As the Maryland Art Place (MAP) is busy hanging the work of over 30 artists for next weekend’s LUX Benefit Exhibition & Gala, several of Baltimore’s top chefs are working with students at the National Academy Foundation High School and Stratford University to develop the menu for a variety of dishes that will be served at next Friday’s big event.

The chefs, among the best in our region, have donated their time and resources to work with five different student groups to make and present their unique dishes as part of a competition that will be held the night of the gala. Each student station or “culinary kiosk” will have a diamond drop competition. The student team with the most diamonds at the end of the evening wins.

But the competition, whose prize is pride alone, is only a small part of the reason both the chefs and the students have agreed to participate in this experience and share their creations with attendees at LUX. The bigger motivation is the opportunity to work with each other, learn from one another, and produce something new and exciting.

Chef Jerry Edwards, the President and Corporate Chef behind Chef’s Expressions, is coordinating the culinary aspects of the evening, and has gathered an A-list team to work with the students on this unique culinary experiment. Fellow chefs include Jerry Pellegrino from Waterfront Kitchen, Barry Fleishman from Innovative Gourmet, Gregory Rhoad also from Chef’s Expressions and Jason Jackson from Tatu.

Chef Edwards speaks highly of MAP and the times he has collaborated with them over the years: “We have catered many events for MAP in their wonderful space and have enjoyed the creative artwork we have seen there over the years.  The space is inspirational to us to create events that capture the feeling the artists portray in their work.”

We stopped by a planning session last week at the National Academy Foundation High School (NAF) to get some insight into just what tasty treats are in the works for next week. Chef Edwards and Chef Fleishman were on hand, working closely with their student teams to choose their ingredients and develop the menu.

“Crab Dip or Crab Cakes,” says one student.

“Or Cabbage Soup,” says another.

Chef Fleishman steps in and reminds the young chefs to think about balance, and suggests that “perhaps a Pork Croquet would be nice.”

The students at NAF are part of the ProStart program, run by The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The goal of the program is to help meet industry workforce needs by encouraging high school students to consider careers in the restaurant and food service industry.

The NAF High School is no ordinary school, a fact that is apparent upon stepping through the front doors. It houses four special academies designed around career-based education, including The Academy of Finance , The Academy of Information Technology, The Academy of Engineering as well as The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism.

Chef Edwards, who works with students at NAF’s ProStart program each year, reflects on the program and the opportunity it provides: “These kids are so appreciative of the efforts we put forth to make sure they are successful. I mentor four students every year for the Pro Start program, which is a national competition. Last year’s team was second in the city and this year’s promises to do even better and go to the states and eventually national. The feeling you get when you work with a young energetic person that wants to be a success and through mentoring you guide them to their full potential is so rewarding.  Few things in life touch that feeling of pride.”

Chef Edwards team of students settled on two dishes. The first is tortelloni topped with butternut squash and Cippolini onions, which Chef Edwards assures me “will be a crowd pleaser.”

He continues, “The next dish is very avant-garde, we are making a goat cheese Alfredo instead of the traditional parmesan cheese Alfredo.  Then we are filling small glass candle holders with the sauce and dangling a pinwheel of Chicken Saltimbocca over top on a baby bamboo skewer. The excitement we will create with the small plate dishes and huge flavors will be electric.”

To add to the experience, Pompeian Olive Oil Company is participating in partnership with its chef Jerry Pellegrino from Waterfront Kitchen and contributing olive oils and vinegars to the Student Chef teams for the evening’s competition.

The excitement extends far beyond the plate; the chefs and their teams bask in the joy and taste of their pending creations. The twinkle in the students’ eyes once the menu is selected looks strikingly similar to the twinkle in the eyes of the professionals. It is clear that these students have a passion for food running through their veins.

For Chef Fleishman, the opportunity to work with the students and colleagues on a project such as the LUX Gala, is the opportunity “to produce something great that everyone enjoys.” He cites the opportunity to collaborate, and provide his students with “knowledge, opportunity, and experience.” His team will be presenting a specialty soup along with a duck confit pastry.

With The LUX Benefit just over a week away, the next seven days will be filled with planning, prep, and eventually the actual cooking of each teams’ two dishes to be shared with guests on the evening on November 9th.

The LUX gala, hosted by the Ravens’ Ray Lewis and Juliana Childress, also promises music, a live auction of luxury items directed by auctioneer Jeff Heisey, silent auction of featured artists, strolling magician and mentalist Dick Steiner, with signature cocktails and specialized recipes by Kettle Hill restaurant and beer provided by Flying Dog. The evening will exude old Hollywood glamour with every guest receiving a luxury swag bag to complete the evening’s festivities. Original Ray Lewis prints will be also displayed as guests enter this world-class exhibition and include lush imagery from his “Sun Diaries” series. Aaron Henkin of WYPR/NPR Baltimore will be the evening’s emcee and will announce the winning culinary kiosk.

Tickets are $250 each and can be purchased through MissionTix until 5PM, Thursday, November 8, 2012. Tickets can also be purchased by calling MAP at (410) 962-8565.

The gala will take place Friday, November 9th at 7:00PM in the MAP galleries located at 8 Market Place Baltimore, Maryland within the Power Plant Live! complex.