical center’s Cardiac Catheterization Center, among other projects.

The 50th anniversary of the dedication of Town and Gown Foyer at USC is giving Town and Gown a prime reason for festivity.

With the theme “Catch a Shining Star!,” they’ll have Sylvia Fine Kaye, composer and lyricist (her melodies have graced Broadway, films, radio and television for the past 40 years), as their guest of honor. They’ll also show David Hayes’ fashions in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton. More than 1,000 are expected, so this one’s too big for Town and Gown facilities.

Town and Gown’s Court of Recognition members--those who have helped to refurbish the campus facility over the years--also will be honored: Anna Bing Arnold, Charlotte S. Davidson, Lillian Fluor, Cecele Birnkrant Greenwood, Fern Heath, Elaine Stevely Hoffman, Katherine B. Loker, Eileen L. Norris, Virginia Ramo, Blanche S. Seaver, Nadine Watt and Marion Wilson.

Mrs. Conrad Solum Jr. and Mrs. William Thomson are co-chairmen; Mrs. George Griffith is fashion coordinator--all working with a team that includes Mrs. Jack Conley, president, and Mrs. William Cruse Jr.

The group, USC’s oldest women’s support group, has 900 members and has raised more than $4 million, including funds for a scholarship endowment, the Town and Gown building, a dormitory, and the newest, stained-glass windows provided by Mmes. Barbara Davis and Julie Kohl.

The highest honor bestowed annually by the Los Angeles Urban League--the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award--goes to Quincy Jones, composer, producer and lyricist, March 20 at the Century Plaza.

According to president John W. Mack, he will be given this “thank you” for his “magical music which has spanned four decades” and for his advancement of civil and human rights.

Vidal Sassoon is dinner chairman. Howard P. Allen, the 1985 recipient and the chairman of Southern California Edison, will present the award to Jones.

Proceeds from the dinner will provide financial support for the league. Seats are $250.

Delta Zeta Lamplighters 30th annual Flame Fantasy luncheon and couturier fashion show is scheduled for Feb. 22 in the Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire.

The sorority has supported the deaf as its national philanthropy since its founding in 1902. Proceeds will benefit the House Ear Institute of Los Angeles, as well as Gallaudet College in Washington.

Gunn Trigere of Beverly Hills presents the fashion.

Mmes. Delton M. Gates and Jimmy L. Miller are co-chairmen. Assisting are Mmes. Tom Dessel, Ruth Wilt, David Soros, Delton Gates, William Nitterhouse, James McKee, Arthur Brill and Joe H. Frye.

Dr. and Mrs. William House and Dr. Howard House will join special guests including Betty Bragg, national director of Delta Zeta, and Ruth Walsh, president of Lamplighters.

Pasadena Symphony directors and music director Jorge Mester are sending out invitations for one of their biggest dinners yet. Scheduled March 9 at the Art Center College of Design, the evening honors longtime symphony patron Georgie Van de Kamp, mother of Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp.

Board members creating the black-tie gala include Penny Lusche, Renee Hanson, Ellie Jones and Bill Peters. Underwriting most likely will assure that party proceeds are totally directed toward the symphony orchestra.

The evening begins with a reception while guests view “Hockney at Art Center” and culminates with dinner created by chef David Chapparo of “Two’s Company.”

Casa Colina Hospital for Rehabilitative Medicine is

celebrating its 50th anniversary, and its auxiliary is celebrating its 25th. That puts gold with silver for the annual President’s Ball on Feb. 22 at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.

Homage this year will go to Casa Colina’s chief executive officer Dale Eazell and his wife, Sharon, an auxiliary member.

Lynne Klingen and Peg Goble head the committee, which includes Jeanne Yarter, Janet Hoxsey, Barbara Vega, Delores Hepner and Helen Gurwitt Saltzman.

Tonight’s the big night for the Ladies Auxiliary of the Armenian Church of North American Western Diocese. At the Beverly Wilshire, they’ll be hosting their annual debutante ball, and presenting a large group. Mrs. Harry Chortanian is chairman.

In December, Mr. and Mrs. George Dunaians hosted the party in their Pasadena home to congratulate the girls. The occasion was a lavish Armenian feast--all cooked by the chairman and her committee including Mmes. Richard Amerian, Lily Ring Balian, Hovaness Dadourian, Diran Davidian, John Kazanjian, Nazareth Kalaydjian, John Ketchoyan, Dorothy Manookian, Garo Meghrigian, Richard Mushegian, Hasmig Pashayan, Gregory Sarkisian, Sark Simonian and Sahag Vartanian.

The debs include Misses Louisa Arakelian, Tania Atayan, Danielle Avazian, Rebecca Bedrossian, Gina Bozajian, Laura Boyajian, Kim Dagermangy, Cristal Emirhanian, Patricia Gabriel, Amy Jevardian, Karin Kosger, Sharon Meymarian, Andrea Meymarian, Lisa Missakian, Sona Movsesian, Monique Nalbandian, Rebecca Saroyan, Jacqueline Sislian, Lisa Welch and Laurie Steitz.

Kudos to all:

To Dr. Richard Call, president of the Seaver Institute, a new appointee to the Advisory Council of the Pasadena Public Library Foundation. . . .

To Morgan L. Harris Jr., managing partner of Korn/Ferry International in Southern California, new president of the California Museum Foundation which supports the California Museum of Science and Industry. . . .

To John Mayton, widely recognized in the racing industry for his leadership in developing counseling programs for those with alcohol and substance abuse problems; he’s the new executive director of the Winners Foundation, formed last year by Louis R. Rowan, chairman, and others, to find solutions to alcoholism and related problems. . . .

To Bella Lewitzky and her husband, Newell Reynolds, both elected to the board of trustees of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation, and to William W. Escherich, new president of the IAF board of governors.

AIMS (the Auxiliary in the Multiple Sclerosis Society) members were at Santa Anita Race Track this past week. It was the perfect chance for a starting gate lunch and a chance to meet Willie and Cindy Shoemaker (he’s the Multiple Sclerosis Society national honorary chairman).

Now, in the race against MS, the same crowd races with Willie in their March 18 benefit in the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton.

John Forsythe is honorary dinner chairman. Harriett Lederman, AIMS president, has named Lorraine Grawoig and Gavin Kern co-chairmen. Tickets are $250 and $500 each.

The Rolling Mobile Disco and Brendan Boyer’s Royal Irish Show Band were on tap for the St. Columban Fathers Guild 28th black-tie ball at the Hollywood Palladium. Proceeds will be used for the organization’s foreign mission society support in the Far East and Latin America.