2009 Action Against Hunger Benefit Gala

This year’s honorees included Wall Street Journal reporters Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman for their investigative narrative, Enough: Why The World's Poorest Starve in a World of Plenty, and Procter & Gamble for their pocket-sized water purification packets.

The event included a live auction with all proceeds going toward Action Against Hunger, which is committed to saving the lives of malnourished children while providing families with sustainable access to safe water and long-term solutions to hunger. The organization specializes in responding to emergency situations in places of war, conflict and natural disaster and utilizes innovative and cost-effective programs to help vulnerable populations regain their self-sufficiency.

For the fifth year in a row, ICE President Rick Smilow and Chef Andy Gold served as the culinary coordinators for the event, with ICE’s students volunteering their time and skills to prep the evening’s fare.  The menu included an appetizer by ICE’s director of student affairs, Chef Andy Gold. Chef Andy prepared Hot Smoked Halibut with Fall Roots and Truffle Salad, Salmon Caviar, and a Roast Apple and Beet Puree. The dish was a spectacular blend of seasonal flavors and the perfect prelude to the night’s entrée, Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb, prepared by Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, who is Executive Chef at Butter Restaurant, a visiting Chef Instructor at ICE and a frequent personality on Food Network. The sweet finale featured a Cinnamon-Pear dessert by Chef Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin. The dish showcased cinnamon caramel parfait, “liquid pear” and crème fraiche sorbet.

While wining and dining, guests bid on the evening’s live auction items, including an array of unique wines, celebrity couture and white truffles delivered fresh from Italy. Hands waived eagerly in the air as hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised to benefit Action Against Hunger. The night was a tremendous success measured by the kindness and generosity of both donors and volunteers.