Forget Oktoberfest; this October 1-15, the Calgary Food Bank is celebrating OctoberFeast. Chefs at participating restaurants across Calgary have been challenged to create a dish using at least two items on the food bank’s most needed list. From canned soup and KD, to peanut butter and pasta sauce, all the unique and creative combinations are all contributing to a great cause. Part of the proceeds from each dish sold will be donated to the Calgary Food Bank to purchase fresh food for their Emergency Food Hampers. So when you buy a meal, you will help someone in need of food too. We can work up an appetite for that!

Participating restaurants include some of Calgary’s top spots like sister restaurants Avec and Provision, as well as Alloy, Yellow Door Bistro, Market, The Beltliner, and more. Some chefs have opted to go savoury with the challenge of cooking with canned goods and other non-perishable items, while others have chosen to go sweet. One thing is certain though; you’d never know the resulting dishes were inspired by working with some of the food bank’s most needed items.

Look for pasta dishes like Yellow Door Bistro’s albacore tuna pappardelle Bolognese or The Beltliner’s spaghetti puttanesca. Peanut butter looks to be a popular ingredient on the dessert side, with offerings like Market’s PB&J pie, Naina’s PB&J ice cream sandwich, and National’s PB&J cheesecake. If your sweet tooth needs even more satisfying, head to Fine Diner for cereal crème brûlée or to Alloy for a coconut mango custard.

Chef Daniel Pizarro of both Avec and Provision has carefully crafted dishes with fresh ingredients that can also be found as non-perishable items. For instance, Avec’s tuna Niçoise salad is composed of albacore tuna, tomatoes, olives, green beans, and potatoes, all of which are also available as non-perishables.

“Events like OctoberFeast are a great way to give back to the community and help those in need,” Pizarro says, and we couldn’t agree more.