What a winter we’ve had. As I write this, I am watching news reports of a tornado ripping apart towns across the Columbia River in Clark County, in Washington state. Last night, a 6.5 earthquake off the Oregon Coast stirred up fears of a tsunami. And we are still reeling from the devastation that occurred during the major winter storm that shattered communities throughout the Northwest.

While these storms are devastating and destructive, they eventually come to an end. But nothing – nothing tears apart an individual or a family’s life more than domestic violence or childhood abuse. This is why the Women’s Resource Center and the Pioneer House in Astoria exist. These are people who care. They are here to help.

Chris and Jennifer Holen, owners of Astoria’s Baked Alaska Restaurant, invite everyone to join them and many of the region’s top chefs Tuesday, Jan. 22, for the seventh annual Lite Bite, a benefit for the Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center. Anyone who has been a victim of domestic violence or child abuse, or who knows someone who has undergone these tragedies, understands how important this fund-raiser is. This is a chance to help raise money for victims of these tragic crimes and others in need.

This year’s event will feature an array of international foods prepared by 11 of the region’s top chefs. Each chef will cook a dish representative of a certain country or region around the world. Sip a complimentary glass of wine as you embark on your culinary tour, sampling food from chefs’ stations set up throughout the restaurant. This will be followed by a dinner of your choice. There will also be a silent auction held throughout the evening.

According to Pat Burness, director of the Women’s Resource Center, “This event is all about nurturing people by offering comfort, food and warmth – that is what we do at the Resource Center and that is what chefs do in their restaurants – it’s all the same.” With a staff of just five people working on a 24-hour basis, the CCWRC deals primarily with domestic violence and sexual assault cases, working hand-in-hand with the police department. In addition, they try to help everyone who comes in with a dire situation. “You would not believe how many people are in here today,” said Burness when I called to interview her. “You can probably tell by the stress in my voice.” The Resource Center helps people pay rent and utilities and buy food. The staff also assists victims by purchasing bus fares and much more. “Our goal is to provide anything a person needs to become self sufficient,” says Burness, who refers to her staff as “the lean, mean, fighting machine.”

With the support of eight board members and graphic artist Patricia Riley of Polk Riley Printing & Design, the group decided on the theme of “Sail the Seven Seas,” based on a vision of a Love Boat cruise from TV’s long-running sitcom. “In a perfect world, our dream would be to send everyone on a Love Boat cruise,” says Burness.

Some of the chefs participating in the seventh annual Lite Bite include, from left, Aaron Bedard of Teh Stephanie Inn, Chris Holen of Baked Alaska and The Schooner, Cheri Walker of 42nd Street Café, Will Leroux of The Wayfarer, John Newman of Newmans at 988, Josh Archibald of The Wayfarer, Dana Gunderson of the Cannery Café, Lynne Pelletier of the Bridgewater Bistro and Lisa Grillone of The Wayfarer.Many of the participating chefs (who volunteer all their time and food) have been with the event since its inception, but everyone returns year after year. Chefs see the event not only as a way to raise money for a great cause, but also as a time to get together with their fellow chefs. John Sowa, owner of Sweet Basil’s Café in Cannon Beach, joined the fund-raiser at the beginning, when he owned Lil’ Bayou in Seaside. This year, he will present a dish from Sierra Leone in West Africa called jollof rice, which he explains was the forerunner to jambalaya in Louisiana. His will be a spicy vegetarian version. “Something clicked when I heard Sierra Leone,” says Sowa. “After researching the region on the Internet, I learned that this is a place where women are often abused – so cooking for the Women’s Resource Center seems very fitting.”

Dana Gunderson of the Cannery Café in Astoria has also been involved since the beginning. “It’s a fun event,” she says,” and it’s a really good cause to support – we do anything we can to help women and children.” Gunderson will prepare what she calls a “mini Scandinavian smorgasbord,” featuring pickled salmon, Swedish meatballs, Finnish rye bread and an assortment of “crazy Danish pickled things,” including pickled cherries, beets and “pickled pickles.”

Will Leroux, head chef of The Wayfarer Restaurant in Cannon Beach, selected Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as his port-of-call, in honor of the Mexican people who work for Martin Hospitality. “These are people who are very proud of their women and proud of their food and we want to support them,” he explains. His dish, warm chicken posole salad, is accompanied by avocado cream and warm tortillas. “We wanted to offer something spicy and crunchy,” he says – “something to warm the soul.”

A Croatian-inspired cioppino-style fish stew prepared by Chef Aaron Bedard of The Stephanie Inn will feature a flavorful tomato-based lobster broth filled with seafood and scented with fresh herbs. Chef Lynne “Red” Pelletier, executive chef of the Bridgewater Bistro and Shoalwater Restaurant, and co-owner Anne Kischner, veterans of the event, will represent the French Riviera this year. Pelletier has chosen to make “Tourte de Blette,” a sort of sweet and savory pie, which, she says, ” you will find on many bistro menus in France.” It is made with a combination of Swiss chard and spinach, with sultans, rum, pine nuts, apples and eggs baked in a butter crust.

Chef Cheri Walker of the 42nd Street Café in Seaview, Wash., draws her inspiration from Georgia, located on the Black Sea in Russia. She became interested in the cuisine years ago, when a former dancer from the Bolshoi Ballet and his wife, who lived nearby on the Long Beach Peninsula, cooked a meal for her and some friends. She will prepare two dishes. One is “Tevzi Stsivi” (cold tuna in walnut sauce), the other is “Lobio Tkemali” (red beans with tamarind and balsamic vinegar.) “I really enjoy watching people sample foods that they might otherwise never have tasted, as well as enjoying the challenge of coming up with something that I don’t normally run on our menu.”

Chef John Newman, the owner of Newmans at 988 in Cannon Beach and now the head of the culinary department at the Tongue Point Job Corps Center, first joined the event when he was the executive chef for The Stephanie Inn. This year, his contribution will be two-fold: Newmans at 988 will be serving shellfish ravioli with marsala and hazelnuts, and his students at Tongue Point will provide an array of delectable desserts.

Matt Deuber of The Bistro in Cannon Beach will prepare a dish inspired by San Francisco’s Chinatown. Cooked-to-order Dungeness crab legs in the shell will be stir-fried with ginger, shallots, sake and soy sauce. Michael Lalowicz of The Depot Restaurant in Seaview was on vacation at this writing and not available to comment on his dishes, but look for something special from the Caribbean.

Chef Chris Holen and his wife, Jennifer, have graciously hosted the event for the past six years. Not only do they open up their Baked Alaska Restaurant for Lite Bite, they also prepare food from both Baked Alaska and their other operation, The Schooner. Jennifer Holen can’t say enough about the people who have supported this event year after year. “Pat Burness is absolutely fantastic,” she says. “We are very privileged to have her in our community.” Regarding Patricia Riley, she says, “Three years ago, she took this project under her wing and gave it life.” Riley volunteers all her time, helping to produce all graphic designs, from posters to tickets and event books.

Holen will be preparing maki and nigiri sushi with yellow fin and albacore tuna, Japanese veggie rolls, a marinated hiratake (oyster) mushroom dish, a rice wine, sesame and cucumber salad and a mystery dish. Perhaps Alaskan weathervane scallop potpie or cured ivory king salmon … come and find out. The Holens expect more than 200 people to attend the event. Says Chris Holen, “It’s a heck of a good time and a great event.”