A Message from Chef's Best Presenting Sponsor NACDS Foundation

June 26, 2012

Dear Friends,

Did you decide to engage in tonight's amazing event based on a thought, or based on a feeling? Powerful thoughts and feelings alike led the NACDS Foundation to engage as the Presenting Sponsor of Food & Friends' 22nd Annual Chef's Best Dinner & Auction.

• Rationally, supporting this event makes tremendous sense because Food & Friends' tremendous work relates directly to the NACDS Foundation's vision to improve the health and wellness of the people in America.

• Emotionally, can there be a more powerful and personal moment than when a Food & Friends volunteer delivers a lovingly prepared meal and a human connection – just when a patient needs it most?

Whatever your reason for partnering with Food and Friends and for empowering this extraordinary organization, thank you for contributing so mightily to the success of Chef’s Best. It is great to know that 80% of revenue from this night goes directly to providing more than 1.2 million specialized meals to Food & Friends’ nearly 2,900 patients. That means your support is going a long way to improving lives.

For many, a meal from Food & Friends is a source of hope, dignity and courage – as much as a source of enjoyment and nutrition. It also can convey a strong message to a patient that so many people care about them, and will never turn their backs on them. It always is amazing to hear about those patients who look at the assistance that Food & Friends provides as way to meet a basic need so that they can have a little bit more energy to turn around and help others themselves.

That is one of the beautiful things about Food & Friends: many people and organizations support Food & Friends for very different and highly personal reasons, and the patients assisted by Food & Friends benefit in ways that are unique to them, based on the sense of what each person cherishes and holds dear. Yet everyone associated with Food & Friends is bonded by the common pursuit of improving lives and elevating the human condition.

Whatever you think and feel about Food & Friends, let’s celebrate it tonight – and when we leave, let’s commit to tell others about it as well!

Sincerely,

 

 Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE                                                                             Kathleen Jaeger                                       
 NACDS Foundation Chairman                                                                                NACDS Foundation President                     

Finding Her Niche in Washington D.C.

Food & Friends Special Events Associate, Eliza Yoder, shares her perspective of where to eat, where to visit, where to explore and how to get involved in our nation's capital. Through MSN.com's travel video blog, Re:discover, Eliza introduces you to Food & Friends and Executive Chef Mark Locraft.

"I think people tend to think, 'Oh, it's all politics,' but that same drive behind politics in the city is also there in everyone else, just directed in different ways."

Though born in Washington, D.C., Eliza Yoder, who calls herself the quintessential "single girl in the city," lived in London, Cambridge, England, and Rhode Island before settling back in our nation's capital. "My family always kept their house here while we lived in London, so I always felt close to this area," says Yoder. "After college I knew I'd come back here — it still always felt like home."

Yoder graduated from Brown University with a concentration in history and went on to get her master's in modern British history from the University of Cambridge. "I have always felt passionately about education and continuing my own as well as advancing others'," says Yoder. But after working as a high school teacher for two years, she found herself wanting something new.

With a brief background in fundraising, she went on to land a job at the Kennedy Center. Today, she helps to nourish terminally ill patients and their families through an organization called Food & Friends, which provides nutritionally specific meals and groceries throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia for individuals who are battling life-challenging illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer.

"It's a nonprofit that is really focused on neighbor helping neighbor. I love that aspect of my job," says Yoder. "I have gotten to know so many different neighborhoods in the city delivering meals, and so many different kinds of people walk through our organization's doors to help volunteer."

It's no surprise Yoder ended up where she did: In a job that allows her to explore D.C.'s eclectic mix of neighborhoods. Yoder loves how easy it is to get around the city. "It's really alive, but it's manageable, and like a European city in a lot of ways," she explains.

"D.C. is also as much city as you want it to be, in that with such a variety of different neighborhood pockets, you can be in a very urban environment or more of an international feel or more suburban and you can choose to structure your life and your pursuits in the city to suit your comfort level."

For Yoder, that often means working with local chefs and the restaurant community. "There is a strong support from local restaurants in giving back to the community, not only by donating time or services, but also by building a sustainable business infrastructure to the city," she says. "I love seeing areas of D.C. transform because a few chefs have gone in and opened new restaurants that have spurred a commercial and residential resurgence and regrowth."

Whether it's organizing fundraisers or making food deliveries, Yoder's hands-on work keeps her rooted within the local community. "Food & Friends has really flourished here because there's such a sense of diversity and an urgent need for D.C. to be a community, for people to reach out and help," she says. "I think people tend to think, 'Oh, it's all politics,' but that same drive behind politics in the city is also there in everyone else, just directed in different ways. Like toward creative, artistic pursuits, charities and nonprofits, or business ventures. It's endlessly exciting and interesting to meet people who are driven to pursue different paths and appreciative of others' passions to do the same."

Washington, D.C., appeals to Yoder's sense of curiosity, she says, because whether "you're 25 or 85, there's always something new to discover." She loves to indulge her foodie habits and immerse herself in history and culture. Her favorite neighborhood may be H Street, because "it perfectly epitomizes an area of resurgence."

Yoder loves exploring the independent establishments: "They really take a lot of pride in what they're providing you with." Whether she's eating mussels and fries at Granville Moore's, listening to a local bluegrass band at SOVA Espresso & Wine or playing board games at H Street Country Club, Yoder is never at a loss for something captivating to do in Washington, D.C.

Courtesy of Re:Discover. Posted at http://rediscover.msn.com/city/250956141/insider/250984621.

Passing on Compassion: Father and son team up to make meals for those in need

Paul and Mark Elias live busy lives.

Paul is the Senior Vice President of The JBG Companies and usually heads to work around 5:30 a.m. every morning. Mark, Paul’s 18-year-old son, is a busy senior and an athlete at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria. With such hectic schedules, time to hang out and bond was difficult to find.

Two years ago, Mark started volunteering with Food & Friends as a way to fulfill a community service requirement for school. Paul, who had volunteered once before, saw this as the perfect opportunity to spend meaningful time with Mark while teaching him lifelong values.

“Mark is a normal teenager, a pretty shy guy, and I saw this as an opportunity to spend time with him. It became a regular activity in our busy schedules,” says Paul. “Our volunteer experience has been more than an act of service but it is an opportunity to make an impact while hanging out.”

Volunteering together has also sparked a new tradition. After working in the kitchen at Food & Friends, Mark and Paul usually grab dinner together at a nearby restaurant and chat about their day and volunteer experience before heading home.

“Mark doesn’t say a lot but I can tell that his involvement with Food & Friends has made a difference in his life. He met his required service hours a while ago but still continues volunteering. We’ve become quite the team.”

By volunteering together, Paul feels like he has had the opportunity to serve as a role model for Mark. He says, “Ultimately and if nothing else, I want Mark to remember what we’ve done and when he has kids, I want him to volunteer with them.”

Together Paul and Mark Elias have spent countless hours prepping, preparing and packaging meals for thousands of individuals with life-challenging illnesses. The rewards of making a difference in the lives of people dealing with serious illness is apparent to Paul and he plans on volunteering even after sending Mark off to college. He hopes Mark feels the same impact.

“I hope this experience is making an impression on him. In fact, I know it is.”

This Father's Day we salute all of the dads, like Paul, who set wonderful examples for their kids about the importance of giving back.

Raise a Fork and a Glass to Help Your Neighbors in Need: Chef's Best Dinner & Auction 2012

On Tuesday, June 26th, enjoy a festive evening of culinary creations and delectable cocktails at the 22nd Annual Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction presented by the NACDS Foundation. Mingle with 55 of the best chefs in the city and bid on exciting live and silent auction items while supporting Food & Friends’ services.

Chef’s Best will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the children and adults facing HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses who rely on Food & Friends for their daily meals and nutrition. In addition to a menu filled with one-of-a-kind delights, you’ll enjoy bidding on live and silent auctions featuring travel opportunities and other great adventures.

We look forward to raising a glass with you in honor of those whose support makes possible this incredible evening of generosity and commitment to the clients of Food & Friends.

Purchase Sponsorships, Tables and Tickets at www.foodandfriends.org/chefbest.

Can't attend? Don’t let that keep you from our amazing raffle and auction items! Bidding in our Online Auction opens June 11th at www.biddingforgood.com/chefsbest.

.

Lighten Your Summer Meals with Fish

There is something about the summertime that makes many of us crave seafood. Maybe it's the time spent at the pool, lake or ocean. Maybe it's the smell of the grill after a long winter. Or maybe it's the desire to eat fresh, healthy and seasonal foods. Regardless, seafood is a delicious summer food and provides a great source of nutrition.

5 Reasons You Should include Fish in Your Summer Meal Plan:

1. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which can lower blood pressure, boost immunity, improve arthritis symptoms and, in children, improve learning ability.
2. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are believed to reduce depression by raising serotonin levels in the brain.
3. Fish is high in protein but lower in fat and calories than other meats.
4. Some dermatologists say a salmon rich diet is like a facial - smoothing out age lines.
5. Some fish are rich in selenium, which is known for its cancer-fighting properties.
   (Sources: Omega-3 in fish: How eating fish helps your heart, Mayoclinic.com; The Benefits of Eating Fish, CNN.com)

Fish is one of the many foods incorporated into our clients' meal plans to increase their ability to effectively manage the symptoms of their illness and mitigate side-effects of treatment.

Check out the recipe for Baked Salmon Cakes with Citrus-Cilantro Sauce, which is an actual dish delivered to our clients.

From Our Kitchen to Yours: Baked Salmon Cakes with Citrus-Cilantro Sauce

Food & Friends recognizes the role nutrition plays in helping individuals facing life-challenging illnesses. Salmon is one of the many foods incorporated into our clients' meal plans to increase their ability to effectively manage the symptoms of their illness and mitigate side-effects of treatment.

Check out the recipe below for Baked Salmon Cakes with Citrus-Cilantro Sauce, an actual dish served to clients.

The original recipe serves 6. Take a peak at how many ingredients we need to serve the same meal to 600 clients.

Serves 6 24 oz. fresh salmon 12 oz. cooked brown rice 3 tbsp. whole grain mustard 5 tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise 2 whole eggs ½ cup fine Italian bread crumbs 1 tbsp. dried chives Salt and ground white pepper to taste

Serves 600 80 lbs. fresh salmon 40 lbs. cooked brown rice 2 qts. whole grain mustard 4 gals. reduced fat mayonnaise 15 doz. whole eggs 2 gals. fine Italian bread crumbs 6 oz. dried chives Salt and ground white pepper to taste

Method and Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut salmon into 3 inch size fillets.  Coat the salmon pieces lightly with olive oil and season lightly with salt and ground black pepper.  Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. 

Once the salmon has cooled to room temperature, break apart pieces of fish into a large bowl.

Add to salmon: cooked rice, mustard, eggs, bread crumbs, chives, salt and white pepper.

Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated.  Form into cakes of desired size.

Heat a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.  Add cakes and sauté until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Place in the oven and heat throughout, about another 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place lemon juice, orange juice, cilantro, and sugar in a sauce pan.

Place the corn starch and water in a cup and mix thoroughly.  Once the liquid in the saucepan has come to a boil, slowly add the corn starch “slurry” and whisk into the liquid.  Reduce the heat and simmer until liquid thickens slightly.  Season sauce with ground cumin and salt to taste.

To serve, place the salmon cake on a plate and spoon the sauce over the cake.

At Food & Friends we serve these salmon cakes over a bed of black bean ragu, with a side of seasoned turnip greens.

Find out how you can help us turn a recipe serving 6 people into a meal that will support hundreds of clients in their fight against life-challenging illnesses.

Urbana Executive Chef Adds Charity to the Menu

John Critchley, the Executive Chef of Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar, has done it all. He kicked off his 19-year culinary career washing dishes in high school and has since helped to open and lead several high-profile restaurants in Boston, San Francisco and Miami. In 2008 he took over the helm at Urbana where he combines Western Mediterranean influences emphasizing sustainable seafood with creative but simple techniques.

John’s passion for feeding people also gives him a deep respect for giving back to the community.

This year, we are proud to have him serve as Celebrity Chef Chair for the 22nd Annual Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction presented by the NACDS Foundation. As Chair, John is raising awareness for Food & Friends’ services and has helped to recruit more than 50 area chefs who will share tastings at Chef’s Best to showcase their culinary expertise.

“As a chef, it is refreshing to see many of my colleagues join together for this cause. I feel honored to be a part of raising funds for men, women and children who are facing severe illnesses . . . [and] I am in the business to feed people so I want to give back to a community that has supported me . . .”

For John, the decision to work with a cause addressing hunger relief and illness is a natural one.

“I have been lucky personally to never have anybody suffer from HIV or cancer but it makes you feel good when you are able to support the community by using your skills,” says John.

John is very excited for this year’s event but admits that only one night of support is not going to solve the issue of nutrition and illness in the community.

“Look at all the effort, support and enthusiasm that goes into this one night, imagine if all of us continued this support throughout year – we’d make an even bigger impact on people living with life-challenging illnesses.”

Mingle with John and 55 of his closest culinary friends on June 26th at Chef's Best Dinner & Auction. Purchase sponsorships, tables and tickets at www.foodandfriends.org/chefsbest.

Delivering Duo: Mom and daughter make a difference with just a couple hours a week

Your support helps to deliver more than 3,700 nutritious meals every day. Delivery volunteer Lisa Anbinder and her 4-year-old daughter, Celia, see firsthand the effect these meals have on clients.

 

Lisa and Celia deliver meals to clients every Friday. 
Lisa adopted a route that fits her busy schedule.

When Lisa was facing thyroid cancer six years ago, she was fortunate to have a husband, close friends and children who were able to care for her. Without such a support system, her story might be told a little differently.

Motivated by her past illness and desire to serve others, Lisa and her husband have been major donors to Food & Friends for many years. Recently Lisa found a new way to make an impact as a delivery volunteer. Now, every Friday, Lisa and Celia bring companionship and delicious meals to clients throughout Arlington.

“It’s really nice to see the other side of Food & Friends. We’ve been in the kitchen and we’ve given money but I’d never been in touch with the client side,” explains Lisa. “It’s interesting to see the end of the process, where the prepared meals go.”

As a busy stay-at-home mom, Lisa appreciates the flexibility of the work. Specifically, she was looking for a volunteer activity she could do with her young daughter. Food & Friends was the perfect fit.

“I like the fact that she can come along and be exposed to this kind of volunteering,” says Lisa. “My deliveries take a little bit longer having Celia with me, but in the long run it’s a nice thing for her to know that it’s a normal part of what we do.”

Whether donating, volunteering or attending events, Lisa looks forward to continuing her family’s involvement with Food & Friends. Join Lisa and adopt a route in your neighborhood. Once you adopt a route, you will always deliver to the same area. Be prepared to build bonds and friendships that last a lifetime.

Sign up for our ChopTalk newsletter to read stories like Lisa's and other outstanding individuals and groups whose generous spirit, like yours, allows us to have an ongoing and tremendous impact on the lives of our neighbors facing serious illness.

We Need You to Deliver Hope

Volunteers are at the heart of Food & Friends’ mission. Thanks to the generosity of more than 12,600 volunteers, 14% more meals were delivered in 2011 than in 2010.

This year, we plan to increase meal production by 7.5% and we need volunteers to deliver more than 630,000 of the 1,268,000 nutritious meals heading to the homes of men, women and children facing life-challenging illnesses. Help us meet this need and make a special commitment by joining us as a delivery volunteer.

“The need in our community for Food & Friends’ services continues to increase. The solution to this challenge relies on the community stepping forward and giving time on a regular basis,” says Don Pitz, Volunteer Coordinator at Food & Friends. “Although we were able to serve everyone that was referred to us last year, it’s becoming difficult to deliver to additional clients when the number of delivery volunteers is not keeping pace.”

Food & Friends’ services are free of charge thanks to the generosity of volunteers and donors. To minimize expenses, our goal is to have at least 50% of all meals delivered by volunteers and the remaining 50% by staff drivers. To make this a reality, we need an additional 20-25 delivery volunteers each week for the rest of the year. Without the help of volunteers, Food & Friends will pay an additional $127,000 for delivery drivers.

Delivering is fun, easy to do and can fit into your schedule. We are looking for people to deliver in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia on a regular basis—once a week or once/twice a month depending on your schedule. Routes take approximately 1.5 to 3 hours to complete and we provide a map taking you from door to door. No matter how busy you are, we can find a delivery route that is perfect for you!

Become a delivery volunteer today by contacting Don Pitz, Volunteer Coordinator, at dpitz@foodandfriends.org or at (202) 269-6835.

THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION: HBO Presentation, 5/14 & 5/15

Bringing together the nation’s leading research institutions, THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.

The centerpiece of THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION campaign is the four-part documentary series, each featuring case studies, interviews with our nation’s leading experts, and individuals and their families struggling with obesity.

Kaiser Permanente is a valued and appreciated supporter of Food & Friends' mission. Their generosity makes it possible for us to provide healthy and nutritious meals, daily, for adults and children facing HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. Watch THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION on HBO: Parts 1 & 2, May 14th at 8:00pm, Parts 3 & 4, May 15th at 8:00pm.

'The Weight of the Nation' review: Obesity crisis 
Courtesy of David Wiegand, SFGate.com 
Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2012

We've all seen the TV news reports on obesity in the United States, fresh statistics from the latest study, read with professional detachment, while images of pudgy bodies cross the screen, their faces blurred or heads just out of the camera frame. It's been going on for years, as much a staple of TV news as the weather report.

Unlike the weather, though, there is a lot Americans can do about weight problems, and every minute we delay is not only critical but both deadly and expensive - expensive as in billions of dollars taken from the pockets of taxpayers and businesses. Obesity is an epidemic and perhaps America's biggest health problem.

That's the message pounded home with singular effectiveness in HBO's four-part, multidisciplinary documentary "The Weight of the Nation." Produced by Sheila Nevins and John Hoffman, "Weight" pulls no punches, spares neither the multibillion-dollar food and advertising industries nor public officials for not only failing to fix the problem but actually making it worse, and essentially writes a prescription for the nation's health and economic future that we ignore to our peril. . . .

. . . How fat are we? Plenty. More than two-thirds of adults are overweight and one-third are obese, while one-third of our children and adolescents are overweight and 18 percent are obese. Obesity contributes to five of the 10 leading causes of death in America, costs business more than $73 billion a year, adds $150 billion to health costs now and may hit $300 billion by 2018.

How did we get this way? Beginning in the late 20th century, we moved to a food industry based on what Dr. Kelly Brownell of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity calls "a cheap-food model." The cheapest food is also the least healthy. The category not only includes all kinds of packaged, processed foods, but, of course, fast food offerings, which have become the plaque-building lifeblood of the American diet. . . .

Some 40 to 50 percent of food eaten by kids is consumed at school, and school cafeterias, which have to be financially self-sufficient, push unhealthy, packaged food at kids. . . .

Read the rest of David Wiegand's review.