The Cooking Toastmasters--Chapter Two

President Gina Cheng had had insomnia for the past two weeks, worrying about the coming welcoming party & orientation training at her place Saturday noon, September 10th. It must have been more than two months since she started engineering the luncheon menu. Carol Wang, one of her longtime friends, provided her elegant and exquisite Spode dinnerware for the gathering two weeks in advance.

Gina wowed every member the moment she shouldered the responsibility as the President of Grand Toastmasters Club in July. She didn't spare any time taking various initiatives to make Grand the Toastmasters Club of choice in town. She was keen to inject a powerful transfusion of good cheer into the vessels of members and guests of Grand. Everyone felt so much lifted-up when she presided the club meetings.

While Gina joked about her President Anxiety Syndrome, she broke the record by recruiting new members in less than two months. Her enthusiasm and dedication to Grand set a new record among the past Presidents Of Grand. Gina showed her love and enthusiasm without reservation to cultivate an atmosphere of excitements at club meetings and social events exclusive for Granders. Gina would certainly make a record for herself as the President of Grand.

After the first chapter of the cooking Toastmasters chez Jo, Gina agreed to share her kitchen with the Toastmasters in District 67 in the second chapter of the cooking Toastmasters chez Gina. I was thrilled to work with her on the menu as both of us love cooking. We often exchange recipes from time to time. When I came across the book, "The days of Giving More Life" by Chef Ruprecht Schmidt and Author and Reporter Dörte Schipper, she was the first Toastmaster I shared the book with.

Menu of the Day
Soup: Vegetable Soup of Tofu, Broccoli and Fresh Mushroom
Appetizers: Duck Breast, Smoked Cheese, Sherry's homemade Scallion Pancakes and Dried Tomatoes marinated with spicy Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wines: Roy, Erin & Joel Wright
Salads: Caesar Salad, Chicken Salad prepared by Billy Chen
Main Dishes: Chicken and Broccoli Au Gratin, Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice
Desserts: Assorted Cakes, Donuts of Mister Donut donated by May Huang
Fruits: Grapes, Pears, Tomatoes, Guavas
Drinks: Earl Grey Tea

Every house has a kitchen. In every kitchen, there is a cook. Be cooking universal and ordinary in everyday life, it takes the whole heart of a cook to make cooking artistic, sublime, and ritual to all. In contrast, every Toastmasters club has a lectern. Behind every lectern, there is a speaker. Be speaking in public devastating and awe-inspiring, it is accomplishing and rewarding if there is a whole heart of the speaker.

President Gina Cheng extends her welcoming remarks, "Life is a moveable feast. Welcome to my house parties. Welcome to my kitchen. I look forward to breaking the record of 13 guests at my warm and cozy nest soon in the future!"