FOOD: What it takes to feed a 'Dralion'

Behind the scenes is an equally talented culinary team whipping up amazing food to keep not only the performers in top nutritional shape, but also the other people who make the 100-member touring company fueled.

Peek backstage and you’ll see a catering crew, employed by Houston-based Spectrum Catering, in their traveling road kitchen, cooking two hot meals daily. Because of demanding schedules for setups, rehearsals and performances, huge amounts of food are kept hot for hours.

Performers go through a lot of food. According to Brian Strom, Spectrum’s catering manager, they burn between 6,000 and 7,000 calories during their training before they hit the stage. By comparison, the average adult woman requires 2,000 calories daily; and the requirement is 2,500 for men.

Chef Adam Stefanko, also a Spectrum employee, travels with Strom on the “Dralion” culinary crew. Both take pride in creating unique dishes for their circus family, which includes making and serving some 200 meals a day.

“Chef Adam writes the menu,” Strom said in a phone interview. “We have a captive audience, so we want to vary the offering and appeal to their culture, too.”

Because “Dralion” is a fusion of ancient Chinese circus traditions, many of the performers have an Asian background.

“Most of the cast are Chinese, so we always have a Chinese-style meal available,” Strom said. “But there are some Europeans, and there is a Japanese gymnast. There are about 16 to 17 countries represented.”

The chefs are open to special requests and eager to please their on-road traveling family.

“We’ve had performers and crew bring in recipes for us and even help us cook,” he said. “If we get a request for a dish that isn’t familiar to us, Adam researches in his spare time to find a recipe.”

When the 19 trucks arrived at the World Arena on Tuesday, the culinary crew set up its kitchen complete with equipment and a bistro-like dining area. The eating area is made to feel like home, with a selection of fruits, vegetables and a salad bar that remains open for the highly trained athletic performers and hardworking crew member to use whenever they please.

“Often, the performers prefer not to eat before they go on stage,” he said. “They pick up food to have after the show.”

Where do the chefs shop for food in the various cities they temporarily call home?

“We have a contract with Sysco,” Strom said. “But, if time permits, we do some shopping locally, too, especially at farmers markets if they are available.”

When the last show ends, the culinary team will do its own form of acrobatics, packing up the kitchen and getting ready to set up the next one. There’s practically no downtime between shows as the incredible performers move from one town to the next. And the food team doesn’t miss a beat. Now, that just may be reason enough to run away and join the Cirque-us.

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Contact Teresa J. Farney at 636-0271, Twitter @tffoodie, Facebook Teresa Farney