United Way of Grays Harbor is holding its annual kickoff party this evening with the theme “Chopped: Food Bank Edition.”
This friendly competition will be a cross between two popular Food Network shows: “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen,” according to United Way Executive Director Kelley McDonald.
The volunteer chefs are Andy Bickar, owner and chef of Rediviva in Aberdeen; Martha Boyer, of Quinault Beach Resort and Casino in Ocean Shores; Dave Haerle, city editor of The Daily World; Phil Luce, a deejay with Kix 95.3; Johnny Manson, a deejay with 105.7 the Jet; and Alyssa Weber, of Community Integrated Health Services in Hoquiam.
The winner will get to choose a local charity to receive $500 from United Way.
The organizers were hoping for eight chefs to participate. “If there’s two more that want to join in, we’re ready for them,” McDonald said on Wednesday afternoon. “Give us a call!”
But do it quickly, because the participating chefs will receive an email Thursday morning with a list of the 12 ingredients that will be provided in their food bank boxes. They must each use a minimum of eight of those ingredients to plan and later cook a meal that will feed four to five people.
“We worked with Coastal Harvest to determine the most common items that were in last month’s food bank boxes, so that’s going to be pretty close to what’s in there,” said McDonald. “We’ve designed this challenge to mimic the struggles that a family of four may endure while trying to fix a good meal with their only source of food being that from a food bank.”
Swanson’s sponsored the food purchase, she said.
In addition to the box provided, chefs may use common household ingredients plus no more than $5 worth of additional purchases from the store.
The chefs will gather that evening at Aberdeen High School, where they will have from 5:30 until about 7 p.m. to cook the meal. Appliances and utensils will be provided, though each may bring their preferred tools.
Attendees can play “Minute to Win It” games to collect tickets for a chance to be a judge. Four will be chosen to determine the winning meal.
Also during the course of the evening, four “sabotages” will be live-auctioned to the highest bidders. These are actions that can be used to thwart one chef’s efforts in some way. For example, on “Cutthroat Kitchen,” one sabotage might be to take away all of the leading chef’s knives.
But for this event, “our sabotages are going to mimic typical things that can happen when you’re maybe a single mom at home, and you’re cooking dinner for three kids,” said McDonald.
“We’re encouraging the chefs to bring a support group,” she added. “When those sabotages come up for bid, people can pool their money on one chef’s behalf to thwart another one.”
Admission to the event is $5, or a new or gently used children’s book.
For more information, visit www.unitedwaygraysharbor.org.
