PITTSBURGH, March 18, 2024 – Celebrated social-media host Desarae Legros joins Lasagna Love to spread kindness through culinary creativity during the second annual HomeChef Throwdown contest.
In an inspiring union of culinary passion and charitable purpose, Lasagna Love is proud to partner with Desarae Legros (@cooking_comedy_chaos) for the second annual HomeChef Throwdown cooking contest. This nationwide event, starting on March 26, 2024 and running through the live finale on May 21, 2024 features a competitive showcase of ten Instagram-famed chefs, all orchestrated by the charismatic and talented Desarae Legros. The event is more than a cooking competition; it’s a platform to further the mission of Lasagna Love: spreading kindness and support through the power of food.
The HomeChef Throwdown presents an exciting weekly culinary battle, where each chef’s creativity and skill are tested and ultimately determined by public votes. Each week the contestants will be issued a fun challenge to create a recipe using products spotlighting small businesses in the culinary world. After each video is posted, contestants will ask the audience to vote for their favorite recipe through the Lasagna Love website. Contestants with the least amount of votes may be eliminated or issued additional challenges for the following week. The event features a diverse group of 10 Instagram chefs, each with a unique culinary style and a shared commitment to community engagement.
Desarae Legros – Cooking, Comedy, Chaos, known for her captivating presence on social media, is not just the host but also a driving force behind this collaboration. She previously ran restaurants until becoming disabled and now, she’s a proud home chef whose passion for food, flavor, and laughter has led to a social-media following of more than 36K followers that continues to inspire creativity in the kitchen. Although originally from Akron, Ohio; she now resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and children. She has been a volunteer chef and avid spokeswoman for Lasagna Love for over two years, leveraging the organization to help spread love and kindness in her community online and offline. Her passion for Lasagna Love is fueled by thankfulness for the change it makes within our world. Desarae stresses that “It’s the most beautiful love language that we all have the power to speak, even if it is to a stranger.”
In Desarae’s words: “Season 2 of HomeChef Throwdown is going to be epic. We’ve got an amazing team of creators to help us hit our fundraising goals. More importantly, raising awareness for Lasagna Love and helping to share knowledge of its mission with those who have never heard of it. Lasagna Love is truly the most deserving charity to receive the attention of our viewers on social media. They not only gift the recipients of Lasagnas with a meal made with love, but they give each and every volunteer a feeling of gratitude unlike any other. It’s an honor to partner with them for this event.” You can find Desarae at https://www.instagram.com/cooking_comedy_chaos
Joining Lasagna Love in support of their mission to help communities nationwide, long-time partner and iconic sauce brand RAGÚ® will provide cases of RAGU® Kettle Cooked sauces to the participating chefs to use in their recipe creations and for use in their meal preparation supporting their local communities. In addition, the Crackerjack Shack is generously providing custom t-shirts for all competing participants at HomeChef Throwdown | Crackerjack Shack.
The HomeChef Throwdown kickstarts several months of fun-filled excitement including Lasagna Love’s 4th Birthday Bash Auction starting March 27, 2024 as well as National Lasagna Day on July 29, 2024.
Lasagna Love’s ethos centers around the belief that a simple meal can be a powerful gesture of kindness. Lasagna Love has fed over 1.8M individuals and has over 52K volunteers. Their global mission started as a viral grassroots effort and has expanded to a global movement rapidly since 2020. We are very grateful for the partnership with Desarae through the HomeChef Throwdown to help us expand on our mission of neighbors feeding neighbors.
To participate in this culinary contest and support Lasagna Love’s cause, visit us at https://lasagnalove.org/homechef-throwdown-2024/ and follow the event updates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooking_comedy_chaos/.
Your involvement in the HomeChef Throwdown is not just about enjoying culinary artistry; it’s about being part of a movement that uses food as a medium for kindness and community support. Funds raised go towards helping neighbors feed neighbors across the US, Canada, and Australia.
Join us in this unique gastronomic event where every dish, every vote, and every contribution counts towards making a difference.
About Lasagna Love
Lasagna Love, a viral grassroots effort turned global non-profit, is a meaningful change program that connects neighbors through gestures of kindness, goodwill, and support. The non-profit abides by three simple principles: feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities. Lasagna Love is driven to weave kindness back into the fabric of our daily lives. There are over 52,000 volunteers from across all 50 states in America, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia aiming to de-stigmatize asking for help. To learn more about Lasagna Love and how you can get involved, visit www.lasagnalove.org or our social channels, @WeAreLasagnaLove (Instagram and Facebook).
About The RAGÚ® Brand
The RAGÚ® brand was founded in 1937 by Assunta and Giovanni Cantisano and their sauce was originally sold from their home in Rochester, New York. Assunta carried her family’s recipe from Italy when she immigrated to New York in 1914, and it has now been enjoyed by American families for over 85 years. With a wide selection of sauce varieties ranging from the beloved Old World Style® to the Chunky line, cheese sauces, Simply and new Kettle Cooked sauces, RAGÚ empowers anyone to “Cook Like a Mother” regardless of gender or culinary skill. Today, RAGÚ sauce is the go-to pasta sauce for families coming together to share a quick and delicious meal and an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to “Cook Like a Mother” in the kitchen. For the very latest news, recipes and more from the RAGÚ brand, please check out the brand at www.RAGÚ.com. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok.
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Media Contacts:
Jennifer MacDermott; (Lasagna Love); jennifer.macdermott@lasagnalove.org
Desarae Legros; (Cooking_comedy_chaos); desaraelegros@gmail.com
Candace Corner; (RAGÚ®); candace.corner@digitas.com;