PhotoS by Edward Arriaza.
Greenwich Wine + Food recently honored renowned chef Jacques Pépin at its 10th anniversary celebrity chef gala sponsored by Coterie, Wagoneer and Greenwich Hospital and held at Abigail Kirsch at The Loading Dock in Stamford.
“We launched our first Greenwich Wine + Food event shortly after the very first issue of Serendipity came out, with one simple idea in mind: taking the essence of the stories we were sharing and bringing them to life,” said Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company of Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine. “We wanted to build experiences with the people in our community that they couldn”™t find anywhere else and honestly bring people together for a good time.”
The event benefitted two national nonprofit organizations: Wholesome Wave, which partners with community-based organizations particularly in low-income areas to tackle nutrition insecurity, and the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which supports community kitchens that offer adults who have high barriers to employment (e.g., a history of substance abuse, homelessness) with free culinary training.
“I”™ve been teaching all my life. I”™ve been on PBS, and I still work at Boston University,” said Pépin, who is executive chairman of the Jacques Pépin Foundation, during a video presentation, adding that the foundation is “a way of redoing your life” for those seeking to enter the culinary world while overcoming barriers.
Pépin was joined by his daughter Claudine Pépin, president of the Jacques Pépin Foundation. Also in attendance at the gala was chef Michel Nischan, winner of four James Beard Foundation Awards and co-founder and chairman of Wholesome Wave.
“We”™ve been very grateful to have some wonderful nonprofit partners over the years,” Unger said, “and are particularly thrilled that this year begins the start of a long partnership with both the Jacques Pépin Foundation and Wholesome Waves.”
Guests sat in 10-person tables overlooked by chefs who crafted four-course meals. The gala was attended by 15 chefs, including Julio Genao, executive chef at Prime in Stamford, and Stephen Lewandowski, executive chef at Townhouse in Greenwich.
Emceeing the event was Rob Burnett, former head writer and executive producer of “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Regarding the current and prior events, Burnett said, “It”™s a part of the tradition now of Greenwich, it”™s woven into the fabric of the town. I”™m very honored, frankly, to be emceeing this ”” it makes me feel like I”™m a member of the community.”
Burnett related Pépin”™s time as a guest on “The Late Show,” recalling how the celebrated chef “would come out and he would do a cooking segment ”” we”™d make him cook. And I think the thing you don”™t realize is that when the show was over, the second the last person in the audience left the theater, we would all make a mad dash for the food, always. It was like the running of the bulls there, but worth risking your life to get a bite of this man”™s unbelievable food.”
The event saw a surprise appearance from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who congratulated Unger and chefs Pépin and Nischan for their work while presenting them each with certificates of special recognition from the U.S. Senate, which he said were passed “by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.” Blumenthal, a Democrat seeking re-election, praised Pépin and Nischan”™s respective nonprofits for “giving people the skills they need to cook and break the cycle of poverty” and “promoting healthier eating, better nutrition and facts about food.”
