Gasparilla Grub

By Mary D. Scourtes of The Tampa Tribune

Originally Published: February 4, 2004

TAMPA … Strip away all the craziness of Gasparilla … all the parades and partying and pretend plundering … and one fact remains:

A pirate's still gotta eat.

Dick and Diane Kirchen understand this. For a dozen years, they have hosted ""Bruncharilla'' for the Krewe of Fort Brooke at their home.

This year, Vivian Clark and Diane will cook brunch for 250 guests with the help of eight other krewe friends.

Clark, who is known for her crawfish pie, jambalaya and gumbo, says conversation at the party always moves to the quantity and quality of the food.

""And there is always more than enough,'' says Clark, who is a business office manager at a Clearwater nursing home.

The event ""is extremely high-energy. Everyone is revved up by early morning,'' says Clark, who loves seeing friends in their crisp, navy- and-gold U.S. Cavalry uniforms, boots and black cowboy hats.

""They eat well because they will be drinking all day,'' says Diane, who co-owns an insurance business with her husband.

A favorite of the feasting hordes: a dish called Brunchskins, which Diane makes by cooking about 70 pounds of Idaho potatoes, 360 eggs and 20 pounds of bacon.

""I've been making them 15 years,'' Diane says about the hearty dish that krewe members top with scrambled eggs, salsa, sour cream, chives and hollandaise sauce.

Brunchskins are embellished with more than 10 pounds of cheddar cheese.

Cooking for 250 is a big job. The cooks take off Friday to do most of the work, so that they can relax on parade day.

""On Saturday, we don't have anything to do,'' Clark says with a laugh. ""Just drink mimosas and have breakfast.''

	Diane Kirchen, left, and Vivian Clark head up cooking duties for the annual Gasparilla brunch hosted by Kirchen and her husband, Dick, for the Krewe of Fort Brooke.

A Turkey Bash
During this year's Gasparilla party given by Patrick Whittlesey, David Austin and John Favret, a reggae singer will add to the ambience of the 14th annual bash.

""The whole atmosphere is exciting, electric and something you want to be a part of,'' says Austin, a Tampa banker.

Like the Fort Brooke party planners, the men plan to take Friday off to cook for 125 guests. They will deep-fry 14 turkeys in the alley behind the Hyde Park home of Patrick's dad, Jim Whittlesey.

One year, the men fried only one turkey. Big mistake: too little food.

Now, they buy turkeys by the case. That poses another problem: Who can store more than a dozen turkeys?

Patrick, who with his father runs an energy conservation company, orders the turkeys the first week of January. Then the supermarket thaws them in its walk-in refrigerators.

The men doctor the birds with a Cajun-style liquid marinade or a hot sauce, dubbed KA Secret Sauce in honor of Austin's University of Florida fraternity. Austin rubs the birds with a salt, cayenne pepper and garlic mixture before dropping each one into hot peanut oil, heated to 325 degrees. They reheat the birds on grills on party day.

One year, the fryer's oil temperature spiked out of control, and the results were petrified. What was supposed to be a plump, succulent turkey instead was dubbed ""The Crow.''

Guests rave about the etouffee made by Favret and his wife, Michelle. It will be served with 10 pounds of rice.

Patrick Whittlesey's wife, Charlene, will prepare a French herb potato salad, a popular butternut squash casserole and other sides.

After the parade, guests will go back to the house to continue the party.

""They never stop partying,'' Jim Whittlesey says.

More Healthful Brunch
The Krewe of Bonney-Read, named for pirates Anne Bonney and Mary Read, will start Gasparilla early on Saturday with brunch for about 70 at a krewe member's home. Everyone will bring a dish.

Because the meal will be the only time the 35-member, female krewe will eat all day, member Barbara Heineken campaigned to cut back on sweets.

""I like to make sure that everyone eats well and healthy,'' says Heineken, who heads Tampa's recycling program.

She expects to see breakfast casseroles, salmon and lots of fruit and vegetables.

""I whipped them into shape,'' she adds with a laugh.

Reporter Mary D. Scourtes can be reached at (813) 259-7635.

	Brunchskins

Diane Kirchen's BRUNCHSKINS
10 medium Idaho baking potatoes
2 pounds bacon
2 1/2 cups hollandaise sauce (yours or packaged)
1 lemon (use with hollandaise sauce)
1 package (16 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
12 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
Bake potatoes 45 minutes in 450-degree oven. Remove from oven; let cool (cut in half to cool).
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat and stir occasionally so that bacon does not stick. When done, drain with paper towels; chop.
Make hollandaise sauce and add juice of 1 lemon.
When potatoes are cool, halve and hollow out potatoes, leaving some on the skin. Place on baking sheet; fill with cheddar cheese. Put skins under broiler; melt cheese. Remove; top with bacon.
Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Scramble in pan. Place cooked eggs in potatoes. Pour on hollandaise sauce. Top with salsa and offer with sour cream.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Charlene Whittlesey's FRENCH GARLIC HERB POTATO SALAD
3 pounds new potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 red onion, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring potatoes to a boil. Whisk 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, parsley, oregano, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, red onion and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (approximately 20 to 25 minutes). Drain, peel if desired, and cut into bite-size pieces.
Gently toss potatoes with dressing while still hot.

Charlene Whittlesey's BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE
6 cups cooked, peeled butternut squash
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
Topping:
2/3 cup flour (Bisquick works well)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup nuts (layer on top of other topping ingredients)
Boil, steam or bake squash until tender. Drain excess water from squash. Mix eggs, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla together; pour into baking dish.
Add flour or Bisquick, brown sugar and margarine, and layer nuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until center is cooked … casserole should not be watery.
Note: Whittlesey got this recipe from her aunt Essie Hodge. She says the squash are easier to peel if cut into pieces and microwaved for 5 to 6 minutes.