Cook to Your Heart’s Content

What happens when you mix good food, an even better cause and throw in a celebrity chef cook-off? One heck of an event! Tuesday night the organization Chris4Life, a national colon cancer non-profit foundation, held its first Eat4Life event at Crios, 2120 P St. NW. They coupled their cause to raise awareness, improve treatment experience and celebrate survivors of the disease with local and celebrity chefs for a cook off. Over 100 people attended.

Clockwise from top left: Crios storefront, Chef Rock Harper, chefs of the evening (Photo by Lendsey C.)

Among the chefs were celebrity chef Rock Harper, winner of Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, director of kitchen operations at DC Central Kitchen and executive chef of Fat Shorty’s; Scott Drewno, executive chef at The Source by Wolfgang Puck; Allan Javery, executive chef at Scion in Silver Spring; Juan Argueta, executive chef at Crios; and others. Each chef prepared a colon- and cancer-friendly dish, and the chefs were thrilled to share their inspiration and creative process behind many of the good eats.

Food for the cause

Harper prepared poached salmon with braised scallion vinaigrette, cauliflower and black-eyed pea puree, and roasted vegetables. Drewno presented shiso cured salmon with Swiss chard and garlic aioli. Argueta came up with my favorite dish of the evening, spicy tequila grilled shrimp with a pomegranate glaze served with a white honeydew gazpacho shooter. And Javery created the veggie shepherd’s pie with a beet and arugula salad.

Guests of the event were encouraged to try everything, including one of the popular drinks being offered, the blueberry margarita, and then voted for their favorite chef and dish of the evening. Drewno took the win with his dish.

Left to right, top row: Poached salmon, honeydew gazpacho. Bottom row: blueberry margarita, cured salmon (Photo by Lendsey C.)

Left to right, top row: Michael Sapienza, executive director of Chris4Life and friends, healthy colon foods. Bottom row: shiso salmon, raffle prizes (Photo by Lendsey C.)

Get involved

There was colon cancer trivia for prizes and a raffle to help raise even more funds. Prizes included local goodies such as Southern Maryland blue crabs, a Joy of Motion gift card, Washington Capitals tickets and gift baskets. All the proceeds went the the Chris4Life Foundation.

More than 145,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer each year. Even if you don’t personally know someone with the disease, you can still help others with prevention, awareness and treatment by volunteering your time, donating or even educating yourself. Visit this link for more information.

Article  by Lendsey C., Food Editor of DC on Heels

Always half full! Lendsey xoxo