I am delighted to be taking part for the first time in Menu for Hope 6, where you can make an online bid in an effort to raise money for the United Nations World Programme’s Purchase for Progress program, which assists low-income farmers to raise crops and support their local economies.

This is our sixth year raising money and in the past, donations have topped $92,000. With your help, in 2009, let’s take it over that mark!

There are some truly amazing prizes, gathered from across Europe and the UK, including French and Italian chocolates shipped right to your door, cookbooks, a shiny-new standing mixer, and for those of you visiting Europe this year, or living here, you’ll find wine tastings and culinary tours…and tons more! Please go to David Lebovitz for more information on these prize and to Chez Pim for US and other prizes.

For a donation of just $10 per entry, you’ll have a chance to win fabulous bid items from all over the world. You can make as many donations as you wish; the more you enter, the more chances you’ll have of winning. Here is my contribution:

A Cookbook Collection and London Cooking Class

I am offering a cooking class for 2 in London, and I will also give signed copies of some of my books: The Fifth Quarter about using offal, a first edition of Mediterranean Street Food (as well as a paperback copy), and a  copy of the hardback of Modern Mezze, with recipes for irresistible appetizers. Cooking class must be taken before December 1, 2010 and take place at a mutually-agreed upon date. If you’re unable to take the class, please contact me for information on getting the books shipped to anywhere in Europe.

Bid item code: EU27

To Bid
1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list, when it’s posted.

2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.

3. Please specify which bid item you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code.

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 – 2xEU01, 3xEU02.

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your e-mail address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone.

And please pass this post along to friends and others via links on your blog and via social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. You can use the Share This button below.