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| Amy Brandwein of Centrolina (Photo: Larry French/Getty Images for DC Central Kitchen's Capital Food Fight) |
From our friends at DC Central Kitchen...
Signature Fundraising Event Raises over $550,000 for Local Nonprofit's Culinary Training and Anti-Hunger Programs
Amy Brandwein, executive chef and owner of Centrolina, took home the top honor tonight at DC Central Kitchen’s signature fundraising event, the Capital Food Fight. Chefs Amy Brandwein, Harper McClure (BRABO), Nick Stefanelli (Masseria) and K.N. Vinod (Indique) created dishes judged by some of the biggest names in the culinary world: Anne Burrell (Food Network’s “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef”), Richard Sandoval (Chef/Owner, Richard Sandoval Restaurants), and Spike Mendelsohn (Bravo’s “Top Chef” and Restaurateur). Event founder José Andrés (Chef/Owner, ThinkFoodGroup) and Carla Hall (ABC’s “The Chew”) co-hosted the annual event.
Presented by Tyson, the Capital Food Fight brought together over 1,200 guests, 75 tasting restaurants, as well as cocktail mixologists and live on-stage entertainment. Battling chefs were asked to create dishes using secret ingredients ranging from an entire pig, presented by Tyson, to brown sugar & mustard ham glaze, presented by Whole Foods. Chef Amy Brandwein won the final battle over Chef K.N. Vinod for her use of pig shoulder in the final battle.
Duff Goldman (Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes”) hosted the High Stakes Cakes competition where Pastry Chef Erin Schwartz (Founder, Stacked) won the top prize for her cake design representing the power of volunteerism.
The event raised over $550,000 for DC Central Kitchen, which earns 60 percent of its $13 million annual budget through social enterprise ventures that employ at-risk adults to serve healthy food in DC. The remaining 40 percent is secured through charitable fundraising like the Capital Food Fight. The Washington, DC nonprofit is committed to addressing hunger and poverty by preparing and delivering more than 2,500,000 healthy meals to 90 DC homeless shelters, schools, and partner charities annually, all while training 100 at-risk, unemployed adults each year for culinary careers with a 90% job placement rate.
For a full listing of all Capital Food Fight tasting restaurants, competitors, hosts and judges, please visit www.capitalfoodfight.org.
About DC Central Kitchen:
For more than 25 years, DC Central Kitchen has pioneered a new model of using food as a tool to change lives. The organization provides nutritious meals to 80 nearby nonprofit partners, equips unemployed men and women to begin culinary careers, and creates healthy, scratch-cooked, locally-sourced meals for children at 10 DC schools. Through job training, healthy food distribution, and local small business partnerships, DC Central Kitchen offers path-breaking solutions to poverty, hunger, and poor health.
