Chefs compete to feed the poor

For the fourth year, Albuquerque’s finest restaurants and chefs were pitted against each other on June 5 in the name of raising money for New Mexicans who don’t always know where they will get their next meal.

The event was a fundraiser for The Storehouse, the largest food pantry in New Mexico. Lisa Giering, its marketing director, said one in six people in New Mexico deal with hunger issues daily.
Giering said the Storehouse has seen a 25 percent increase in patronage over the past year.

“In an economy like we have now, where unemployment is at record highs and gas prices are at record highs, we’ve got a real systemic problem where grocery prices have escalated about 25 percent in the last year in cost,” she said.

The knockout featured four bouts of chefs going mano-a-mano. Competitors were judged on characteristics such as overall taste, originality and use of secret ingredients. Each round lasted 30 minutes.

Grove Café and Market chef Renauldo Robertson said this is the second year The Grove has competed, and he looks forward to a “threepeat.”

“It went real good, and it was nice and fast,” he said. “One bite is all you get to make an impression.”

One of the judges for the competition was Police Chief Ray Schultz. He said he has been a judge for other food competitions, but this one holds a special connection because of the way it benefits New Mexico families in need.

“It’s really great because my officers interact all the time with people who can’t put food on the table,” he said. “So I am able to see that this can make a difference.”

People who want to donate food can bring it by the storehouse, but Giering said they can also make a difference by donating their time at the Storehouse.

“We love when we see people become aware of a problem in their community and they want to become involved,” she said. “As they develop through stages in their life, like when they get married or when they get their first job, they can maybe make donations or organize a food drive in their work.”