This post has been updated with a photograph of the winning chefs.
Supporters of the Community Food Bank, Inc., got a taste of Tarrant County College’s hospitality Monday night at the inaugural Fort Worth Iron Chef benefitting the non-profit corporation at the Riverfront Café, Trinity River Campus.
Serving as Mistress of Ceremony Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley introduced attendees to Tarrant County College and the programs and services it provides throughout the county, particularly those unique to the five campuses and the Trinity River East Campus.
Community Food Bank Executive Director Regena Taylor said the partnership could not have been more appropriate. “What affects the community at large affects TCC and what affects TCC affects the community at large,” Taylor said. “There couldn’t have been a better collaboration.”
Competition
Winners of the cooking competition were Jenny Castor and Libby Long of the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Also competing were Vedat Lika and Edwin Smith of the Community Kitchen Culinary School.
Judges from Fort Worth area restaurants were Keith Hicks of Buttons Restaurant, Carl Lok of Asia Bowl, Franson Nwaeze of Chef Point Café and Michael Thompson of Michaels Cuisine.
Jason Davis and the Stage Band South and entertainer Marvin Matthews provided entertainment.
Humble Beginnings
The Community Food Bank, started as a soup kitchen n 1982, specializes in providing free fresh vegetables and frozen food. Originally housed at Beautiful Feet Church, it soon moved to a building of a former lumberyard. The next home was an old distribution warehouse at 3200 Yucca, where it remained until it was destroyed by arson in 2006. It receives no governmental funding and depends on contributions to meet its mission: “To feed the hungry, to add value to their life and to improve our community by efficiently collecting and distributing food.”
Opportunity
Anyone interested in getting involved with the food bank should contact Taylor to volunteer or get involved others ways such by donating items from the Wish List. It includes signs and banner supplies/services, equipment such as computers and printers, office furniture and clothes racks.
The Community Food Bank, located at 3000 Galvez Ave, is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 817-924-3333.
