There were lots of mouths at work, figuratively and literally at the February 25, 2009, event held at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, as benefactors filed between the rows of tables where culinary delights from New York’s prime restaurants were offered, with leading chefs in attendance and assisted by students who have been aided by C-CAP programs in schools. These C-CAP programs have resulted in more than $25 million in scholarships being distributed since the 19-year-old organization was founded, with many students going on to important jobs in the restaurant and food industry fields.

Honoree Nieporent is the founder of The Myriad Group, which operates such noted restaurants as Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Nobu Next Door, Nobu 57, Nobu London, Centrico, Mai House, and the new Corton, as well as Crush Wine & Spirits. He was presented with an original stainless steel sculpture by noted artist Philip Grausman, brother of Richard Grausman, founder and President of C-CAP.

At the elaborate food tasting I did plenty sampling of my own. I enjoyed especially, for example, the red wine braised short rib with truffled cauliflower mousse of Tribeca Grill; the Peking duck of Shun Lee Palace; peekytoe crab with avocado and raspberries of Park Avenue Winter; wild striped bass crudo of Eighty-One; classic steak tartar with fresh baby herb salad of Aretsky’s Patroon; cold smoked salmon goat cheese potato cake from Aquavit; lobster tamarind salad of Compass; herb marinated lamb chops with garlic parsley crumbs of Beacon, lamb meatballs with red lentils from Landmarc; cauliflower tortellini braised short rib, root vegetables, parmigiano-regiano from Gotham Bar and Grill; chili rubbed brisket of beef po’boys with cabbage slaw and ancho chili mayo from Porter House New York; spicy seafood soup of Nobu Fifty Seven; chestnut horseradish soup, pear, ver jus from wd-50 and the Alaskan king crab risotto with pistachios and blood oranges from Oceana.

In the dessert department, there were the heavenly the individual cherry crumb pies of Sarabeth’s and the hazelnut semifreddo, coffee cream, amaretti crunch from Olives.

Other standout dishes were provided by Centrico, Mai House, Corton, Nobu, Primehouse New York, Dovetail, Payard Birstro, Daniel, Union Square Café, Blue Hill, Riingo, Buddakan, Gilt, Aureole, Abigail Kirsch, Tabla, Convivio, and Felidia. Champagne flowed courtesy of the Kobrand Foundation, wine was contributed by Charmer Sunbelt Group, water was from Nestle Waters North America and there was plenty of illy coffee. In addition, funds were raised with a silent auction, made possible by the generosity of various other contributors.

The chair for the benefit was Tim Zagat, publisher of the Zagat Survey Guides, and vice chairs were Carol and N. Richard Kalikow and Susan and Richard Grausman, with coordination by Harriette Rose Katz Events/Gourmet Advisory Services. Maurice Dubois, anchor of “CBS 2 News This Morning” was a congenial master of ceremonies, after gallantly stepping in for scheduled Al Roker who was called away on assignment. Television celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit and Riingo helped orchestrate the food tasting.

Thanks to this arrangement, the visitor to the Frick can gaze at the following: Jacopo Bassano’s 16th century “Flight Into Egypt;” Peter Paul Rubens’ early 17th century “Holy Women at the Sepulchre;” Guercino’s 17th Century “Aldrovandi Dog;” Francisco de Zurbarán’s 17th century “Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose,” and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s 17th century “Birth of Saint John the Baptist.”

While all are impressive in their own way, the standouts are “Flight into Egypt,” which is rich in detail and still-dazzling color, “Holy Women at the Sepulchre,” which has intrigued art historians as to who are depicted, and “Birth of St. John the Baptist,” with its sensitive and fascinating interpretation and accomplished shadings of light.

Visitors will find paintings, drawings, sculpture, furniture and a variety of artifacts, an eye-popping assembly that is a testament to the taste and broad scholarship attributed to the long-time director who is stepping down from his distinguished career.

Miró’s imagination and his astute sense of color are reflected in his many collages using various materials. I am still partial to some of his large expressive paintings, but this show is rich in works of various sizes and combinations carrying out the artist’s intention of attempting to revolutionize painting as he knew it at the time. The exhibition includes some 90 of the artist’s works, including paintings, collages, drawings and various objects. There is an abundance of accompanying explanation that enables us to follow the artist’s intent and achievements.

Concentrating on Broadway show tunes, songs associated with Edith Piaf and others suited to her range, Mathys delivered with a minimum of talk and a no-nonsense approach. She let her ability to movingly interpret a lyric convey her talent and audience appeal.

Mathys performed the role of Norma Desmond in a German production of “Sunset Boulevard,” reflected forcefully by the two numbers she sang from that show—“As If We Never Said Good-bye,” and “With One Look.” She further showed her affinity for Broadway musicals with a versatile selection that included the sarcastic “Could I Leave You” from Sondheim’s “Follies,” “What Was a Woman to Do” from ”Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” from “Pal Joey,” among others

She revealed a lilting romantic bent with “Who Knows” from “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” at the outset, then sailed into “Some People” from “Gypsy.” That’s a tough number to tackle as there needs to be a dramatic build-up for the full flavor, but when she later did a bit of an acting introduction to “Rose’s Turn” from “Gypsy” she showed a firmer ability to be both actress and singer. She won’t edge out Patti LuPone, but Mathys pours plenty of heart into her own brassy, passionate rendition.

She also demonstrated an affinity for Weill and Brecht with her “Seeräuberjenny” in German from the Threepenny Opera. As for Piaf, Mathys sang her “Hymm a L’Amour,” and did two other Piaf-associated numbers as encores.

Mathys demonstrated a welcome talent for turning on an audience by the way she gives her all to a song, and her fluency singing in English plus her obvious musical theater acting ability make her a candidate for a successful career in the United States.

In some respects, this is conventional Dalí, with an array of pictures, large and small, that reflect his broad imagination, defiance of convention and the colorful playfulness in which the painter indulged in breaking artistic barriers. That portion of the exhibition alone is dynamic. But there are also examples projected on large screens of his collaboration with filmmakers.

The obvious choices are there--“Un Chien andalou” (1929) and “L’Âge d’or (1930). But Dalí also did work for Walt Disney, and actually spent time working at the Disney Studio in connection with “Fantasia.” More interestingly, he also worked for Alfred Hitchcock, who asked him to do create dream sequences for “Spellbound.” On display are sketches for the film in addition to a continuous loop of the sequences.

Three of Dalí’s contributions were used in “Spellbound,” but there were revisions, and the credit he received in the final version was “based upon the designs of Salvador Dalí.”

There is also his masterly “The Battle of Trafalgar, as Seen from the Mizen Starboard Shrouds of the Victory.” The exhibit also reflects his religious interest, as with “The Tenth Plague of Egypt.”

There is, of course, the extra satisfaction of knowing how much good one is doing by supporting C-CAP, as was evident by one of the evening’s speakers, Lasheeda Perry, a personable young woman who explained that thanks to C-CAP, she was the first in her large family to go to collage by virtue of a $60,000 scholarship to Johnson & Wales. She has just graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Pastry Arts and Food Management, and she is headed into her first full-time job as a pastry cook at the Four Seasons Hotel in Dallas.

The benefit honored Alfred Portale, Executive Chef at Gotham Bar and Grill, a long-time C-CAP supporter, who spoke about his commitment to the non-profit organization. Al Roker of NBC’s The Today Show was back again as congenial Master of Ceremonies, and chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, Riingo and Merkato 55 was Chair of the Chef Committee. The event itself was chaired by Carol and N. Richard Kalikow, with Susan and Richard Grausman serving as Vice Chairs. This year’s Platinum Sponsors were the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation and Zabar’s & Co.

In addressing the gathering and expressing thanks for the support, C-CAP president and founder Richard Grausman noted that his daughter Jennifer Grausman, has produced and directed a feature documentary film, “Pressure Cooker,” edited and co-directed by Mark Becker. Three Philadelphia high school seniors are followed as they study in a culinary arts class, eventually competing in C-CAP competitions. Participant Media (Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary, “An inconvenient Truth”) has come on board as executive producer.

Helping to raise funds at the benefit was a silent auction featuring such items as accommodations as The Blantyre Hotel in Massachusetts, packages at Canyon Ranch in Tuscon, and an at-home dinner prepared by Marcus Samuellson, as well as a day in the kitchen at Gotham Bar and Grill topped by dinner for eight prepared by Chef Portale.

Covering the benefit includes the sampling the food, and there was an embarrassment of riches. To name just a few of my favorites: Seared diver scallop from Café des Artistes; lobster cannelloni with American sturgeon caviar from Compass; rabbit terrine with candied kumquats from Dovetail; charred yellowtail hamachi, baby bok choy and seasonal mushrooms from Michael’s; yellowtail pastrami salad from Morimoto; Natucket bay scallops with marney, citrus and charoli nuts from Oceana; classic steak tartare with fresh baby herb salad from Patroon; Peking duck from Shun Lee Palace; braised short rib “parmigiano” with asparagus salad from Union Square Café; hot smoked salmon with crisp salmon skin salad from Aquavit and tuna spring roll with crisp shallots and chili mayonnaise from Buddakan.

Among the dessert favorites: banana tart tatin with malted milk ice cream from Craft; quince cheesecake with pistachio phyllo from Gramercy Tavern; brownies with raspberry ganache from The Modern; rice pudding tart from Sarabeth’s and various others.( One has to quit somewhere.)

In a new addition, this year more than 60 New York City C-CAP high school culinary students could be seen assisting the chefs of the restaurants at the tasting. Since its founding in 1990 C-CAP has awarded $22.2 million in scholarships, including a record-breaking $3.65 million last year. Many students have gone on to jobs in New York and other parts of the country. In addition to its New York program, C-CAP also has programs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Hampton Roads, VA, Washington, D.C. and Arizona. In the past academic year the organization has served 266 high school teachers in 204 public schools, and 22,603 students involved in their classes. C-CAP donated $278,960 worth of supplies and equipment to participating schools.

Restaurants represented included Abigail Kirsch Pier Sixty, Aquavit, Aureole, Beacon, Blue Hill, Buddakan, Café des Artistes, Compass, Craft, dbBistro Moderne, Del Posto, Dovetail, Felidia, Fiamma, 57 at Four Seasons, Gilt, Gotham Bar and Grill, Gramercy Tavern, Landmarc, Michael’s, The Modern, Morimoto, Nobu 57, Oceana, Patroon, Payard Bistro, Picholine, Porter House New York, Primehouse New York, Riingo, San Domenico, Sarabeth’s, Shun Lee Palace, Tabla, Telepan, Town and Union Square Café.

Copeland, teaming with Robert Heller, illuminated the drama that involves Leonara and Lee, two lifelong friends talking about their lives and revealing their disparate feelings and mutual ties. The work is a mixture of poignancy and sly humor, and the duo was effective in conveying the essence of the characters, their attachment and conflicts.

Copeland has won two Drama Desk Awards, one for her performance as Rose in “The American Clock,” another for her performance as Vera in “Pal Joey.” Heller’s stage credits include “Marathon ’33,” “Salome” and “The Cradle Will Rock.” Both Copeland and Heller are lifetime members of the Actors Studio.

The event was produced by Robin Lane-Krauss, of the National Arts Club’s Roundtable and Theatre/Drama Committee. She is also a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.

In honoring esteemed Alfred Portale, Executive Chef at the Gotham Bar and Grill, there will not only be the impressive food tasting extravaganza for which the C-CAP benefits have become known, with top New York restaurants contributing samplings of their specialties. More than 60 New York City C-CAP high school culinary students will be assisting the chefs of these renowned restaurants.

The student-helper concept for the event, on February 27, 6:30-9:00 pm, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, fittingly reflects the aim of the non-profit organization, which trains high school students for career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Since 1990 C-CAP has awarded $22.2 million in scholarships, including a record-breaking $3.65 million last year. Many students have gone on to jobs in New York and other parts of the country.

“Each year our supporters gather at the sold-out event to enjoy culinary creations by New York’s top chefs,” says Richard Grausman, founder and president of the organization. “While enjoying the fabulous food, they are supporting C-CAP’s mission to provide underserved high school students with training, scholarship and jobs.”

In addition to its New York program, C-CAP also has programs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Hampton Roads, VA, Washington, D.C. and Arizona. In the past academic year the organization has served 266 high school teachers in 204 public schools, and 22,603 students involved in their classes. C-CAP donated $278,960 worth of supplies and equipment to participating schools.

Helping to orchestrate this year’s program is television celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, Riingo and Merkato 55 restaurants. Some 36 restaurants will be represented, and Charmer Sunbelt Group will be donating wine and champagne. A silent auction with high level prizes will be held as part of the fund-raising effort. Chairs for the event are Carol and N. Richard Kalikow, with vice-chairs Susan and Richard Grausman. TV star Al Roker will be back as Master of Ceremonies.

Restaurants represented include Abigail Kirsch Pier Sixty, Aquavit, Aureole, Beacon, Blue Hill, Buddakan, Café des Artistes, Compass, Craft, dbBistro Moderne, Del Posto, Dovetail, Felidia, Fiamma, Gilt, Gordon Ramsay at The London, Gotham Bar and Grill, Gramercy Tavern, Landmarc, Michael’s, The Modern, Morimoto, Nobu 57, Olives New York, Patroon, Payard Patisserie & Bistro, Picholine, Porter House New York, Primehouse New York, Riingo, San Domenico, Sarabeth’s, Shun Lee Palace, Tabla, Telepan and Town.