IN SUPPORT OF THE EVOLVED NETWORK
(SOLD OUT) FUNDRAISING DINNER AT DEMERA
brought to you by Chefs Tigist Reda, Sebastian White, Sarah Stegner, Casey Doody & Natasha Daniels
join us
for A 5-course fundraising
collaboration dinner
by Chefs sebastian white, tigist reda, sarah stegner,
casey doody & natasha daniels
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
6-9pm CST
6-9pm CST
Demera
4801 N. BROADWAY ST, CHICAGO, IL
THE MENU
family style
pb&j cracker (Pork, Beans, & Jam)
bean chicharron, pork liver/mushroom mousse, cherry jam, pickle salad
gougeres with smoked salmon
gougere, smoked salmon, creme fraiche, chives
by Chef Natasha Daniels
flatbread. fried clams, bacon,
salsa verde accompanied by spring salad
by Chefs Sebastian White & Sarah Stegner
fusion collaboration: scallops.
lemon, orange on misir wat (spicy red lentils), beets
by Chefs Tigist Reda and Sarah Stegner
fusion collaboration: demera x sebastian special.
gomen, siga wat (stewed beef in berbere sauce), blue oyster mushrooms,
and ethiopian crusted all natural prime strip
by Chefs Tigist Reda, Sarah Stegner, and Sebastian White
dessert. chef’s choice
by Chef Casey Doody pastry chef at GT Prime
Thank you: Three Sisters Garden (Kankakee, Illinois), Four-star Mushroom (Chicago, Illinois), Adam’s Acres (Grayslake, Illinois), Nichols Farm & Orchard (Marengo, Illinois),
Ellis Farm (Benton Harbor, Michigan)
family style
pb&j cracker (Pork, Beans, & Jam)
bean chicharron, pork liver/mushroom mousse, cherry jam, pickle salad
gougeres with smoked salmon
gougere, smoked salmon, creme fraiche, chives
by Chef Natasha Daniels
flatbread. fried clams, bacon,
salsa verde accompanied by spring salad
by Chefs Sebastian White & Sarah Stegner
fusion collaboration: scallops.
lemon, orange on misir wat (spicy red lentils), beets
by Chefs Tigist Reda and Sarah Stegner
market fish.
tostones, chile gremolata, morita adobo
by Chef Sebastian White
fusion collaboration: demera x sebastian special.
gomen, siga wat (stewed beef in berbere sauce), blue oyster mushrooms,
and ethiopian crusted all natural prime strip
by Chefs Tigist Reda, Sarah Stegner, and Sebastian White
dessert. chef’s choice
by Chef Casey Doody pastry chef at GT Prime
Thank you: Three Sisters Garden (Kankakee, Illinois), Four-star Mushroom (Chicago, Illinois), Adam’s Acres (Grayslake, Illinois), Nichols Farm & Orchard (Marengo, Illinois),
Ellis Farm (Benton Harbor, Michigan)
Event Sponsors
We are extremely grateful for our event sponsors! View sponsorship options by clicking the button below. Reach out to info@theevolvednetwtork.org for more details.
RATIONAL USA
Since 1973, RATIONAL has focused on providing unparalleled cooking solutions for the commercial kitchen. Today, as a company of chefs, we concentrate on providing maximum customer benefit to those working in the kitchen of today—and the kitchen of the future. Utilizing market-leading technology, the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro covering 90% of commercial cooking applications and help foodservice professionals deliver outstanding and consistent food quality, optimized work processes, and significant savings potential in terms of space, money, energy, and raw materials.
About the Chefs
Chef Tigis Reda
Demera’s Chef & Owner, Tigist Reda, was born and raised in Ethiopia and has lived in Chicago for the past 20(+) years. She learned the secrets of traditional Ethiopian cuisine from the elder women in her family, by helping them to prepare family meals and banquets. As an adult, Tigist discovered that she had a passion for entertaining guests and for sharing herself and her family’s culture with them. Several months later, with the help of her former husband, Tigist opened Demera Ethiopian Restaurant and began serving authentic Ethiopian cuisine to the public.
Learn more
Chef Sebastian White
Sebastian is a trained psychotherapist, who was working with youth who were gang-involved, labeled at-risk, and many others who were simply struggling with the complexities of life before being hit and devastated by the unexpected deaths of both his aunt (Gwen Barjon) and father (William White Jr). In their honor, he founded The Evolved Network, NFP and established Evolved Kitchen and Garden, LLC. Sebastian seeks to inspire through food and use its lessons to heal.
Learn more
Chef Sarah Stegner
Sarah Stegner is a chef and co-owner of Prairie Grass Café with business partner and longtime friend, George Bumbaris. She is passionate about local, seasonal and sustainable food. She has won two James Beard Foundation Awards for Rising Star Chef in 1994, and Best Chef Midwest in 1998. Sarah is a founding member of Green City Market's Board of Directors and of the Abundance Setting.
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Chef Casey Doody
Growing up in Chicago, Casey had food and culture at her fingertips. Early on in her teen years she worked at her family's pizzeria where she learned how to run a restaurant. Casey attended the Art Institute of Dallas and The French pastry school in Chicago; obtaining degrees in baking and pastries, meticulously training under some of the best French pastry chefs in the world.
Learn more
A note from Sebastian,
the founder, president and ED of The Evolved Network
the founder, president and ED of The Evolved Network
As you know cooking is something I’m extremely passionate about and believe in deeply, as it is the foundational piece of The Evolved Network's mission. I’ve been so extremely fortunate that I get to share in that passion and collaborate with incredible chefs, which just makes the process even more special. I’m excited to announce that for our next pop up I’ll be collaborating with Chef Tigist Reda at her Uptown staple and in my opinion the best Ethiopian restaurant in the city, Demera. I met Chef Tigist as she was educating and encouraging the Chicago Chef community to support her efforts in Tigray. That effort eventually led to a Chicago Chefs Cook fundraiser for Tigray. I was inspired by her strength, courage, and drive as female chef of color among a group of Chicago chefs who are largely Caucasian males. Chef Tigist commands respect organically, and this is felt by the Chicago Chef Community and beyond. Some of the many qualities I admire about Chef Tigist is her belief in herself, her concept, and what’s she built. Chef Tigist doesn’t submit to the pressures and complexities that can come with Chicago’s culinary scene and stays true to herself and how she sees her value. Chef Tigist’s care for improving communities from Tigray to the Southwest sides of Chicago has been consistent and is apparent in her side projects both at home and in the city. We were extremely fortunate that a chef of her esteem quickly became a supporter and advocate for The Evolved Network and we look forward to many collaborations with her.
So, we could’ve stopped there, but when Chef Sarah Stegner asked to join in on the fun, we jokingly couldn’t deny bringing her award winning flavors to our party as a part of the collaboration. Chef Stegner is a two-time James Beard Award winner and the Illinois 2022 Restaurateur of the year. If you’ve followed our story, you know The Evolved Network is not what we are without Chef Stegner’s support, mentorship, and care. Our final secret is our last course offering will be made by GT-Prime’s own Chef Casey Doody!!! This is an all-star collaboration that I’m so very fortunate to be a part of and learn from, all in support of The Evolved Network’s mission and vision.
Thank you, Chefs Reda, Stegner, and Doody from the bottom of my heart!
So, we could’ve stopped there, but when Chef Sarah Stegner asked to join in on the fun, we jokingly couldn’t deny bringing her award winning flavors to our party as a part of the collaboration. Chef Stegner is a two-time James Beard Award winner and the Illinois 2022 Restaurateur of the year. If you’ve followed our story, you know The Evolved Network is not what we are without Chef Stegner’s support, mentorship, and care. Our final secret is our last course offering will be made by GT-Prime’s own Chef Casey Doody!!! This is an all-star collaboration that I’m so very fortunate to be a part of and learn from, all in support of The Evolved Network’s mission and vision.
Thank you, Chefs Reda, Stegner, and Doody from the bottom of my heart!
Fundraising Goal: $7,000
Please come out and support The Evolved Network, NFP as our mission provides culinary, gardening, and service experiences equipping youth in systemically oppressed communities with transformative healing, skills and support needed to evolve into masters of their unique gifts. 100% of the event profits will be donated to The Evolved Network, NFP to support our 2023 spring & summer programming!
The Evolved Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes to the fullest extent allowed by law.
