Event raises awareness of college food insecurity

NATCHITOCHES – Two chefs will go head-to-head Oct. 1-2 to help address food insecurity on college campuses.  Northwestern State University Chef Jimier Anderson and Centenary College Chef Chef Norman Hunt will compete for votes in the inaugural Cooking for a Cause event sponsored by Sodexo, the universities’ food service partner.

“As we observe Food Insecurity Month, we have organized a cooking competition that not only allows our chefs to engage with our students but also raises awareness of this pressing issue. Students will have the opportunity to make a difference by donating their unused meals to those in need,” said Phoebe Cook, South Louisiana and Mississippi District Manager of Sodexo Universities.

Anderson will prepare Chicken Street Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice and Baja Back Beans.  Hunt will prepare Fall Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup with Apricot. The dishes will be served for lunch at Centenary on Tuesday, Oct. 1.  On Tuesday, Oct. 2, they will be served front and center at the deli station in Iberville Dining Hall on the NSU campus from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Students, faculty, staff and the community are invited to taste the entries and vote for their favorite.

As part of Cooking for a Cause, Sodexo will match student meal card swipes 1:1 for the Swipe Out Hunger program, which provides free meal swipes to students in need of food assistance.  Individuals without meal cards can pay the regular meal price at the door and additional revenue will benefit NSU’s Food Pantry.  Guests can sample both entries and vote for their favorite.  Final votes will be collected at 1 p.m. and the winner announced.

The NSU Food Pantry and other student groups are expected to participate to lend a festive atmosphere to the event.

Anderson, NSU’s executive chef for Sodexo, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and began her career as a catering chef for Facebook International in Austin, Texas.  After managing a baker7 for 7-1/2 years, she joined Sodexo in February 2022, her first role in a university setting.  Since then, she has been featured in Taste of Louisiana cookbook and showcased her talents at numerous university events.  She was a second place quarterfinalist in the global Favorite Chef competition.  Passionate about culinary arts, she aims to inspire others through her work.  Outside of her career, she enjoys shopping, traveling internationally and spending time with family.

For information on joining the fight against hunger visit www.HelpStopHunger.org.