Chef Vinod from Indique, a restaurant participating in Sound Bites, sharing culinary wisdom with students on Heritage Day.

Adults who were unemployed, in prison, or homeless just a few months ago are cooking their way to success through DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training Program. Their first challenge? Whipping up empanadas that will be judged by professionals in the restaurant industry.

The Culinary Job Training Program is just one of the DC Central Kitchen programs that benefits each year from Sound Bites, an outdoor food and musical festival on May 19 at the 9:30 Club. The event will feature dishes from such notable restaurants as El Centro, Bar Pilar, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, The Hamilton, and many more.

Beyond the event, restaurants featured at Sound Bites are getting involved in other ways. Chef Anthony Lombardo from 1789 and Lori Scott, Sales & Marketing Manager from Gordon Biersch, will meet students and provide career advice during the students’ cook off on May 8. Lombardo is an active supporter of the Culinary Job Training Program and Gordon Biersch recently raised $7,800 for DC Central Kitchen from their Navy Yard location opening.

To prepare for the cook off, students, who work in teams, are expected to research empanada recipes and bring them to team members for collaboration. Teams have two days to choose, practice, and tweak the dish for the competition.

The cook-off occurs during week six of the 14-week program, which trains students for careers in the food industry, including all facets of work in a professional kitchen. Additionally, students attend self-empowerment sessions and graduates are assisted in an intense job search to obtain full-time employment at local restaurants, hotels, caterers, and other hospitality businesses.

“We couldn’t do our work without our partners in the restaurant industry,” said Paul Day, Communications Manager for DC Central Kitchen. On April 24, chefs from four participating Sound Bites restaurants visited DC Central Kitchen on Heritage Day, a hands-on cooking demonstration that provides culinary skills and career guidance to students in the program.

“This program provides a unique opportunity to encourage an open dialogue about personal challenges and then we help the students develop strategies for dealing with them,” said Marianne Ali, Director of Culinary Training. “We use food preparation to prepare students for future careers, but also to teach life skills.”

For students like Shania, the program provides a unique opportunity for growth. “It has been challenging in every way,” she said. “It’s helping me with the constant battle to break out of my old patterns.”

For others, the program teaches discipline. “I’ve learned to accomplish a lot of things, like being more responsible, and to not let my attitude disrupt my future,” said Lawrence. “I am learning how to ask for help.”

From the folks who brought us Capital Food Fight, look out May 19th for a local music festival with free tastes from 25 of DC’s best restaurants, all for a good cause. Sound Bites, D.C. Central Kitchen’s annual food and music fest, will take over the entire block outside of the 9:30 Club with food tastings and a mixology competition. Artists will play both inside the legendary 9:30 Club and will also entertain outside during the food fest. Tickets to Sound Bites are going fast. All proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen, a national leader in using food as a tool for community empowerment.

Sound Bites
DC Central Kitchen’s Festival of Music, Food, and Change
Sunday, May 19th 1:00 pm
At the 9:30 Club, 815 V Street, N.W., Washington DC.
Tickets $40 available online at www.soundbitesdc.org or the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post Pavilion box offices.

Music at this year’s event include Deathfix (Brendan Canty of Fugazi, Rich Morel, Devin Ocampo of Faraquet and Mark Cisneros of Medications), DJ Will Eastman, Kid Congo and his Kid Congo Power Hour, The Razz, Rich Morel’s Hot Sauce, and Batala. There will also be a cocktail competition involving DC’s hottest mixologists from The Gibson, Birch & Barley, Black Jack, and Bar Pilar. And of course, all-you-can-eat food tastings from dozens of the area’s favorite food trucks and restaurants including:

• Bar Pilar
• Borinquen Food Truck
• Buffalo and Bergen
• Clyde’s Restaurant Group
• H & Pizza
• Indique
• Jaleo
• Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
• Pizzeria Orso
• Rappahannock River Oysters
• Red Apron Butcher
• Sticky Fingers Bakery
• Taco Bamba/Del Campo
• Todd Gray’s The Muse Café

With more to come…

For the latest news on Sound Bites, follow on Twitter @SoundbitesDCCK or at http://www.soundbitesdc.org.

On Monday, we brought together over 300 friends at The Hamilton Live to say goodbye to DC Central Kitchen Founder Robert Egger as he leaves DC to start L.A. Kitchen. Among the night’s highlights, Robert was presented the first ever $1 million dollar grant from the AARP Foundation to start his work in L.A. and January 20th was proclaimed “Robert Egger Day” by the DC Council. Our speakers gave him a tremendous send off. Here are some quotes from that night:

Dan Glickman named Robert “one of the great humanitarian entrepreneurs.” Glickman also cited the Talmud teaching that “whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved the entire world.” By that measure, Glickman figured, “Robert Egger has saved the world over and over and over again.”

Barton Seaver thanked Robert for “teaching a generation of chefs that the act of feeding is an act of principle and an act of honor.”

Brendan Canty, on Robert’s ‘punk rock attitude,’ cited Robert’s ability to “talk to everybody at DC Central Kitchen but never talk down to anybody. That’s punk rock.”

Christoph Green on the Kitchen’s job training program: “The commitment the CJT staff put into their work,” he said, “was unlike anything I’d seen in my life. That comes from Robert. To him, every single person is valued and important.”

Jose Andres: “Thanks to your teaching and your example, I know what my destiny is.” Also: “DC Central Kitchen is the greatest melting pot restaurant in the history of mankind.”

Maxine Baker of the AARP Foundation on the foundation’s biggest single gift in its history: a $1 million contribution to LA Kitchen: “Aren’t you glad you answered my call, Robert?”

Egger himself: “I get way too much credit. I am only a reflection of this amazing city.” Also, on the kitchen’s model and success, “It was all here. All I did was move the pieces around a little bit.”

Building Partnerships with Small Businesses
Through Healthy Corners, we’ve partnered with 30 corner stores in Wards 5, 7, and 8 to provide fresh produce and healthy snacks at affordable prices. Not only are we investing in these stores and providing a new business opportunity, but we’re engaging the store owners to become crucial champions of change in their communities.

We’re also investing in local farms and buying much of our produce locally. Our Farm-to-School initiative engages farmers to become part of the solution by providing much of the healthy produce we serve.

Combating Childhood Hunger by Providing Three Square Meals
Together, our Healthy School Food initiative and Healthy Returns effort, which delivers meals and snacks to after school programs and summer camps, give kids healthy, scratch-cooked meals three times per day. And these meals are packed with fresh local produce, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Educating the Community
With our Truck Farm, school cooking demos, and community outreach efforts, we’re educating the entire community about nutrition. Last year, we educated over 9,800 individuals with hands-on strategies for healthy eating and an additional 2,300 children through the Truck Farm, an innovative traveling edible exhibit that teaches kids where food comes from.

You can be part of this success. Make a contribution this holiday season to promote health and combat hunger in DC neighborhoods.

Workplace Holiday Parties
Several local organizations have gotten creative with their fundraisers, holding karaoke parties, silent auctions, and friendly, inter-departmental competitions to spice up their workplace giving. Check out our “Give at Work” page for fun, interactive ideas for you to host your very own “PhilanthroParty” at work, or contact Abby Elsener at (202) 789-5979 ext. 100, or aelsener@dccentralkitchen.org for more information.

Honorariums at Holiday Parties
If you’re already hosting a holiday party, consider asking guests to make a donation in honor of DC Central Kitchen in place of a gift.

Monthly Giving
Changing your annual donation to a monthly donation is also a fantastic way to support DC Central Kitchen throughout the year. Not only will you have the benefit of easy, automated giving, you’ll receive special recognition in our annual report. And more importantly, we will have your guaranteed support every month.

Donating Food
Finally, Thanksgiving offers several unique opportunities for donating turkeys, holding a food drive, or volunteering. We are committed to providing thousands of traditional Thanksgiving meals to our partners and clients each year, and your support is vital to pulling it off! If you’re interested in hosting a food drive or collecting other goods for donation this Thanksgiving, please visit our “Donate Food” page to learn more or contact Amy Bachman at 202-400-2806 or abachman@dccentralkitchen.org.

Volunteering
And, as always, we need volunteers in our kitchen 365 days a year – holidays are certainly no exception! Visit our volunteer page to learn more and book a spot for you and your family today! We especially need help in January after the holiday season, so book your time now!

Just one of our healthy school meals!

DC Central Kitchen is celebrating Food Day EVERY DAY by producing 10,000 healthy meals using fresh fruits and vegetables, much of it sourced from local farms.

We’re also changing eating habits by providing affordable fresh produce to corner stores in food deserts, educating kids about nutrition through the Truck Farm, and serving healthy meals to 10 DC schools. Through the Culinary Job Training program, we’re exposing our students to healthy cooking techniques and providing nutritional education. Healthy, affordable, and sustainable food is central to our mission.

Here are some ways YOU can be a part of Food Day.

Lydia Mills, DCCK’s Nutrition Outreach Coordinator, is out there teaching kids about nutrition via the innovative Truck Farm project.

1) Eat lunch at Chipotle TODAY!
Chipotle is a great partner in the fight to get healthy and sustainable food into DC public schools. Today, they have pledged $15,000 in proceeds from DC Chipotle stores toward our Healthy School Food program. So get down there and eat something healthy! Tell them we sent you.

2) Volunteer at DC Central Kitchen
Did you know that nearly all of our meals are scratch cooked using healthy fresh produce, much of it sourced from local farms? You can be part of the solution by signing up to volunteer – transforming that healthy produce into 5,000 meals. For the next 30 days, we’re going to be awarding free Chipotle burritos to our most outstanding volunteers. Check out all the action on Pinterest.

3) Write a Letter to the Editor
Tell your favorite newspaper, blog, or magazine how much you support local food and mention how DC Central Kitchen is breaking nutritional barriers in DC by serving healthy school meals, combating food deserts, and sourcing from local farms.

4) Organize a Group Fundraiser
Thanksgiving is around the corner and there is so much you can do to get your organization or group involved in our mission to use healthy and sustainable food as a tool to transform communities. Contact Abby Elsener at aelsener@dccentralkitchen.org for ideas.

5) Host a Food Day Event
The Food Day website provides a ton of resources to engage your friends and neighbors in the discussion to spark community change.

“It is every founder’s dream that someday the organization they launch will be strong and stable enough to survive — and thrive — without them. That day has come for this founder,” said Robert in his latest blog post.

This move will bring Robert back to the town of his roots, Los Angeles, where he sees an incredible vacuum with millions of pounds of California’s fresh fruits and vegetables going to waste. Robert is launching a brand new organization, L.A. Kitchen, to recover that produce and transform it into healthy meals for hungry senior citizens.  As L.A. Kitchen thrives, the meals will fuel a job training program to empower unemployed Angelenos.

Robert leaves our thriving powerhouse of an organization in the very capable hands of current CEO Michael Curtin, Jr.

“There’s a BIG difference between a leader and a boss, a door-opener and a gate-keeper and a talker and a doer. I plan on illustrating those stark differences for the rest of my life,” said Robert.

We interviewed Robert about L.A. Kitchen and what he’ll miss the most about DCCK.

Q: When did it occur you to start L.A. Kitchen?
Robert: Since the 1990’s, I’ve met and worked with countless LA/CA based food groups, and ALL spoke about the volume of food wasted, yet none had the capacity to capture that food. Our national food distribution system is a hostage to time…in that, every second a piece of fruit or vegetable sits, it is decomposing. I always dreamed of freezing food, which is what we began doing at DCCK a few years back. LAK will take that idea to 11.

Q: What is the most powerful lesson you’ve learned from starting several organizations, including DC Central Kitchen and CForward, that will influence the way you lead L.A. Kitchen?
Robert: Don’t chased money, chase results. If you chase money, you run forever. You chase results, money comes to you.

Q: Who have been your greatest influences in your life and as an social entrepreneur?
Robert: Ghandi, King and Chavez. ALL three were social entrepreneurs. They saw wrong, and rather than bemoan injustices, they got smart, helped people find common ground and then used market forces to challenge the illusion of power. It’s what we do, in a fashion, at DCCK—we reveal the power people always had and help them channel it in productive, liberating ways.

Q: Why focus on senior meals?
Robert: Anybody in the “hunger” world, no matter who you serve now, will be serving seniors in the immediate future. There’s a waiting list for Meals on Wheels NOW, and there are 80 million baby boomers coming down the road. As Bob Dylan sang “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”. Instead of waiting, I’m going to march out to meet the future.

Q: What’s one of your favorite moments being at DC Central Kitchen?
Robert: The day I saw a group of doctors, standing around a recovering addict, as he taught them how to cut carrots. That was an eureka moment, and revealed the true potential of DCCK. If we just put people side x side, so that we could explore the power of community, and reveal that everyone has a skill, everyone has a gift, then we could help people over the burdensome stereotype of ”us” and “them” and move all toward “we”.

Q: What is the thing you’re going to miss most about DC and DCCK?
Robert: The friends I’ve made. My clunky mop closet office. The sounds and smells as the day progresses. GRADUATION DAY. But I’ll replicate those things in LA. It’ll be cool, it’ll be bad…but it will never be DCCK.

Padma Lakshmi interviews Chef Jeffrey Buben, the winner of the Capital Food Fight

Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and José Andrés having a great time

70 restaurants. 4 battles. 4 local chefs, and a handful of celebrities (for good measure). 1,500 guests. $600,000 raised. 1 epic night of smack talking, finger licking, and knocking hunger out!

Thanks to our sponsors, restaurants, donors, volunteers, chefs, judges, and attendees for being a part of the ninth annual Capital Food Fight, DC Central Kitchen’s most successful fundraising event to date!  All the Capital Food Fight guests can proudly say that they did much, much more last night than sample mind-blowing dishes from D.C.’s finest restaurants and watch Chef Jeffrey Buben of Vidalia/Bistro Bis chop and sauté his way to victory.

The record-breaking attendance raised necessary funds for all of our programs and brought awareness to the staggering rates of homelessness and hunger in our very own city.

This amazing night also brought with it some bittersweet news: Our founder, Robert Egger, announced that he’s leaving DC Central Kitchen to start L.A. Kitchen, a new organization that will focus on combating senior hunger by providing healthy meals packed with fresh produce that otherwise would have gone to waste. Robert will be terribly missed, but we are all stoked to see what he can do out in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for the full story.

Thanks again to everyone that participated in this amazing event. Don’t forget to share your event photos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Be sure to tag @dcckfoodfight in your tweets.

In its five years as a DC-metro based small business, sweetgreen, the area’s leading farm-to-table organic salad shop, has made a conscientious effort to give back to the community it serves.  This socially responsible ethic runs through the entire organization and its 12 restaurant locations presented DC Central Kitchen with a $25,000 donation.

“DCCK is a role model for how a community-focused non-profit can help in-need individuals and families through meals and life-changing nutrition education programs,” says Nathaniel Ru, co-founder of sweetgreen, “and we’re so pleased to be able to support DCCK and the people it serves.”

sweetgreen’s donation, generated by the revenue from its Sweetlife Food & Music Festival held this past spring at the iconic Merriweather Post Pavilion, is part of the restaurant group’s multi-faceted charitable and community-building efforts.

“We feel fortunate to have a successful and growing business in this city and giving back is something the sweetgreen family does instinctively.”  sweetgreen’s programs include a mix of monetary donations, fundraisers and volunteer-day programs that connect the restaurants’ employees even more with their neighborhoods and the greater DC community.

DCCK CEO Michael F. Curtin, Jr. remarks on the partnership: “sweetgreen not only understands what we do at the Kitchen, they want to be a large part of that work.  Better still, their focus on local sourcing and providing healthy, affordable food to the community fits perfectly with the work we do.  They are true partner in every sense of the word.”

In its 9th year, the Capital Food Fight supports the work of DC Central Kitchen to combat hunger and create opportunity.

Returning as hosts are our friends José Andrés and Anthony Bourdain. New this year as judges: The Chew’s Carla Hall, Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi, and Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmern. And we’ve got some great new battling chefs from hot local restaurants: Chefs Jeffrey Buben from Vidalia/Bistro Bis, Enzo Fargione from Elisir, and Guillermo Pernot from Cube Libre. There are more great additions to come!

Tickets are on sale now. Get them before they sell out (And they do every year)!

Follow Capital Food Fight on Facebook and Twitter. Learn more at the brand new www.capitalfoodfight.org. See you there!

New Culinary Instructor Afiya Howell explained how the class prepared all week by making test versions of the dish and learning to work in teams. Marianne Ali, Director of Culinary Job Training, expressed how learning to work with others is an important component of the program.

Zachary Mason, Class 88 Student, said of his experiences thus far: “The past 6 weeks for me have been beautiful. I learn something new every day. I like the hustle bustle, the rush of kicking it out.”

Congrats to Clyde, Millena, Kaprina, Loretta, and Haywood from Team Dim Sum and Dim Sum More, who took first place. Thanks to all of the judges who asked very enlightening questions to our students.

This Heritage Day featured three chefs: Reuven Sugarman of Cuba Libre, Kate Jansen of Willow Restaurant, and Anthony Lombardo of 1789. The three chefs stressed the importance of perseverance and working hard as the students begin their careers.

“It’s not like you just graduate from this program, get a job, and you’re set for life. You’ve always got to push forward and work hard to stay ahead,” said Chef Lombardo.

Students helped the chefs prepare three fantastic dishes: Beef Picadillo, Spring Asparagus Bisque, and Lombardo Meatballs.

A special thanks to the chefs who made this a memorable Heritage Day.

• Sodexo
• DC Central Kitchen
• Holiday Inn College Park
• Old Ebbitt Grill
• Crystal Enterprises at NOAA
• Cheers Hospitality Services
• Fresh Start Catering with DCPS

We would like to thank Jim Vance and former CJT graduate Jeffrey Lustre from Class 75 who told his incredible story at the event. Thanks to all of the people who attended. This was one of our most well attended graduations and it really shows the family and community support for the program.

Below a scene from one of the afternoon’s most touching moments, when Robert Egger surprised one of our graduates, Michael Parsons, with a job.

Music at this year’s event is curated by Eric Hilton of the Thievery Corporation, including Bone, Fur Feathers, The Archives, and Nappy Riddem, with a DJ Set by Eric Hilton. There will also be a cocktail competition involving three of DC’s hottest mixologists from Oyamel, The Passenger, Fujimar, and The Gibson. And of course, food from thearea’s favorite food trucks including Pepe and Borinquen, as well other beloved restaurants.

Tickets are $40 and go on sale Thursday, March 22.  Be sure to join DCCK and the 9:30 Club May 20^th for music and food that will change lives.

We’re totally stoked that The Boss has again chosen to support DC Central Kitchen for his April 1, 2012 concert at the Verizon Center. We’re auctioning off 4 Tickets with ESL passes, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen. Be sure to check out our eBay auction to snag tickets to this sold out show.

Staff from the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) lent their taste buds to judge each team on taste, appearance, and overall healthiness.

The first-time event was a huge success for the class, drawing nearly 100 people to the museum and increasing their knowledge of preparing healthy and balanced meals.

The Koshland Science Museum hosted this community event in partnership with the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences as part of the National Academies’ African American History Program. This program was established in 1985 to heighten awareness of the contributions of outstanding African Americans in science, engineering, medicine, and the nation’s welfare.

A special thanks to the Koshland Science Museum and the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board for making this event such a success!

Prior to the cook-off, teams learned about healthy meal planning from FNB staff.

Chef Skippy
Chef Instructor – Potomac Job Corp

Susan Callahan
Chef Instructor – UMES

Nancy Ware
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency

Adrienne Poteat
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency

Vicki Davis
TD Bank

Donna Grisby
TD Bank

Chef Frida Johnson from the Swedish Embassy prepared Stuffed Swedish Cabbage Rolls.

Chef Mikko Kosonen from the Finish Embassy prepared warm smoked salmon with finish style mushroom salad and dill pickled cucumber.

Chef Enrique Valazquez from The Borinquen Lunch Box prepared a Puerto Rican dish, stuffed green plantains with picadillo.

Chef Maziar Faviar from the Peacock Café prepared Naaz Katoon, a Persian roasted eggplant and pomegranate dip.

400 socially conscious foodies joined us all at the Newseum, where 15 restaurants and 10 artisans practiced their culinary crafts and dished out high-end eats. Local mixologists joined in with delicious cocktails and craft brews.  Together with great Jazz and a beautiful space, they entertained guests that chatted about the issues – Hunger, homelessness, nutrition education, urban farming, healthy school food meals, obesity and the like.

The following day, Sunday Suppers attracted close to 500 guests (20-40 per home) at 20 homes with meals prepared by top chefs from around the country and even the world!

DCCK CEO Mike Curtin: “The generosity of the Restaurant/Chef community is unmatched here in DC. This, coupled with the vendors that donated product, equipment, hotel rooms, etc., not only made these events amazing, but allow us to do what we do every day.”

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.

Maureen Roche serves as the director of The Campus Kitchens Project, the national program of DC Central Kitchen.  Since 2001, CKP has recovered more than 2 million pounds of food, engaged 45,000 student volunteers and has reinvested millions into the communities where they serve.  Under Maureen’s leadership, the Project has grown 200% since 2008 to 31 college and high school campuses in 20 states which serve 250,000 meals annually. The Campus Kitchens Project is using service as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities across the country.

To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 1:30 pm ET January 12^th.