'Cuisine and Solidarity'

WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) -- It's a little known fact that world-famous French chef Alain Ducasse came to the help of Sept. 11 rescuers in his own particular way. Ducasse has devoted himself to helping those affected by the terrorist attacks in his adopted city of New York.

Ducasse has been utterly selfless in his work for those affected by these events; and he has been tireless in his activity, financially and culinary, in their behalf.

The chef just happened to be in New York the morning of Sept. 11, in his restaurant, 'Alain Ducasse at the Essex House,' when news of the attacks came. He immediately debarked some of his staff to collect as much bread as they could get. They then became an assembly line of sandwich making, led by the great chef himself. The painstakingly selected ingredients, the foie gras, the lobster, the caviar, the truffles, chosen for Ducasse' normal dazzling culinary creations, went in between pieces of bread to become sandwiches to be distributed to those in need, whether the injured, the stricken families searching for their loved ones, the police, the firemen, or the workmen already starting rescue operations at the World Trade Center site.

The crew at 'Alain Ducasse at the Essex House' worked tirelessly all day, employing their craft in a way they never thought they would, until all the food was gone.

Ducasse was determined to do more. He then enlisted the aid of a number of other great restaurateurs, and together, less than a month later, they held a dinner in New York for the benefit of the families of the victims of Sept. 11.

Ducasse then went home to get more help. In Paris in mid-December, an evening benefit, called 'Cuisine and Solidarite' and organized by Alain Ducasse, was held at the Plaza Athenee in Paris, with a dinner and silent auction, that netted the victims of terror, over $400,000.

Spectacular in its setting, this event took over three full ballrooms at the grand Parisian hotel, with the mirrored dining room reflecting the huge drapings of red, white and blue that adorned it. The dinner was prepared by Alain Ducasse, and was a classic Ducassian affair: scallops with caviar, then lobster with curry, followed by chicken with truffles, and finishing with a chocolate/praline gateau. All this was accompanied by Lanson Noble grands cru champagne.

Ducasse wanted to get the money to those who needed it, so he organized an evening event at his restaurant in New York in the beginning of March of this year. Present at this dinner were families of the victims of September terror attacks, Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, along with the heads of the City-Meals-on-Wheels program of New York, and of the New York-based organization, City Harvest.

Representatives of the Twin Towers Fund were also there, and to these individuals Ducasse presented checks totaling $200,000, and served all an Alain Ducasse-prepared special truffle menu.

Ducasse said earlier this year, "I have been overwhelmed by the resilience and courage of the New York community." One would venture to say that that sentiment is returned, Monsieur Ducasse.