'Chopped' Winning Chef to Demo Healthy Cooking at Eastchester HS

EASTCHESTER, NY — A recent winner of the Food Network show "Chopped" will return to his alma mater to demonstrate healthy cooking techniques.

Chef Dante Giannini will be doing the cooking demo before an audience during Family Wellness Night from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. in the Middle School Cafeteria.

The free event is open to the public.

Giannini, who won an episode of "Chopped" in December, has cooked for singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet and Madonna and is a graduate of Eastchester High School.

He is the founder of Farm to Fork, a personal chef concierge service.

This is the third year the district has promoted wellness and combating drug and alcohol abuse.

The district’s goal is to engage the community in helping young people lead healthier lives and prevent substance abuse by promoting wellness, encouraging healthy life styles and strengthening the support systems that deter drug consumption. Earlier in the year the District hosted former NBA player Chris Herren who spoke of how drugs and alcohol derailed his personal and professional lives.

In December, Michael Nerney, Ph.D., world-wide renowned speaker, spoke about adolescent development and the allure of thrill-seeking, drug and alcohol abuse, and other high-risk behaviors common among youth.

Superintendent Dr. Walter Moran said, “The District is strongly committed to a series of programs aimed at promoting substance abuse awareness and prevention strategies.”

Additional activities on Thursday include presentations by a yoga instructor and a fitness coach. The Town of Eastchester D.A.R.E. officers will be on hand to talk about their school-based program drug prevention program. Trader Joe's will be on site with healthy snacks, and the Eastchester Public Library is bringing its mobile checkout unit and many books featuring wellness.

On Feb. 27, the District will be hosting Susan Salomone and Dr. Ray Dorritie from Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, a community-based nonprofit organization offering education and action-oriented opportunities for families and individuals struggling with addiction. March will feature nationally recognized speaker Germaine Galloway, and in April, the focus will be on prom weekend safety.

CORRECTION: This article has been modified from its original version to say that Chris Herren is a former NBA player, not NBC. Patch regrets the error.

Photo credit: Eastchester Union Free School District.