CHEF CHALLENGE & FREE LUNCH FRIDAY
On the fourth Friday of every month, POP ROC partners with residents in SPACE to serve the community free lunch. This month, POP ROC has teamed up with The Father’s Heart Ministry and award-winning Pastry Chef, Mina Rivazfar-Hoyt to bring the community free lunch on Friday, June 24th for “Free Lunch Friday”.
Come one, come all!! It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, you get a free meal from a top chef!
Featuring: Pastry Chef, Mina Rivazfar-Hoyt
"I grew up in a very large Iranian American family. Food has always been the biggest part of my life. I have a strong passion for baking and a love for cooking. My father is an excellent cook and as was my mother. My mother gave me the incredible knowledge of baking as a young child. I decided to go to We-Mo-Co to sharpen my skills to a more professional level at the age of 15. Ever since graduating in 2004 from Pastry school, I started my career off at Wegmans in 2003 after leaving Wegmans in 2010, I have worked at some of the best bakeries in Rochester which includes Donuts Delite and Jackson's Bakery. After many years of learning and growing in the industry, I opened Something Delicious Bake Shop in the South Wedge in 2015 after 3 years of growing the bakery I moved it to my hometown of Greece. I sold the business in 2020 to Phil and Stephanie Tomasso to accept a prestigious position at the University of Rochester. I am currently the Executive Pastry Chef at the University of Rochester with Harvest Table Culinary Group. I have competed on 4 Food Network shows including Bakers vs Fakers, Girl Scout Cookie Championship, Holiday Wars, The Big Bake as well as a Judge on Buddy vs Duff. I was also honored to be awarded Best Chef in Rochester in 2021. I have also had the honor of competing, for several years now, and winning numerous awards in the EPI's annual Chocolate Ball. I am so excited to be asked to do this. I absolutely love our community. Rochester has supported my family, my business, and me through the years and I am proud to give back to them any time I can! Let's see how well this Pastry chef can cook! Oh and GO BILLS!! "
We're excited to serve alongside her for our third free lunch and Chef Challenge event!
The “challenge” is, the chef gets the main ingredients one week ahead of time. Then they have to create something for 75-100 people out of it.
The idea came as we have been volunteering to cook hundreds of meals a week through the pandemic for a mobile food truck ministry that goes out faithfully every week to feed those in need. The Father’s Heart mobile food truck ministry has helped thousands of families through feeding their hearts, souls and belly.
When we show up, oftentimes we have no idea what we’re making until that day. We take it seriously and try to make delicious meals out of whatever gets donated. It can be a challenge, but we’re always making something delicious with the opportunity.
