EAGLE, Idaho, March 11, 2009 - Chef David Burke of davidburke & donatella restaurant in New York joined the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), today, in celebrating the success of "Recipes for Relief," an online campaign created to raise awareness and funds for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). The IPC and Burke presented the U.S. Fund for UNICEF with a $50,000 check to help aid in its global efforts to save, protect and improve children's lives.
Launched in February 2008, the IPC's "Recipes for Relief" program honored the United Nations' observance of the "International Year of the Potato" - a declaration recognizing potatoes as a staple food providing nutritional benefits to the world population at minimal cost. The online initiative featured a new Idaho® potato recipe each month throughout 2008 from celebrated chefs like David Burke, Paul Prudhomme and Michael Symon. The program invited consumers to visit www.IdahoPotato2008.org to view the recipes by these revered chefs. Each click counted toward a 10-cent donation from the Commission to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, with a grand total donation up to $50,000.
"International Year of the Potato was significant in recognizing the role potatoes can play in providing food security worldwide," said Frank Muir, President/CEO, IPC. "We were proud to raise awareness for the observance, and promote the nutritional value of potatoes as well as support the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in their initiatives benefiting the health and nutrition of the world's children. Most importantly, the success of the program would have never been possible without the support of our chef friends."
Recipes for Relief Chefs
A total of eleven chefs were featured in the Idaho Potato Commission's "Recipes for Relief" program. These well-known chefs hail from cities across the country and many of their Idaho® potato recipes reflect the region's unique tastes and flavors. The chef line-up included:
February
Michael Symon
Idaho® Potato Crab Tator Tots
Lolita - Cleveland, Ohio
March
Tracy O'Grady
Parmesan Soufflé "Mashed Potatoes"
Willow - Arlington
April
Susan Spicer
Potato Shrimp Clemenceau
Bayona - New Orleans
May
Todd Downs
Casuelitas & Carnitas
Food Sense, Inc. - Fort Wayne
June
Jon Mortimer
Seared Halibut with Lobster Mashed Potatoes
Mortimers - Boise
July
Joachim Splichal
Tower of Idaho Potato Chips with Lemon Scallops and Caviar
Patina - Los Angeles
August
David Walzog
Salt Crusted Baked Idaho® Potatoes
SW Steakhouse, Wynn Resort - Las Vegas
September
Andy Husbands
Andy's Italian Style Potato Salad
Tremont 647 - Boston
October
Nobu Matsuhisa
Idaho Big Sushi Roll - Futomaki
Matsuhisa - Los Angeles
November
Paul Prudhomme
Full Boat Idaho® Potato Pirogue with White Cheese Sauce
K-Paul's - Louisiana
December
David Burke
Herb Idaho® Potato Wafers
David Burke Las Vegas, Venetian Resort - Las Vegas
"It was a pleasure for us to partner with the Idaho Potato Commission on this unique program and be the recipient of such a generous donation," said Kristi Burnham, director, Volunteer and Community Partnerships, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "It's through innovative and humanitarian programs such as these, that the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is able to positively impact the health of millions of children around the globe."
International Year of the Potato
The United Nations' declaration of 2008 as the International Year of the Potato will raise awareness of the importance of the potato - and of agriculture in general - in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment.
With the world population increasing by approximately, 100 million people a year, there is an urgent need to find and/or develop the resources needed to sustain this incredible growth. The potato, which is the fourth largest food crop in the world, has been identified as part of the solution for many reasons:
- Potatoes produce more nutritious food, more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop.
- Potatoes are a nutrient dense food containing protein, carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium and many other micronutrients.
- More and more people are relying on potatoes as a major part of their diets. World potato production has increased at an annual average rate of 4.5 percent over the last 10 years, and exceeded the growth in production of many other major food commodities in developing countries, particularly in Asia.
- Potatoes are, or can be, grown in many countries around the world from China's Yunnan plateau and the subtropical lowlands of India, to Java's equatorial highlands and the steppes of Ukraine.
"When compared to other foods, the potato provides one of the best nutrient density returns for the cost of production," stated Muir. "The potato is rich in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and other important vitamins and minerals-and uses much less water to grow than rice."
Helping Hunger Stateside
For many years the Idaho Potato Commission has been involved in several initiatives to promote potato consumption in developing nations. The IPC has been working closely with the University of Idaho on developing a fortified dehydrated potato product that could potentially provide sustenance and nutrition to millions of adults and children in developing nations around the globe through US food aid programs. The Commission has also actively been promoting Idaho Potato seed potatoes to countries in Asia and Central America.
UNICEF For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response, saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicefusa.org.
The Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency that is primarily responsible for expanding the markets for Idaho grown potatoes through advertising, promotion and research. The Commission also protects the use of the "Idaho Potato" and "Grown in Idaho" seals, which are federally registered Certification Marks that belong to the IPC. These Marks ensure that consumers are purchasing potatoes that have been grown in the state of Idaho.
