They clanked pots and pans, fired-up grills to fry fish and dished out deserts. Men on a mission, they donned aprons and chefs hats. One even wore a sombrero and cooking pants patterned with red and green chili peppers.
Warsaw Park filled with the odor of edible delights Saturday night at the Third Annual “Men Who Cook” fundraiser dinner.
The dinner benefit TEAM, Inc., a Derby-based non-profit agency that combats poverty and helps low-income families.
Fifty five men from the Valley — including Ansonia Police Chief Kevin Hale and Connecticut Basement System’s Edward Canelli — cooked and served their favorite dishes. The men cooked food from appetizers to entrees, salads to soups, from side dishes to desserts.
Diane Stroman, TEAM’S vice-president of development, coordinated the event — with help from some heavy Valley foodies, including David Grant, of David Grant Catering in Shelton, and Charles Sullivan, owner of John J. Sullivan’s in Ansonia.
Stroman said about 500 tickets were sold for “Men Who Cook,“at $50 per ticket. Stroman said that the fundraiser should raise an additional $10,000 over the $25,000 in ticket sales from a silent auction.
TEAM also raffled off a television with a 50-inch screen.
“I want to thank the chefs that donated time, food and sold tickets to make this happen, “ Stroman said.
Dr. Ronald Linden, a dentist who owns White Hills Family Dental in Shelton, cooked and served quiche with his son-in-law, Matt Slatus. Slatus said he made the quiche for the fundraiser from a recipe from his father, Jay.
Recipes and cooking secrets were also shared.
Canelli, a licensed boat captain, shared his fish frying tip.
“The secret is the temperature,” Canelli said, “If you can maintain a temperature of 365 (degrees) then you will have a perfect fry.”
Although Canelli fried his fish at the event, most of the cooking was performed at Ansonia High School, David Grant Catering or John J. Sullivan’s restaurant.
Sullivan said men began cooking at 10 a.m. Saturday morning up until 5 p.m. that night.
Sullivan also said that the food was cooked under supervision from the Valley Health Department and safely transported using Team’s Meals on Wheels vans.