For #AskChefsAnything x Beirut dozens of famous international and regional chefs and tastemakers are banding together to raise awareness and funds for those in desperate need in Lebanon’s capital. The special international edition of the online auction, which ends on September 13, offers foodies a chance to enjoy 30-minute one on one conversations with their favourite chefs. And we can’t think of a more exciting way for the food obsessed to help the 300,000+ people who have been displaced after the August 4 explosion destroyed the city’s buildings and infrastructure. With the help of Beit el Baraka and local industry leader Kamal Mouzawak, 100 percent of the proceeds will be able to reach the people directly affected.
Some of the renowned female personalities from the region taking part include several cookbook authors like Lebanese Anissa Helou and Dubai-based Bethany Kehdy, as well as Dalia Dogmoch, the Syrian-German mastermind behind Dalia’s Kitchen. There’s also an impressive list of male participants hailing from the region, like Australian-Lebanese Michelin-starred chef Greg Maalouf, consultant and terroir artist Joe Barza and Kamal Mouzawak. Mouzawak, the founder of Lebanon’s first farmer’s market, Souk el Taybeb, and award-winning restaurant Tawlet, is behind a soon-to-launch community kitchen, where Beit el Baraka Founder Maya Ibrachimah will buy meals Plus, there’s a chance to chat with a number of chefs behind some of the world’s most fabulous restaurants, including Yves Camdeborde, owner of Parisian eatery Le Comptoir, Tomas Kalika, who opened Mishiguene, a restaurant in Buenos Aires, and Massimo Bottura, the culinary force behind Italian restaurant Osteria Francescana. Additionally, there’s an opportunity to get to know several interesting restaurateurs from the region who have made names in cities around the world, such as Tarek Alameddine (Noma, Copenhagen), Riad Nasr (Frenchette, New York) and Liza & Ziad Asseily (Liza, Paris and Beirut).
The initiative allows bidders to ask these great food-loving celebrities anything, from sharing recipes, favourite dishes and cooking tips to what can be created with specific ingredients and what it takes to become a great chef. The proceeds will directly benefit Beit el Baraka, a 501(c)(3) secular, non-political Beirut-based charitable organization repairing thousands of homes, rehabilitating essential shops and offering medical and psychological support.
This is the first international instance of the #AskChefsAnything campaign, which was launched in April 2020. The brainchild of Gaeleen Quinn and Anna Polonsky, two startup founders with decades of experience in the hospitality industry, raises awareness and funds for migrant workers, the community most impacted by the COVID crisis in the restaurant world. After a successful start in New York City, satellite fundraisers have been held in numerous other US cities like Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Nashville and Houston.
Just visit AskChefsAnything.com and bid for your opportunity to pick your most beloved chef's brain.
