9/16 - Charlie & Kathleen Schaffer, Aaron McCargo

Charlie & Kathleen Schaffer - Catering Team

Charlie, originally from Jackson, Mississippi, got into the kitchen to make money as a bus boy. He was asked one day to help with cooking and his career started with some interruptions along the way. He attended college, then moved to Colorado, cooking all the while. During a back-packing trip to Europe his eyes were opened to the European perspective on food. He returned and completed his education in Charleston, South Carolina, where he continued cooking after class at Slightly North of Broad for Chef Frank Lee. Having caught the travel bug, the chef spent 2 years living and moving around South America. “The best food is in Peru. Great ceviche. They make it in the morning, it marinates a couple of hours and they are sold out by early afternoon,” he said. He supported himself with cooking jobs here and there and learned Spanish. He still uses it. “We have several Spanish speaking staff. I was even featured on Univision’s morning show a few years ago!” he said.  Back in the U.S. Chef Charlie entered the Culinary Institute of America, (CIA) in New York. “The CIA instilled a much higher level of professionalism and pride in my work. It was nice to be able to remove the pressure of restaurant service and consider why we cook foods the way we do.”

Aaron McCargo, Jr  "'Great American Dine Out'"

"I'm Aaron McCargo Jr., from Food Network's "Big Daddy's House" and the Great American Dine Out's official spokesperson. I want you to join me in dining out at every Great American Dine Out restaurant you can find, from September 19 to 25. The more we dine out that week, the more money we'll help raise for Share Our Strength. Thousands of restaurants of all kinds are offering great promotions, featuring special dishes, and donating part of their proceeds from that week to help support Share Our Strength's work to end childhood hunger in this country. There's a sampling of what some restaurants are doing at the right.