KeyBank hosted its 13th celebrity chef dinner at Inverness Country Club in Toledo on Thursday, with Martin Yan, host of the popular PBS-TV cooking show Yan Can Cook since 1982.

“Yan Can Cook was the third cooking show on PBS,” Mr. Yan said. “The title of the show came from my catchphrase, ‘If Yan can cook, so can you’, because the first dishes I made on the show were something I learned from my mom, something simple that I can do and you can, too.”

Mark Knierim, vice president of marketing at KeyBank, said that the KeyBank event with WGTE is intended to bring customers and donors together throughout the community, and to also put forward a positive influence and recognition to Toledo.

“PBS is about educational cooking and educational TV,” he said, “and what better thing than food to bring people together.”

Over the last 42 years on air, hosting more than 3,500 culinary and travel TV shows, Mr. Yan has been delivering both delicious food and light-hearted humor to his audience.

“We want to showcase the artistry of the chef, we try to showcase their brand of food, but also, too, their stories,” Mr. Knierim emphasized. “I think the cool thing is the heritage the chefs bring with their cooking.”

Mr. Yan received the James Beard Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2022 and has written more than 30 cookbooks throughout his career.

“I’ve been with PBS for a long, long time,” Mr. Yan said, overlooking Inverness’ golf course before the event on Oct. 26. “Today is appreciation and fundraising for WGTE and I think public television just really needs support from the public.”

The flow-of-events for the evening started with mingling and small bites, with Mr. Yan’s cocktail nuts, sesame chicken strips with lemon dipping sauce, shrimp skewers with grilled pineapple salsa, steamed siu mai pork and shrimp dumplings, and steamed siu mai vegetarian dumplings.

Mr. Yan noted that the appetizers are all finger foods from different parts of Asia — from Indonesia to Malaysia and China .

“I just appreciate good food and that's what this event is,” said Kathy Wetli, a guest of the KeyBank dinner, as she chatted with her husband John over the appetizers.

Before dinner was served, Mr. Yan demonstrated the salad course — a roasted chicken salad with seasonal fruits and vegetables, including berries, cantaloupe, peppers, carrots, and more.

“Hand-shredding the chicken is important,” Mr. Yan emphasized. “There’s a lot more surface exposure this way, and the dressing can get all over the chicken and it tastes much better.”

As guests laughed and watched the chef in awe, Mr. Yan finished the demonstration and went around tables to greet people and sign books.

“Being somebody who really enjoys cooking and has watched these chefs for decades, it’s just a thrill to see these people that you get to learn from over the years,” said Alyce Juby, senior vice president of KeyBank. “So many of our clients say this is their favorite event. I just spoke with someone who said it’s the highlight of his year.”

The dinner started with the salad, and was followed by a golden pumpkin chowder with coconut milk and herb oil, then it was on to the main attraction.

The entrée course featured wok-seared jumbo prawns with honey wasabi sauce, tender beef with black pepper butter sauce, grilled brussels sprouts, and Chef Yan’s Vegetarian Signature Fried Rice.

The dessert concluded the evening, which was a rainbow tapioca pudding with pops of flavor, texture, and color.

“What I want to show people tonight is not only enjoying the menu,” he continued, “but, most of these dishes you can actually go home and prepare yourself.”

Mr. Yan finished his demonstrations for the night by deboning a whole chicken in just 18 seconds, highlighting a point that he reiterated throughout the evening: a sharp knife is the most useful tool in the kitchen.

“A smell, or a taste or a spice can remind you of something your grandmother made, or something you had at a holiday with family,” Mr. Knierim continued. “That connection, whether you’re eating Italian, Chinese, German, or whatever, you form that bond through food.”

Even though you might grow up in completely different ethnic backgrounds, he acknowledged, you can find similarities in your upbringing and connections back to food.

“Food is a universal language, and it’s the best connector,” Mr. Yan said. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, good food is good food. You enjoy the food, enjoy the company, and then we’re all good friends.”

This sentiment was clearly acknowledged throughout the dinner tables. As guests headed home for the evening with their personally signed copies of Mr. Yan’s cookbook, Martin Yan Quick and Easy, and his signature knife, they left with something else to remember as well: If Yan can cook, they can too.

Recipe from the event:

Tender Beef with Black Pepper Butter Sauce

Yield: 2 servings

Time: 30 minutes resting, 15 minutes cooking

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz. each) rib eye or tender beef steaks, cut into 1 to ½ inch cubes

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons butter

Black Pepper Butter Sauce

2 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine)

¼cup beef stock

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce or garlic hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce

1 tablespoons spicy garlic sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha or Tabasco hot sauce

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes (keep chilled until ready for use)

To serve:

Brussels sprouts, grilled or poached baby bok choy halves

XO sauce, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over steaks; set aside for at least 30 minutes or longer. Chill until ready to cook.

Cook steaks: In a pan over medium-high heat add the cooking oil and butter, swirling to coat the pan evenly. Add the steaks. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until medium-rare.

Combine all sauce ingredients except butter in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk. When sauce comes to a boil, add cold butter a piece at a time, and quickly stir into sauce.

To serve, arrange beef on a serving plate. Place brussels sprouts on the side. Pour sauce over.

Top with a small amount of XO sauce.

Source: © Yan Can Cook, Inc., 2023

First Published November 1, 2023, 11:19 a.m.