Ever since chef Deb Paquette opened her wildly popular downtown restaurant Etch in 2012, it was immediately apparent that her appetizer of roasted cauliflower with truffled pea puree, salted almonds, feta crema and red bell sauce was a hit. She has never taken it off the menu, despite the fact that she loves to change the rest of the items seasonally. Her fans would revolt if they were ever denied access to this “must-order” starter, and Paquette has taken advantage of the dish’s popularity by making it a fundraiser for a local charity.

Working in concert with the NFL, Paquette donates a portion of the revenue from each cauliflower app she sells to a fund operated by the league who in turn grants it back to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Through her years of participating in this program, Paquette has raised more than $100,000 to support the good works of Second Harvest, and that’s a lot of cauliflower! Each year the chef is invited to fly to the site of the Super Bowl to cook alongside chefs from other NFL cities at the league’s big “Party with a Purpose” event as part of the Taste of the NFL.

This year, Paquette will again serve as the chef representative of the Tennessee Titans at the extravaganza being held on the evening before the big game, February 2 at the Cobb Galleria. She’ll be joined by a fellow Middle Tennessean, Martina McBride who will headline the entertainment at the party while the chefs offer small bites of some of their specialty dishes. Guests will rub elbows with current and former NFL stars including hall of famers and can take part in an exclusive silent auction of sports memorabilia to raise more funds for the charities represented by the chefs.

Tickets are still available at the event website if you want to be part of the delicious fun!

Contributed by Chris Chamberlain