One of my New Year's resolutions was to get back into doing more community work. To help accomplish this, I joined the CCFCC Oakville, Ontario branch. The thing that makes this branch so unique is that a high percentage of the members are corporate chefs. So when we do a community event, we can pull from all of our corporate connections for food donations!

This past weekend we all got together on a Saturday morning to help cook and assemble thousands of meals for people in need. We partnered with the Daily Bread Food Bank and used their facilities to help execute the event. WOW what a kitchen! They have a walk-in freezer and a fridge the size of a basketball court. All the equipment and space needed for large quantity cooking.

The thing I really enjoyed about this event was the way all the chefs worked together. Chefs, who would normally be in direct competition with each other for business, put all that stuff aside. Even when we meet up once a month for CCFCC meetings, I’m noticing that there are no politics. This is a breath of fresh air indeed!!! I have to give a shout out to Niagara College for sending some of their students, instructors, and their Junior Culinary Olympic Team!!  

I brought my little man along to lend a helping hand. He was great at biting ankles, and keeping everyone in order. If he ever wants to be a chef when he grows up, I think I’ll steer him towards being a Culinologist.   This is the cross between a food scientist and a chef.

At the Daily Bread Food Bank kitchen, I had to take a picture of this. There is nothing worse than cutting boards that have been stacked on top of one another before they have had a chance to dry. This is Macgyver style genius!A hanging cutting board station = old broom stick, screw hooks, brackets, and a tiny hole drilled in every cutting board.

We assembled 3,500 meals in 4 hours!!!  If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the CCFCC Oakville Ontario branch, check out their Facebook page for more info. There are chapters all across Canada, so check their website for more info on a chapter near you. New members are always welcomed, especially junior members. It’s a great way to network with other chefs, share ideas, and stay connected to the community.

Until next time...