An inaugural event over four semesters in the making debuted as a tremendous success on April 21st, 2014, at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). Dining With the Chefs is a unique fundraising concept developed by UMES Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) students as part of their participation in the Campus Kitchens Project (CKP), a national leader in community service for students devoted to hunger relief. CKP students at USG use their prowess in the kitchen to create nutritious meals for residents of The Dwelling Place of Gaithersburg, Maryland, lead workshops to teach basic cooking skills, and advocate for hunger awareness in Montgomery County.
Student volunteers enticed over twenty local chefs and food producers with the opportunity to raise funds to aid Campus Kitchens. These chefs, including Honorary Dining With the Chefs Chair, Chef Ype Von Hengst of Silver Diner, generously donated time and resources to teach CKP students how to perfectly recreate dishes from their restaurants. The students used the recipes to create a four course tasting menu, which were paired with wines donated from the Maryland Wineries Association. The UMES student pastry class, with the help of chef mentors and la Madeleine of Rockville, followed the tasting menu with decadent desserts.
Prior to the meal, guests were entertained at a reception featuring beverages from Dogfish Head Alehouse and hors d’oeuvres from Nando’s Peri Peri and Maggiano’s, with musical accompaniment from harpist Alice Conway, who all donated their services. The unique menu and fundraising activities, including an enthusiastic silent and live auction hosted by Program Director Ruth K. O’Rourke, made Dining With the Chefs a well-attended event that raised $25,000 for the UMES Campus Kitchens Project at USG. Five percent of the proceeds were donated directly to their partner agency, The Dwelling Place, and the rest will be used to further Campus Kitchens’ mission of fighting hunger in Montgomery County.
Other notable guests of the event included Honorary Chair Catherine Leggett, who stated the importance of reaching out to help the community on a grassroots level, as well as senior leadership from the main UMES campus and over 25 UMES at USG alumni. UMES alumni Mark Whitelock, who purchased a table for his family and assisted in the kitchen during the entire event, stated that "hospitality is more than just working in the industry, and that’s what this event is about. We can use our work to help others, but we can also teach others why it’s important to help. By helping others you help yourself. .”
Campus Kitchens would like to extend their gratitude to the eclectic team of chefs and participating restaurants who donated their expertise to instruct students on the preparation of their recipes: Justin Bittner of 8407 Kitchen Bar, Ramin Coles of Black Market Bistro, Dmitri Moshovitis of Cava Mezze, Lynn Foster of Central Farm Markets, Tony Marciante of Chef Tony’s, Sophia Maroon of Dress it Up Dressing, Janet Yu of Hollywood East Café, Danny Choung of Matchbox Food Group, Steve Deffinbaugh of Nantucket’s Reef, Nick Palermo of Old Angler’s Inn, Ed Hardy of Quench, Michelle Houser of Ricciuti’s, and Honorary Chair Ype Von Hengst of Silver Diner. CKP would also like to thank their chef mentors: Diana Ash, Jean Diep, Danielle Emich, Padua Playa, and Amy Riolo for their added guidance.
Also deserving of recognition are the many organizations that donated giveaways, food and auction items for the event.
“Lobster” Level Sponsors: Brian Bonita Custom Floral, Dogfish Head Alehouse, Maryland Wineries Association, Perfect Settings, The Universities at Shady Grove, Whole Foods, Wegmans, The Wine Harvest
“Filet Mignon” Level Sponsors: Chazin & Company, Crowne Plaza, Red Lobster, Sisters’ Sandwiches & Such, USAsia Links
“Prime Rib” Sponsorship: Al Sospiro Trattoria & Wine Bar, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company, Fitzgerald Auto Mall, Il Pizzico Ristorante
These and numerous other sponsors, as well as the dedication of UMES Campus Kitchens students at USG, made the inaugural Dining With the Chefs event a breakout success!
To view photos of Dining With the Chefs, click here.