Last night more than 1,000 local food lovers loosened their belts and opened their wallets for the annual Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation at the Aragon Ballroom. Shocked by the astounding number that more than 12.4 million children face hunger across our great nation (1 out of every 4 children in Chicago runs the risk of going hungry), Chef Mindy Segal and Hub 51 Owner RJ Melman rallied local chefs and mixologists to donate their time and culinary talent to deliver a succulent spread of small bites, inspired by street food, and inventive cocktails. more ›

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation, one of the biggest gatherings of chef and bartending talent this year, takes place next Thursday at the Aragon Ballroom. The annual event raises money for for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Near North Health Services and the Illinois Hunger Coalition, three organizations fighting the rise of childhood hunger in the greater Chicago area.. more ›

Today, superhero Chicago chefs including Paul Kahan, Koren Grieveson, Gale Gand and many others met on the lawn of the White House with First Lady Michelle Obama to kick off “Chefs Move to Schools” campaign. Running parallel with the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign, "Chefs Move to Schools" connects children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. At the event, local chefs learned how to adopt a school at a panel discussion with Assistant to the White House Chef Sam Kass and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. more ›

If you were thinking you could get through August's events by hitting the Air & Water Show and Lollapalooza and then you'd be done, you're wrong. If you haven't heard of the Share Our Strength / Taste of the Nation events, well, you're about to. Mindy Segal is one of the co-chairs of the program and when she's not running her restaurant Hot Chocolate she's been crazy busy setting up one of the most interesting and promising culinary events of the year. more ›

Last night Mindy Segal brought together some of the best chefs in the city to celebrate Hot Chocolate's fourth anniversary with a $100 per person dinner to benefit Share Our Strength, a non-profit that works with local food banks, restaurants and community groups to combat hunger at home. Segal is the chair of Share Our Strength's "Taste of the Nation" event, scheduled for August 13 at Ravenswood Billboard Factory (Full disclosure: this Chicagoist staffer is also on the event committee). more ›