Cafe Boulud executive chef Zach Bell displays black truffles, the house-mad torchon de foi gras, and a caviar duo. ( Bruce R. Bennett/The Palm Beach Post)

TASTE OF THE NATION:
It’s always a good culinary event when chef Zach Bell (Café Boulud) is involved. It’s even better when the event raises money to fight childhood hunger. Taste of the Nation Palm Beach, which comes to the Kravis Center next Wednesday night is such an occasion. The food and wine extravaganza is part of the Share Our Strength national campaign which has raised some $80 million to secure nutritious meals for America’s needy children.

Bell, the community-minded, James Beard Award nominee, is the event’s chef chair. He’ll wage a throwdown against fellow nominee, Dean Max (3800 Ocean). The local star chefs will be in terrific company — event participants include chefs from 32 East, Café Chardonnay, Echo at The Breakers, Gratify, Kubo, Michelle Bernstein’s at the Omphoy, among many others.

Here’s the best part: 100 percent of ticket sales goes to the cause of ending childhood hunger.

Tickets are available at www.tasteofthenation.org, priced at $80 for general admission to $125 for VIP (they’re $100 to $150 at the door). The grand tasting goes from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

(Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

FREE FONDUE
Here’s the 411 on melted cheese: it will be celebrated in grand, oozy style next week when The Melting Pot restaurants give away cheese fondue, gratis. The four-day giveaway starts Monday — 4/11 — and goes through Thursday, all in honor of National Cheese Fondue Day.
The fondue chain has created a, well, cheesy campaign intended to lure potential fondue fans with promises of hot, free queso — they’re calling it “411 is Coming.” What’s in it for fondue fans? A cheese fondue course (serves two) that’s valued at about $14. No purchase is required, but reservations are a must — and they’re limited. For information, visit www.411iscoming.com. While you’re there, check out the campaign’s videos. (Yes, also cheesy.)

THE EMPTY BOWL:
In the wake of the 2010 earthquake that shattered Haiti, the artists of the Clay Glass Metal Stone Cooperative Gallery found a unique way to help. They crafted vibrant ceramic bowls that would serve as a metaphor. Empty, they represented the need of Haiti. Filled with freshly cooked fare from local restaurants, they would reflect Lake Worth’s generosity.
That first Haitian Empty Bowl fundraiser collected over $5000 for the quake-impacted children.
This year’s Empty Bowl fundraiser, which happens Saturday , features samplings from 15 local restaurants and food specialty shops. Ceramic artists will donate more than 500 hand-crafted bowls to be sold in advance at $25 each or four for $80 (or $35 each the day of the event).
Attendees can fill their bowls at any of the participating establishments, sample wine at Dolce Vita and bring their pooch for a treat at Paws on the Avenue.
Participating establishments include: La Bonne Bouche, The Cottage, Taco Lady, TooJay’s, Havana Hideout, Rum Shack, Downtown Pizza, Dave’s Last Resort and Raw Bar and Fiorentina.
All funds raised this year will go to an art organization helping the children from Jacmel, Haiti. The children’s artwork currently is sold at the Lake Worth gallery to help fund their educational endeavors.
The Second Annual Haitian Empty Bowl event, co-hosted by the Downtown Cultural Alliance of Lake Worth, goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Advance tickets available at Clay Glass Metal Stone, 605 Lake Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth. For information, call (561) 588-8344.