Chef Daisy Martinez, chef, television
personality, author and spokesperson for Dining Out For Life the
HIV/AIDS fundraiser talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of
OUTTAKE VOICES™. Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru® will take
place Thursday April 30th in 60 cities across North America. The event
was conceived 25 years ago in Philadelphia and the concept is quite
simple. More than 3,000 participating restaurants donate a generous
percentage of that day’s proceeds to support service providers in their
region to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and
other essential HIV/AIDS services. An estimated $4 million will be
raised in just one day of dining. Last year Dining Out For Life assisted
over 350,000 people, delivered over 1.8 million meals and provided
housing for 8,097 clients. It also fulfilled vital health services with
5,572 patients receiving health insurance, 5,491 receiving pharmacy
assistance and 1,948 were provided with dental aid. We talked to Daisy
about being a spokesperson for this fabulous event and her spin on our
LGBT issues.
When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Martinez
stated, “I was a child of the seventies so I lived through losing too
many friends to the AIDS scourge. In addition I have various family
members that are gay that I support 120%. It’s really funny because in
my circles I’m know as ‘The Lady of The Gay’ because most of my friends
are gay, I think I have one token straight friend. The LGBT community
has been very supportive to the Daisy brand. They come to my classes;
they buy my books; they show up for book signings. I get tons of fan
mail from them. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t like to
differentiate. I don’t like to say LGBT because they’re my friends and I
don’t make that distinction. They’re my friends and that’s it.”
Daisy Martinez attended the French Culinary Institute in New York to
study Culinary Arts where she received first prize for her final project
“The Passionate Palate”. Upon graduation, Daisy worked as a
prep-kitchen chef on the set of PBS’ Lidia’s Italian American Table for
her long time mentor chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich as well as a
private chef in New York City and as the owner of a small, boutique
catering business also called The Passionate Palate. In 2005 Daisy
launched her new career with “Daisy Cooks!” on PBS and her cookbook
“Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World” was an IACP
nominee and American category finalist, as well as the winner of the
Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in the world by the Gourmand World Cookbook
Awards. As Daisy’s star ascended she met Rachael Ray at an event which
led Ray’s production company to produce "Viva Daisy!” which debuted on
the Food Network in January 2009. 2015 will mark Daisy’s fourth year as
spokesperson for Dining Out For Life. She’s joined by three other
celebrity spokespeople for this fabulous fundraiser including actor Pam
Grier (Foxy Brown, The L Word), designer Mondo Guerra, winner of Project
Runway All-Stars and Ted Allen host of the Food Network series
“Chopped”.
For More Info: diningoutforlife.com
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