Warm Hearts, Full Bellies
Recap of the latest chef fundraiser, and this week's farmers market schedule
Communal Dinner Reflects Community Spirit
The photo above is of the traditional Ethiopian messob served as the main course at A Night of Hope, the fundraiser that took place Sunday (June 11) and held at the Guild Row events space in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. The dinner raised money to provide educational and health assistance to refugees from the war-torn Ethiopian province of Tigray.
Local Food Forum has written often about the astounding generosity of Chicago’s community of chefs who repeatedly donate their time and talent to raise money for a variety of humanitarian causes. There are two things you can also count on when you attend one of these events:
You will leave with a heart full of inspiration, knowing that the proceeds from your participation will help people in critical need and/or contribute to building a better food system.
You will leave with a belly full of delicious food prepared by some of our area’s best culinary artists.
Sunday’s event was created by Tigist Reda of Chicago’s Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, a Tigray native who previously put a spotlight on the suffering of her people at a fundraiser staged last September by the Chicago Chefs Cook collaborative.
Tigist thanked the attendees for their support, and she was joined by representatives of International Society for Better Health Access (ISBHA) — the non-profit recipient of the funds raised by the event — participating live or by phone from Africa. Other speakers included Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe and Good Food advocate Eda Davidman, co-founders of Chicago Chefs Cook.
There’s more about the dinner, but first, click the first button below to learn more about ISBHA and make a donation, and the second button to learn more about Demera and Tigist Reda.
The evening opened with appetizers prepared by these women chefs:
Diana Davila, chef/owner of Mi Tocaya Antojería in the Logan Square neighborhood and a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef:Great Lakes.
Christine Cikowski, chef and co-owner of Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Avondale, which this year is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Sarah Stegner (right) chatted with Margaret Pak, chef/co-owner of the Indian restaurant Thattu, located in the red-brick building seen through the window directly across the street from Guild Row.
Sarah’s dish — a Nichols Farm and Orchard Earliglow strawberry salad, burrata Pugliese & balsamic vinegar, basil, and toasted pine nuts — was especially picturesque.
The main course, as is traditional in Ethiopian culture, was served family-style. The messob pictured above was a variety of delicious stews to be grabbed with injera, a spongy bread made with teff flour (although forks were provided for those unacquainted with the practice).
The menu in the photo above shows the wide range of dishes that made up the messob.
The meal concluded with this rhubarb raspberry almond cake created by Chef Sandra Holl of Floriole Cafe & Bakery in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Local Food Forum will continue to keep you informed about upcoming chef-driven fundraiser/feasts.
This Week’s Regional Farmers Market Schedule
In my own home cooking adventures, I’ve always said that the key to delicious food is getting the best, freshest ingredients. And the freshest ingredients you can find are at our region’s many farmers markets, nearly all of which are now open for the upcoming peak summer season. Here’s your weekly guide for where to shop.