Taste of Steele County raises funds for women's scholarships

Two hours, a wide selection of foods and approximately 200 attendees — that was the recipe for this year’s Taste of Steele County.

The annual culinary sampling treated guests to a veritable buffet of options Monday night at the Owatonna Eagles, ranging from hors d’oeuvres to desserts and drinks. Taste is a fundraiser organized by AAUW Owatonna, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, which provides scholarships to local women and girls.

Meatballs, kebabs, ice cream and sausages were just a few of the items on offer. While each food was delivered in bite-sized samples, no one left hungry by the end of the night.

“The generosity of the vendors is overwhelming to me. Like Torey’s, they’re serving supper in his restaurant right now, and he took time and staff and food and came here, and he’s giving it away,” said Linda Hoffman, who co-chaired the event with Mary Cronin.

Hoffman noted that every restaurant and business that joined Taste was making the same sacrifice. While most were returning from years past, Candullo’s Coffee and Basilleo’s Pizza were new additions to the lineup.

“It’s nice to get out and be a part of the community in a fun environment,” said Jennifer Candullo, who runs the business with her husband Chris.

In addition to wanting to be active in the community, Candullo said she joined the event because she believes in the cause of making education accessible to women.

This year, AAUW Owatonna awarded about $6,000 in scholarships. In addition to helping several women pursue higher education, the organization was able to fund a young woman’s trip to AAUW’s national conference at the University of Maryland this summer.

Hoffman noted one scholarship that no one has taken advantage of in recent years, which awards up to $350 for middle school girls to attend STEM-based camps.

Blooming Prairie businesswoman Karen Peterson, of Confections by Karen, was happy to serve food in support of the cause.

“It’s nice to be involved in an organization that gives scholarships to girls in Steele County. Sometimes Blooming Prairie gets forgotten about, so it’s nice to be a part of this,” said Peterson.

While most of the vendors were restaurants or shops, Peterson is a cottage baker. She was a significant advocate for the Cottage Food Exemption that’s led to a boom in cottage bakers statewide. At Taste, Peterson served cookies and candied jalapeños from her home business.

Hoffman noted that Taste gives local businesses a platform to test out their newest items.

Second generation business owner Rachel Lee, of Steve’s Meat Market in Ellendale, said she likes to bring a mix of familiar staple items, like country breakfast sausage, and new offerings, like her wild rice cheddar sausage, to gauge public reactions. She’s found it’s a good way to reach new customers, as many visitors to her store mention items they first tried at Taste.

Lee was serving sausages and other snacks alongside her husband Mark and son Jared. Lee took over the shop from her parents, who founded it in 1973. She noted that Taste attendees are very appreciative, and she enjoys the friendly community feel of the event.

Retired teacher Marilyn Pedersen was one of those appreciative attendees. She’s joined the event for several years. Aside from enjoying the new foods from local businesses, she attends because she’s a passionate believer in the value of education.

She’s seen firsthand how women can be disadvantaged in education and the workplace, as she was required to resign from teaching when she got pregnant — a common practice in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Undeterred, she later became a substitute teacher, and teaches piano and flute to this day.

“To be able to teach what you’ve learned and to see the light bulb come on — I love teaching,” said Pedersen..