Help Feed Hungry Kids at April 17 Chef-Driven Bake Sale

Just because we don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. "It" is local childhood hunger and it's something that freelance food writer Erin Jackson feels strongly about obliterating. So Jackson decided to launch a fundraiser that would support the nonprofit No Kid Hungry, a campaign organized by Share Our Strength. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. The campaign also engages the public to make ending child hunger a national priority.

Jackson created the Bake Me SomeLove initiative to promote and brand her events. The first one will take place this weekend on Sunday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. She calls it the Chef-Driven Bake Sale.

The Chef-Driven Bake Sale features a baker's dozen of San Diego's top chefs who will be creating  sweet and savory treats for the public to purchase at one of the coolest venues in downtown San Diego--LOUNGESix, the poolside rooftop lounge at Hotel Solamar, which also is home to JSix.

The $5 admission fee will give attendees the opportunity to purchase treats like Rachel King's Almond Joy Bars, Kayli Faucher's Cookies N Cream cookies, and Francis Laureano's Assiago Bavarian Pretzels with Grain Mustard. Each treat will be on sale for $5 with all proceeds going to No Kid Hungry.

Chef Matt Gordon of Urban Solace

"I've been wanting to do something like this for about three years," Jackson said. "Serious Eats, which I used to write for, had a pie social and it sounded like so much fun. It was people getting together and eating sweets to support the community. But I thought about it and I like going to bake sales. Doing a bake sale with a charity component was what I decided on and I wanted to support No Kid Hungry because it encourages people in their communities to get involved in ending childhood hunger."

The challenge for Jackson was choosing chefs. "I had a dream list of people whose desserts I've enjoyed over the years. The hardest part was narrowing the list down because of space restrictions at LOUNGESix. And when I finally came up with my first picks and everyone said yes I was really blown away at how everyone saw the value of it and wanted to participate."

Chef Vivian Hernandez-Jackson of Azucar

Freelance pastry chef Rachel King explained why she got involved. "Erin actually contacted me. It's an amazing organization that helps feed hungry kids. I know they hold bake sales across the country and was excited to get involved."

Freelance pastry chef Rachel King

The event will also feature JSix bartender Chris Burkett and his signature cocktail for Chef-Driven Bake Sale.

Participating chefs include:

• Donna Antaloczy – Ironside Fish & Oyster
• Tae Dickey – BIGA
• Rygie Dy – Bottega Americano
• Kayli Faucher – The Crack Shack
• Matt Gordon – Urban Solace
• Christian Graves – Jsix
• Rocio Siso‐Gurriaran – Nine‐Ten
• Vivian Hernandez‐Jackson – Azucar
• Rachel King – Indie
• Francis Laureano – Crafted Baked Goods
• Donald Lockhart – Cusp
• Jojo Rossi – Whisknladle Hospitality
• Jessica Scott – Puesto

To buy your admission ticket for the event, go to their Eventbrite page. LOUNGESix is located at 616 J Street in downtown San Diego.

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San Diego Foodstuff Miscellany: The Bread and Cheese Edition

• Share Our Strenth’s Great American Bake Sale. Childhood hunger in America is a travesty—but we can do something about it! Share Our Strength is holding its fourth Great American Bake Sale this summer to raise money for local organizations that work to increase participation by low-income children in summer and after-school feeding programs. The funds also support nutrition education programs for low-income families.

How does it work? Mobilize your community to hold a bake sale—you and your kids know how to do that! Go to www.greatamericanbakesale.org to get more information and register your sale. They’ll send you a poster and tips for your sale. Then after you’ve had your bake sale send the money you raised to:

Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale
P.O. Box 75203
Baltimore, MD 21275-5203

If you’d just like to donate to the cause, send a check to the same address or call l (800) 761-4227.

• From Aniata to Venissimo. Hats off to Martyna and Bob Stonebrook for bringing back cheese to San Diego in 2001. Aniata Cheese Co. has been a wonderful addition to the region’s culinary repertoire. The Stonebrooks just announced that they’ve sold the shop in Del Mar's Flower Hill Mall to Gina and Roger Freize of Venissimo Cheese in Mission Hills so they can become wholesaler/distributors (known, of course, as Aniata Cheese Co.). So, effective Sept. 1, we now have a small chain of cheese shops in San Diego.

According to Gina, “This just really brings us one step closer to realizing our vision: to share the goodness and glory of cheese while building the brightest cheese retailer in the world! (Baby steps, right?) The beauty of this deal is that Aniata wanted to build its wholesale business, so now we can be assured of getting the world's greatest cheeses from them. It's such a great partnership...”

What’s next? Fingers crossed, downtown San Diego. Gina and Roger have their eyes on you for a third shop.

• Celebrate the Craft. Head over to the Lodge at Torrey Pines Sept. 20 to 23 for a weekend celebration of regionally grown ingredients, innovative cooking and winemaking—plus a little art on the side. Celebrate the Craft is in its fourth year of feting great food artisans in California, and this year has added “The Torrey Pines Plein Air Invitational” to showcase open air painters and their take on the landscape of the Torrey Pines State Reserve.

This year’s events will include a Saturday picnic in the park to watch the Plein Air artists do their thing, a Saturday night reception and art auction, a Sunday afternoon picnic with food stations to sample products and a Sunday evening family-style supper featuring dishes prepared with local ingredients.

Go to www.celebratethecraft.com for more information and to buy tickets.

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