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| Chefs & Champagne participating chefs with Guest of Honor Emeril Lagasse and James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro at the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs & Champagne® New York fundraiser at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons. By Mark Von Holden |
By Debbie Mitchell
The annual James Beard Foundation (JBF) summer event, Chefs & Champagne is a week away. The mid-summer marker and fundraiser takes place on Saturday July 21 and is a yummy afternoon. The culinary fundraiser in the Hamptons on New York's East End of Long Island is as fun as it sounds. This year over 30 talented chefs, several from JBF award winning restaurants, will gather under a huge tent on the Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, N.Y. The chefs are each stationed at tables where they prepare bite sized tasting portions to tease your taste buds and champagne flutes remain filled compliments of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. This is a day to forget the diet!
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| Martha Stewart, Guest of Honor Emeril Lagasse and James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro at the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs & Champagne® New York fundraiser at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons. By Mark Von Holden |
Every year JBF Chefs & Champagne honors a noted chef. Past honorees include Martha Stewart and last summer's guest of honor Chef Emeril Lagasse. This year, the James Beard Foundation (JBF) will honor multiple award-winning TV personality and cookbook author Ted Allen and the judges of Food Network’s Chopped who include Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Marcus Samuelsson, Aarón Sanchez, Chris Santos, and Geoffrey Zakarian. This honor comes on the heels of Ted Allen winning the Best Media Personality and Chopped winning Best Television Program at the James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards in May.
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| Ted Allen at James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards 2012 |
“Chopped’s popular cast has made it one of the most watched culinary TV shows over the past three years,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “Their high energy and approachable way of discussing food make Allen and the all-star judges among the industry’s finest. We were thrilled to bestow a James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award upon them this past spring and we look forward to continuing the celebration out in the Hamptons.”
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| Marcus Samuelsson, Guest of Honor Emeril Lagasse and Daniel Boulud at the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs & Champagne® New York fundraiser at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons. By Mark Von Holden |
The ritzy afternoon is a chance for folks to eat, meet and greet some of their favorite chefs while raising money. Funds raised at the event help support the James Beard Foundation’s mission and programs, including culinary student scholarships and the organization's annual food conference on sustainability, public health, and nutrition. There's a silent auction consisting of fine dining experiences, wines and spirits, cookware and culinary travel packages will also raise funds for the organization. One year a friend of mine actually took a chance and bid and she won a trip to Mexico!
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| The VIP After-Party at the 2011 James Beard Foundation’s Chefs & Champagne® New York fundraiser at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons. By Phil Gross |
If you want to visit New York's Hamptons, this is a special day to see it. Spend the morning touring the towns and the evening (6 pm to 8:30 pm) at the event. Come early, dress cool and ladies bring a hand fan since the last two summers have been hot ones under the tent. Tickets are $200 and up. Reservations can be made by calling (212) 627-2308 or at jamesbeard.org/chefsandchampagne. To become a member of the James Beard Foundation, click here.
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TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards committee. If you are blogger or brand interested in blogger outreach campaigns or a personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or contact The Blogger Connection.
More Ready4Air:
This sounds like a wonderful way to enjoy a summer day. Good food, inspiring chefs, all while helping a worthy cause. I'll certainly drink to that!
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