SEATTLE — May 6, 2009 — The most recent winner of a James Beard Best Chef Northwest medal, Maria Hines, joins eight other headliner chefs for the annual Premier Chefs Dinner, benefiting Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, to be held 5 p.m. Sunday, May 17 at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.
Hines, of the certified organic restaurant Tilth, along with chefs Greg Atkinson (Seattle Culinary Academy), Brent Martin (Grand Hyatt and Hyatt at Olive 8), Angie Roberts (BOKA Kitchen + Bar), John Sarich (Chateau Ste. Michelle), Brian McCracken and Dana Tough (Spur), Jerry Traunfeld (Poppy) and Jennifer Volk (Crush) are donating their time and talents to prepare the elaborate culinary adventure.
Local ingredients, classic pairings and a flourish of daring new flavors highlight the six-course menu. The starter dish will be Chef Martin's halibut poke, followed by nettle and lovage soup, the signature dish of Chef Traunfeld, and Chef Roberts' hearts of palm salad with sea beans, Thai basil and Kaffir lime vinaigrette.
Third-course delights include St. Jude’s albacore tuna, Israeli couscous, baby carrot and dill, the creation of Chef Hines; and crispy sous vide rabbit loin with rutabaga purée, braised mustard greens and stone ground mustard gastrique by Chefs Brain McCracken and Dana Tough.
Two main courses share the spotlight: a spring rack of lamb with risi e bisi (pea risotto) and asparagus with morel sauce, prepared by Chef Sarich; and braised Skagit River Ranch beef short ribs with Bluebird "farro sotto," snap peas and vines by Chef Atkinson.
A cheese course will feature selections accompanied by port-glazed dried fruit, and the grand finale, a sumptuous Valrhona chocolate covered strawberry mousse with rhubarb gelée, accompanied by herb foam, fresh strawberries, cocoa nib tuille and strawberry sauce, dazzles as the dessert course by Chef Volk.
Each course will be paired with an exceptional wine provided by Washington state wineries including Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Bunnell Family Cellar and RiverAerie Wines, Cedargreen Cellars, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Sheridan Vineyards, Three Rivers Winery, Va Piano Vineyards and Wineglass Cellars.
The Premier Chefs Dinner includes a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind culinary experiences and is presented annually by the Premier Chefs Dinner Advisory Board and the Magnolia Guild. All proceeds benefit the Center’s general fund, which sustains vital programs such as faculty recruitment, pilot-research projects, shared-research facilities and patient-family support. More information is available at www.fhcrc.org/chefs/public.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Christi Ball Loso
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
(206) 667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit www.fhcrc.org.
For the Media