Liz Fenton's Medical Fund

If you know Liz Fenton then I know that she has undoubtedly touched your life in some way for the better.  In addition to her enormous appetite (for food and life), selfless nature and generous spirit, Liz has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for her friends and community when they were in need.  She has spent hundreds of hours volunteering within Houston and the local food community to foster the incredible talent and strong presence that it is today. 

It is now our turn to take care of her.  She needs our help. 

As some of her close friends have known, Liz has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called transverse myelitis. She is now permanently disabled making it difficult for her to move and she is continually losing additional functionality due to paresthesia, chronic pain and partial paralysis which is only a short list of her ongoing symptoms. 

Now Liz has recently learned that her condition is due to a spinal cord tumor. Just the biopsy will put her in a debilitating condition possibly making her unable to work. Liz is facing very invasive spinal surgery in the near future to remove a section of her spinal cord and aggressive treatments including chemotherapy once she can find a neuro-oncologist that will take her case.

We are organizing a fundraising dinner on her behalf on Sunday, December 6, 2015 at Underbelly Restaurant. We have assembled an all-star cast of culinary talent that will be preparing a feast for this event. 

  - Chris Shepherd, host chef (Underbelly),
Korean fried chicken, smoked bo ssam & japchae

  - Adam Dorris (Pax Americana),  
Smoked beef tartare, fermented pickles, tonnato, mustards, mesquite corn sourdough

  - Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi (Kata Robata)
Three kinds of sashimi

  - Ronnie Killen (Killen's BBQ, Killen's Steakhouse)
Barbecued beef ribs

  - Hugo Ortega (Hugo's, Caracol, Backstreet Cafe)
Tamales de langosta con mole amarillo

  - Ryan Pera (Coltivare, Revival Market)
Whole roasted gulf fish, sautéed local greens, steamed garlic

  -  Seth Siegel-Gardner & Terrence Gallivan (The Pass & Provisions)
Cresta di gallo 

  - Justin Yu & Karen Man (Oxheart)
Kimchee & cheese stew (American budae jjigae) and bread service

 - Philip Speer (formerly of Uchi)
Curried sweet potato

 -  Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar)
Pistachio cake with whipped marscapone and griotte cherries

 - David Buehrer & Ecky Prabanto (Greenway Coffee)
Coffee service

 - Justin Vann, sommelier (Oxheart, Public Services)

 The dinner will be served family-style and each dish will be paired with wine or beer. We all know that Liz's first love is food and we hope you will be able to attend.  Seats are available for a suggested donation of $300 per person. Tickets are available at Fluff Bake Bar, Underbelly, Oxheart and Killen's BBQ. Cash donations only, please.

An extra special thank you to Lee Ellis of F.E.E.D. TX Restaurant Group  for generously underwriting this dinner.  And big thanks to our sponsors: Underbelly , Bandol Wines , Greenway Coffee, Louisiana Foods , Patterson & Murphy, International Marine Products , True World Foods  and Saint Arnold .

If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation here.  Every dollar we raise will help her with medical costs and living expenses so that she can better focus on her recovery and the bright life she has ahead of her.

On behalf of her friends and family, I thank you for joining us to support this beautiful and amazing human being.