Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern will be in attendance at Taste of the NFL – a pre-Super Bowl LVI culinary experience that aims to combat childhood hunger and food insecurity by raising funds and awareness for vulnerable groups.
Zimmern told FOX News Edge that he got involved with the annual benefit through his work with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization GENYOUth, which has partnered with Taste of the NFL for Super Bowl 2022. The two anti-hunger charities are organizing a ticketed live event at the world-renowned Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 12, where food and football will collide.
"Folks can come and participate, come down to interact with incredible chefs and the performance that we're doing with the demos live on stage as well as, you know, have a fantastic party with a purpose to raise money [and] provide hunger solutions for students in schools, which is what GENYOUth now specializes in," Zimmern said in a video interview with FOX. "They're one of the leaders in the country at this, and we're trying to raise as much money as possible."
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He noted that childhood hunger has been exacerbated as the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation continue. These two challenges are especially concerning for Zimmern, who has been a hunger relief advocate for 30 years and has worked with various equity boards, including the New York-based Services for the UnderServed, the International Rescue Committee and more recently the United Nations World Food Programme as a goodwill ambassador.
"I haven't come across a problem that is as deadly and as crisis-filled as the global and national hunger crisis that we are currently enduring," Zimmern said. "I'm staggered by this… To me, it is the biggest head-scratcher of head-scratchers."
Zimmern went on to say that while he’s grateful nongovernmental organizations have stepped up to combat hunger, he wants the world to realize that a society that’s eliminated hunger with nutritious foods is likely to face economic and public health benefits, including less money spent on preventable food-related diseases, an improvement to national security, decreased pressure on the criminal justice system and overall productivity.
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In his own words, "Food is both a tool for understanding other people, and it's also a solution to improving lives both here in America and around the world."
For citizens who would like to show their support for Taste of the NFL and GENYOUth, but won’t be able to attend the live event on Saturday, Zimmern said spreading the word about these two organizations or joining The Virtual Home Gate would be helpful.
The digital experience will include demos from celebrity chefs Carla Hall, Tim Love, Lasheeda Perry and Mark Bucher who going to be at the live event as well. Viewers will also be able to see discussion snippets from special guests, which NFL players, professional athletes and media personalities.
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"It's a wonderful way to warm up for the big game on the Saturday beforehand," Zimmern said. "Thanksgiving used to be the biggest food day in America. Number two was Christmas. Number three was Fourth of July. Now, number one is [the] Super Bowl. People watch football at home with their loved ones and they cook.
He continued, "As someone who loves educating, who loves providing adventure and joy in the kitchen and believes in putting food on people's plates, what a wonderful time of year, both to be celebrating food, but also raising money for a fantastic cause and making sure that those that don't have food are provided for."
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Andrew Zimmern’s Poached Shrimp Remoulade Recipe Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 12 ounces brown ale
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 quart water
- 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups ice
- 3 cups endive or iceberg lettuce, julienned
- Cherry tomatoes, lemon wedges and parsley for garnish
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup whole seed mustard
- ¼ cup yellow Cajun mustard
- ¼ cup horseradish
- ¼ cup chile sauce
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Poached Shrimp Boil
Remoulade
When it comes down to which recipe Zimmern recommends for Super Bowl Sunday and similar gatherings, it would his poached shrimp remoulade. Zimmern explained that remoulade – a French sauce – had been influenced by Spanish, Caribbean and West African flavors by the time it made its way to Louisiana.
Zimmern makes his recipe with a shrimp boil mixed with mustard seeds, chile fennel, lemon slices, chopped celery and onions, a can of beer and other seasonings, and he lets the ingredients simmer and steep at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or so.
In a food processor, Zimmern makes the remoulade from scratch with chile and Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, eggs, chopped scallions and celery, minced garlic, a spice mix with whole mustard seeds, horseradish, white vinegar and Old Bay seasoning.
Zimmern recommends pulsing the processor a few times before pouring in vegetable oil and letting it emulsify. After the ingredients blend together, the remoulade can be refrigerated while the shrimp cooks.
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When the shrimp batch is done cooking, Zimmern places the shellfish in a colander with a bowl underneath to catch excess liquid. He then covers the shrimp with ice to trap the flavor. Zimmern serves the shrimp with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, lemon wedges, Cajun seasonings, celery leaves and the remoulade sauce.
"Shrimp remoulade is one of the fastest, tastiest, most delicious treats that you could possibly imagine," Zimmern told FOX.
"I don't think there's a better dish. You [can] do it all ahead of time and simply pour the sauce on right before your guests get there. They can dip if they want. They can plate if they want. You can make a big batch, a small batch. You can do this with other meats or seafood or everything if you don't like shrimp, but I think it's fantastic."
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For Zimmern’s full shrimp remoulade recipe or other big game dishes, you can find it on AndrewZimmern.com.
To learn more about Taste of the NFL or GENYOUth, supporters can visit TasteOfTheNFL.com or GENYOUthNow.org.