by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: Haley Schiffer
If that singer from the Archies’ boy band were looking for his Sugar, he would have found it last night at the The Mandarin Oriental Hotel—lots of it. Even the clothes in the Chocolate Fashion Show were sugar coated.
At Charity in Chocolate, The Heart of America Foundation’s “delicious fashion show,” a dynamic ABC7/WJLA TV duo of Scott Thuman and Jummy Olabanji – each Emmy-winners – kept the fast-paced program moving. But before that, chefs from over fifty restaurants, cooking schools and bakeries provided culinary delights from their food stations both savory and sweet, ranging from unctuous pork cheek ragout to passion flower mousse.
There were tables and tables of chocolate in every form imaginable―even to chocolate-filled churros. Open-bars kept the happy guests throats slaked and saved them from bouncing off the wall on sugar highs.
Seen: Philanthropist, art collector and Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Judith Terra, Samir Georgi, Erin Hickey with Barclay’s analyst Robert Barcellona Jr. and publicist Jan Staihar. Welcoming the guests were Heart of America’s co-founders, Angie and Bill Halamandaris, who were applauded for their work in helping children in need. No mere lenders-of-their-names and basking-in-the-glory originators, they are clearly hands-on-HOA partners. They were still there, finishing up last minute details and answering reporters’questions when the ballroom was almost empty and workers were dismantling the scene around them.
HOA, the charity they began, has since 1997 expanded 215 libraries and educational spaces and donated 3.4 million books – 5 at a time – to eager children, impacting the lives of a generation of thousands of youths.
Honorary Co-Chairs were The Ambassador of Italy and Mrs.Claudio Bisogniero. The Ambassador, who has served his nation in distinguished posts in Rome, Beijing, Brussels and the United Nations in New York, was welcomed back here warmly when he returned in 2012, having been posted in Washington from 1992-1996 as First Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs.
The HOA’s Hero of the Heart Award was given to Ambassador Peter Barry Teeley of Children’s Charities Foundation for his work that led to the securing of $9 million distributed to charities caring for needy children in the DC Metro area.
Dr. Maria Palacios of Bruce-Monroe Elementary School was named Principal of The Year, the award given for her innovative dual-language program, the promotion of literacy, science and math, and the orchestration of a food bank.
Many-faceted NFL’s Ken Harvey introduced the honorary committee he chaired. Elected one of the 70 greatest players for the Washington Redskins, he writes children’s books, is President and CEO of JAKA Consulting group and serves on HOA’s Board of Directors.
The committee included Peter Abrams of DC Magazine, Kevin Clayton of Hogan Lovells and Kendra Kojsich of Porter Novelli who helped keep the whole show going with her team. Also on the committee was Kate Michael of K Street Kate whose father was up from Atlanta for the event and to run the 5K Marathon with her.
Bill and Kate Michael
Honorary Chef Chair was Victor Albisu, the owner-chef of Del Campo and Taco Bamba who has cooked for President and Mrs. Obama. Chef Albisu also donated as one of the prizes a special private dinner for nine he will prepare (your place or his) as one of many valuable raffle items.
Leading prize was a trip to Italy that brought with it goodies including a villa to stay in, a case of wine, designer items from Barbara Hawthorn and a jaunt to Perugia during the Tuscan sojourn to visit La Scuola Perugina, whence all those chocolate Baci―”kisses” in Italian―come.
When the genial Ambassador drew that much-awaited winning ticket a great shout went up from the winner’s neighboring tables, as up went the arms of the air-pumping winner, popular Joe Farruggio, owner of Georgetown’s Il Canale Restaurant. (Which is situated, as you might guess, alongside the Georgetown Canal on 31st street.)
The evening’s judges for the Charity in Chocolate Fashion Show included WTOP reporter Kristi King, Kate Michael, Michael McCarthy, the Editor-in-Chief of DC Magazine, Naomi Gallego, Executive Pastry Chef of Blue Duck Tavern and l’Academie de Cuisine’s Heather Roth, the 2008 RAMW Pastry Chef of the Year.
High-point of the evening for both foodies and fashionistas: 14 models parading down the amazing, unbelievable sugar & chocolate costumes the 14 talented chef’s created. Who would have believed sugar had so many different guises?
An adorable little “Blue Fairy,” Josette Aujard, a golden-haired youngster, modeled. the blue-sugar trimmed creation of Sweet Prosperity Bakery’s owner/creative chef (and father) Thierry Aujard.
Josette Aujard
Winning entry was the “Snow Queen,” by Caitlin Dysart of Falls Church’s 2941 Restaurant. The artful opaque sugar “tiles” could have doubled as piano keys; the blue tiles gleamed like porcelain. As the Queen left the stage she blew a handful of sugar snow into the air,
Two stunning creations that drew applause were “Katniss” from l’Academie de Cuisine’s Katie Delaney and “Poison Ivy,” from Rasika West End’s Shaun McCarty.
“Katniss,” (complete with her “Hunger Games” bow, of course) was dramatically clad in a floor-length red dress whose skirt held row upon row of deep red tiles (how could sugar get like that?).
“Poison Ivy’s” top, sleeves and short shorts were ingeniously built―as seen in pieces behind the scenes―of sections molded on canvas-backed chocolate, whose leafy green sugar covering was somehow compounded to sport a metallic sheen. Mysterious!
At the end of the action-filled evening, the chef’s, who had to be really weary by then, nevertheless made their way to the Chef’s Party, where judging from the music and laughter wafting from the doors, chefs once again rose to the occasion.
