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A wonderful overview in the CMBC Community Update about CulinaryCorps’ latest brunch at the Holy Angels Farmers Market.

And a delightfully written shout-out from our friends at SlowFood USA!

Thanks to our friends at the Southern Foodways Alliance, we found out about this upcoming event at Lincoln Center, Rebuilding New Orleans in New York City.

With the city’s struggle for stability still an everyday reality, what better way to put that holiday bonus to good use. Enjoy the sounds and tastes of New Orleans while supporting the http://www.raybani.com/ media leaders committed to covering the post-Katrina successes and failures.

“Preservation is a cornerstone of building and nurturing a sustainable community. The work of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans is a model for the country and, in the wake of the Ray Ban outlet devastation of Hurricane Katrina, it is among the most compelling examples of sound stewardship of resources.”

–Al Gore

Why not spend 36 hours in the city that was made for a magical escape?

Dear CulinaryCorps Donor,

The fourth CulinaryCorps trip to New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has just returned from their week of “culanthropy” in the city and beyond. The week was an incredible Ray Ban outlet amalgamation of cooking, learning and connecting. And although we have all returned to our homes exhausted, we are proud to have contributed to the widespread recovery efforts.

As always, the success of this trip relied on three core actions:

1. The dedication of our volunteer cooks

2. The soul-warming hospitality of our community project and event partners

3. And donations from people like you! Without your monetary help, CulinaryCorps would not have been able to…

…Create a fundraising “Brunch Without Borders” for the Holy Angels Farmers Market, the only source of fresh produce in the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward. The menu included Heuvos Rancheros using market fresh cilantro pesto, sweet potato rostis, spiced crepes with Praline sauce and lots of local citrus….

Annie S. and Chris C. work on the Spiced
Crepes with Praline Sauce

…Design and launch the “St. Rose Holiday Food Fest”, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The evening welcomed nearly two hundred hungry guests gathered to thank their local http://www.raybani.com/ volunteers working tirelessly through the St. Rose Outreach and Recovery initiative to rebuild homes in the area. Extra revenue was created through the sales of our cookbook, “From Our Kitchen to Yours”, a collection of the recipes executed that evening….

The efforts of the St. Rose Outreach Initiative
have helped put dozens of residents back into
their homes.

…Feed three hundred Habitat for Humanity volunteers at Camp Hope, the housing facility hosting thousands of volunteers dedicating time to build homes from the ground up across the city. We once again had the opportunity to work side-by-side with an incoming AmeriCorps NCCC kitchen crew, teaching these amazing young volunteers how to cook in large quantities and put a little bit of love into every bite.

Deb F., Duke A. and NCCC volunteers getting ready
to deep fry oysters, generously donated by
P&J Oyster

…Lead the third grade class at Samuel Green Charter through an “Edible Scavenger Hunt” at the Crescent City Farmers Market in conjunction with The Edible Schoolyard NOLA…

Donovan and second time CulinaryCorps
volunteer Lamont S. discover
edible wonders at the market.

…And then turn those ingredients into a beautiful meal in the classroom!

A busy Samuel Green cook

…Learn first-hand about the history of one of the city’s oldest restaurants, Antoine’s, by cleaning and archiving memorabilia damaged in the storm under the guidance of The Southern Food and Beverage Museum…

Maria N. sorts through old
menus in Antoine’s
Japanese Room

…Co-design the menu specials at Cafe Reconcile Occhiali Ray Ban outlet alongside their students – a talented group of budding young cooks. The dining room filled up and the Cubano Sandwich sold out!

Third time volunteer and co-leader
Viviana A. with a budding chef

…and connect with the food, the chefs, the stories, the foodways, the recipes and the fate of Louisiana and Mississippi. In the end, your dollars went further than you’ll ever know.

Thank you for your generosity to CulinaryCorps and please remember that our work has just begun.

With warmth and thanks,

Christine, Founder

The fourth team of CulinaryCorps chefs will be arriving in New Orleans this Friday. We are thrilled to be welcoming a handful of returning CulinaryCorps volunteers Ray Ban outlet to the crew (hello again Annie, Maria, Chris C. and Lamont!), and as always, can’t wait to shake hands with the new recruits.

Since this is the last trip for the year, we couldn’t resist packing it as full as we possibly could. Take a peek at our December itinerary, and you’ll quickly come to find the meaning to the title of our post. If internet karma allows, we aim to blog “live” throughout the trip…so stay tuned for our adventures in culanthropy and Creole/Cajun cuisine…

In these few weeks before the trip, we are trying to raise a $375 for a professional scholarship. These funds will allow a cook who otherwise cannot afford the trip the Gafas Ray Ban outlet chance to join us for the week in New Orleans and the MS Gulf Coast. $5, $10, $100…donations of all shapes and sizes are welcome! Thanks for contributing to the chance of a lifetime. Click HERE for donation information.

Congratulations to Viviana Acosta-Padial, CulinaryCorps alum and trip co-leader, for being the WOSO VIP of the Day.  Her culinary-focused interview was played by the Puerto Rican radio station throughout the day, reaching thousands of island listeners.  A wonderful way to recognize an amazing volunteer and chef!

Kim Severson of the New York Times did a great piece, …Into the Fryer, on the fried chicken rebirth at both Dooky Chase and Willie Mae’s.

(As a very IMDB aside; take a peek at Ms. Leah Chases’ chef jacket.  We were so pleased to see a recent CulinaryCorps gift being put to good use!)

…in roughly the same way that foie gras is like chopped liver,” writes Todd Price in “A Chill on Tchoupitoulas: The Ice Princess.” Meet Ashley Hansen and go inside Sno-Bliz, one of the best snowball stands in New Orleans.

The Times-Picayune message boards, dedicated to Dining Out cheap oakley sunglasses in New Orleans, are a wealth of insider information posted by locals of what’s great (and maybe not so great) in the city these days.   If you’re heading down to  NOLA soon, check them out here.