Saint Martin’s University is gearing up for its annual major fundraiser for student scholarships, the Saint Martin’s Gala, with not one, but two celebrity chefs this year and a butcher! Chefs Tom Douglas and Thierry Rautureau, The Chef in the Hat™, and butcher Dario Cecchini are set to host the event at the Marcus Pavilion on Saint Martin’s campus in Lacey on November 4, 2023.
“This trio is sure to entertain as they take the stage at our largest fundraising event of the year, which is completely focused on providing scholarships for our students,” said Jennifer Bonds-Raacke, Ph.D., President of Saint Martin’s University. Tom Douglas, a Seattle-based executive chef, restaurateur, author, and co-host of radio show Hot Stove Society, is a James Beard Award winner for Best Northwest Chef and Best Restaurateur. His culinary career includes launching thirteen full-service restaurants, an event space, a cooking school, and a product line.
My mom and my grandmother Fagarty were both fine cooks. With them as a daily inspiration and after taking “Home Ec” in high school, I tried my hand at cooking at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, DE. The restaurant biz inspires me every day . . . I love hanging out in food joints all over the world,” Douglas said.
Thierry Rautureau, also known as “The Chef in the Hat,” is a Seattle celebrity chef, co-host of the Hot Stove Society with Douglas, and the owner of several former restaurants, including Rover’s Restaurant, Loulay Kitchen and Bar, and Luc Bistro which helped make him one of the most recognizable chefs in Seattle.
“The light came on for me while I was working with lots of talented chefs who showed me there was a very creative way to get your yahoos out and follow your passion. Searching for ingredients, cooking and treating them a bit differently, and enjoying the entire process from raw to eating is the ultimate plaisir,” Rautureau said.
Dario Cecchini is an internationally known Italian butcher from Panzano in the Chianti region of Italy. Cecchini’s combination of consciousness and knowledge is seen in his respect for and utilization of every part of the animal, centering the “original customs of the tribe” in a now commodified and processed culinary world.
“I grew up in a family of butchers, with a wonderful, inventive grandmother who truly used every part, every cut, from nose to tail,” Cecchini said. “My favorite recipe might be boiled beef knees served [with] fresh vegetables . . .called Tenerumi in Insalata.”
The Saint Martin’s Gala raised more than $3 million for student scholarships during the 2022 event. The Gala features a live auction, a five-course gourmet dinner, and on-stage cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs.
Learn more about this year’s chefs and event details at www.stmartin.edu/Gala or call 360-438-4366.