Mindy Segal in the Month of May

May has brought more than flowers and sunny days to the Taste of the Nation crew. Tickets for the August 8th Taste of the Nation Chicago are selling like crazy, and the various ticket packages feature a slew of new and unique experiences. We've secured 25 mixologists to sling back cocktails all night, and will have 50 elite chefs on hand to prepare their signature dishes.

But perhaps the biggest excitement this month was the news that Mindy Segal - TOTN Culinary Council Member and Hot Chocolate chef extraordinaire - was named outstanding pastry chef at the James Beard Awards in New York.

Chef Mindy Segal

We've sung Segal's praises before, for her prowess in the kitchen and her commitment to Share Our Strength, but seeing her win the award after being nominated six times is quite thrilling. Her accomplishment is the perfect opportunity to spotlight just one of the incredibly talented individuals whose efforts support Share Our Strength's mission to end childhood hunger by 2015.

After finishing her studies at Kendall College, Segal earned cred on the Chicago culinary scene by cutting her teeth at notable restaurants like Ambria, Spago, Charlie Trotter's and mk. She gained a reputation for creating dishes that put an innovative spin on American-style classics like the cult favorite "Cake-n-Shake." But there were bigger things to come. In 2005, Segal opened the doors to her very own restaurant, Hot Chocolate, in Bucktown. The menu features everything from savory snacks to full entrees and of course highlights her specialty - dessert. Hot Chocolate reflects Segal's trademark creativity (check out the ice cream list) and her commitment to sourcing the finest in-season and locally produced ingredients available. This month, you can find spring rhubarb popping up in house-made jam, risotto pudding and a country buttermilk cupcake. Hungry yet?

We are proud to have Mindy Segal on board with Share Our Strength, and beyond excited to feature her creations at the Taste of the Nation event this August. Her involvement signifies what our event is all about - bringing together great chefs to do great things. Congratulations, Mindy!

Hot Chocolate: The 666 Dinner

Whatever you're planning on doing on February 28th, if it's not sitting snug at a Hot Chocolate table, you might want to reconsider—and if that's too far out to think about, well think about it now. For months Mindy Segal has been putting together the pieces for Hot Chocolate's 6th anniversary dinner, and now those beans have been spilled. Now it's time to put a little No Kid Hungry spin on this bad boy, Segal style.

Mindy's calling it her 666 dinner. And the poster at the top of this post? That was made up specifically for the dinner, and she's selling them that night at $100 a pop, which really isn't so bad when you consider the poster is gonna be printed on high quality paper and autographed by all six of the chefs cooking with Mindy that night—and oh yeah, the proceeds from not only the poster, but also the dinner, are benefitting Share Our Strength. And if $100 is too big a splurge? She'll be selling them them without the chefs' ink, too.

And those six chefs that'll be signing the poster? They're all women. 6 years. 6 chefs. 6 courses.

Plating at last year's dinner via Stephanie Bassos.

Here's the lineup:

Host: Mindy Segal, Hot Chocolate

Koren Grieveson, Avec (Chicago)

Stephanie Izard, Girl & the Goat (Chicago)

Naomi Pomeroy, Beast (Portland)

Missy Robins, A Voce (New York)

Celina Tio, JULIAN (Kansas City)

What you need to do is call Hot Chocolate today and grab however many seats you need. Every time I talk to Mindy, the guest list gets longer and longer. They're at (773) 489-1747.

The dinner is selling quick, and a seat costs $200, a portion of which is tax deductible since proceeds benefit Share Our Strength. New Belgium is stepping up with the brews and each course will have its own pairing.

And if for whatever reason all of this isn't enough to plant a X on your calendar that night, here's a look back at last year's anniversary dinner (also via Stephanie Bassos) with Rick Bayless, Ben Caulfield, Paul Kahan, Bill Kim, Michael Kornick, Nick Lessins and Paul Virant—which also benefitted Share Our Strength.