Giving Tuesday has become a global day dedicated to giving back. This year it takes place on Tuesday, December 1, neatly positioned after our national day of thanks and a weekend of retail mayhem.
If you’re planning on giving this holiday season around #GivingTuesday, why not consider supporting Connecticut-based charities that benefit the hungry? These charities are near and dear to our hearts at CTbites because while we celebrate food, we also understand that for too many, food insecurity is a major issue. And in our country, and certainly in Connecticut, that doesn’t feel right.
If you’re planning on giving back this holiday season, and especially on Tuesday, December 1, here are a few hunger-related charities making an impact across the state. We know there are many terrific agencies and non profits not listed below, please share additional organizations that we should highlight by adding them in the comments section:
Open Door Shelter of Norwalk is hosting a fundraiser event on November 18 from 6 to 9 pm to celebrate the recent appearance of their kitchen manager, Victor Squire, on the Food Network show Chopped.
The event will be held at Aitoro in Norwalk, and will feature a competitive cook off between Norwalk Community College culinary student chefs. Wine and appetizers will be served, and Chef Victor Squire, the Chopped competitor will be on hand throughout the event to meet guests. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online. All proceeds from the event will benefit the mission and services of the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk.
Artspace in New Haven is launching City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS) Kitchens this November to celebrate the intersection of the visual and culinary arts. The CWOS theme this year is "Dwelling," and with kitchens is the core of this theme, Artspace is organizing three special evenings of culinary experiences in their gallery surrounded by 360 small works of art during the CWOS October and November festivities.
Chefs Bernard Bouissou (Bernard’s), Silvia Bianco (formerly of Biscotti) and Prasad Chirnomula ( Thali)
Battle of the Chefs returns to Founders Hall on Sunday, May 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. and CTbites has a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader. The culinary showdown event will feature Chefs Silvia Bianco, formerly of Biscotti, Bernard Bouissou of Bernard’s, and Prasad Chirnomula of Thali, with emcees and hosts Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster (yours truly).
We are GIVING AWAY 2 seats to the May 17 Battle Of The Chefs event (a $200 value). We will randomly select 1 lucky winner with a pair of tickets. To enter for a chance to win, please post a comment on this story (you must include your email and name when commenting) telling us what you think the secret ingredient should be. [All comments will be considered made before the end of the day, May 1. Winner announced on May 4].
Registration is open forConnecticut Food Bank’s 2015 Walk Against Hunger! Four of the state’s largest cities are hosting the Walk Against Hunger, a community gathering that increases hunger awareness and generates much needed funds to combat hunger in Connecticut. The Walk Against Hunger will increase Connecticut Food Bank’s capacity to fight hunger and most importantly celebrates our New England Spirit of neighbor helping neighbor. Locations this year are: Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven & Norwich.
All four Walks are 2.5 to 3 miles long with festiviites beginning at 1 p.m. Click on any of the Walk locations below to sign up and access “Walker Tools” to help you reach your fundraising goals.
Chefs Bernard Bouissou (Bernard’s), Silvia Bianco (formerly of Biscotti) and Prasad Chirnomula ( Thali)
Battle of the Chefs returns to Founders Hall on Sunday, May 17, 4 – 7pm. In a culinary showdown similar to Top Chef and Chopped, three chefs will compete for the benefit of Founders Hall. Chefs Silvia Bianco, formerly of Biscotti, Bernard Bouissou of Bernard’s, and Prasad Chirnomula of Thali will compete to create an entree from a basket of surprise ingredients in front of a live audience. A panel of judges, including food critic and writer Jane Stern and wine/cheese connoisseur and business owner Monica Brown of No. 109 Cheese and Wine, will judge the chefs on their creativity, craftsmanship and culinary results. Hosts Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster (yours truly) of CTbites, will emcee.
Some of the best chefs from Hartford County are going to be hosting a dinner to benefit Share our Strength, the nationwide effort to end childhood hunger, on August 12, 2014. The event will be held at Millwright's Restaurant and Tavern and will feature Billy Grant (Grant's and Bricco), Ryan Jones (Mill @2t), Adam Greenberg (Barcelona), Jeff Lizotte (ON20), Scott Miller (Max Oyster), Steve Cavagnaro (Cavey's), Hunter Morton (Max Downtown) and Tyler Anderson (Millwright's). All proceeds benefit Share our Strength. Visit the Share Our Strength Benefit Dinner for more information and ticket sales or email info@millwrightsrestaurant.com.
Cookies for Kids' Cancer will hold a bake sale on Sunday, June 8 at 10 am in Danbury Square in Danbury, CT.
“We are determined to raise as much as we can for childhood cancer research,” says the sale’s organizer (and Fine Cooking senior editor), Denise Mickelsen. “We invite everyone interested in volunteering, baking, or stopping by for some delicious treats to do so. Every dollar counts and we need your help!”
A national 501(c)3 non-profit, Cookies for Kids' Cancer is committed to raising funds for research to develop new, improved treatments for pediatric cancer, the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. They provide inspiration and support for individuals, businesses and organizations to raise funds by hosting grassroots bake sales and other fundraising events.
The Danbury bake sale will have cookies and other baked goods, raffle prizes, balloons, and much more for the entire family.
Mezon Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Danbury is teaming up with Danbury Hospital to host a benefit dinner, "Latin Cause. Latin Food. Latin Drink" at Mezon on Tuesday, May 13. All proceeds will support the Western Connecticut Health Network Global Health Education Program. The WCHN's GHEP charity supports healthcare services and overall community health in Paraiso, Dominican Republic.
CTbites wants to offer a major shout out and note of appreciation to Bruno DiFabio, co-owner of 10 widely lauded pizzerias around the country including Wilton’s Pinocchio, ReNapoli in Old Greenwich and San Francisco’s esteemed Tony’s Napoletana, for launching “A Slice for the Cure” at Pinocchio Pizza in Wilton.
On Tuesday, June 25th, DiFabio and Pinocchio Pizza sponsored the event from noon to 10PM, in which 100% of sales was donated to the American Cancer Society to benefit cancer research. The six-time World Pizza Champion debuted his award-winning Pulled Pork Pizza created with roasted pork, mozzarella, onion, bacon and barbecue sauce.
CTbites attended the event and discussed DiFabio’s passion for pizza, the various types of crusts and toppings and his general vision for his continuing commitment to Fairfield County. Of course, this conversation occurred as we enjoyed a few slices of the Pulled Pork Pizza.
The Working Lands Alliance will host their spring event, “Dough for Dough: A Pizzapalooza to Benefit the Working Lands Alliance” on May 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. This kid-friendly event will feature the Big Green Truck Pizzaand bluegrass music by Five in the Chamber, with event proceeds supporting the Working Lands Alliance’s efforts to protect CT’s productive farmland.
Tickets are $25 per adult, $10 per child (ages 5 to 12) and children under 5 are free. Purchase tickets online.
I’ve enjoyed food from many different countries over the years but funny enough, never from Peru. So with three friends in tow, I decided to try Fiesta Atlantic, a Peruvian restaurant in Stamford. Having eaten Venezuelan and Mexican, I expected a fusion of both. It turns out Peruvian food is indeed a melting pot of different cultures but surprisingly, the food is notable for its Italian and Chinese influences. In the 18th century, Lima was the financial center of a vast Spanish Viceroyalty. Chinese laborers and Italian settlers washed up on its South Pacific shores bringing their own spices and cooking techniques.
Photo c/o Community Plates
