Featured Image Caption: The chefs toast to a great evening (left to right:Juan Barajas the Chef Ambassador, Sam Durrani, Craig Takehara, Sean Rumery, Billy Ngo, Katlyn Hall, Santana Diaz, Greg Desmangles, Yekaterina Balagian, and Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker)
On October 4, Conaway Ranch was alive with the upbeat sounds of dance music and filled with mouthwatering smells of delicious food at the second annual Global Rice Fest. The event was created for and by Yolo Food Bank in partnership with The Food Front, and with the founding sponsorship of Conaway Preservation Group. Presented by Nugget Market with supporting sponsorship by Visit Woodland and other organizations, it was a fun evening in which farmers, leaders from the rice, food, and agricultural industries, elected officials, and community members gathered along with all the wonderful Yolo Food Bank supports who were invited for good food, lively music, and a celebration of Yolo County and how we come together to keep our community healthy and whole.
“The Global Rice Fest raised over $130,000. These funds come at a crucial time, as the holiday season approaches and family budgets become tighter,” said Yolo Food Bank Executive Director, Karen Baker. “The blend of the region’s finest chefs, quality spirits, and the enchanting ambiance of a century-old barn created an unforgettable setting for celebrating and strengthening our community.”
Eight of the region’s top local chefs cooked up their own take on rice to highlight just how versatile it can be. From savory appetizers to delicious desserts their creations provided over 250 invited guests a wide array of flavors. Returning for their second year, Chef Santana Diaz, UC Davis Health, served house-made rice noodles with curry coconut sauce and Chef Craig Takehara from Binchoyaki offered a hearty Japanese-style meatloaf with curry rice. Chef Sam Durrani of Curry Kabab Paradise returned with his popular vegetable samosas and Chef Greg Desmangles from Urban Roots in Sacramento participated again this year by serving crispy jollof rice.
This year the returning chefs were joined by first-time participants Chef Billy Ngo, Kru, who prepared a fresh scallop nigiri; Chef Yekaterina Balagian, The Dolce Diva, who roasted lamb outside the barn for her tagine; the chef at Canon, Chef Sean Rumery, offered guests plates of his red rice congee; and Chef Katlyn Hall of Katydid Sweets Co. ended the meal with a trio of rice desserts: Yuzu mousse cake, rice pudding, and horchata panna cotta.
Special recognition is due to Juan Barajas, Yolo Food Bank’s Vice Chair and the Global Rice Fest Chef Ambassador, whose efforts in convening this impressive array of chefs were instrumental to the event’s success. “The caliber of chefs at the 2024 Global Rice Fest was outstanding,” Barajas said. “Each chef brought a deep respect for the ingredients and crafted dishes that honored the rich, global heritage of rice. It was a true celebration of culinary diversity.”
While everyone chowed down, they were grooving to the performances of three fantastic musical groups. Boca do Rio kicked off the evening with lively Brazilian rhythms, followed by the student-run UC Davis Taiko drumming group,Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, who filled the barn with incredible energy and got everyone on their feet. The Lucky Devils wrapped up the event by drawing guests onto the dance floor with their classic covers that kept the party going late into the night.
Guests also got to sip on drinks from local vendors, including a cool sake tasting and local spirits, join a silent auction featuring handmade furniture by Yolo Food Bank’s own craftsman, Alan Mapalo, and hear about the great work Yolo Food Bank is doing to make sure those in need have access to healthy food.
This awesome event started out as just an idea scribbled on a napkin when Angelo Tsakopolous, President and CEO of the Conaway Preservation Group, sat at a table with the late Jack Dewit, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, and came up with a plan to donate rice to Yolo Food Bank. The napkin with those plans is over a decade old now, and the Global Rice Fest is a lasting tribute to the ideas those two men shared.
“This event exemplifies the generosity of the rice community and neighboring farmers in addressing food insecurity right here in our backyards,” said Kyriakos Tsakopoulos, one of the region’s widely recognized philanthropists and son of Angelo. “Through our longstanding partnership with Yolo Food Bank, we are leveraging Conaway Ranch to strengthen connections that uplift and benefit our community for years to come.”
After a second year of success, we look forward to expanding this farm-to-fork celebration in the years to come. The Global Rice Fest serves as a launching pad for sponsors, industry leaders, donors, and community leaders to come together around a shared vision for the future of Yolo County. Interested future sponsors for the 2025 Global Rice Fest should contact Maria Segoviano, Yolo Food Bank’s Director of Development and Communications, at marias@yolofoodbank.org.
