Update: Giving Back, and Enjoying It

Editor’s note 4/29/08: The numbers are in! This year’s Forks & Corks benefit for Harvesters was a huge success, raising over $200,000 in 3 hours. Those numbers translate into over 1 million meals going to help feed the hungry throughout the Greater Kansas City area. Also, the People’s Choice Award for this year’s favorite, participating restaurant goes to Kansas City’s Capital Grille, located in the heart of the beautiful Country Club Plaza. Their winning entry? Lollipop Lamb Chops Tipped with an 8-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar. Delish!

Mother nature cut Kansas Citians some slack from the barrage of thunderstorms we’ve been experiencing of late as food & wine lovers from across the metro convened at the Grand Ballroom of Bartle Hall for the 2008 Forks & Corks event benefiting Harvesters—Kansas City’s only food bank and clearinghouse for the collection and distribution of food and related household products throughout the Greater KC area.

As planned, I invited my mother-in-law and fellow Kansas City area writer and food blogger Kristen, of Dine and Dish, and the 3 of us met at the Grand Ballroom of Kansas City’s Convention Center for an evening of giving back (raising money to feed the hungry) and enjoying it. And oh how we did! First, the attendees:

Aren’t we a happy crew?! Although I had gotten to know Kristen (top photo, on the right) through many an email and lengthy phone conversation over the past couple of months, this was our first, official meeting and we hit it off in grand fashion! I’m not sure if it’s because we share some of the same things in common: writing, food blogging, cooking, motherhood, working and living in nearby communities; or if it’s just because we have similar, compatible personalities; but to echo Kristen’s sentiments on Dine and Dish, I felt as though I had known her forever. Not only is she a fellow food blogger, but I now consider her a friend and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to get to know her better.

As the 3 of us sampled and sipped our way around the Grand Ballroom on our “girls’ night out,” we were overwhelmed with the sheer amount of food and drink provided by the participating restaurants, catering companies and beverage purveyors. Not only did we get to taste some of the finest wines and champagne in the world, but the food…the food was among the best I have ever had the pleasure of eating, at least under 1 roof.

Because we were too busy savoring the goods and not snapping pictures, I don’t have many food photos to share, but here are some highlights from the menu: Peppered Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio, Tomato Confit on Olive Tapenade rubbed Crostini, Braised Beef Short Ribs with Truffle Grits and Local Morel Mushroom Sauce, Jumbo Lump Crab Hash with Fried Quail Egg, Blue Crab and Corn Bisque, White Chocolate Truffles, Banana Upside Down Cake and simply the best darn Chocolate Chip Cookie I’ve ever eaten. (Who says chocolate chip cookies can’t be glamorous?)

With that said, I did manage to snap a photo of a few of the delicious desserts we were able to sample. The Carrot Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling and Chocolate Covered Cheesecake-Pop were as good as they looked, and the wine pictured (or should I say what’s left of it,) is a delightful Pinot Noir by Bliss. If you haven’t tried Bliss wines (as I hadn’t until Thurday evening,) I urge you to try some soon. The Bliss Pinot Noir (a California-produced wine) was sooo good, sooo smooth and sooo very heavenly, it’s no wonder they call it “Bliss.” (Actually Bliss is the producing family’s last name, originating with the grandfather, Irv Bliss, who started Bliss vineyards in the mid 1900’s.)

Just as fabulous as the fine array of food, wine and champagne to sample, was the charity event’s silent auction. Seven categories comprised the fund raiser, with all proceeds benefiting Harvesters: Hearth & Home, Sports & Entertainment, Fruit of the Vine, Buy it Now, Food & Dining, Feed the Need and Treat Yourself.

Here’s a glimpse of just a few of the items that were available for bid in my favorite category, Hearth & Home:

(photos & tour continued after the jump)

I absolutely loved the fun and stylish Forks & Corks framed artwork (and so badly wanted to one in my kitchen) and if you look below the prints, there were even a few cookbooks up for grabs, not to mention a vacuum! (Cleaning? No thoughts of cleaning at a food & wine event for me…but perhaps you innkeepers?)

And since no tour would be complete without some overview shots of the event…here’s a glimpse of around the ballroom:

(Same shot, but notice the changing ambiance via the lighting on the walls? I stopped counting after 4 colors, but the effect certainly kept the evening lively and fun.)

While I haven’t heard the final numbers for monies raised at this year’s event, last year’s Forks & Corks benefit raised enough money to feed more than 925,000 people in the Greater Kansas City metro area. With the Harvesters network feeding nearly 60,000 people each week (43% of them children) there is no better time to get and stay involved.

If you live in the Greater Kansas City area, remember: the Forks & Corks event is just one of many ways to show Harvesters your support. While there are other charity events throughout the year, you can also donate your time, money or even non-perishable food items. As written in my original post on this event, 1 dollar, 1 can of food and 1 person can make a difference.

So until next year’s Forks & Corks event, I urge you to donate to your own local food bank in whatever way you can. You stand to gain so much in return!

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Tagged as: 2008 Forks & Corks, charity events for local food banks, food bank fund raisers, Forks & Corks, forks & corks Kansas City, forks and corks