Participate as a Chef

Welcome Chefs!

Learn more below about participating as a chef for the 21st annual 50 Men Who Cook on August 9, 2025 from 6-9 pm at Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center (BAVC) at NIU.

Who can participate?

Any male who loves to cook! No formal cooking experience required.
Male professional chefs working in the restaurant/catering industry or with culinary training.

Stay tuned for chef sign up 2025.

More Information

Chefs prepare 250+ sample-size portions (1-2 bites) of their favorite dish at home, then bring the food to the venue ready to serve (other than final garnishes). Professional chefs are recommended to bring 350-400 sample-size servings.
There is no cost to participate other than the cost of ingredients.
No outside alcohol is permitted, including alcoholic beverages as part of your dish. Any alcohol used in preparing your dish must be cooked off.
Photographs of the event and chefs will be taken throughout the evening and used for event promotion in the future. If you do not wish to have your photo used by CASA in event marketing (digital and print), please notify CASA in writing at 50menwhocook@casadekalb.org.

CASA provides:

Banquet tables and tablecloths to display and serve your food – approximately 3-4′ wide space per chef
Chafing dishes and burners for those who request it
Aluminum foil pans that fit the chafers are available for pick-up at the Chef Orientation or at the CASA office during the week or two before the event
Ice for those who request it
Small plates or bowls, plastic forks or spoons, and napkins
Gloves for preparing and serving food
Warming trucks and cooling trucks available on site to keep your second half of samples hot or cold
Electricity and kitchen access will NOT be available!

Chefs provide:

Your own serving utensils, if needed
Good food
A sous chef/assistant if you would like

Chefs arrive between 4 – 5 pm and must be set-up at their station by 5:15 pm.
Chef’s Reception, an opportunity for chefs to try other dishes, is from 5:20-5:50 pm.
Drop off your food at the EAST entrance of Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center (BAVC).
If you have a dish that needs to remain hot or cold, we suggest you divide your food in half so that half can be at your station and half can stay hot or cold in the warming/cooling truck.
Park in NIU Lot L or K, south of BAVC.

Food Safety Information-Please Read!

Hot Food = Keep above 135°F
Cold Food = Keep below 41°F
If someone gets food sickness from the event, it may result in future events being canceled, so please take this to heart and be cautious about temperature.
Temperature will be controlled during the event using chafing dishes for hot dishes and ice baths for cold dishes, along with the VAC heating and cooling vans for the second half of your dish. The biggest concern is transporting your food from your house to the event. During transport, hot food must remain hot and cold food must remain cold (bacteria grows between 41-135°F). There is no way to reheat hot food at the venue.
We will have a thermometer available to measure the temperature of your food when you arrive at the event.

Strict attention should be given to personal hygiene. Clean outer garments should be worn.
Eating, drinking, and smoking are not allowed in areas where food is being prepared. Wash hands frequently. Gloves will be provided at the venue and are required for you to wear if you have direct contact with the food (not necessary if you are using a serving utensil).
Children and non-food handlers are prohibited from food preparation areas. Please keep your pets out of the area while you prepare your food at home as well.
Only equipment that is safe, in good repair and clean should be used. Equipment must be clean, organized and presentable at all times.
Please use pasteurized eggs if you make homemade ice cream, hollandaise sauce, or anything else that usually uses raw eggs.
Use dry ice if you need to keep something frozen (like ice cream). The cooling trucks available will keep items cold, not frozen.
Any food that is left over from the event is recommended to be thrown out for food safety reasons.
For any food-related questions, including questions about transportation of your food, presentation of your food, specific serving suggestions or any other food-specific questions you have, please contact CASA.

For additional information, review the USDA guidelines online regarding food safety.

For questions or more information, call 815-895-2052 or email 50menwhocook@casadekalb.org.

Thank you for considering participating as a chef in the 21st annual 50 Men Who Cook!