Celebrity chef Jeff Eng (Mohawk) finalist on chopped.

In Dining With The Chefs Part 1 — I gave a general overview of what to expect at the fundraiser, its mission and goals, and my role in producing the DWTC advocacy video. Now it’s time to talk about the success of this event!

The dinner hosted by the UMES Hospitality & Tourism Management Program took place this past Monday April 18th, 2016 at the USG campus Multipurpose Room.

It kicked off with a cocktail hour which included drinks and snacks like Italian gazpacho,  hummus and avocado dip, french bread with cured meats, as well as Dogfish Head craft beers.

Next came the official welcome by Ruth Lee, Director of the UMES Hospitality program as well as a welcome from our Executive Director Dr. Stewart Edelstein. Dr. Edelstein stressed an important message in his speech — the importance of giving back to the community.

After all, that’s what this event was all about: a fundraiser for Campus Kitchens, a USG community outreach program that provides meals for families living in poverty.

Then finally, it was time for the introductory advocacy video produced by your very own UMDCP Communication students! The first video advocated for the Campus Kitchen Project.

Then, finally it was time for dinner! Each course included 3 – 4 different family style portions for each table.

• First course was- salads. My personal favorite was the warm kale salad, a combination of grains, kale, sundries tomato and more, then drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette.
• Next course was seafood which included a variety of dishes like ceviche, grilled squid squash, halibut with lemon fennel emulsion, and a Chesapeake bay catfish.
• Third course was pasta which included a dish prepared by celebrity chef Jeff Eng who was a finalist on chopped. Jeff prepared a fresh pasta dish sautéed in pesto sauce with pork belly, asparagus, fav beans, peas, spinach and topped with in house made ricotta.
• Fourth course was meat which included a variety of dishes like roasted beef eye round with mushroom sauce, huevos rancheros, meatballs with tomato sauce, and a Coq au Vin.
• Last but not least was dessert!! My favorite dessert was the Pistachio Chocolate Trifle, prepared by Rivka Alvial a former UMES alumni who was now a culinary instructor. The trifle consisted of spongy layers of chocolate cake and pistachio creme topped with white chocolate pistachio cranberry brittle.

The best part — each course was paired with a screening of my videos!

Some of the production crew with superhero chef instructor Susan Callahan.

Dining With The Chefs was a memorable experience for me because I was apart of the journey, meet some incredible students and teachers, chat with some awesome chefs.

Cheers to being apart of something greater.