Local chefs to provide culinary experience in the name of charity

ANDOVER — Serving as a celebration of culinary creations for local restaurants while raising funds for Project Self-Sufficiency, A Taste of Talent will return for its 19th year at Perona Farms, in Andover, on Monday, April 20 at 6 p.m.

“It's a hugely important event for Project Self-Sufficiency,” said Jay Dunn, a volunteer at Project Self-Sufficiency. “With the inconsistency of state funding, it's important that this event generate a lot of income for the agency which it surely does.”

Jay and Judy Dunn, of Sparta, have been attending every year since its inception. Dunn describes the event as having started out small and morphing into a huge, much-anticipated fundraiser.

The Chatterbox Drive In owner, Don Hall, has volunteered to serve as the Culinary Chairperson of this year’s A Taste of Talent. Hall will be working hand-in-hand with Perona Farms Executive Chef, Kirk Avondoglio, to coordinate the culinary establishments participating in the effort.

Now in its 19th year, A Taste of Talent, benefits Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency specializing in services for low-income families in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties. Hall is a longtime collaborator with Project Self-Sufficience and said he is pleased to be able to throw his support behind the agency's hallmark annual fund-raising event.

“Events such as Taste of Talent are important to our Community on many levels,” he said, “As restaurateurs, we rarely have the chance to visit each other because for the most part we’re always working the same hours and days. Taste of Talent gives us a chance to get together, even for a few hours, and say hi to each other and just catch up.”

It's a similar experience for the patrons at the event which Project Self-Sufficiency deems, “Formally informal.” Patrons can walk around and meet others while contributing to a good cause.

“Project Self-Sufficiency is delighted to have recently completed our 27th year of assisting families with achieving family stability and economic self-sufficiency,” said Project Self-Sufficiency's Executive Director, Deborah Berry-Toon. "During the past year, the agency served approximately 1,700 families, welcoming nearly 15 new individuals each day. As we look back, we take pride in many of our accomplishments.”

Sampling local bitesMonday's event will include stations from more than 25 of the area’s restaurants which will be placed throughout Perona Farms, allowing patrons to meet and mingle with the chefs while sampling some of their dishes.

Participating restaurants will include: The Chatterbox Drive In; Perona Farms; Big Bang Kitchens; Black Forest Inn; Bobolink Dairy; Café Pierrot; The Chocolate Goat Gift Shoppe; The Clay Oven; Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream; De Bragga & Spitler; Dre’s; Fossil Farms; George’s Wine & Gourmet Gallery; Gourmet Gallery; Hayek’s Market; The Inn at Millrace Pond; Jesse Jones, Chef to the Stars; Krave Café & Caterers; Mosefund Farms; Ninety Acres Culinary Center; Pizza Bistro; Restaurant Il Porto; Restaurant Triomphe; Salt; Springhouse Dairy & Creamery; St. Moritz Grill & Bar; La Strada Ristorante; Tanti Baci Caffe; Topo Restaurant; Upstream Grille; and others.

Perona Farms Executive Chef, Kirk Avondoglio added that Perona Farms “enthusiastically embraces A Taste of Talent year after year. What a wonderful event. I look forward to it every year. It’s nice to see all of the chefs come together. There is a lot of camaraderie and it does so much for the people served by Project Self-Sufficiency. It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.”

“A Taste of Talent is our signature fund-raising event and the cornerstone of our annual campaign,” Berry-Toon added. “We are honored by the support we continue to receive from the restaurateurs in our area. Project Self-Sufficiency receives a significant number of requests for assistance from local residents each and every day. A Taste of Talent’ provides a unique opportunity for people to reach out and help their neighbors in need.”

Donation categories are available for A Taste of Talent, ranging from $500 to $25,000. A limited number of tickets for individual donations are available at a cost of $200.

Perona Farms is located at 350 Andover-Sparta Road in Andover. To make a contribution to Project Self-Sufficiency, to obtain tickets to A Taste of Talent, or to find out more information about the programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.