Don't Miss "Food 4 Haiti" January 30th

On January 30, food world celebrities will band together to raise money for the United Nations World Food Programme's Fund for Haiti under the direction of a Westport resident and with the sponsorship of Saugatuck Nursery School and Saugatuck Congregational Church.

In an atmosphere of Caribbean music and food, the fundraiser's emcee, Food Network’s Daisy Martinez, will auction dinner for four with her at famed Puerto Rican dining establishment Don Coqui in New Rochelle, N.Y. She will also personalize two copies of her latest cookbook for two winning bidders.

Up for bid will be signed copies of “Julie & Julia” from Julie Powell, food writer and cookbook author Molly O’Neill’s “New York Cookbook” and “Mostly True,” cookbooks from Rick Moonen of “Top Chef Masters,” and a cookbook signed by its illustrator, "The New Yorker" cartoonist Ed Koren.

All proceeds will go to the United Nations World Food Programme's Fund for Haiti.

Auction winners will be announced at 3:15 p.m. the day of the fundraiser.

The United Haitian-American Society will have an information table available and will provide helpers for the event. The school will provide children’s activities. 

There will be musical performances by popular local musicians JP Ruggieri and Lisa Heile.

Other Auction Items include:

• Dinner for up to 10 in the winner’s home, prepared by Iron Chef America sous chef Lorilynn Bauer.

•  $250 gift certificate to the Institute of Culinary Education in New York

•  A family portrait sitting by Westport photographer David Land.

And — remember, this started as a bake sale — there will be lots of tasty treats, with tastings from Golden Krust Bakery, a local Haitian Restaurant, and Caribbean oyster shooters from Westport Aquaculture.

The fundraiser is the brainchild of Westport resident, food writer, cookbook author and chef Ramin Ganeshram, and Saugatuck Nursery School and Saugatuck Congregational Church. Ganeshram, who is of Trinidadian and Iranian descent, took a special interest in organizing this effort because of her Caribbean heritage. She was extremely gratified by the outpouring of support from her fellow food writers and chefs to help this cause.

(For more information or to volunteer, call 203-349-8647, or email info@food4Haiti.org)

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Fairfield Bread Company is donating loaves of The Flaxette to be sold at the bake sale table. Michael Mordecai, whose father hailed from the Caribbean, will be staffing the bake sale table from 10 to 12. Hope to see you there!

[Elizabeth]

The event raised almost $10,000 to help provide food for the people of Haiti. Ramin did an incredible job.

It was great seeing Nicole Straight there.