A Menu for Hope III

Okay, I am a little late to the party—but that doesn’t mean I’m not full of hope.

In case you haven’t heard,
A Menu for Hope is the amazing annual fundraiser envisioned and helmed by the ever-impressive Pim of Chez Pim.

Menu for Hope started two years ago, when Pim rallied the food blogger world (a much smaller place back then) to donate prizes in order to raise money for victims of the Asian Tsunami. Last year the event grew larger, and proceeds—all $17,000—went to help survivors of the Kashmiri earthquake. This year is larger still, and Pim—now assisted by a cadre of regional food blogger representatives—is raising money for the UN World Hunger Programme.

It only seems fitting that a group of people who spend an inordinate amount of time talking about, thinking about, reading about, and cooking food should go out of their way to help those who are not as fortunate. Today one in seven people do not have enough to eat, and hunger and malnutrition is the number one risk to health worldwide—more so than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. That’s 852 million hungry people, in developing, transitional, and industrialized countries.

What can we do about it? Well, one easy thing to do without even leaving your chair is to buy raffle tickets for this year’s Menu for Hope, for a chance to win an array of dazzling prizes donated, solicited—some of them even baked!—by your favorite food bloggers. There are fabulous meals, opportunities to meet the famous of the food world (coffee with Thomas Keller, anyone?), glossy cookbooks, tasty treats, and an array of wine as well.

There’s even a red Kitchen-Aid Mixer! (but back off, that prize needs to go home with me).

I have arranged for a prize as well. My lovely friends at Chronicle Books (don’t you wish you had friends at the hippest book publishing company around?) have generously offered a Chronicle Books Gift Pack. One lucky winner will receive four of Chronicle Books’ best, all noted by the New York Times. The gift pack includes:

TARTINE, by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson

It's no wonder there are lines out the door of Elisabeth and Chad's acclaimed Tartine Bakery. It's been written up in every magazine worth its sugar and spice. Here their bakers' art is transformed into easy-to-follow recipes for the home kitchen. The only thing hard about this cookbook is deciding which recipe to try first: moist Brioche Bread Pudding; luscious Banana Cream Pie; the sweet-tart perfection of Apple Crisp. Along with the sweets, cakes, and confections come savory treats, such as terrifically simple Wild Mushroom Tart and Cheddar Cheese Crackers. There's a little something here for breakfast, lunch, tea, supper, hors d'oeuvres—and, of course, a whole lot for dessert!


LA PAELLA, by Jeff Koehler

The most famous dish of the hottest cuisine in town right now, paella is as flavorful as it is festive. Longtime Barcelona resident and Spanish food expert Jeff Koehler fills us in on this cherished rice dish, from its origins to just what it takes to make the perfect one (even without an authentic paella pan). Thirty recipes range from the original paella valenciana, studded with chicken and rabbit, to his mother-in-law's Saturday shellfish special, to sumptuous vegetarian variations, to surprising soups and sweet takes. This is a gorgeous homage to one of Spain's national culinary treasures.


THE IRISH SPIRIT, by Margaret Johnson

The Irish Spirit combines the Emerald Isle's favorite recipes with a touch of ale, stout, cider, or whiskey, creating terrific new flavor combinations. There are scallops and shrimp poached in single-malt whiskey, tender brisket simmered in ale and topped with a golden cheese cobbler, and an old-time pineapple upside-down cake is updated with a buttery, toffee liqueur topping. In addition to the terrific recipes is the fascinating history of Irish whiskey, stories of classic events like Belfast's popular Pub Crawl, and the origins of the infamous "black and tan," making this spirited cookbook a delight for all with a touch of the Irish.


SAKE, by Beau Timken and Sara Deseran

Sake is the hippest sip at the cocktail hour and, as the sommeliers will tell you, can be a delicious accompaniment to food. This fun and informative guide demystifies an age-old wine and explains the many types of sake and how to properly taste their complex flavors. Plus, recipes for 30 sake cocktails and 15 sake-friendly dishes make sake appropriate for any occasion. There's even a section on planning and hosting a sake-tasting party to share your newfound sake expertise. A contemporary look at a traditional drink, Sake captures 1,000 years of culture and updates it for the modern lifestyle.

Now, won’t they just look lovely on your bookshelf? You'll be the envy of all your cookbook hoarding friends and family members. Keep them for yourself or give them as gifts if you're feeling generous—your friends will love you for it (if you're feeling only midly generous, you could keep them for yourself but loan them out on occasion—that's what I would do).

The code for this prize, for those savvy enough to want to try for it, is: UW40

How do you bid on this, or the many other prizes to be had?

1. Go to the donation page at (http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII )

2. Make a donation, each $10 will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. Do tell us how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code -for example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for UW01 and 3 for UW02.

3. If your company matches your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

5. Check back on Chez Pim on January 15 when we announce the result of the raffle (The drawing will be done electronically; our friend the code wizard Derrick at An Obsession with Food is responsible for the wicked application that will do the job).

And definitely check out all the amazing prizes at Chez Pim, it’s quite a collection. Sam, at Becks & Posh, is the wonderful head of the West Coast region and has more detailed information on prizes from that area.

But mostly, please participate. It’s such a worthy cause—and you could win stuff! (but please not the red Kitchen Aid, don’t you think I’ve waited long enough?)

Go ahead, don’t you want to participate? All the cool kids are doing it. For a mere $10, you could too!