Miami’s Celebrity Chef Hani Khouri Hosting Cooking Class to Benefit Youth L.E.A.D. Miami
Saturday, 11/10/2012, 11:00 am – 02:00 pm
Coral Gables Congregational Church
3010 De Soto Boulevard,
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
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Founder of Hani’s Mediterranean Organics Will Share Gourmet Secrets to Raise Funds for Food Justice Youth Programming

Youth L.E.A.D. Miami, a local nonprofit educating and empowering young people to adopt healthy, sustainable behaviors, today announced plans for a fundraising cooking class taught by celebrity chef Hani Khouri. A local goat herder and organic food producer, Hani supplies delicious organic hummus, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh and cheeses to many of Miami’s finest restaurants, including Michael’s Genuine, Meat Market and Escopazzo. All class proceeds will benefit Youth L.E.A.D.’s programming, which educates and empowers youth activists to address food and environmental justice issues in underserved communities.

Who: Celebrity chef, local goat farmer and Lebanese caterer, Hani Khouri of Hani’s Mediterranean Organics

What: Mediterranean cooking class and lunch buffet fundraiser

When: Saturday, November 10, 2012, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Where: Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 deSoto Blvd (Across from the Biltmore)

Why: All proceeds benefit Youth L.E.A.D.’s after-school and youth employment programs, which teach young people to adopt healthy, sustainable behaviors and advocate for food and environmental justice in their schools and communities

Cost: $75 per person; discounts available for groups of four or more

How: Visit www.supportyouthlead.com or call to 1-786-529-LEAD (5323) to register. Interested parties are urged to act fast – Hani Khouri’s January 2012 “Outstanding in the Field” dinner for 100 guests sold out completely, and this event will be limited to 30 attendees.

Erin Healy, Founder and CEO of Youth L.E.A.D. says, “We’re grateful for Hani Khouri’s generosity in lending his time and expertise to raise funds for food justice. We at Youth L.E.A.D. believe that access to healthy food and green spaces is everyone’s right, and should not be limited by income, neighborhood, race or class.”

At the lunchtime fundraiser, Hani will teach attendees to prepare three delicious Mediterranean dishes. Originally from Lebanon, Hani is a multilingual MBA who started businesses in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Jordan before moving to the Sunshine State. Upon arriving in South Florida, he purchased a few goats from a friend, and a business was born. He now produces food from a sizable family of organic, free-range, grass-fed Nubian goats. His firm, Hani’s Mediterranean Organics, sells healthy, organic prepared foods such as hummus and baba ganoush; goat, feta and halloumi cheeses; and goat milk ice cream in tropical fruit flavors. In addition to providing his foods to local restaurants, Khouri also sells his delicacies directly to customers at local farmers’ markets and via Redland Organics’ CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. His operation is animal welfare-certified, and he is a member of the Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food USA.

Whole Foods Market Coral Gables is donating ingredients for the class, and Hani’s Mediterranean Organics is donating goat cheese for the dessert recipe. All attendees will receive a free Youth L.E.A.D. recipe and resource book.

About Hani’s Mediterranean Organics

Hani’s Mediterranean Organics is an owner-operated organic caterer providing fresh goat milk, goat cheese and goat milk ice cream from its own goats. Its Mediterranean prepared foods contribute to a healthy, low-cholesterol diet. Its produce is locally sourced and certified organic. The firm does not process its foods, but rather handcrafts them to maintain their integrity and maximize the bioavailability of nutrients. Customers can find its products at South Florida’s finest restaurants and at the Coral Gables, Pinecrest and Coconut Grove farmers’ markets. For more information, please visit www.hanisorganics.com

About Youth L.E.A.D. Miami

Youth L.E.A.D. is a Miami-based nonprofit organization that educates, empowers and employs youth from underserved communities as food justice apprentices and outreach workers. Its after-school and youth employment programs teach young people to adopt healthy, sustainable behaviors and advocate for food and environmental justice in their schools and communities. Youth L.E.A.D. is fiscally sponsored by the Miami Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.youthleadmiami.org or follow its founder, Erin Healy, on Twitter at @youthleadmiami.