Menu for Hope, a virtual raffle, snares dollars for charity
Talk about living in the virtual world. Blogger Pim, who writes the food blog Chez Pim, set up Menu for Hope in 2004 to aid victims of the tsunamis. In the years since, it has morphed into a full-bore online charity event benefitting the U.N. World Food Programme. This year it runs through Dec. 21.
Here's how it works: You buy $10 tickets, and each ticket gets you a chance for a specific raffle item. The items are donated by various food and wine bloggers around the world and range from four dozen macaroons to dinner in New York with New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov.( You've got to get yourself there.) On the more esoteric side, there's even a tour of el Bulli's kitchen laboratory in Spain. (You've got to get yourself there, too.)
Closer to home, The Italian Wine Guy's On the Wine Trail in Italy has donated a collection of Italian wines, and you can get his take on the event at his blogsite. I don't know whether other local food or wine bloggers are represented, but if they are, I hope they'll let me know.
Oh yeah: 100 percent of the money raised goes to the food program. This is also a great way to get acquainted with some of the best wine and food blogs in the blogosphere, from Vinography to Chocolate and Zucchini.