Detroit Yacht Club's spring gala May 20

(WJBK) - Spring has come to Belle Isle and boats have begun to return to the Detroit Yacht Club. You can enjoy one of Detroit's grandest spaces at Restoring the Grandeur: City Lights Gala on May 20.

Tickets for the event, which includes a strolling dinner, cash bar, entertainment, and live and silent auctions, are now available to the public at prices ranging from $125 to $400. You can get tickets at www.dycfoundation.com.

Mark Lifter, President of the DYC Foundation, and Executive Chef Joseph Paxton joined us in the FOX 2 Cooking School to tell us more about the event. The chef also prepared a strawberry rhubarb shortcake. You can find his recipe below.

Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake
Serves 4
4 slices store bought or homemade pound cake
½ stick softened butter
1 cup strawberry bay jam(recipe below)
1 cup sherry pickled strawberries (recipe below)
1 cup Milk poached rhubarb (recipe below)
½ cup vanilla whipped cream ( recipe below)

-Butter both sides of pound cake slices and fry in a nonstick pan for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. 
-place each slice of pound cake on a plate and top with equal portions of strawberry bay jam, milk poached rhubarb, pickled strawberries and vanilla whipped cream. 
-serve immediately. 

Strawberry bay jam
1 qt fresh strawberries, greens removed
5 fresh bay leaves
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

-slice strawberries and place in small sauce pot with remaining ingredients. 
-bring to a simmer and allow to cook until strawberries break down and mixture becomes thick. 
-puree in a blender until smooth. 

Sherry pickled strawberries
10 fresh strawberries, greens removed and sliced
½ cup sherry
1T bourbon vanilla paste
Juice of 1 orange

-place sliced strawberries in a bowl, top with remaining ingredients. 
-allow strawberries to remain in liquid for 2 hours or 2 days
- remove from liquid before serving

Milk Poached rhubarb

½ lb fresh rhubarb, washed and greens removed
2 c. half and half
1T. Rose water
¼ c sugar

-cut rhubarb into 1 inch long pieces
-place rhubarb in a sauce pot with remaining ingredients
-bring to a low simmer for 4 minutes, 
-remove pot from heat and allow mixture to cool for 1 hour
- when the rhubarb has cooled down remove it from the liquid. 

Vanilla whipped Cream
1 c heavy whipping cream
1T. Bourbon vanilla paste
1T powdered sugar

-using a fine wire whip, whip cream until soft peaks have formed
-add remaining ingredients and continue to whip until firm peaks have formed
-refrigerate until ready to use