Share Our Strength is acting to end childhood hunger in America by 2015 through a combination of enrolling children in effective nutrition programs, investing in community organizations fighting hunger, teaching families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and building public-private partnerships to end hunger. Part of that campaign is Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit series of fundraising events around the country. Last night the organization held the Dallas event at Stephan Pyles. Joe Allegro, Director of Culinary and Special Events for Share Our Strength explains the organization’s purpose
Eight celebrity chefs each prepared one of the courses of a multi-course meal for the attendees. Chefs from outside town included R.J. Cooper III, formerly of Vidalia in Washington D.C., Celina Tio of Julian in Kansas City, Kerry Simon of Simon at the Palms Place Hotel, Las Vegas. Local chefs included Teiichi Sakurai (Tei-An), Randall Copeland and Nathan Tate (Ava Restaurant in Rockwall), Matt McCallister and Maggie Huff (Stephan Pyles Restaurant).
The dishes they prepared were as diverse as their backgrounds. For example, Sakurai drew on his Japanese heritage and prepared Canadian Sweet Shrimp and White Seaweed with Soybean Vinaigrette Cocktail, an ethereal combination of marinated mealy shrimp and spongy seaweed with an al dente texture. Copeland and Tate executed classic New American cuisine to prepare Pork Duo: Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Braised belly, Tasco Grits Cake, Local Peaches, Arugula, Figs. The latter paired not with wine, but with beer (sponsor Stella Artois’ lager).
After the meal, auctioneer Billy Harris drove the crowd into a bidding frenzy at a live auction with prizes such as a getaway to the Dominican Republic contributed by Palace Resorts, to a Las Vegas Fantasy Weekend courtesy of Chef Simon and The Palms Place Hotel. In total, the live auction, silent auction, and ticket sales raised over $50,000. All of the listed chefs, including those on Pyles’ staff, donated their time to the event.
