Rikianne Gendvil received a scholarship from Chef Ronnie Keck recently. The scholarship was in memory of the late Karen Putman, a Wyandotte County resident who was a charter member of the Kansas City Barbecue Society. (Photo by William Crum)
by William Crum
Recently, the late Karen Putman, a local barbecue legend, was honored by Kansas City chefs at their monthly meeting.
Putman lived in Wyandotte County and was a charter member of the Kansas City Barbecue Society. She died in 2011.
She was a major influence in the Barbecue Society and known world over for efforts regarding barbecue. Putman started a barbecue team by the name of Flower of the Flames and because of her efforts received numerous prestigious awards for barbecue. She was also a true shepherd in her own right, encouraging others in the culinary field to get involved with the Kansas City Barbecue Society. Because of this, her legacy is still around.
To this day Flower of the Flames still exists and still competes in various barbecue competitions throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Recently the Greater Kansas City Chefs Association did a fundraiser with all the proceeds going to a scholarship program in honor of Putman.
Her sister, Ronnie Kech, is still part the barbecue team and is a major influence regarding the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The scholarship program in honor of Putman is to encourage young people to get into culinary arts.
“This is why we set up the program, in fact the Greater Kansas City Chefs Association was nice enough to host this event in honor of my sister,” Kech said. At the meeting Rikianne Gendvil was given a $500 scholarship so she could attend culinary school.
So far it is planned that the Greater Kansas City Chefs Association will do a fundraiser again in honor of Karen Putman, the barbecue legend.
