NASSAU, Bahamas ? Local Chefs from thirteen different restaurants are busy preparing to showcase exciting new creations or their well-loved signature fare to guests of Paradise Plates, Hands For Hunger?s first annual fundraiser event being held on Saturday, May 23rd from 7 ? 11 p.m. at the Atlantis Crown Ballroom.

Sponsored by The New Providence Development Company Limited and Old Fort Bay, the unique event will feature a sampling of gourmet food, fine wine and live entertainment with all proceeds benefitting Hands For Hunger the non-profit, humanitarian organization committed to the elimination of hunger and the reduction of food waste in The Bahamas.

Kyle K. Sawyer, Senior Chef de Cuisine of Food Art by Cacique; J. Todd Keegan, Executive Corporate Chef of Food Art by Cacique and Lorenzo Martinez, Executive Chef, Luciano?s of Chicago, recently gathered to reveal their dishes for this first-of-its-kind event.

?Food Art by Cacique is proud to be participating in Paradise Plates,? said J. Todd Keegan, Executive Corporate Chef of Food Art by Cacique. ?We will be launching two new items that we created just for this event. The first dish is BBQ duck with candied kumquat served on an edible spoon. The second is an Asian influenced dish of grilled shrimp, with a charred yellow tomato gazpacho shot. This dish combines several new elements in cooking. The shot glass will be covered by a rock glass infused with smoke to create the smoky flavour.?

?We will also be serving a banana flamb? on an edible banana bread spoon,? added Kyle K. Sawyer, Senior Chef de Cuisine of Food Art by Cacique. ?The food will be excellent and we are happy to be a part of Paradise Plates. This is the biggest event of its kind to date in Nassau. I am not aware of any other time where this many Chefs of such a high caliber have collaborated on the island in one venue.?

Lorenzo Martinez, Executive Chef of Luciano?s of Chicago is offering crowd pleasing Italian family country- style pastas for the evening. ?We are featuring two of Luciano?s signature dishes,? he said. ?Penne Con Pollo which is saut?ed chicken with spinach in an Alfredo sauce and Country Style Rigatoni which will be tossed with pancetta sweet sausage and herbs in a light tomato cream sauce. These are simple dishes that are made from fresh ingredients, they appeal to everyone and we will be preparing them all evening for guests. We will also be serving our popular Italian crostini with four different toppings as a complement to our dishes. This is food that Luciano?s is known for and we are proud to be a part of such a worthy event.?

To date, Chefs from a wide array of restaurants including: Mesa Grill; Nobu; Dune; British Colonial Hilton; Old Fort Bay Club; Lucianos; The Patisserie; Van Breugels; Balduccinos; Compass Point; Goodfellow Farms; Food Art by Cacique; and Le Petit Gourmet have agreed to participate and showcase their extraordinary food.

Fine wine will also be showcased at Paradise Plates. Pia Farmer, owner of Mendoza Wine Imports will be offering samples of some of her wines from Argentina. ?Mendoza Wine Imports is pleased to support Hands For Hunger on their inaugural fundraiser Paradise Plates. We have selected our chardonnay and our special Malbec, a wine that Argentina is famous for, to serve for the evening. Both will complement the wide array of food being served.?

Other sponsors include: Atlantis, Pearle Vision, Prime Advisory Group, The d?Albenas Agency Ltd., Royal Star Assurance, Sun Tee Embroid Me, Mendoza Wine Imports Sands Brewery and Creative Relations.

?There is no question that the food and wine being served for the evening will be extraordinary given the caliber of the participants,? said Georgina Webster, Director of Fundraising for Hands For Hunger. ?We are very grateful to them and our other sponsors for their generous support. Paradise Plates is receiving tremendous response from the public and we look forward to a memorable evening.?

All proceeds from Paradise Plates will go to Hands For Hunger and its food rescue programs. Each day, Hands For Hunger picks-up fresh, high quality food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it to community centers, shelters, churches and soup kitchens throughout New Providence.

?Food Art by Cacique, like all restaurants and food service agencies that work with Hands For Hunger, is happy to donate excess food to this program and we contribute regularly,? added Chef. Keegan. ?We are also pleased that we can now also contribute to their inaugural fundraising event Paradise Plates.?

?Hunger is a solvable problem. It is a fact that there is more than enough food on this island to amply feed every single woman, man and child. Hands For Hunger functions to connect this excess supply with the unmet, ever growing need through the more equitable and efficient distribution of resources, ?said Alanna Rodgers, Founder and Program Coordinator of Hands For Hunger.

?The proceeds raised from Paradise Plates will go directly to helping us feed the hungry in our community. We encourage everyone to experience this ?gourmet grazing? ? an evening of exceptional and extraordinary food, wine, and entertainment unlike any other the island has ever seen.?

The amazing array of lavish food and drink is complemented by a silent auction, raffle, live entertainment and beautiful d?cor. Tickets for Paradise Plates are $125 per person and can be purchased or reserved by calling or emailing at 327-1660 ext. 241 or info@handsforhunger.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Photo : Creative Chefs (L-R) Chef Kyle Sawyer K. Sawyer, Senior Chef de Cuisine of Food Art by Cacique; Georgina Webster, Director of Fundraising for Hands For Hunger; Lorenzo Martinez, Executive Chef, Luciano?s of Chicago, Christopher Shea, Assistant Chef of Luciano?s of Chicago and J. Todd Keegan, Executive Corporate Chef of Food Art by Cacique gather to discuss signature dishes to be served during Paradise Plates. The unique event will feature a sampling of gourmet food, fine wine and live entertainment with all proceeds benefitting Hands For Hunger the non-profit, humanitarian organization committed to the elimination of hunger and the reduction of food waste in The Bahamas. (Photo courtesy Kelly Meister/Bahamas Media Consultants Ltd.)

Hands For Hunger was started by a group of Bahamian student leaders in early 2008, who were and still are, committed to making a difference in the world. The organization is a registered, not-for-profit charity (# 57211 C) that relies on donations from community groups, foundations, corporations and the general public. They are led by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. For more information on Hands For Hunger to volunteer or make a donation call 327-1660 ext. 241 or visit www.handsforhunger.org.