16 Months of Culanthropy since March 2007
5 Trips Launched to New Orleans & MS Gulf Coast
76 Chef Alumni Recruited
From 16 States including Puerto Rico
3,500+ Meals Created
240 Students Taught
$35,000 Raised
2 Alumni Who Have Relocated to New Orleans
Countless shifts in life and work to make room for community involvement
2 CulinaryCorps Inspired Tattoos

We have a lot to be proud of and the thanks belongs to all who have stepped up, stepped out and stepped in to make it possible.

The weekend also afforded the opportunity to visit with CulinaryCorps alums working at magical places and meet new folks doing good work in the Lower 9th Ward.

Plus, and not surprisingly, we ate amazingly well – caramelized cochon du lait with hominy at Bourbon House, red beans and rice (with sausage) at Fraidy’s in the Bywater and beautiful dishes during the award ceremony meal by Alison Vines-Rushing and Susan Spicer among many other talented chefs.

Our warmest congratulations to Ann Cooper, a shining example of a true citizen-chef and winner of this year’s 2008 WCR Community Service Award. We were honored to be nominated alongside our long-time inspiration and know her efforts have made great strides in changing the way we feed our children.

In July, we traveled to Napa Valley to speak at this year’s TASTE 3 conference, Robert Mondavi’s summit at the intersection of food, wine and art. Sharing the vision of Culanthropy and the mission of CulinaryCorps with an audience of food and wine experts was both heart-warming and inspiring. For those of you not familiar with the conference, it is safe to say it is the best kept secret of the food/wine world. Run beautifully and efficiently, the three-day event affords participants experiences like no other. The setting alone, COPIA , is worthy of a trip. After the talk, we were overwhelmed as person after person came up to us with a smile, hugged us tightly and said “thank you”. A few days later we were delighted to be on the front page of the Napa Valley Register.

Next, we were invited to speak on Voluntourism.org, a website founded by David Clemmons that helps travelers find a way to give back while exploring their destinations. Our hour-long webcast had us discussing New Orleans, our unique model of engagement and the challenges we face as as an organization that hosts chefs that are both visitors and volunteers.

And lastly, we were delighted to be interviewed by The William & Mary Alumni Magazine. Our alma mater in Williamsburg, VA and where we first got our start cooking albeit for very social reasons; to win the hearts of our freshman hall mates with fresh blueberry muffins.

In an effort to keep our readers informed, CulinaryCorps.org has decided to chronicle each day of the trip complete with pictures. So stop by as often as you can to get a behind the scenes glimpse of CulinaryCorps in action!

That is the mantra of Dirty Coast – graphic gurus and generous t-shirt sponsors of our upcoming trip. We fell in love with a couple of their food-related tees. We think you will too!

And huge thanks to our tremendous booth volunteers who spent from dawn until dusk slinging our caffeine concoctions.

In the end, the day’s work helped to not only raise funds for the organization but raise awareness about CulinaryCorps’ efforts in New Orleans. Thanks to all who helped make the booth a reality…and to those who bought a cup or two at the concert!

We’ll be selling New Orleans Iced Cafe au Lait to the over 35,000 concert goers at our very own CulinaryCorps vending booth! All proceeds from the sales will go towards our two upcoming outreach trips to New Orleans.

We could not have even imagined pulling off this exciting endeavor without the help of our incredible sponsors, Cool Brew and Ronnybrook Farm Dairy. Both companies have gone above and beyond to ensure that this booth will be a success and we cannot thank them enough.

So if you’re at the concert, come on by and have yourself a cold one (cold coffee that is.) And if you can’t make it to Farm Aid…support our sponsors by falling in love with their amazing products.

Read our Farm Aid Press Release for more details.  And click on the icons below to support the people behind this year’s Cafe au Lait.

Our hearts and minds turn to the dedicated citizens of New Orleans today.  We wish them a moment of peace to reflect on their everyday heroics and thank them for the example they have set for us all during these two years of rebirth.

“Learn from yesterday.   Live for today.  And hope for tomorrow.”   (Albert Einstein)

CulinaryCorps invites eligible culinary students and professionals to join our volunteer outreach trips to New Orleans. We are now recruiting for two fall trips:

September 14-21, 2007
…and…
November 30 – December 7, 2007

Each trip will be composed of fifteen culinary students/professionals from around the nation that are committed to volunteering their time and kitchen skills to food-related community projects within New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. They will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vital culinary culture of the region during tastings, lectures and tours.

This is a great way to transform your passion for food into an opportunity to provide support and solidarity to New Orleans rebuilding efforts. We promise it’ll be the hardest week you’ll ever savor. Click “continue” for details…

WHERE: New Orleans, Louisiana

COST: $375 – Transportation to and from New Orleans not included (Includes: projects, most meals, most events, activities, housing (in the Xavier University Dorms) and transport in New Orleans. It is recommended that each participant brings at least $200 spending money)

REQUIREMENTS: Min. 3 months professional kitchen experience and/or culinary degree. Personal health insurance.

HOW DOES IT WORK: Each day, CulinaryCorps lends their manpower and enthusiasm to a specific project partner. Projects may include Blueberry Farm fundraiser for SlowFood, cooking classes at New Orleans Edible Schoolyard and meal creation at Emergency Communities’ lower 9th ward feeding kitchen. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to learn about the culinary heritage of the city and the Gulf Coast through classes, lectures and tours. View the June Itinerary to get a feel for what a trip entails.

TO APPLY: E-mail a completed September/December Application to culinarycorps@gmail.com. Your application will be reviewed in a timely fashion and if selected, you will be asked to submit a non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. A participant packet will be e-mailed to you three-weeks before the trip with an in-depth itinerary and travel information.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE: We ask all participants to arrive on the start date of the trip by 12pm CST at Louis Armstrong Airport.  Departure time at the end of the trip is flexible although if an evening flight is booked, plan on arranging your own taxi to the airport.

THESE SLOTS FILL UP QUICKLY. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TODAY!