Lake Charles Symphony

Lon Oden is the ancestor of Tad Martin's wife. He was a ranger in late 1800s. This is very cool!

Wild Beast Feast – “True Chef Confessions!”
-By Angie Manning


I have to say that I had no idea what I was getting into when I thought about writing a blog on the chefs for the Wild Beast Feast. I thought that it’d be an innocent little story about sportsmen who like to cook after hunting – kinda thing. Oh no! These sportsmen chefs are characters, and they have a huge heart for the arts. I heard back from some teams on their secret cooking plans – namely the “Mangy Coyotes,” the “Panini Brothers” and the “We Got (pork) Butts!” So, here’s a little “meet the chefs” piece for your reading enjoyment! LOL!

Meet the Mangy Coyotes…So, the Mangy Coyotes team consists of Tad Martin, Don Walser, Leo Reddoch and Owen Thompson. Owen and Tad both work at Merrill Lynch; Leo is a surveyor and owns Unishippers, and Don is a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer here in Lake Charles.  They are all big deer, turkey and duck hunters. So, why the “Mangy Coyotes?” What’s with the name? The Mangy Coyote name comes as a reference to South Texas where Tad’s wife is from and - where he primarily deer and turkey hunts.  Of course, the best part about living in Southwest Louisiana, according to Tad, is the hunting, people and spicy food!  The Mangy Coyotes will be cooking up a rotisserie feral hog from South Texas and possibly some Axis or whitetail roasts on the spit. As to why Tad supports the Symphony?  Well, he loves music and has really begun to appreciate classical music more since his wife is a classical pianist who teaches music and has a degree in performance piano.  And I quote (from Tad) about loving classical music: “I have no choice!  We are very proud to be able to support the Symphony.” (I think…behind every good turkey hunter…is a good classical pianist! Or…maybe…you are what you hunt for?!)

Meet the Panini Brothers…The Panini Brothers are made up of William Monk, Lee Boyer and Keith Duplechin. Last year, they did shrimp and tasso pizzas with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and alfredo sauce. This year, they are cooking up two unique paninis, with an account of the history and “wildness” of each recipe.  One will be a saucy “Rachel” Panini.  The other will be a “Peachy Cuban.” How peachy?! The group enjoys cooking for any reason, especially a good cause like this one, and they like to sample all the other contributions too.  Monk said, “One of the most enjoyable things about living in Southwest Louisiana is combining the best local ingredients with the best local recipes, and then, during the meal, talking about what we plan to cook next!  And, the best meals are combined with good music and good friends.” (Well said!)

Meet the We Got (pork) Butts…Chris Price, from Lake Charles, lives in New Orleans with his wife and works in the financial services industry, but that does not stop him from participating in the Wild Beast Feast event in Lake Charles. Chris said, “I love supporting the Symphony through the Beast Feast... It's such a great event that I've been trying to get a couple groups that I'm part of in New Orleans to replicate it!” Chris is making tacos two ways - wild boar and rabbit in different preparations. He will also be serving a watermelon-strawberry agua fresca. For fun, Chris enjoys playing with his dogs Winston and Mio, playing soccer, cooking and just enjoying the music, food and culture of New Orleans.

Come on out to see these chefs and many more during the Wild Beast Feast on Saturday, May 5, from 5-10 p.m. at the Cash & Carry Building on Enterprise Blvd. For more information, check www.lcsymphony.org or call the office at (337) 433-1611.