January 6, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Cooking Blind With Upper West’s Chef Nick Shipp:

When Christine Ha, the blind contestant from the television show “MasterChef” recently won the cooking show, many marveled over her grace, skill, and determination.

Becoming a chef and having to deal with scalding pans and razor sharp knives is not the first occupation that comes to mind when you think of someone who has little or no vision. However chasing a dream is universal, and some are forced to overcome more obstacles than the rest.

On Sunday, Oct. 7, Upper West Restaurant in Santa Monica will host a special benefit for the non-profit Junior Blind of America.

The organization helps children and adults who are blind, visually impaired, or multi-disabled to achieve independence.

One of their most successful programs, STEP (the Student Transition Enrichment Program), helps students ages 16-22 develop work readiness skills. This is achieved through group classes and internships with supervised instruction directly aimed at the individual interests of each student.

Upper West’s Chef Nick Shipp approached Junior Blind with the idea of hosting a special event. Together, Junior Blind Director of Marketing Lisett Chavarela and Chef Nick created an interactive fundraiser.

Under the direction of Chef Nick, eight students will gain first-hand culinary knowledge and on the job training in a professional kitchen. He will supervise the Junior Blind students in preparing a four-course meal for 50 people.

One of the challenges that blind youths encounter is obtaining employment.

“As much as 50 percent of blind students drop out of high school,” Chavarela said. “Without a high school diploma or college education, many of them are unable to seek or sustain employment. Consequently, 70 percent of all blind or visually impaired adults are unemployed.”

She is excited for the students to have this opportunity to gain exposure to a field they may not have considered.

“It is our hope to reverse this trend of high unemployment within the blind community,” she said.

Helping the blind is something that Chef Nick holds close to his heart since he was born completely blind in one eye.

“I do have sight in one eye and I’ve always felt blessed to have been given that,” he said. “People have always asked me the question, ‘How do you deal with that?’ I’ve never known what it’s like to have sight in both eyes, so I guess it’s pretty natural to me.”

He joked that being blind in one eye had made his other senses stronger.

“I just want to bring awareness and show these blind folks that becoming a chef is possible… anything is possible,” he said.

The event takes place on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call for a reservation at 310.586.1111. The price of $55 per person will include a four-course meal. Upper West Restaurant has generously agreed to donate 100 percent of all sales to Junior Blind of America.

Upper West Restaurant is located at 3321 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica.

For more information, visit www.theupperwest.com and www.juniorblind.org.

in News
<>Related Posts

Farm Hall: The US Premiere of a Tense Historical Drama

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

Coming January 2025 at the Promenade Playhouse The development of the atomic bomb by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team...

Speed Limit Adjustments Finalize Across Santa Monica, More Streets Scheduled in Coming Weeks

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Santa Monica City Council Unanimously Approved the Speed Limit Recommendations in August 2024, and the Department of Transportation Has...

Film Review: Nickel Boys

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

FILM/ REVIEWNICKEL BOYSRated PG-13140 MinutesReleased August 30th at Telluride Film Fest, Limited Release December 13th for Oscar Consideration Nickel Boys...

French-Inspired Palisades Restaurant to Close After Six Years

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Menu Featured Dishes That Ranged From French Onion Soup to Locally Inspired Creations Like Radiatore With Lamb Bolognese The...

Suspect in Downtown Target Shooting Apprehended After Hourslong Standoff

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Arrest Came Less Than 24 Hours After a Shooting at the figat7th Shopping Mall That Left Two Target Employees...

Jennifer Smith Re-Elected as SMMUSD Board President, Laurie Lieberman Named Vice President

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Board Also Extended a Thank-You to Outgoing Vice President Jon Kean for His Service At its annual organizational meeting,...

Brentwood Beat: Maria’s Italian Kitchen to Move from Brentwood After 52 Years

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

I’m ill.   Maria’s Italian Kitchen is leaving Brentwood Village and will be gone by the end of 2024. Like many...

Chef Nobu Debuts Luxurious Gold Standard Roll for Golden Globes® Celebration

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

Indulge in a Limited-Time King Crab Roll Adorned With Gold Flakes and Caviar In honor of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s return...

110 Years Ago, Charlie Chaplin Debuted The Iconic “Tramp” Character From Venice Beach

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

The 1914 short Kid Auto Races at Venice introduced the iconic character that would become synonymous with silent film, sparking an international...

Gov. Newsom Touts New 2025 Laws to Strengthen Civil Rights and Inclusivity

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

The Laws Cover Various Aspects of Society, From Education to Property California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a recent news release,...

LAPD Seeks Additional Victims in West Los Angeles Sexual Assault Case

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

Hajhosseini Reportedly Pressured One Victim Into Consuming Alcohol, After Which She Lost Consciousness and Was Assaulted Detectives with the Los...

Santa Monica Gets Temporary Community Development Director

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

Yeo Has Been With the City of Santa Monica Since 2006, Starting as a Senior Planner and Eventually Leading the...

$75M Malibu Estate Hits Market on Coveted “Billionaire’s Beach”

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

The Home Offers Sweeping Views of the Queen’s Necklace, Palos Verdes, and Catalina Island A sprawling estate on Malibu’s exclusive...

UCLA Police Investigate Off-Campus Assault as Hate Crime

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

The Suspects Are Described as Four White or Middle Eastern Males in Their Early 20s The UCLA Police Department is...

(Video) At Vistamar School – Discover the way high school should be

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

Students achieve remarkable outcomes with our strong academics, small classes, andpersonalized approach. Our graduates don’t just attend college—they excel. Vistamar’sunique...