Tim Gannon, Co-Founder of Outback Steakhouse and its subsidiaries and his wife Christy opened their beautiful home in Water Mill, NY on Friday July 29, 2011 to a private intimate group of 75, to celebrate the launch of an institutional cooking model to answer the country’s hunger crisis.

“Kettle Comfort:  Cooking For America” a non-profit 501c3 in West Palm Beach, FL will use kettle equipment and technology to feed 20-30,000 people per day.  Gannon plans on using the staples red beans and rice, New Orleans inspired jambalaya, and traditional etoufee recipes shared by world famous chef’s to reach the homeless children and the hungry in Palm Beach County, FL.

At the intimate dinner, guests were served Kettle Comfort ‘s shrimp etoufee, red beans and rice, that Gannon intends to serve to the country’s most vulnerable this Thanksgiving in West Palm Beach and with the goal of replicating additional kettle facilities across the US.

Staunch supporters of Palm Beach and New York ‘s philanthropic circles in attendance included Catherine and Bryan Carey, Amy and Bob Gianos, Emilia and Pepe Fanjul, Pat and Brian Reynolds, Afsy and Carter Pottash, Beth de Woody, Charlene and James Nederlander, Polly Onet, Tim and Susan Malloy, Lauren and Bob Roberts, Jill and Barry Weintraub, Marjorie and Ken Wilpon, Ariane Herrera, Catherine and Fred Adler, Jeff and Maise Green, Lyne Kaiser, Maureen Cronin, Anne Keating, Denise De Luca, and Michelle and Bob Assately.  Magee Hickey, Robyn and Ken Joseph.

Mr. Gannon envisions a true social enterprise business model overlay to his non-profit, where he will introduce a line of food, a trucking distribution channel, a culinary training model, and an adjunct to the agribusiness through hydroponic farming and strong public and private partnerships.

Stacey Guzas Dowdle, formerly Vice President of The American Heart Association has been retained as Kettle Comfort’s Executive Director.  Culinary giant, Chef Paul Prudhome is in discussion with Kettle Comfort to introduce their world renowned spices to complement Kettle’s  recipes

A New York kettle facility is projected for 2013.

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