A group of Brussels’ top chefs gathered yesterday at the weekend to make soup in public to aid an appeal for the homeless organised by the Red Cross. The chefs came together on Place de la Monnaie to help publicise the action, in a week when the first real cold snap of the year saw two homeless women found dead from hypothermia after sleeping rough in the capital.
The annual winter period for accommodation for the homeless begins later this month.
The chefs involved included Michelin-starred Lionel Rignolet of Comme Chez Soi (two stars) as well as David Martin of Restaurant La Paix in Anderlecht (one star), and formerly of Bozar Brasserie (one star). Also present was Alexandre Dionisio of Villa in the Sky (two stars).
The chefs made 200 litres of soup, together with 350 portions of dessert, in each case according to recipes from their own restaurants. “It’s not a question of just turning up,” said Dionisio. “The aim is to make soup as if it was for our clients, with the same care and precision.” his own soup was made with foie gras, mushrooms and bacon powder.
The product of their efforts will be sold in the Red Cross soup bars, and distributed to the homeless during the routine food deliveries made in the evening.
The Red Cross is also appealing to donors to pay online for a donation of anything from a bunch of “freshly generous carrots” to “chocolate biscuits made with humanity”. Last year the winter plan of the organisation, which runs until March 31, took in 9,000 homeless people, and gave food help to 44,000 families. https://magie.croix-rouge.be/#don
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
