| EVENT REPORT 03.24.09 4:38 PM |
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| Cook County |
| Celebrity chefs, 41 tasting stations, and plenty of specialty drinks were on the menu at Common Threads' World Festival. |
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Last night, Common Threads' World Festival—a fund-raiser for the nonprofit organization, which teaches culinary skills to children from low-income homes—turned the Museum of Contemporary Art into a proverbial candy shop for cooking-show aficionados. At one of 41 tasting stations, Take Home Chef's Curtis Stone doled out tuna ceviche and flirted with female guests. Across the way, Top Chef season four winner Stephanie Izard prepared braised pork belly; and later, Food Network star Tyler Florence hosted a V.I.P. after-party at the James Hotel.
According to Common Threads executive director Linda Novick O'Keefe, the event was intended to give guests "a taste of what the underprivileged children in our program do every day in our kitchens: Learn and celebrate the world...through delicious global meals. These children are learning to appreciate diversity through food." To give guests a similar experience, a walk-around tasting format allowed nearly 600 attendees to sample dishes from countries such as Thailand, Morocco, and Greece. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Event Creative placed masks atop colorful, billowing fabrics to reflect the event's Carnival theme.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | David Burke's Primehouse chef Rick Gresh prepared a Mexican dish: dry-aged sirloin tacos served with a shot of beer.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Photos of Common Threads' student chefs lit up the walls of the museum's main hallway.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | As guests arrived, 10-year-old chefs Danielle and Nicole handed out spring rolls, which they learned to make in the Common Threads classroom.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Chef John Besh from Restaurant August described his soupe de poisson for a camera crew.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Bucktown restaurant the Bristol prepared a Mococcan dish of lamb loin carpaccio with apricot and lentil salad.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Four Seasons chef Kevin Hickey represented American cuisine with short-rib meatball sliders and pastries that looked like high-end s'mores.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Celebrity chef Jaime Laurita had his sound bite prepared: "I set the mood, then serve the food" for clients such as Sting and Madonna, he said.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Suzanne Imaz, pastry chef at Cafe des Architects, prepared a Latin mango-mojito parfait.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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 | Liquor sponsor 10 Cane served rum cocktails made with parsley and passion fruit puree.
Photo: Eric Craig for BizBash |
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To help guests further bond with the host organization, two 10-year-old chefs passed out spring rolls they learned to make at Common Threads. In the museum's main hallway, Event Creative projected pictures of more young cooks onto the walls; and before the live auction, event organizers presented a three-minute video that showcased footage from the Common Threads classroom. "We wanted to remind everyone why we were there," said Novick O'Keefe. "It's all about the kids."
Even so, some decidedly adult attractions—namely, sponsored bars from 10 Cane rum and Belvedere vodka—also filled the museum. In keeping with the evening's serious-foodie vibe, both brands manned their bars with professional mixologists, who shook up specialty drinks for (of-age) guests.
Correction: The spelling of pastry chef Suzanne Imaz's name has been corrected.
—Jenny Berg
RELATED TOPICS
Common Threads, Top Chef, Belvedere Vodka, 10 Cane Rum
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