Menu for Hope III: Prizes from Canada

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Menu For Hope is an annual charitable raffle whose proceeds benefit humanitarian causes around the world. It was begun by Pim, the wonderful person behind Chez Pim. The first instalment assisted victims of the South East Asian tsunami and last year monies were collected for UNICEF to help those impacted by the earthquake in the Kashmiri region of India-Pakistan. This year funds raised will go to the United Nations World Food Program.

Pim asked me to organise prizes donated by Canadian bloggers and I was more than happy to do so. As you can see from thelist below, we have some very generous and creative people here. I hope you will read all of the descriptions and visit their sites, and, of course buy a ticket (or two or 10 or 16) to have a chance at winnng these fabulous prizes. Remember: buy early and buy often!

The campaign will run from 11 – 22 December 2006. Raffle results will be posted on Chez Pim on 15 January 2007. The global list of donors is available at Chez Pim, here: http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html







CA01 Tea for Hope
Kelli of avoir une famille n’est pas comme une téléroman, a warm and wonderful blog devoted to family and food, provides a parcel of comfort and warmth. A crafty person, Kelli knit a beautiful two-tone blue teapot cozy, finished off with funky little tassels and a red ribbon. The parcel is complete with a 100g (3-1/2oz) of O’Kelly’s Herb’s tisane: an exotic, Thai-inspired herbal tea made with Asian lemongrass mixed with sweet and spicy Korean mint, oat straw, nettle, star anise, rosehip, lemon peel, stevia, and a set of “vintage china” postcards.
http://claquee.blogspot.com/2006/12/perfect-project-menu-for-hope-iii.html



CA02. Food+Drink: nibbles and sips for holiday entertaining
Tara of Seven Spoons, a beautifully photographed and nicely written blog, offers three cookbooks to take you from the surreal to the sublime. Michele Cranston and Petrina Tinslay’s Food and Drink at Home guides busy and social people through simple but elegant foods fit for a crowd. From Coconut Shrimp Lollipops to S’mores Shooters, Bob Blumer (aka The Surreal Gourmet) will help you find new and fun ways to play with your food in Surreal Gourmet Bites. Coax out your inner mixologist with The Playboy Bartender's Guide (Deluxe Edition)’s 1,400 mouth-watering cocktail recipes (Bunny ears not included).
http://sevenspoons.net/2006/12/in-keeping-with-season.html

CA03 Banner Makeover
Meena of Hooked on Heat, a great collection of deliciously spicy food, offers a very special winner a brand new blog banner. Tired of how your blog looks? Want to spruce it up with an interesting visual that screams you and your personality? Do you have a great idea as to what you want your banner to look like but haven’t got a clue as to where to start? Then this is the prize for you. Multitalented with an eye for great design and composition, Meena will work with you to help spruce up your blog with a custom-designed banner.
http://www.hookedonheat.com/2006/12/11/a-menu-for-hope-iii/

CA04 A Taste of Waterloo County
Looking for an interesting outing on a late-Spring-Summer Saturday in 2007? A little more than an hour’s drive from Toronto, Ontario, a mini-adventure awaits the winner and up to three guests in Waterloo County. Work up an appetite at a guided hike through the Waterloo moraine (a beautiful natural aquifer, protected from development). Afterwards, I’ll prepare a simple supper for us at tranquil Sunfish Lake (pictured), hosted by Edna Staebler’s dear friend and neighbour. Thanks to the very kind people at Wilfrid Laurier Press, you will also receive a copy of the just-off-the-press re-release of Edna’s first cookbook, Food That Really Schmecks. An optional morning at the St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market can also be included on this day-trip.
http://cardamomaddict.blogspot.com/2006/12/mfh3-nummy-prizes-to-consider.html

CA05. East Coast Cookery
Paige of chef-girl.net, a creative and tasty place to be, offers a cookbook from one of her favourite Canadian Chefs, Michael Smith. Known to North American television audiences as a guest chef and host of three television series, Smith’s Open Kitchen: A Chef’s Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune focuses on fresh cooking with whatever is local and on hand. Mouth-wateringly rich photography and hand-drawn illustrations accompany favourite recipes from his former kitchen at The Inn at Bay Fortune in PEI. A great cookbook addition for anyone interested in East Coast regional or Canadian cuisine.
http://chef-girl.net/?p=107

CA06. Serious Chilean bread
Nico of Nico’s Food Adventures, a blog that chronicles his love of and his knowledge of foodish things, offers a special treat for someone in the Vancouver, BC area. Chilean bread made just for the winner. Serious--he’s not joking. Chileans have a serious love of bread, and according to some random statistic, after Germans, Chileans eat the most amount of bread in the world (per capita). Nico will make, freeze and deliver the bread to the winner, complete with baking instructions. Simply pop it in the oven, buy some butter and take the rest of the day off.
http://nicolas123.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-chilean-bread.html

CA07. Baker’s Bounty
Jen of The Canadian Baker, a sweet and inspirational source of baking goodness, offers two cookbooks to help turn your kitchen into a bakery second to none. The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook, is by Jennifer Appel, an original founders of New York City’s word-famous Magnolia Bakery. Suitable for the average baker, it features full-colour photos and easy-to-find ingredients, this book has many classic dessert recipes, including their signature Lady Baltimore Cake. The second title is the versatile Philadelphia Cream Cheese Classic Recipes. Filled with easy-to-follow recipes and full-colour photos, it’s a welcome addition to anyone's cookbook collection.
http://canadianbaker.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html

CA08. Bring Dorie Home with You
Sara of i like to cook, a favoured blog by many, came up with two prizes. Think you’re a horrible home baker? Are your crusts more like cardboard and your crumbcake more crummy than cakey? Wish you could have an expert baker on hand to help with birthday cakes, or to just dole out advice that makes sense? Dorie Greenspan’s new book Baking: from my home to yours could be what your cookbook collection needs. As an extra special bonus, Dorie has autographed the prize copy, just for Menu for Hope III.
http://iliketocook.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-raffle-prizes.html



CA9. Culinary Calgary to Go
In Sara’s second package, she exports some of Calgary’s finest foodie things. If you win this prize, you’ll receive a copy of The Best of City Palate, a collection of 10 years’ worth of the Calgary publication’s interesting, humorous and thought-provoking columns along with outstanding recipes. Along with that is a bag of Bernard Callebaut Bittersweet Chocolate Drops—a chocolate lover’s dream. The last two items in the package are a cheery handmade apron by Sara along with five of her family’s favourite recipes.
http://iliketocook.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-raffle-prizes.html


CA10. An Endless Banquet of Goodies
Anthony and Michelle of An Endless Banquet (AEB), a very aptly named space, assembled a set their own goodies that every foodie will love. First up is a set of An Endless Banquet "secondhand China" postcards featuring lovely photos of china from their collection. The winner will also receive a copy of A.P.Q.O. (AEB 001), the first in a series of AEB chapbooks: this one concerning itself with the pleasures of apples, pears, quinces, and oranges (hence the title). They’ve also included bottles of their own Švestka brand preserved goodies--one jar each of oignons confits and pear-vanilla-bourbon butter.
http://endlessbanquet.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii.html

CA11. Artisanal Goodness
Linda of Kayak Soup, a cheerful blog filled with beautiful food, applies her considerable creativity to the prize she’s offering. A very lucky winner will receive two dozen hand-made chocolates. Yes, she will give away two dozen of her own chocolates—the flavours included are chai, port, frangelico, dulce de leche, gingerbread, cardamom and rosewater, and Kahlua.. But that’s not all. This choco-luscious prize will arrive in a unique gift box. What’s unique about it? Linda will paint the box in the prize winner’s colours of choice. Yummy and beautiful.
http://kayaksoup.blogspot.com/2006/12/menu-for-hope-iii-ca11.html


CA12. Susur
Rob and Rachel of Hungry in Hogtown, a very adventurous foodblog, offer a specially autographed copy of Susur: A Culinary Life. Susur Lee is one of Toronto’s most celebrated chefs. His restaurants (Susur and Lee) serve fusion cuisine, inspired by what’s fresh and available in the market; both are recognised as two of the world’s top 50 restaurants. The book is divided into two parts—the first is series of five essays biographical written by Jacob Richler and a listing of basic recipes. The second part combines beautiful photography with professional-calibre recipes. A perfect addition to any serious foodie’s bookshelf.
http://hungryinhogtown.typepad.com/hungry_in_hogtown/2006/12/susur.html

CA13. The Ultimate Chocolate Tasting Kit
Clement of à la cuisine!, a great blog about his love of food, presents a prize every aspiring chocolate connoisseur, chocolate lover and chocoholic would love. Imagine receiving seven dark chocolate samples, one each of: Amedei Chuao, Amedei Porcelana, Amedei 9, Michel Cluizel Mangaro, Michel Cluizel Hacienda 'Los Anconès',Valrhona Palmira 2005, Slitti GranCacao 73%; two milk chocolates, one each of Scharffen Berger Milk Chocolate, Domori Latte Sel, and one white chocolate sample: Amedei Cioccolato al Latte Bianco con Pistacchi. Included is Chloé Doutre-Roussel's The Chocolate Connoisseur, a book about tasting chocolate. After these choccies, running out to the KwikiMart for that instant chocolate fix just won’t be the same.
http://www.alacuisine.org/alacuisine/2006/12/a_menu_for_hope.html

CA14. Home-made Morsels of Loveliness
Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, a favourite destination for foodies worldwide, opens up her heart and her kitchen with this prize. Imagine getting a box delivered to your door (or picked up at your local post office), opening it up, and finding a batch of freshly baked cookies just for you. Give her at least a week’s notice and if you live anywhere in North America, you will receive a batch of home made cookies. You even get to choose what kind you want! She will give you a list of 10 cookies from which to make your selection. All you’ll need is a tall glass of cold milk and you’re set for the rest of the day.
http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/entries.php?entry=10232

CA15. Food That Really Schmecks
The very kind people at Wilfrid Laurier University Press found out about Menu for Hope and offered a copy of the newly re-released Food That Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler. Originally published in 1968, Edna’s book became an instant favourite, bringing the world of Mennonite cooking to homes all over North America. Her narrative is chatty, humorous and no-nonsense and you’ll feel as if you’re reading a letter from a dear friend. This edition, published to celebrate her 100th birthday, includes forwards by two of her dear friends, Canadian cookbook icon Rose Murray and famed author Wayson Choy.
http://cardamomaddict.blogspot.com/2006/12/mfh3-nummy-prizes-to-consider.html


CA16. Juicy Celebrations
Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, a blog bursting at the seams with writing as delicious as her food, packaged two cookbooks for our event. Rick Rodgers’Celebrations 101 can help you plan your way through any party from a romantic dinner, to snacks for the big game, to a grand holiday feast. Afterwards, Pippa Cuthbert and Lindsay Cameron Wilson can help you combat some of those calories with Juice! This colourful and mouth-watering cookbook about delicious drinks (and numerous variations and recipes) will get you going in the morning and keep you healthy.
http://creampuffsinvenice.typepad.com/cream_puffs_in_venice/2006/12/menu_for_hope_i.html

CA17 Nova Scotian Goodness
Meg, of Teh Culinary Skillz, found out about Menu for Hope and came up with a great way to help out, by assembling a package that represents some of the best of her Maritime homeland. She's including some smoked salt, harvested from the Atlantic ocean. If you like salmon, why not try some of the special salmon seasoning she's including? To balance out the flavours, she's included some lavender-infused sugar, which is perfect on homemade cookies. If you want a bit of a sweet retreat right now, she's also included some lovely homemade biscotti (chocolate hazelnut and cranberry) to tide you over, which goes perfectly with the wild blueberry tea.
http://tehculinaryskillz.blogspot.com/2006/12/another-new-look-and-another-new-post.html

To buy raffle tickets or to make a donation towards the campaign:
1. Go to the donation page at (http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII) to make a contribution.
2. Each US$10 donation will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you'd like by entering the prize code in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your contribution. E.G: A US$50 donation may be two tickets for UW99 and three tickets for CA20.*
3. Some companies will match personal charitable donations made by staff. If your company has such a program, please remember to mark the appropriate box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.
4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address. We need this so we can contact you in case you win a prize. If you do not do this, we will be unable to contact you. Please be assured that we will not share your email address with anyone.
5. Raffle results will be announced on 15 January on Chez Pim. Draws will be conducted electronically, thanks to Derrick at Obsession with Food for creating computer application used to magically select names.

* N.B: Canadian tax laws prohibit charitable donation receipts to be issued by registered Canadian charities for raffle or lottery tickets. The UNWFP is a U.S.-based charity; should any donation receipts issued, you will need to seek professional advice regarding applying them to your Canadian income tax return.

On behalf of everyone involved with Menu for Hope III and the United Nations World Food Program, than you so much for your support.

On a personal note, I want to publicly thank all of our prize donors, including First Giving, for their generosity. This is my first year with the event, so I was on pins and needles when it came to prize solicitation—I am so happy that so many people answered the call by providing so many wonderful prizes.

There is one person without whom I wouldn’t have been able to write this post. I knew to make this event as successful as possible I wanted to have the round-ups available to our Francophone friends. As anyone who has read my French knows…it’s very ….cute…and I would be unable to tackle the task on my own. A very special thanks to Kelli Ann of avoir une famille n'est pas comme un téléroman was so kind and gracious to agree to write the translations for me. She is a true friend and a wonderful person. Merçi beaucoup, mon amie!

If you cannot afford a raffle ticket, that’s okay. We’ll appreciate any amount you can donate—and if you cannot afford to contribute to the campaign, we simply ask that you write a post supporting us or email some of your friends and tell them about this great event.

Thank you so much and best of luck!
jasmine

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