Florida Hospital Foundation’s Gourmet Soiree

The Florida Hospital Foundation‘s Gourmet Soiree, Sunday, May 3, 2015, is one of Orlando’s top “foodie” events of the year. Featuring host Chef Robert Irvine (Restaurant Impossible) and local food celebs and co-chairpersons Emily Ellyn (Next Food Network Star contestant and recent winner of Cutthroat Kitchen) and Kendra Lott (editor, Edible Orlando), Gourmet Soiree is not your average fundraising gala. While some events are tuxes and gowns with food brought TO you, at Gourmet Soiree the guests actively participate in their table’s creations.

Retro Rad Chef Emily Ellyn (from the Next Food Network Star and Cutthroat Kitchen winner) is co-chair of Gourmet Soiree 2015.

Last year I went to my first Gourmet Soiree at Rosen Shingle Creek. The magnificent ballroom was beautiful, adorned not in flowers and fluff, but food, glorious FOOD!

Whole Foods Market, one of the event’s biggest sponsors, provided mountains of vibrant vegetables and scores of spices among other delicious options for the chefs and their tables. From those delicious pantries guests gathered their grocery listed items to create wonderful, healthy, delicious meals. Who would win the Silver Fork? We were most interested in creating our own award-winning meal as judged by those who designed our table’s menu: Us.

In addition to the fun of working with a top local chef and learning tips and techniques, there was a huge silent auction with offerings from exotic trips to luxury merchandise. In the midst of all of that, was the ever-inspiring Robert Irvine whose hosting got the whole room pumped up and excited about Florida Hospital for Mission fit Possible that goes into schools to teach them about healthy eating and healthy living.

This year’s Gourmet Soiree promises to be even more exciting, with chefs from all over Central Florida from the top restaurants including Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant Wine Bar, John Rivers of 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Trina Gregory-Propst with Se7enbites, and Andres Mendoza with Norman’s to name but a very few.

The auction lineup is equally impressive:  LeVian Chocolate Diamonds, a SeaWorld dream package for 6 (which I would LOVE to win, LOL), tickets from Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, cupcakes for a year from Gigi’s Cupcakes Orlando, and an entire bookshelf of cookbooks, most signed by the authors. There are golf packages, amazing trips, and a personal favorite: stuffed animals and books from RugbyAndReme.com.

It’s not too late to support the work of Florida Hospital’s Mission fit to fight childhood obesity, and all their programs by participating in Gourmet Soiree. Visit their website to see how you can help, get involved, or buy a ticket so you can sit at the table next to mine as I help cook up something great that just “might” win the chef from our table that Silver Fork….

Chef Robert Irvine with the many talented chefs who made Gourmet Soiree 2014 at Rosen Shingle Creek a tremendous success.

 

Taste of the Nation is Huge Success

August 9, 2013, The Orlando World Center Marriott welcomed Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®. Featuring the area’s finest appetizers, entrees, desserts and spirits, Taste of the Nation 2014 set a new fundraising record of $301,317 to support the feeding programs of Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and an organization dedicated to reducing hunger and poverty in Florida statewide: Florida Impact.

Retro rad celebrity chef Emily Ellyn and I arrived at the event in race-red style, as part of a cross-blog  Southeast Ford promotion where I got to test drive a brand new Ford Fiesta for a week for Central Florida Top 5. The plan was to take ‘er for a spin to those events that are Top 5 on our family’s list: Travel, education, charity, culture, food. Happily for me, most of our stops involved a combination of two or more of those each time. Taste of the Nation Orlando, was no exception.

In addition to sampling some of the most delicious bites from chefs around Central Florida, guests enjoyed participating in raffles and drawings of epic proportion (like a trip to Oktoberfest in Germany and over a hundred bottles of wine!). The highlight of the night: two chefs (Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant and Alexia Gawlak of Siro: Urban Italian Kitchen) went head-to-head in a live cook-off. Emceed by Food Network celebrity chef Melissa d’Arabian, the contest allowed 20 minutes for each chef to create a dish using Creekstone Farms sirloin flap steak and pantry staples donated by Whole Foods Market. Though I would have enjoyed tasting both dishes, I didn’t envy judges Scott Joseph from Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide, WFTV’s Bob Opsahl, and Honorary Chair Helen Donegan. While both dishes were prepared expertly (and smelled heavenly!), Chef Gawlak was declared the winner.

Area restaurant bloggers and pro foodies flank coral-colored Food Network divas Melissa d’Arabian and Emily Ellyn.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Orlando event brings together the area’s top chefs who donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in Central Florida. Along with culinary delights, guests have the opportunity to sample select wines, cocktails and premium beers and enjoy silent and live auctions and entertainment. Every dollar raised fights hunger and homelessness in the Central Florida. Local beneficiaries include Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

 

 

 

 

Ice Cream For Breakfast Contest #icecreamwakeup

What could be more fun than having ice cream for breakfast? I’m not sure there ARE more fun things than that, but I know waking up your kid(s) or loved one WITH ice cream would be tons of fun… for all involved.

Give Kids the World Village is hosting a contest for an Ice Cream Wakeup (hashtag #icecreamwakeup). To participate, get out your camera or phone and film someone waking up with ice cream… in bed, at the breakfast table, wherever! Keep your videos to about 30 seconds. Post your video on YouTube (or mail in CD*) and share it on social media to be entered for the random drawing April 18, 2014. Enter the link to your video(s) here.

Celebrity chef and Retro Rad Food Network Star Finalist, Emily Ellyn is the Official Spokesperson for Ice Cream For Breakfast 2014 and she’s giving out some great prizes, in addition to infusing her special brand of fun into the mix. Wouldn’t you enjoy winning a party-starter-pack featuring Emily Ellyn’s Signature Pink Zebra Safari apron from her apron line?! (I knew you would!)

Says Emily Ellyn, “I’ll be sharing the scoop with moms everywhere on how to bring neighborhoods, communities and families together over summer break. We’ll top it off with a sense of Retro Rad nostalgia and a touch of that Leave It To Beaver feel. And of course, the support of the Give Kids The World Mission will be the cherry on top!”

Have fun with the #icecreamwakeup and spread the word about Give Kids the World Village. Your support makes it possible to host children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 127,000 families from all 50 states and 75 countries.

*Participants may also mail in a 3×5 card with name, email address, zip code and a CD of videos (up to three video submission per CD) to: Give Kids The World, 210 SouthBass Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746 ATTN: Ice Cream Wake Up Contest.

Full contest rules can be found here.