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Menu For Hope 6

2009 Menu For Hope – East Coast Bid Items

Menu For Hope 6 to help Purchase for Progress launches today! Bidding is open from December 14th through December 25th 2009.

Thank you to all of those who came forward with awesome items to bid on. Each year I am delighted to chip in and this year I want to thank Pim for trusting me with hosting the East Coast and I am psyched of the work all the hosts and donors have achieved in the middle of all our/their busy schedules.

Now it’s your time dear readers and participants to make this charitable enterprise a success! If you’ve missed previous posts on Menu For Hope, here are the details.

Here is the list of bid items from bloggers on the US East Coast for you to check out and you will find a complete list on Pim’s site. Don’t forget to check out the other regional hosts, Shauna, Tara, David, Ed and Alder, and their lists as many contain items without shipping restrictions. (See bidding instructions at the end of post).

I’m sure you’ll find some fabulous goodies you’ll want to place a bid on. Tickets are $10 each and tax deductible.

UE01: One Day Macarons 101 Workshop With Helene From Tartelette.(*Prize must be redeemed and used within the year)


Helene will come to your kitchen for the day to teach you how to make the ever elusive and tricky macarons like the pros. Charleston, SC area only unless you are willing to ship me to your place!

UE02: Hands-on 1 day food photography & styling workshop with Helene Dujardin of Tartelette OR Three 8×12 art prints by Helene Dujardin. (*Prize must be redeemed and used within the year)


Bid on a personal day of food photography & styling workshop in Helene’s studio. We will tackle food styling, camera and light settings and spend the afternoon practicing! The winner is responsible for travel and lodging to Charleston, SC. Lunch and materials will be provided. OR The winner will choose between 3 prints professionally printed on Kodak Endura paper from Helene’s etsy shop (no shipping restrictions). You can specify which one when you bid. (*Prize to be redeemed and used during the year)

UE03: New West Knifeworks "Phoenix 9" Knife.


From Marc of No Recipes. This 9 inch chef’s knife from New West Knifeworks has a hand crafted Damascus forge welded blade, making it light, yet hard enough to hold
it’s razor sharp edge for months. It effortlessly slices though
everything from carrots, to tomatoes to meat. (no shipping restrictions)

UE04: Eat Boutique Gift Box.


From Maggie at Eat Boutique, a gift box including an array of hand-crafted food products from across New England. Taza Chocolate Covered Almonds and Taza Chocolate Covered Nibs; Lark Fine Foods Salted Rosemary Shortbread and Mighty Gingers; Q’s Nuts Sweet & Sassy Pecans and Key Lime Coconut Ginger Cashews; Hutchinson’s Candy Famous Fudge; and, Silverbrook Farm Pear Ginger Jam. (no shipping restrictions)

UE05: Weekend at Farnum Hill Orchard, Lebanon, NH.


From Rich at Offbeats Eats, a two night stay at the Farnum Hill Orchard (Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon, NH), tours of the cider making facility, introduction to the craft and horticulture of cidermaking with heirloom cider varieties by Stephen Wood and Louisa Spencer and a selection of specialty heirloom ciders fresh from the source. Winner will provide their own transportation to Lebanon, NH.

UE06: Two night-stay in Chelsea Studio Appartment, New York City.


Annie from Annie’s New York Eats offers 2 nights in her Chelsea in studio apartment in the center of a fascinating neighborhood, with choices such as the Chelsea Market, the Food Network studios, Tom Collichio’s restaurants, the City Bakery, the Union Square Greenmarket, etc.. Fridge and pantry filled with the best locavore ingredients, plus a decent batterie de cuisine with which to cook. Personalized guide of the neighborhood whether you are a vegetarian, omnivore, Top Chef enthusiast, interested in cheap eats or big splurges.

UE07: Custom Beer Tasting.


Join Jessica and Marlene from My Hoppy Place for a custom beer tasting. Are you new to craft and microbrews? Do you want to get to know your local beers? Are you keen to explore a style or flavor? We’ll select a tempting sample of brews, walk you through each, talk about food pairings, and generally schmooze about beer (a subject we love dearly). You can bring up to three guests. You must be local to the Washington DC area and all participants must be 21 or older.

UE08: Box of LA Burdick Chocolate Mice or Penguins.


From Mary at The Sour Dough: winner will get their choice of either 9 adorable little chocolate mice or 9 elegant and cute penguins. (US only)

UE09: Day of bread making.


From Mary at The Sour Dough: An “in your home” day long lesson on making bread completely by hand with three of your friends. We’ll make bread the old fashioned way,completely by hand. The winner will learn techniques like proofing yeast, kneading, shaping and baking. We will make two loaves: basic white and one specialty bread like cinnamon rolls, Challah, or whole grain. The winner will also get a home bread making kit that includes my preferred loaf pan, yeasts, King Arthur flours, and recipes for the breads we make with step by step instructions. Only in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Greater NYC area, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.

UE10: J. A. Henckels Professional "S" 7′ Santoku knife + 5 bags of Impact Granola.


From Steve at My Favourite Flavors: a gorgeous J. A. Henckels Professional "S" 7′ Santoku knife + 5 bags of Impact Granola. Each bag Of Impact Granola is filled with hearty, flavorful granola that’s good for both you and starving children. Each bag you buy will feed a hungry child for an entire day. Get your granola today, so they can see tomorrow. (no shipping restrictions on either bid items).

UE11: Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, NY + a copy of Julie Powell’s new memoir Cleaving.


From Winnie at Healthy Green Kitchen: a $25 gift certificate from Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, NY plus a copy of Julie and Julia author Julie Powell’s new memoir Cleaving (which chronicles her meat internship at Fleisher’s). (no shipping restrictions)

UE12: 4 seasonal shipments of 12 cookies from Jacy Cakes LLC.


Bid on four seasonal shipments of a dozen from Jacy Cakes LLC’s large hand-decorated sugar cookies over the course of the upcoming new year, one shipment every three months. Each cookie will be individually bagged and tied with a satin ribbon, ready to enjoy on the spot or give as gifts. Our cookies are made with the highest quality ingredients and are decorated, bagged, and shipped within two days of their baking, and are shipped priority mail overnight to ensure their freshness. Gluten Free and Vegan cookies available upon request. (no shipping restrictions)

UE13: 100% Certified Fair Trade Coffee Sampler.


From Alana at Eating From The Ground Up: Three 12 oz. bags of Barrington Coffee Roasters amazing coffee beans- Organic/ Fair Trade Sumatra Aceh, Organic/ Fair trade Berkshire Blend, and Organic/ Fair Trade French Roast Mexican Chiapas. (US only)

UE14: $50 gift certificate to Sucre Confectionary.


From Lindsay at Scoop: Adventures in Ice Cream: $50 gift card for Sucré, a confectionery and gelateria located in the heart of New Orleans, LA. Featured in O magazine, Sucré is famous for its array of sweet treats including delicious french macarons, delectable chocolates, and scrumptious baked goods. Everything Sucré creates is handcrafted in small batches from the finest ingredients available, often inspired from local, homegrown flavors. (US only)

UE15: Ethnic Chicago Neighborhood Spice Blends Deluxe gift box +"Chicago Cooks" cookbook.


Donated by The Spice House and offered by Lydia from The Perfect Pantry: The Spice House, Chicago’s premier source of spices for chefs and home cooks, offers their best-selling Ethnic Chicago Neighborhood Spice Blends Deluxe Gift Box of ten spice blends that represent the rich diversity of Chicago’s ethnic neighborhoods and cuisines — Greek, Latino, Ukrainian, Italian, Central European, African-American, Polish, Irish — plus a copy of Chicago Cooks, published by Les Dames d’Escoffier. (North America).

UE16: Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers Cookbook & Cuisinart Elite Collection 12-Cup Food Processor.


Liz & Janice of Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen are offering an autographed copy of their cookbook, The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers and a Cuisinart Elite Collection 12-Cup Food Processor, a 4-cup work bowl nested inside the big, 12-cup and a SealTight™ Advantage System which seals bowls and locks blades to prevent leaking from the bottom of the bowl when the processor is in use or while pouring out ingredients. (US only).

UE17: Bacon Lover’s Candy Pack.


From Mary at Cooking 4 The Week: A collection of bacon-based candies to delight the bacon lover in your life. The pack includes: Bacon brittle, a crunchy, smoky treat that’s great on ice cream or on its own. Bacon caramels, made with lard and bacon fat and topped with Australian pink flake salt. Bacon fudge, dark chocolate fudge layered with crisp, candied bacon. The pack includes 8 ounces of brittle, 8 caramels and 8 pieces of fudge.(US only)

UE18: 12 bars of Amano Chocolate.


From Jessica at Su Good Sweets. Amano has donated four bars each of the 70% limited edition Montanya, 70% Dos Rios, and 70%Guayas OR the 70% Montanya, 30% Ocumare, and 30% Jembrana. Winner’s choice! All together that’s 12 bars. If you’re having difficulty choosing, the first set is for traditionalists; the second is for those who like the creaminess of milk chocolate and the complexity of dark.(no shipping restrictions).

UE19: Sweet Amandine Trio.


From Jess at Sweet Amandine: A trio of homemade sweet, almondy treats – salted chocolate almond toffee, almond butter tarts, and almond biscotti – packaged in a Florentine gift box from my favorite local paper shop. There’s no sense kicking off the New Year with a belly ache, so I’ve designed the selection so that you can pace yourself. The tart is best eaten within a day or two, but the biscotti will keep for up to two weeks, and the toffee, even longer. (US only)

UE20: Cookbook Collection by Scribner.


A collection of six cookbooks provided by Scribner and hosted by Derek from The Best Food Blog Ever: The Joy of Cooking, Boy Gets Grill, On Food and Cooking, Bakewise, Elements of Cooking, and Ratio. (US only)

UE21: Stainless Kitchen Tool Set by All Clad.


From Derek at The Best Food Blog Ever: A set of kitchen tools, including a slotted spoon, solid spoon, fork, ladle, and turner, all in a nice matching caddy. (US only)

UE22: Nespresso Le Cube/Aeroccino Plus bundle.


From Derek at The Best Food Blog Ever: Combination of the Nespresso Le Cube espresso machine and the Aeroccino Plus milk frother. (US only)

UE23: Vermont Foodie Gift Basket and Essential Canning Tool Set.


From Robin at Hippo Flambe: Boyden Valley Vinyard Vermont Ice Wine, Fat Toad’s Farm Traditional Goat’s Milk Caramel, 7 oz bag Dakin Farm Vermont Maple Kettle Corn, 8oz jar Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Butter, jar tomato-orange marmelade, 8oz Vermont cheese, canning funnel, jar lifters, bubble wand superior canning rack and magnetic lid lifter. (no shipping restrictions).

UE24: A Taste Of Atlanta Prize Pack.


Hosted by Tami at Running With Tweezers:
– one super-chic heirloom apron from Ice Milk Aprons from their Rollings In Cinnamon collection.
– One Low Country Luxe candle from their Sugah candle collection. Beautifully packaged candles with a Southern spin.
"Atlanta Cooks at Home" cookbook, curated by Melissa Libby which includes recipes that local chefs (including Iron Chef winner Kevin Rathbun and James Beard winner Scott Peacock) would make in their home.
– One box of 14 delicious assorted macarons from the lovely Crumb bakery in Atlanta.
– One bottle of Hot Squeeze, a sauce with personality. It’s smoky. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s sassy and it’s sexy. All in one bottle.
– Taste of Atlanta has donated FOUR VIP tickets to Atlanta’s largest outdoor food festival, in October 2010. Sample food and drinks from 80+ Atlanta restaurants. You will need to be in Atlanta in October 2010 to redeem this prize. Winner of the bid item will receive a certificate good for your four tickets, valued at $260.

UE25: The Sous Vide Supreme.


Hosted by Jaden from Steamy Kitchen: Cook like Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria with The SousVide Supreme™ is the world’s first water oven designed specifically to bring the gourmet restaurant sous vide cooking method into home kitchens. The result is lusciously silky chicken, juicy, perfect and evenly cooked steaks just like from a master chef. This machine is the size of a bread machine and valued at $449.00. (Canada and US only)

UE26: Gift package of Stonyfield Products.


Donated by Stonyfield and hosted by Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes: Stonyfield Fleece Jacket, Oikos Organic Cooton Tee, Oikos tote bag, Stonyfield hat, Stonyfield cookbook, coupons for free yogurts. (US only)

UE27: 2-piece Kitchen knife set from New West Knifeworks.


From Andrea from Andrea’s Recipes: These are beautiful and functional pieces of knife art. The set contains a chopper and a paring knife with Fusionwood handles, and the winner gets to choose the color of the handles. Each knife comes with its own leather sheath and a lifetime guarantee. (US only)

UE28: Morgan Ranch American Wagyu Beef.


From Derek at Gastronomic Fight Club: You are bidding for 2 Morgan Ranch American Wagyu Coulettes.Taken from the sirloin, this French cut gives the Wagyu (American Kobe) Steak an exceptionally soft and sweet flavor. Since the Morgan Wagyu coulette steak is bit leaner in its makeup, its subtle, pleasant flavor makes it great for serving either carved as medallions or whole as a Chateaubriand. ($125 retail value) (US only)

UE29: Morgan Ranch American Wagyu Family BBQ Collection.


From Derek at Gastronomic Fight Club: This combination is perfect for a family barbecue. With 5 lbs. of ground beef, 4 sirloin steaks, and a pound of kabobs, adults and children alike will all find a favorite dish among this collection. It’s a perfect way to become familiar with Wagyu (American Kobe) Beef. ($125 retail value)(US only).

UE30: North African Spice Blend Package.


From Warda of 64 sq ft Kitchen: four homemade Algerian spice blends along with the north African hot condiment Harissa. The four spice blends are as followed: 1/ Ras El hanout, both yellow and red. Ras el Hanout, a complex melange of spices (in this case 12 spices for the yellow and twenty for the red) commonly used in the Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cuisine. 2/- Tagine spice blend. 3/ – Couscous spice blend (US only)

UE31: Duo of Burro Foods Olive Oil.


Duo of artisanal oils from Paola at Hungry Burro:
– Unfiltered Extra-Virgin Istrian Olive Oil (Olio Nuovo) made from 100% White Istrian Olives from Istranova, in Slovenia. Hand-picked hand, cold-pressed and bottled within hours this unfiltered raw extra-virgin olive oil is far from average! With an assertive peppery flavor best suited for palates that seek bold flavors, it has a higher antioxidant content than most.
– Lightly Toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil from Slovenia made from 100% cucurbita pepo styriaca seeds. It has a deep nutty, smoky, almost sweet, flavor with an intoxicating scent. Great ratio of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Delicious in hearty soups or drizzled over vegetables. (no shipping restrictions).

UE32: The BloggerAid Cook Book + &50 gift card from B&H photo.


From Meeta at What’s For Lunch Honey: The BloggerAid Cook Book is a collection of international recipes illustrating that bloggers can work together and unite for a greater cause. The authors of this cookbook are food bloggers from around the world who have endeavored to make a difference by raising funds for the World Food Programme and encompassing their passion for "all things foodie" at the same time.
B & H Photo is a photographers paradise! One can find a large variety of items to pimp up your equipment. Whether it’s a new lens, a camera or a lighting set-up this gift card hopefully will add a bit to the budget. (no restrictions).

UE33: All-Clad Stainless Covered Saucepan.


Donated by Stephane of Zen Can Cook: classic straight-sided, 2-quart saucepan.
Three-ply: stainless-steel layers sandwich pure aluminum core for even heating. Comfortable lid and stay-cool handles riveted for strength. Dishwasher safe, but hand washing recommended. Lifetime warranty against defects. ($140 value) (No shipping restrictions).

UE34: "Everyday Harumi" by Harumi Kurihara.


Courtesy of Conran Publishing and hosted by Serge at Serge The Concierge: Signed copy of "Everyday Harumi" (simple Japanese food for family and friends) by Harumi Kurihara. (no shipping restrictions).

UE35: Mary Jane Soda Gift Package.


12 Pack of Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda from Colorado and Matching T-Shirt
Made from Kava root, carbonated spring water and natural cane sugar, it’s good for your body and mind (retail value $49.99) (Good for any countries except European Union and Australia)

UE36: "Coco" Book – The most exciting new chefs and restaurants around the world.


Courtesy of Phaidon Books and hosted by Serge from Serge Le Concierge: Curated by Ferran Adrià, Mario Batali, Shannon Bennet, Alain Ducasse, Fergus Henderson, Yoshihiro Murata, Gordon Ramsay, René Redzepi, Alice Waters, and Jacky Yu
(Retail Value $49.99) (no shipping restrictions).

UE37: Wine You Can Wear Tee-Shirts.

Courtesy of Terroir NY and hosted by Serge of Serge Le Concierge: three tee-shirts about three revolutionaries of wine making.
These graphic and yet educational t-shirts each feature valuable information
about each winemaker on the back, baseball card style. (Retail Value: $57) (no shipping restrictions).

UE38: Kitchen Gift Package.


From Christina at Thirty A Week:
Early Bird Granola donates a totebag with 3 varieties of their amazing granola: Pecans-Olive Oil, Mango-Macademia, Cherry-Pistachio.
– Econographics will donate a t-shirt and apron.
– Thirty A Week donates an embroidered kitchen towel with the winner’s initials on them. (no shipping restrictions).

UE39: Two signed copies of "The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home" cookbook


Jennifer Iannolo and Chef Mark Tafoya invite you to stay in with a signed copy of The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home cookbook. Featuring 13 dinner party menus, the cookbook offers easy yet elegant recipes for every occasion, from romantic dinners for two to Mother’s Day, including a vegan dinner party menu.
Includes make-ahead options and cooking tips, desserts by pastry chef Monica Glass and wine pairing recommendations from wine blogger Lenn Thompson. As the first social media-driven cookbook, The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home also features photos from the Culinary Media Network’s audience of viewers and listeners. (no shipping restrictions).

UE40: Red Wine Extravaganza Package.


From Jon at Live To Feast: bid on a gift pack of exceptional Red Wines. The package includes a total of 4 bottles: 2000 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet, 2007 Bodega Teso La Monja Almirez Toro, 2004 Ruffino Modus, 1999 Domaine Combier Crozes-Hermitage Clos Des Grives (Valued at $170) (US Only)

UE41: Set of 4 Bambu Bowls.


From Beatrice at La Tartine Gourmande, a set of 4 Bambu bowls. They are fun and colorful and will always cheer up a dining table. Bambu bowls come in matte finish with natural lacquer which creates a durable waterproof finish. Food-safe, good for both hot and cold foods. Measures 4.5 inch in diameter.

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To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle

1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list.

2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.

3. Please specify which bid item you’d like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code.

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 – 2xEU01, 3xEU02.

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on Monday, January 18 for the results of the raffle.