Veterans, first responders, and active military will be served by a celebrity chef tomorrow at the American Legion post in Carbondale.
Susie Jimenez, Aspen Celebrity Chef, has been cooking on the Sportsman Channel for about 16 years.
SUSIE JIMENEZ: I took a little break this last year to now travel throughout the United States to feed first responders, veterans, and the homeless. And it's, you know, wild game, and I get to choose the menu, and we just kind of give these people one day where they don't have to do anything except feel like they're being ooh'd and aah'd.
The Sportsman Channel’s Hunt, Fish, and Feed has given out 45,000 meals since 2007 all over the country at military posts and Veterans Affairs centers.
JIMENEZ: And we're putting together a really nice lunch for that. And so that's where my role came in, but then my husband, being a retired veteran, kind of jumped in there and wanted to do it right in our backyard.
Her husband Gabe Adame served in the US Air Force for 23 years and wanted to bring the feast to the valley.
GABE ADAME: And I said, "The best place would be Carbondale, so let me find out what's over there." And it happened to be the American Legion Post there, and I talked with Chris and Commander Michael Adams, and they were all for it, so it kind of worked out great.
Chef Jimenez wants to thank first responders for all their hard work this summer. Adame notes that the goal…
ADAME: Is for veterans, first of all, to meet other veterans, first responders to know there's a place for them even though it's an American Legion hall.
With grilling off the menu this summer due to the fire hazard and bears, the chef previewed her mouthwatering fare for the BBQ.
JIMENEZ: We decided on a Brazilian type of meal, so we're going to do wild boar, brats, turkey, and elk tenderloin, and we're going to grill all those nice and clean, but make a nice little chimichurri. So we're going to make a lot of sauces they can dip all the food into. Some really great vegetables, a nice salad, and then rice pilaf. I am making some amazing S'more chocolate chip cookies that they can take with them and/or enjoy them there. And then we're making agua frescas.
People who can't attend the lunch can still swing by and grab food in containers for dinner at the Legion Hall. The couple also invited all of the mayors in the Roaring Fork Valley to attend the meal.
JIMENEZ: Yes. We're trying to represent each town, and we're all going for the common goal to have a community for these veterans to be able to go talk to each other 'cause, you know, they go through a lot more than what we think. And the lunch is great, but, you know, we all have rights and all this great stuff because they've obviously put their lives on the line for all of us, so we’ve got to be able to give back somehow.
Both Chef Jimenez and Adame mentioned that in the future, regardless of sponsorship, they hope this event will be an annual tradition. The lunch is from 11:30 to 1:30 pm. Email Chef Jimenez at RSVPspiceitup@gmail.com.
