Category: Media
Media and News Articles On Table To Table
WEST ORANGE, NJ – Mary Sorgi, Theology teacher at Seton Hall Preparatory School, is coordinating the school’s efforts to donate turkeys (and more) to “Table to Table,” New Jersey’s first food rescue organization. This is the second year that the high school is participating in the Northern NJ Turkey Take.
Sorgi stated, “In this season of being thankful for the blessings we have (and so many of us have an abundance of blessings), it is important to remember others that may need our help. So, we do this for others– to share blessings with our ‘neighbors’!” She added, “As an African proverb says, ‘It is the heart that gives, the fingers just let go.’”
According to its website, Table to Table has begun collecting frozen turkeys and will continue until Dec. 22. “This initiative enables residents in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties to personally donate or deliver a frozen turkey (or more) to local food pantries and group homes.”
Participants can go to the App or to Table to Table’s to donate and help “Table to Table” deliver more meals throughout the year to those in need. Table to Table I-Rescue–powered by Food Rescue Hero–is available on iOS and Google Play.
“As we celebrate our third year of The Great Northern NJ Turkey Take, we invite the community at large to join us in feeding our hungry neighbors, especially as Thanksgiving quickly approaches,” said Julie Kinner, Vice President of Operations, Table to Table. “Remember, you can donate that free turkey you’ve received from your local grocery store,” Kinner said. She also noted, “A turkey is the ideal donation, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner, but it also can feed a large family for several days and can be turned into other meals like chili or soup.”
“Table to Table” does not accept government funding because the members believe in community and in helping our neighbors.
Maria Sinopoli, Director of Marketing Table to Table, explained, “Table to Table partners with hundreds of recipient organizations like food pantries, senior centers, and school programs — along with its powerful network of volunteers.” The organization was founded in 1999 and has rescued and delivered the equivalent of more than 288 million meals and saved nearly 98,000 tons of potentially wasted food from landfills.”
Table to Table has had a Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for 13 consecutive years. Learn more by visiting https://tabletotable.org/.
Saddle Brook, NJ October 25, 2023 – Table to Table, New Jersey’s first food rescue organization, kicks off its annual Great Northern NJ Turkey Take with Table to Table I-Rescue, a holiday initiative allowing residents in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties to personally donate and deliver a frozen turkey—or more—to local food pantries and group homes.
Now through December 22, individuals, corporations, schools, and community groups can contact Table to Table to inform of us of your donation. Then, download the Table to Table I-Rescue app for the location near you where the turkey can be delivered. Or, if you’d like, volunteers will pick up your donation and deliver it for you.
Alternatively, if you would like to help, but are too busy to shop, you can make a donation to help Table to Table deliver more meals throughout the year to those in need. Table to Table I-Rescue–powered by Food Rescue Hero–is available on iOS and Google Play.
“As we celebrate our third year of The Great Northern NJ Turkey Take, we invite the community at large to join us in feeding our hungry neighbors, especially as Thanksgiving quickly approaches,” said Julie Kinner, Vice President of Operations, Table to Table. “Remember, you can donate that free turkey you’ve received from your local grocery store,” Kinner concluded.
About Table to Table
Table to Table is New Jersey’s first food rescue organization. Committed to feeding our hungry neighbors in Northern NJ, Table to Table rescues and delivers healthy, fresh, and perishable food from grocery stores, food distributors and restaurants, and in doing so, nourishes the community while helping our environment. In partnership with hundreds of recipient organizations like food pantries, senior centers, and school programs–along with its powerful network of volunteers–Table to Table supports health and wellness for all. Since its inception in 1999, Table to Table has rescued and delivered the equivalent of more than 288 million meals and saved nearly 98,000 tons of potentially wasted food from landfills. And, through our Table to Table I-Rescue app—powered by Food Rescue Hero—we have expanded our distribution footprint to include donations that serve smaller donors and recipient organizations. Independently funded through grants and donations, Table to Table is proud of its Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for 13 consecutive years. Learn more by visiting https://tabletotable.org/
Credit: https://paramuspost.com/article.php/20231107131409282
Cliff Crooks, a 1995 graduate of Livingston High School, is one of the star chefs who will prepare a course, which will be paired with wine, at the Table to Table food rescue program’s Chef’s Gala next week, on Wednesday, September 27. Table to Table collects prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations serving the hungry in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. Crooks, culinary director of BLT Restaurant Group, joined BLT in 2010 as executive chef of BLT Steak New York. He has worked at Salute, the Blue Water Grill, and Gramercy Tavern; competed on “Top Chef;” and was a judge on “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Chopped Junior.”
“I am the best dishwasher, cook, manager, GM, chef, executive chef, prep cook in the company. I am the therapist, psychologist, motivator. Somewhere in there, I get to create the menus. If I am lucky, I get to cook.” He and his mother, Judith, younger brother, Nicholas, and father, Calvin, made their home on Wingate Drive in Livingston after living in Taiwan for five years thanks to his father’s position at American Express. “While I, as a seven or eight year old, wasn’t keen to leave my friends, the experience was awesome and I actually didn’t want to move back to the U.S.,” Crooks said. He attended the Taipei American School, and took a lot of Mandarin classes. “The first thing I had to learn was my address!” he said. At Livingston High School, Crooks said, “I was a good student, maybe with a touch of an attention issue.” He fondly recalled faculty members such as Don Schwartz and Anthony La Femina, who were “great teachers and human beings,” and various sports and clubs. While attending LHS, Crooks dipped his toe into the culinary world as a host at Panevino Ristorante in Livingston. “I loved it because I got to see my friends and people I went to school with,” he said. “And there was excitement on a day-to-day basis. It could be chaotic. There was always something going on.” At the time, Crooks had no interest in the kitchen of that, or any other, restaurant. “I enjoyed the people-facing aspect, it was entertaining, and I could be entertaining,” he said. But somewhere along the line, he found himself wanting to learn what Cliff Crooks, culinary director of BLT Restaurant Group, is shown here in the dining room of BLT Prime on the Upper East Side of New York City. The 1995 Livingston High School graduate is one of the chefs selected to prepare a course at the Table to Table Chef’s Gala on September 27. LHS Alumnus to Prepare Fine Dining Dish At Table to Table’s Chef’s Gala September 27 was going on “in the back of the house.”
He left Panevino and he got his first taste of cooking at Marada Blue in Caldwell while waiting tables in the restaurant across the street. “The chef was young, maybe he partied too much on a Saturday night, and we needed to get things done on Sunday service,” Crooks said. “He would just show me how to do it. I got a bar shift right away, and the office was right off the cooking line. I would make something, bring it over for his approval.” The owner, Adolfo Marisi, found out, and asked Crooks to work with him. “I trained with him and family, making pasta with his mother, doing the laundry for both restaurants, picking up things, and so forth.” Rather than attend culinary school, Crooks chose to work for free in order to learn. “You keep learning and soaking in as much information as possible. You’re there to put your head down,” he said. While working for free at Windows on the World at the World Trade Center, its executive banquet chef, Barry D’Onofrio, told Crooks that the senior chefs felt that those who worked for free were ahead of the ones who went to school and were getting paid their first couple of months. “The more you learn and start putting the pieces of your own puzzle together for yourself, make your own decisions, the better,” Crooks said.
Despite being called a celebrity chef, Crooks is reluctant to use the term. “I think we coined the phrase because you are given the opportunity to be on a larger platform,” he said. “And as cool as you may be today, there is tomorrow, that’s how the world works. What can’t be taken away is that you have this knowledge that you should be passing on.” The September 27 gala will feature “what comfort food and culinary expertise” is to each participating chef. Without providing any hints about what Crooks will prepare, he acknowledged that his comfort food is pasta. “There’s something very satisfying about a chew. If I’m looking for comfort, I’m fat and carbohydrate driven.” Crooks will be cooking at the Gala along with fellow chefs Melba Wilson, the gala’s honoree; David Burke; Peter Kelly; Bobbie Lloyd; David Lopez; Ardian Skenderi; and Alex Tubero. The event will take place at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. It has been held every year since 1999, when the organization was founded.
“The Chefs Gala is our most vital event of the year,” said Julie Kinner, vice president of operations for Table to Table. “Proceeds from this event allow us to reach deeper into the community to feed even more hungry neighbors.” For more information about attending, contact Amanda Bullock, director of special events, at ABullock@tabletotable.org
Saddle Brook, NJ September 19, 2023 –Table to Table, NJ’s first food rescue organization, will showcase a line up of notable chefs at this year’s Chefs Gala. Presented by American Express, Table to Table’s Chefs Gala takes place Wednesday, September 27th at 6pm at the Edgewood Country Club in River Vale and highlights celebrated chefs who meticulously prepare their delicious selections, expertly paired with fine wines. This year’s Gala Honoree is chef, restaurateur, author, and community advocate, Melba Wilson. In addition to the exquisite multi-course meal, attendees can bid in live auction featuring travel, food, and wine experiences or a silent auction during the cocktail hour. Every dollar raised helps deliver enough food for 10 meals to hungry neighbors. Reserve your seats by clicking here!
Featured Chefs
David Burke (David Burke Hospitality Management); Clifford Crooks (BLT Restaurant Group); Peter Kelly (Xaviers Restaurant Group); Bobbie Lloyd (Magnolia Bakery); David Lopez (Mil Gustos); Ardian Skenderi (Taverna Kyclades); Alex Tubero (Civetta Hospitality); Anthony Villanueva (Edgewood Country Club) and Melba Wilson (Melba’s Restaurant and Catering). Wines will be coordinated by Carlo Russo’s Wine & Spirits World.
At this year’s Chef Gala, Table to Table is proud to present the Inaugural Members of The Founder’s Table: American Express, American Airlines, Crestron, Inserra Supermarkets, Rudolf J. Mueller, Summit Associates, and Volvo Car USA.
Table to Table’s 2023 Chefs Gala Honoree: Melba Wilson
Chef, restaurateur, author, and community activist, Melba Wilson is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Comfort Food.’ As one of the most successful African American women in the restaurant and catering businesses, Melba’s style, poise, and love of entertaining have made Melba’s Restaurant a New York landmark frequented by music, TV and movie stars, New York City’s elite, locals, and travelers from around the world. With countless accolades to her name, Melba finds time to play an active role in supporting causes that impact her community such as alleviating food insecurity.
To help Table to Table in their mission to eliminate food insecurity in Northern New Jersey, Donate Now! If you are interested in volunteering your time to pick up and deliver food, learn more and sign up here. And, if your organization would like to become a corporate partner, click here. For more information on Table to Table, visit us at www.tabletotable.org
About Table to Table
Table to Table is New Jersey’s first food rescue organization. Committed to feeding our hungry neighbors in Northern NJ, Table to Table rescues and delivers healthy, fresh, and perishable food from grocery stores, food distributors and restaurants, and in doing so, nourishes the community while helping our environment. In partnership with hundreds of recipient organizations like food pantries, senior centers, and school programs–along with its powerful network of volunteers–Table to Table supports health and wellness for all. Since its inception in 1999, Table to Table has rescued and delivered the equivalent of more than 288 million meals and saved nearly 98,000 tons of potentially wasted food from landfills. And, through our Table to Table I-Rescue app—powered by Food Rescue Hero—we have expanded our distribution footprint to include donations that serve smaller donors and recipient organizations. Independently funded through grants and donations, Table to Table is proud of its Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for 13 consecutive years. Learn more by visiting https://tabletotable.org/
Contact: Maria Sinopoli–Director, Marketing Communications msinopoli@tabletotable.org
Growing up in Harlem and Newark, two vibrant and diverse communities, offers children valuable life lessons that are strikingly similar. Both neighborhoods teach the importance of resilience and perseverance.
Secondly, the value of community and the power of unity are emphasized in both Harlem and Newark. Growing up in these neighborhoods, children learn to support and uplift one another, fostering a sense of belonging and togetherness. Lastly, both communities instill a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and the richness it brings. Children in Harlem and Newark grow up surrounded by diverse traditions, languages, and perspectives, teaching them acceptance and empathy. Ultimately, the life lessons gained from growing up in Harlem and Newark shape individuals into resilient, compassionate, and culturally aware adults.
With that in mind, when Table to Table sought an honoree for this year’s Chefs Gala, the choice was simple: Melba Wilson. Wilson, is the niece of Sylvia Woods, the founder of Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem. After working at her aunt’s place, Wilson went on to open Melba’s in 2005, a bustling institution in Harlem; write a cookbook (“Melba’s American Comfort”); beat Bobby Flay on “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay”; and launch Gospel Brunch on Windows on the World on Sundays. Today she is on the boards of City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization, and God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit that delivers food to the sick in New York City.
Her childhood and career path reflect the challenges faced in these urban environments that require a strong will and determination to overcome obstacles. “The joke was that we grew up so poor in Harlem that we couldn’t afford the other “O” in poor,” Wilson quipped.
“I grew up with food always being shared,” she continued. “My parents brought the idea from the South, that when you’re cooking a meal, you never cook just enough because there needed to be plenty of food for someone who—unannounced— would be welcomed into our home. Food was always this incredible storytelling vehicle.”
As Wilson looks at writing the next chapter of her iconic career, she is set to open another Melba’s Restaurant in Newark in the fourth quarter of 2024. “Newark reminds me a lot of Harlem,” Wilson said. “The 15,000-square-foot restaurant, which will be housed in the lobby of 550 Broad Street, replaces a bank that was in the building. Actually, the restaurant is going to be located in the bank’s vault. We have a lot of work today, moving steel and whatnot,” she said. “Our space at 550 Broadway is being designed by one of my favorite architects and interior designer David Rockwell.”
For those not familiar with Table to Table, it is New Jersey’s first food rescue organization. Committed to feeding hungry neighbors in Northern NJ, Table to Table rescues and delivers free, healthy, and fresh food from grocery stores, food distributors, and restaurants and in doing so, nourishes the community while helping our environment.
Since its inception in 1999, Table to Table has rescued and delivered enough food for 288 million meals and saved nearly 98,000 tons of potentially wasted food from landfills. In 2022, the organization, which serves Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties, delivered enough fresh food for more than 22 million meals.
“Every dollar that Table to Table raises provides enough food for 10 meals,” Wilson said. “The work that Table to Table does is even more crucial today when food insecurity is at an all-time high. It’s pivotal. We need people to come out to the Chefs Gala or go online (www.tabletotable.org/chefsgala) and make a donation. No amount is too small. We need to make sure that people in Newark (and anywhere else in North Jersey) don’t go hungry.”
The honoree and owner of Melba’s in Harlem will be joined by a number of acclaimed chefs, including David Burke (1776 in Morristown, The Fox & Falcon in South Orange and Drifthouse in Sea Bright), Bobbie Lloyd (Magnolia Bakery in New York City and other locations around the world), Cliff Crooks (BLT Restaurant Group) and Peter Kelly (X2O in Yonkers and Restaurant X and Bully Boy Bar in Congers).
The theme of comfort food carried across several cultural cuisines will be celebrated at this year’s event.
Wilson has also been deeply entrenched in the growth of the New York City restaurant industry. She was recently re-elected to a second term as the President of the New York City Hospitality Alliance. “We’re a bigger industry nationally than the automobile industry and provide both NYC and the country with the most jobs,” Wilson explained.
“Hunger is simply heartbreaking to me so whenever I can contribute to an organization such as Table to Table, it’s my honor and duty to give back,” Wilson concluded. For more information about the gala or Table to Table, visit tabletotable.org. The Chefs Gala is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, NJ.
Credit: https://totalfood.com/nj-table-to-table-harlem-comfort-food-melba-wilson/
Table to Table, NJ’s first food rescue organization, has recognized F.N. Brown Elementary School in Verona with the 2022 Bernard and Geraldine Segal Foundation Award for Student Philanthropy for their support of a Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch fundraiser. Of the many schools that participated, F.N. Brown was the top fundraiser.
The students raised enough funds to provide 31,530 meals for their hungry neighbors throughout Northern NJ. To raise funds, participants were asked to donate what they would spend on lunch for a day, week, month or more. For every dollar raised, 10 meals were provided to hungry neighbors. “We are very proud to be part of this initiative, as we know it has a positive impact on others in need,” said F.N. Brown Elementary School Principal Dr. Anthony Lanzo.
To learn more, visit tabletotable.org
Source: https://issuu.com/vicinity/docs/01-68_essex_0923se_lr?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
Written By Esther Davidowitz
Ever have the creamy mac & cheese Melba Wilson, aka, the “Queen of Soul Food,” dishes out at her renowned, 18-year-old restaurant in Harlem?
What about her famous Southern fried chicken? Or, for that matter, her popular low-country collard greens?
Your opportunity awaits Sept. 27, when Wilson will be the guest of honor at one of North Jersey’s most delicious and worthy events, the annual Table to Table’s Chefs Gala.
The honoree and owner of Melba’s in Harlem will be joined by a number of acclaimed chefs, including David Burke (1776 in Morristown, The Fox & Falcon in South Orange and Drifthouse in Sea Bright), Bobbie Lloyd (Magnolia Bakery in New York City and other locations around the world), Cliff Crooks (BLT Restaurant Group) and Peter Kelly (X2O on the Hudson in Yonkers and Restaurant X and Bully Boy Bar in Congers). Wilson plans to serve canapes of her beloved comfort food at the event, in which all the chefs contribute dishes.
“I’m waiting to see what the other chefs are doing,” she said, before deciding on which canapes she will offer. She will, however, most likely have her but small bites of mac & cheese, collard greens and fried chicken.
For those not familiar with Table to Table, it is a nonprofit food rescue organization that collects prepared and perishable food and delivers it to organizations serving North Jersey’s hungry.
For those not familiar with Wilson, she is the niece of Sylvia Woods, the founder of Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem. After working at her aunt’s place, Wilson went on to open Melba’s in 2005, a bustling institution in Harlem; write a cookbook (“Melba’s American Comfort”); beat Bobby Flay on “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay”; and launch Gospel Brunch on Windows on the World on Sundays. Today she is on the board of City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization, and God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit that delivers food to the sick in New York City.
She is also poised to open another Melba’s Restaurant in Newark in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“Newark reminds me a lot of Harlem,” Wilson said. The 15,000-square-foot restaurant, which will be housed in the lobby of 550 Broad Street, replaces a bank that was in the building. Actually, the restaurant is going to be located in the bank’s vault. “We have a lot of work today, moving steel and whatnot,” she said.
“I am so excited,” she said when asked about the Chefs Gala. “I try to do whatever I can to eradicate food insecurity. Food should never be a luxury; it is a necessity.”
As a society, “we waste too much food in our country. That’s a personal pet peeve of mine. So it’s so good to know that organizations like Table to Table rescue food, healthy food. We have to be our neighbors’ keepers. We have to take care of those who don’t have the means.”
Since its inception in 1999, Table to Table has rescued and delivered the equivalent of 295 million meals and saved nearly 96,000 tons of potentially wasted food from landfills, according to its website. In 2021, the organization, which serves Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties, provided more than 38 million meals produced from rescued food.
“Every dollar that Table to Table raises produces 10 meals,” Wilson said. “The work that Table to Table does is even more crucial today when food insecurity is at an all-time high. It’s pivotal. We need people to come out, come to the gala or go online and make a donation. No amount is too small. We need to make sure that people in Newark (and anywhere else in North Jersey) don’t go hungry.”
For more information about the gala or Table to Table, visit tabletotable.org. The gala is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. A ticket costs $650.