Celebrity chef and Bravo TV "Top Chef" competitor Ron Duprat

 (BlackNews.com) -- Celebrity chef and fierce competitor on season six of Bravo TV's Top Chef, Ron Duprat will kick off Haiti Huddle 2010 preparing a delectable dinner to benefit Haiti relief efforts by Food for the Poor, Inc. and the Florida Marlins' Homes for Haiti program. Commencing with a 6:00 p.m. reception Wednesday, October 6, 2010, Haiti Huddle will host an evening of cooking and conversation with Haiti-born Chef Ron Duprat, which will coincide with a silent auction at the intimate Viva Vocé Café in the Montclair District of Oakland, CA. The evening affair is open to the public. Call (510) 339-0990 to reserve tickets ($150) or purchase online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/126634.

Earlier this summer, Duprat visited Haiti to examine conditions six months after the devastating January 12, 2010 magnitude 7.0 earthquake centered near PORT-AU-PRINCE. Overcome by the deplorable post-earthquake living conditions and hunger still rampant in his homeland, Duprat set about the business of creating ways to address the still existent homelessness and near famine conditions.

Extremely disturbed by the devastation in Haiti, Duprat said, "I simply want to help rebuild Haiti better and stronger as much as I can, which is why—along with fundraising efforts - we'll start a culinary school to train young Haitians." He continued, "I've been extremely fortunate in my professional career since arriving in the U.S. Some even call me a celebrity. If that is true, I want to use my celebrity status to make a difference. This effort is a marathon, not a sprint."

DINNER MENU:

Chef Ron is expert in exotic flavors - often incorporating his own Haitian Creole influences with French-Asian Fusion cuisine. Duprat shares the special tantalizing menu he has planned for the benefit dinner:
Appetizer: English pea soup w/almond crumble; Baby heirloom tomatoes w/watermelon & Thai basil; Maine lobster salad w/coconut & carrot vinaigrette

Entree: Wild striped bass hearts of palm w/lemon honey nage; Wagyu beef, tasting of potatoes w/ sauce bordelaise; Poulet, braised bulger w/hazelnut cream

Dessert: Barbancourt rum bread pudding, coconut sorbet, fresh pineapple w/rum caramel

ABOUT CHEF RON DUPRAT:
Acclaimed Chef Ron Duprat is Executive Chef at Latitudes Restaurant, an AAA-four-diamond beachfront eatery nestled within the Hollywood Beach Marriott Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. A fierce competitor on Bravo TV's sixth season of "Top Chef," Duprat is an expert in exotic flavors. The Celebrity Chef chose the culinary profession as an outlet passion and for the tradition that fills the storybook of world cuisine.

Duprat is affiliated with The American Culinary Federation; manager of Real Men Cook Miami, a subsidiary of Real Men Charities, Inc.; and a member of Black Culinarians Association, No Hungry Kids, the College of Culinary Arts in Miami, and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative that addresses solving the challenge of childhood obesity; and he serves on Basil Magazine's Chef Council. The Haiti native was classically trained at French cooking schools College Aimee Cesaire and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine.

ABOUT HAITI HUDDLE 2010:
The Haiti Huddle 2010 is a program of Helping Hands for a Sustainable Haiti in partnership with Haiti Onward, Sustainable Haiti Coalition, Network Haiti, and Life Giving Force Foundation.

Happening October 6-7, 2010 at Fort Mason in San Francisco, California, Haiti Huddle 2010 brings together leaders from US and Haitian NGOs, businesses, investors, and government committed to: focusing on culturally-appropriate solutions for and by Haitians; rebuilding an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable Haiti; working in partnerships to accelerate and sustain change and development; participating in issue-focused dialogue to work toward synergistic solutions that maximize impact and value for all stakeholders and the Haitian people; and creating open source solutions and resource sharing. www.haitihuddle.com

ABOUT FOOD FOR THE POOR, INC.:
Food for the Poor ministers to spiritually renew impoverished people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Established in 1982 as a 501(c) (3) corporation, the organization's goals are to improve the health, economic, social and spiritual conditions of the men, women and children we serve. Food for the Poor raises funds and provides direct relief assistance to the poor, usually by purchasing specifically requested materials and distributing them through the churches and charity organizations already operating in areas of need. www.foodforthepoor.org

ABOUT HOMES FOR HAITI:
Homes for Haiti is collaboration between the Florida Marlins organization and Food for the Poor, Inc. formed to help raise funds for housing in Haiti. The campaign commenced July 12, 2010 coinciding with the six month anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. The goal is to raise $150,000 to build a village of 25 double homes, plus sanitation and fresh water well. Each double home will shelter two families or a total of 8-10 people. The homes will come equipped with a toilet and partitioned area for bathing. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/fla/community/haiti.jsp

EDITORS: To arrange an interview with Chef Ron Duprat, contact:
Toni Beckham | 209-832-8020 w / 408-499-3664 c | Toni@PRetCetera.com

CONTACT:
EVENT CONTACT
Lisa McFadin
Haiti Huddle 2010
415-297-4293
bidcheck@aol.com

CHEF DUPRAT PRESS CONTACT
Toni Beckham
PR, et Cetera, Inc.
209-832-8020 w / 408-499-3664 c
Toni@PRetCetera.com