CUAISR ITNE
WORLD CHEFS
WITHOUT BORDERS
A Fundraising Dinner
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Noraa
Chefs Michael Thrash and
Vanessa Marquis created these
elegant chocolate and fruit desserts
as their contribution to the event.
Chef Oliver Soe Thet of Myanmar served pickled tea leaf salad known
MAY/JUNE 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 169
as Lahpet Thoke from this attractive display at the fundraiser.
W orld Chefs Without Borders
held a fundraising dinner in
the historic Fort Harrison
Auditorium in Clearwater to
raise funds for the organization’s global
and community network of volunteer
chefs, who work together to provide
education and resources to those afflicted
by natural disasters. This was the first
such event held in the United States by
this global humanitarian aid initiative.
Chef Vanessa Marquis, who leads the
Tampa chapter of the American Culinary
Federation, helped organize this event that
brought Thomas Gugler of Germany and
Chef Zoltan Vajna of the
Fort Harrison Hotel prepared
Hungarian Goulash with Spaetzle,
a dish from his native Hungary,
for the dinner.
Saudi Arabia, World Chefs president, and
Willment Leong of Thailand, committee
chair of World Chefs Without Borders,
to the Fort Harrison to create an exotic
dinner that was prepared for more than
300 donors to the organization. Chefs from
numerous countries prepared and served
gourmet selections such as herb crusted
lamb with boysenberry jus, green curry
chicken, plank steak in Creole sauce, olive
oil poached salmon and pulled pork tacos.
It was a spectacular meal that helped this
charitable organization to continue its work
throughout the world. 9