Chef for a Cause
by Sue Booth
sue.booth@chefschoolreview.com
Chef School Review Columnist
You can use your culinary training for more than just cooking gourmet meals at five-star restaurants. Put your skills to good use and volunteer to help raise money to benefit those in need.
Never Too Many Chefs in the Kitchen
Salt Lake area chefs don’t let their culinary training go to waste. For 12 years the Cowboys Against Cancer annual fundraiser has united several area chefs to raise more than $500,000 to fight cancer. Seven years ago corporate chef and cancer survivor Michael Nook was asked by a friend to help plan the menu for the event. According to Salt Lake Tribune Nook said, “Not only will I write the menu, but I’ll bring some people up and do the entire dinner.” Since asked to contribute Nook has been the head chef of the festivities and continues to invite more friends and colleagues to the benefit every year.
The meals are five-star restaurant quality. “We have seven executive chefs,” Nook says. “An average restaurant could not afford to have this quality of chefs on staff.”
This year’s event menu:
- Cranberry-and-orange-stuffed duck breast with walnut-scented juice
- Rice pilaf
- An assortment of vegetables
- Hors d’oeuvres
- Green salad
- Flambé nested cherries jubilee
Culinary Egos are Checked at the Door
You may think that it’s not a good idea to have too many cooks in one kitchen or that several successful chefs’ egos may do more harm than good. However the chefs at this fundraiser understand the common goal and know the most important outcome of the event - raising money for cancer. Many of the volunteer chefs are themselves cancer survivors or know people who have the disease so the charity hits close to home.
Understanding culinary basics can help you on your way to becoming a top chef-in-training. Go to culinary school to learn and you can put your expertise to good use by cooking for a cause.
Source
Salt Lake Tribune
About the Author
Sue Booth is a freelance writer and a former panel taste tester for Good Housekeeping magazine.
Posted on February 22, 2007 at 4:22 PM
Earlier: Hot Culinary Ins and Flame Outs in 2007
Later: Jet Setting Chef Training
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