Complete the following: if it’s December, it must be time for…

Did you say Menu for Hope? Of course you did!

As I’m sure you already know, the Menu for Hope is an annual charity event run by food bloggers to raise money for those less fortunate than ourselves. It was initiated by Pim in December 2004 as a way to help victims of the Asian tsunami, and in the intervening years has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for disaster and hunger relief around the globe. This year, like the past three, all money is going to the UN’s World Food Program, an organization dedicated to providing emergency food aid and carrying out rehabilitation and development programs. The WFP is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the WFP helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good.

This year our monies are going to support a new initiative at the WFP called Purchase for Progress (P4P). P4P enables smallholder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation. P4P helps farmers improve farming practices and puts more cash directly into their pockets in return for their crops. It also helps buoy the local economy by creating jobs and income locally.  Many of us understand the importance of buying locally and supporting our local farms; P4P helps do the same for farmers in low income countries around the world. For all the details on the program click here.

And this is your chance to support it! All it takes is a small donation between now and December 25, even as low as $10, and not only will you be helping to fund the WFP’s activities, you’ll also be entering yourself in a raffle to win one of dozens and dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of absolutely incredible items donated by bloggers and business owners around the world. Honestly, there are so many things on offer your chances of winning are better than good, they’re phenomenal. (Trust me on this one – one year my mom won three different things!)

MY ITEM:

(code EU29)

 

This year I have decided to offer one lucky person a set of five cookbooks. Yes, you read that right: FIVE cookbooks. But they’re not just cookbooks, they’re so much more. Are you familiar with the legendary Culinaria series? Originally published in Germany, Culinaria books are the ultimate references for the foodie traveler, rolling a culinary encyclopedia, cookbook and travel guide into one. Each of these hefty volumes focuses on the cuisine of a single country (except for a few regional titles, like the Caribbean and Southeast Asia), and region by region explores the food, drink and traditions unique to each part of it. They delve deeply and thoroughly into every culinary topic imaginable – how iconic products and dishes are made, where local traditions originated, what’s harvested and how it’s used, and how the culinary landscape varies from one end of the country to the other – interspersing the educational content with dozens of mouth-watering regional recipes and hundreds of beautiful photos. Whether you’re a gourmet chef or an avid eater, a seasoned traveler or an armchair adventurer, I guarantee you’ll find these books informative, entertaining, and (most importantly) appetite-whetting!

If you win this item, you’ll be receiving Culinaria’s France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Germany in softcover format (which, although much more manageable than the original mammoth hardbacks, are as large and heavy as most normal hardcover books!). Think of this as a master’s degree in European gastronomy, without the hefty tuition fee. Imagine how you’ll wow your friends with your knowledge of how Catalonian olive oils differ from those made in the rest of Spain, where in Italy they farm the best oysters, and what household items best approximate the skinny rolling pins Greek grandmothers use to roll out phyllo dough. And if that doesn’t sound tempting enough, how about this: no matter where you’re reading this from, you’re eligible to win this. In other words, I will be happy to ship these books anywhere in the world (provided amazon.com/.co.uk normally ships there, but as far as I know they ship just about everywhere).

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Peruse the bid items on the lists at the regional hosts:
Europe (hosted by David Lebovitz)
Asia Pacific (hosted by Ed of Tomatom)
USA: East Coast (hosted by Helen of Tartelette)
USA: West Coast (hosted by Shauna of Gluten Free Girl)
Canada (hosted by Tara of Seven Spoons)
…and everything wine related @ Alder of Vinography
N.B. You must make sure to check the terms and conditions for the individual items BEFORE you bid, as some will come with restrictions regarding where they ship to or how long the item is valid for.

2. Go to the donation site at http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope6 and make a donation by December 25th at the latest.

3. Please specify which item you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write in how many tickets per item, and please use the item code. The code for my item is EU29.

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward an item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for UK01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xUK01, 3xEU02

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we can claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

6. Check back on Chez Pim on Monday, January 18 for the results of the raffle. If you see that you are the winner of my item, please get in touch with me by email.

Thank you, once again, for your generosity and for helping to make this campaign something to be so proud of!

Oh, and good luck!!