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April Forbes and Key Locke don't call themselves 2 Dope Chefz just because their specialty pop-up this weekend will be dope-delicious, but also because the five-course meal will be THC-infused.
The Metro Detroit duo's first "fine dining" event since state legalization of recreational pot will feature "flower herb pairings" Saturday in Ferndale from 6-9 p.m. The private location is given to those who buy $75 tickets (see below).
The goal is "to educate the advanced or new cannabis user on how to enjoy foods properly infused and paired with common and exotic ingredients," they post at an event page with the menu. "[We want] to break the stigmas of cannabis use and teach through passion how to enjoy responsibly in their food."
“We'll be educating people on the medicinal properties from each strand [of cannabis] that we use," Forbes tells Dave Lew Allen of WXYZ.
"If they don't already partake, they [can] find out how they can use this medicine in their food.
"We wanted to make sure that it was dosed precisely per course, and our patrons can even choose to skip their doses or they can partake in as little or as much as they want to because everybody's tolerance level is going to be different."
Key Locke, left, and April Forbes want "to break the stigmas of cannabis use." (Photo: Facebook)
Forbes, a pastry chef, runs a Pontiac "treat house" called April's Famous Bakes. She studied pastry arts at Oakland Community College, worked at MGM Grand's kitchen and won a 2012 "Cupcake Wars" episode on the Food Network.
"I'm excited at the amount of interest in this controversial flower that has long been used as medicine," the baker posts in the event listing. "It can be incorporated in dessert and so many other things. It will be fun informing our diners on various strains and their healing properties, and how to incorporate the flower in food to complement the taste and smell."
Locke honed her skills at a branch of the Le Cordon Bleu, a Paris-based chef training network. She's a former sous chef at Chive Kitchen in Farmington and has been a contestant on a Dutch TV show called "High Cuisine."
"I am a California native. I am obviously in love with the whole concept of cannabis in foods, two of my most favorite [things]. ... From healing to the feeling, we got you covered," she says online.
Event details
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When: Jan. 11, 6-9 p.m., Ferndale location given after payment
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Tickets: $75 each; call (248) 385-3598
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Website: 2dopechefz.com (menu shown)
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Menu summary: Arugula/grilled asparagus salad with THC-infused champagne avocado vinaigrette; roasted corn chowder with THC-infused chimichurri oil; panko-crusted hearts of palm with THC-infused lemon dill aioli and remoulade; rosemary lamb chops or oyster mushrooms with THC-infused mint raspberry chutney; tropical "Hummingbird Cake" with CBD-infused cream cheese frosting
