ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
On Fridays throughout the year, Liberal’s Baker Arts Center offers lunch to patrons, and for the month of April, those meals will be cooked by a special chef.
Kaleb Booth, who has cooked at the center in the past, is bringing the heat and the flavor to the Baker kitchen, and Director Misty Martin said she wanted to put a type of art on display which typically does not get a lot of attention.
“Historically when people think of art, they think of paintings, pottery, drawings, and one of my biggest hopes as a whole for Baker Arts for our community is this recognition that art is creativity in any way shape or form,” Martin said. “For me personally, cooking is my way of creating.”
In addition to Friday lunches, Baker Arts has provided classes in the kitchen, and Martin said Booth is creative with his meals. She added having Booth in the kitchen is something extra to highlight at the center in addition to the art of Michael Strickland in the gallery.
“We’ll highlight Kaleb and his creativity and ability in the kitchen and allow people to come and experience what he offers creatively tastefully,” Martin said.
Martin said she had not tried Booth’s cooking, but she had heard good things about it from others who have.
“They rave about the food he has made in the past,” she said. “I thought what better way than to let people experience him, bring him in and let him show for himself what he does.”
The Friday lunches at Baker feature a new menu each week, and Martin said Booth brings everything from fresh, creative dishes to serious comfort food. For April, the chef’s meals have included shrimp tortellini and garlic bread, tacos with a sauce made from his own recipe, double fried chicken wings, and for the last Friday, he will have chicken fried rice and pork egg rolls.
Martin said all of the meals are delicious, and Booth has some more dates coming up at Baker Arts.
“Watch the newsletter, and watch our social media,” Martin said. “In the summer, he’s going to do a steak night out on the patio, and it’s going to be a night to definitely show up for.”
Martin, who typically prepares many of the meals served at the center, said she was excited to see what Booth could do.
“I love being able to give people an opportunity to share their talents, and I am extremely excited to not only give him the opportunity to share his talent, but I’m excited to experience his talent,” she said.
