Chef's Challenge raises $25,000

Matt Lasof (center) along with chefs Will Wohlfeil (right of Lasof) and Ryan Avery (far left) and challenge assistants at the Chef’s Challenge Sunday.

The Community Action Center in Pullman hosted its first Chef's Challenge Sunday, bringing 150 audience members and exceeding its goal to raise $21,000 for the community kitchen.

“It went smooth for a first time,” said Jeff Guyett, executive director of Community Action Center.

Competing were Matthew Lasof, executive chef at Washington State University's Northside Café; Will Wohlfeil, a chef at South Fork, and Ryan Avery, an amateur chef and director of transportation at Council on Aging in Colfax. Lasof took home the “coveted golden spatula,” said Guyett, who noted the event was well received.

“It didn't feel like a competition,” he said. “It was more of a shared fun event.”

The purpose of the Chef's Challenge was, in addition to raising money for the community kitchen, to educate people about the Community Food Bank. Participants were challenged to cook only using ingredients commonly found at the food bank.

“They all did an incredible job,” Guyett said of the chefs.

With the revenue from ticket sales plus a donation from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, approximately $25,000 was raised for the community kitchen.

“We're really happy with all that,” said Guyett.

The community kitchen, at the Community Action Center in Pullman, will be used for cooking classes which will teach about how to cook with items found at the Community Food Bank. Also, the kitchen will be utilized for food repacking and for recovering foods from WSU dining halls and local caterers and restaurants.