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Salvation Army's "TOP CHEFS: Taste of Preparedness" Returns to San Francisco
Think food for your at-home disaster kit is limited to cans of soup? Think again.
Encouraging individuals to get creative with their food supplies, The Salvation Army has developed a cooking contest called “ T.O.P. Chefs” (T.O.P. = Taste of Preparedness). Its much like the "Iron Chef" battles you see on television, but with a twist.
Cooking teams of first responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, etc) will be asked to prepare a main dish and side dish from ingredients provided to them the day of the event. The ingredients represent items that could go into a disaster kit: non-perishables, freeze-dried items, bottled fluids, etc. Teams will be given 30 minutes to prepare the meal and then will be judged by a panel of local chefs on a criteria of taste, quality of meal (level of comfort after a disaster), presentation, and, of course, creativity (opening a can of Pork & Beans and calling it good won't fly here). Cooking supplies (pots, pans, and utensils), a multi-burner camp stove and a variety of spices will be provided to each team.
The Salvation Army is attempting to put a new spin on an old (but important message) of having a well-stocked disaster kit at home. In addition to a first aid kit and flashlight, everyone should have enough food and hydration supplies to survive for 72 hours or longer.
The Salvation Army will have Emergency Disaster Canteens (mobile kitchens) on display for the public to view, and will provide information about creating an at-home disaster kit, signing up to volunteer, or registering for disaster response training. Organizations with an interest in Emergency Disaster Preparedness will also be on hand for the event.
Join us for the fun...
Wednesday, June 14, 2015 | 12:00pm to 1:00pm
12:00-12:30pm -- Meal preparation
12:30 to 1:00pm -- Presentation and Judging
Civic Center Plaza | San Francisco
This a free event! Bring your lunch* and get ready to watch some creative culinary entertainment. See you there!
*Food prepared at the T.O.P. Chefs competition is for demonstration purposes only and will not be available for the public consumption (sorry). BUT, we encourage you to bring a pen and paper to write down the recipes as they're created so you can try to recreate them at home. :)