The 13th annual Bite of the Arts gala, a fundraiser for various University departments that features a three-course meal followed by a silent and live auction, will be hosted in the Cotillion Ballroom Friday at 6:30 pm.This year’s theme is “LaFete de Lyon: Celebrating Chef Paul Bocuse and his World Class Cuisine.”

Chef Randy Cheramie, associate dean of the John Folse Culinary Institute said the theme was picked in honor of Chef Bocuse, who was one of the first internationally known chefs and is known by some as one of the first celebrity chefs. Cheramie said Bocuse is a “monumental figure in French cooking.”

The event will start with a cocktail reception, followed by a three-course meal. The dishes served will all be Chef Bocuse’s recipes. The first course will consist of cassoulet du Homard. “It’s a classical treatment of lobster… almost like a stew,” Cheramie said.

The second course is fricassee de volaille asce morales, a chicken and mushroom dish. “The chicken used in the dish is free range and was imported from upstate New York,” Cheramie said. “The chicken is considered the best in North America.” The morales, a type of mushroom, is very expensive and can cost around $145 per pound.

Finally, there will be a variety of classic French desserts including a type of apple dish. “When we first received the recipes they were in French, so we definitely had to convert them to English,” Cheramie said. “We are still seeking a little help from our distinguished visiting chef when he arrives.”

The festivities following will consist of the annual silent and live auction. There will be more than 60 items and services up for auction, including a two-night stay at the Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans, a copper chafing dish from Birdsall Jewelry in Thibodaux, dinner for four at Flanagan’s in Thibodaux, a seven-course tasting menu for four at Stella’s Restaurant in New Orleans, a stainless steel smoker from Bruce Foods in New Iberia and a dinner and jazz cruise for two on the Steamboat Natchez in New Orleans.

Nicholls culinary students will be behind the execution of the evening’s dishes. Students must apply to be hand-selected for these types of leadership positions, Cheramie said.

Each summer, three students take a trip to Chef Bocuse’s Institute Paul Bocuse, in France, where they find a new respect for food. “To most that go on the trip, the experience is life changing,” Cheramie said. “Bocuse is getting up there in age and we really just wanted to honor him.”

Every couple that attends will receive a commemorative event poster for this year’s celebration. The price of the tickets is $5,000 for a corporate table of eight guests. Regular seating is $150 per guest.

All proceeds from the event go to the Bite of the Arts account, which will be used to help with a mixture of campus financial needs. It supports faculty members’ attendance to seminars, aids in the advancement of degrees for faculty members and helps finance some student scholarships.

For more information on Bite of the Arts, visit the events section of the Nicholls homepage.