Chefs for the Cause Love is Food Benefit for Haiti - Atlanta GA Mar 27, 2010

Top Chef Ron Duprat Join Forces with WSB-TV and Chef G. Eric Centeno To Host “Food is Love” To Benefit Haitian Relief Efforts

Atlanta, GA, March 11, 2010 – Chef G. Eric Centeno, in coordination with WSB-TV, will host itsannual Chefs For The Cause Food is Love, a cooking event benefiting the Yéle Haiti EarthquakeFund, on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 7pm to 10pm located at Legends Banquet & SpecialEvent Center, 181 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., SW Atlanta, GA. Admission fee is $75 perperson.

WSB-TV and Executive Chef of the World Trade Center Atlanta, Chef G. Eric Centeno will bejoined by Top Chef Ron Duprat, Chef Julio Viera, Chef Richard Hurst and more than twenty localchefs and participating restaurants for an evening of specialty food samplings and liveentertainment by International Haitian Jazz Artist "GINOU" and Atlanta’s own Ameribbean Bandby Henry Hans Jr., “The Creoles”. Proceeds will benefit the Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Approximately 500 guests are expected to attend and will enjoy dishes prepared by Chef G. EricCenteno, Executive Chef of the World Trade Center Atlanta and chefs from participatingrestaurants. Sponsors will include Legends Banquet & Special Event Center, Georgia Restaurant Association, The Haitian Alliance, Alliance Française d’Atlanta, King & Spalding, Barry Callebaut,Le Cordon Bleu, Romulus Management Group, Community partners and media partnersinclude WSB-TV, Kiss 104.1, 95.5 the BEAT, Métisse Media Productions and The People Brokers PR Agency. For sponsorship opportunities contact 678-542-5757. Tickets must be purchased inadvance by going to the website http://www.chefsforthecause.org/index.html

ABOUT CHEFS FOR THE CAUSE: Chefs for the Cause is an alliance of culinary professionals and educators working to providenutrition education, hunger relief, and emergency and humanitarian aid to reduce hunger acrossthe world.

ABOUT YELE HAITI FOUNDATION. Yéle Haiti is a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician, producer and socialentrepreneur Wyclef Jean that is changing lives in Haiti. Yéle Haiti has partnered with AirlineAmbassadors to collect, airlift and deliver more than 500,000 lbs of medical and disaster reliefsupplies to earthquake victims in Haiti. Yéle Haiti has also partnered with Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to distribute a “shelter package” to the earthquake victims in theport city of Jacmel. While not in the news as much as Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Petit-Goâve, andLéogâne have been heavily damaged with more than half of all buildings having collapsed. Theshelter package includes tents, water purification tablets, canteens, blankets, gloves and personalitems.

ABOUT G. ERIC CENTENO Executive Chef G. Eric Centeno’s creativity and culinary skills have brought him internationalrecognition. His artistic style and his infectious passion for food have thrilled the palates ofpresidents, kings, queens and famous personalities from around the world.With more than 25 years of experience, he orchestrates culinary feats, including superb banquetsserved in luxurious surroundings with undeniable panache.Raised in a Puerto Rican household in Bronx, NY, he was exposed to culturally diversesurroundings. Chef G. Eric began cooking at his mother’s side at an early age and used thisupbringing to develop a love for the culinary arts. He received formal training from Baltimore International Culinary and worked alongside worldrenowned chefs including Tom Chin, Christian Fischer, Joel Antunes, and the Celebrity Chefs Martin Yan and Wolfgang Puck.

Adapting his training and technique in the creative inquisitive manner of a master and visionary, Chef G. Eric was sought and employed by the nation’s most upscale hotels, restaurants and for thelast ten years, the World Trade Center Atlanta, where he combines his international cuisine tocreate New American World Cuisine, a culinary masterpiece.Besides his strong passion for food, Chef G. Eric also shares the desire to improve today's healthstandards by preparing heart-healthy meals. Earning the title as a Certified Health and NutritionCounselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (which is affiliated with Columbia University),he studied under leading medical doctors from various countries and with dietary-conscious chefs. Now standing by his “Food is love; Eat well!” motto, Chef G. Eric not only believes flavor does nothave to be compromised in order to be healthy, he holds seminars and speaking engagements tofurther encourage people of all ages to enjoy food that is beneficial to their vitality.

ABOUT RON DUPRATR Chef Ron is a well-seasoned executive Chef, having cooked for varying establishments such as the Pelican Bay Foundation and the Montauk Yacht Club. He has cemented himself as an expert inexotic flavors—often incorporating his own Haitian Creole influences with French-Asian Fusioncuisine. Ron always likes to keep vanilla bean, saffron, truffles, Spanish olive oil and chocolate onhand, and his favorite thing to make is his signature flourless chocolate cake. Most recently was acontestant on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Season 6.

ABOUT LEGENDS BANQUET & SPECIAL EVENT CENTER Legends is a unique historic building ideal for intimate wedding ceremonies and elegantreceptions and celebrations. With cathedral ceilings in the main ballroom, it features a handpainted dome by a popular local Atlanta artist. From the most elegant, dramatic formal affair to anintimate, casual gathering, Legends award winning banquet team will exceed your expectations.

ABOUT WSB-TVChannel 2, WSB-TV is a Cox Television station within the Cox Media group. Cox Media Group,Inc., a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, is an integrated broadcasting, publishing anddigital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. The companyoperations include 15 broadcast television stations and 1 local cable channel, 86 radio stations,four metro newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digitalservices.

ABOUT KISS 104.1 and 95.5 The BeatKISS 104.1, Atlanta’s Old School R&B Station and 95.5 The BEAT Atlanta’s New Number one forHip Hop is owned and operated by Cox Media Group, Inc. Both stations provide sales andmarketing services to the greater Atlanta Metropolitan market through on-air, online and eventmarketing solutions.

for more info: http://www.chefsforthecause.org/index.html
MEDIA CONTACT:Kisha Cameron The People Brokers PR Agencykisha@thepeoplebrokers.com404.886.7348



Well I had an awesome time at the benefit. Met some wonderful people. Here are a few pics that I took at the event held in Atlanta, Saturday, March 27, 2010.




www.chefsforthecause.org

Unhealthiest Foods At The Mall

Unhealthiest Foods At The MallBy David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Mar 22, 2010, 1:13 am PDT

Eat This, Not That
by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
Visit Nutrition Home »


Unhealthiest Foods At The MallUnhealthiest Chicken Dishes in America (and What to Eat Instead!)The Unhealthiest Salads in America

A few weeks ago, I ran into a colleague who’d been following my health and diet tips on Twitter. She loved them, she said, and she’d even dropped several pounds by adopting some of my secrets. But she wanted some advice about a fast-growing problem: her teenage daughter’s weight.

“We cook healthy at home, but like most teenagers, she eats a lot of her meals when she’s out with friends,” my colleague said. “Out at the mall.”

Ouch! No three words are as clear a prelude to weight troubles as “at the mall” (except maybe “supersize it, please”). America’s malls are hothouse factories of weight-gain triggers: The smell of cinnamon buns wafting through the air, the unrelenting signage for food and drink, and the endemic stress of dealing with crowds and money. To top it off, when you’re at the mall, you’re already spending—so what’s another five bucks for a gooey treat?

But when it comes to nutritional justice, the purveyors at most food courts deserve to be disbarred. In addition to the standard fast food peddlers, malls often offer uniquely bad-for-you treats that you’d never think of eating unless they were right there in front of you while your belly is screaming “feed me!”

“The key to helping your daughter control her weight is arming her with the information she needs to make smart choices,” I said. “You need a few insider tips.” Then I laid some out for her:


Worst Mall Drink
Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo’d (22 oz)
770 calories
20 g fat (4.5 g saturated)
108 g sugars


The scary thing about this 22-ounce shake is that you can consume nearly half a day’s worth of calories in 3 minutes of spirited sipping, all under the pseudohealthy banner of the sacred smoothie. What’s even scarier is you’ll be slurping up the sugar equivalent of 6 packs of peanut M&M’s, all while thinking you’re doing your body a favor. While at Jamba, stick to their impressive list of smoothies in the All Fruit and Light categories.


Bonus tip: For thousands of tips and tricks like this one, download Eat This, Not That! to your iPhone. It’s like having your own personal nutritionist in your pocket wherever you go--with facts on more than 100,000 restaurant and supermarket foods.

Drink This Instead!
Jamba Juice Mango Mantra (16 oz)
150 calories
0.5 g fat (0 g saturated)
27 g sugars

SAVE 620 CALORIES AND 20 GRAMS OF FAT! Make this smart swap just a couple times a week and lose more than 15 pounds a year!


Worst Slice of Pizza
Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza (1 slice)
890 calories
42 g fat
3,200 mg sodium


The architecture of this thing makes it less like a slice of pizza and more like a pizza-inspired Chipotle Burrito. It relies on an oversize shell of oily bread to hold together a gooey wad of cheese and pepperoni. The net result is a pizza pocket with two-thirds of your day’s fat and more than a day’s worth of sodium. And the traditional pizza slices aren’t much better; few fall below 600 calories. If you want to do well at Sbarro, think thin crust with nothing but produce on top.


Bonus tip: Another bit of menu magic: Order anything from the 20 Best Restaurant Foods in America, and leave the restaurant feeling satisfied with your healthy and delicious dish. You'll enjoy the healthiest versions of your favorite meals.


Eat This Instead!
Sbarro New York Style Fresh Tomato Pizza (1 slice)
450 calories
14 g fat
1,040 mg sodium

SAVE 440 CALORIES AND 28 GRAMS OF FAT! Make this smart swap just a couple times a week and lose more than 10 pounds of fat in a year.


Worst Chinese Meal
Panda Express Orange Chicken with Fried Rice
970 calories
38 g fat (7.5 g saturated)
1,540 mg sodium


It’s unfortunate that this dish happens to be one of the most popular on Panda’s menu. Consider the recipe: Battered and fried, then coated in a sugary syrup. It’s like Colonel Sanders meets Willy Wonka. Pair with a scoop of fried rice and you’ve got a dish with serious flab-enhancing potential. Here’s a better survival strategy: Skip the rice altogether and choose steamed veggies instead. Then pick any entrée besides orange chicken.


Bonus tip: You already know to watch out for calories from food. But we consume about a quarter of our day’s calories in liquid form. Read The 40 Best and Worst Beers to find out how that’s possible, and look for the upcoming Drink This, Not That! book, which shows you how to make the smartest choices in the entire beverage world.


Eat This Instead!
Panda Express Broccoli with Eggplant and Tofu
460 calories
30 g fat (4.5 g saturated)
1,400 mg sodium

SAVE 510 CALORIES AND 8 GRAMS OF FAT.



Worst Sandwich
Panera Bread Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French
990 calories
56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)
2,370 mg sodium


Panera, home to soups, salads, and a general feeling of well-being (not to mention free Wi-Fi!), benefits from a beaming health halo—a perceived virtuousness that doesn’t necessarily play out in the hard realities of their nutritional stats. Yes, you can carefully construct a well-balanced 500-calorie meal, but you can also unknowingly consume 1,500 calories without breaking a sweat. Take this sandwich: It begins innocently enough (chicken and white bread), but is supported by a scurrilous cast of bacon strips, high-fat chipotle sauce, and a tarp of cheddar cheese, the most fattening of cheese choices.


Bonus tip: Sandwiches can be excellent lunch choices, or utter diet destroyers. See the 30 Worst Sandwiches in America for more examples like this one.
Eat This Instead!

Panera Bread Full Smoked Turkey on Country Miche Bread
560 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1,960 mg sodium

SAVE 430 CALORIES AND 39 GRAMS OF FAT!




The Worst Mall Food in America
Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbun
1,100 calories
56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)
47 g sugars
141 g carbohydrates


Cinnabon and malls are inseparable. Consider it a symbiotic relationship: Researchers have found that we're turned on by the smell of cinnamon rolls, and further studies have shown that we're more likely to spend money when we're thinking about sex. But just because Cinnabon might be good for Gap doesn’t mean it’s all good for you. This dangerously bloated bun contains nearly an ENTIRE day’s worth of fat, two and a half times the unhealthy trans fats you should get in a day, and more than half of your daily allotment of calories. (For those keeping score, that’s as much as you’ll find in 8 White Castle hamburgers).


Bonus tip: Save calories, time, and money with our FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter. Sign up today and you’ll get the Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week for free!
Eat This Instead!

Cinnabon Stix
379 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated, 4 g trans)
14 g sugars
41 g carbohydrates

SAVE A WHOPPING 721 CALORIES AND 35 GRAMS OF FAT!

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