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I became a chef for several reasons - one was that I like to feed people. All kinds of people. And I like to feed them well.

I get to do that at Toqué!, every night from Tuesday to Saturday. I also enjoy cooking at home for my family and friends. And once a year, I really like to cook for homeless people at the annual State of Emergency event staged by Quebec's Action Terroriste Socialement Acceptable.

ATSA was founded 10 years ago by artists Pierre Allard and Annie Roy to create so-called urban interventions - installations, performances and stagings to raise awareness about issues and promote social change.

State of Emergency is an annual event for street people. From Nov. 21 to 25, a "refugee camp" will be set up downtown at Place Émilie-Gamelin, where homeless people will be given three meals a day, donated clothing, night-time sleeping quarters (for 150 people) and other front-line services.

For the fifth year in a row, along with my friends chef Martin Picard (Au Pied de Cochon), chef Moustafa Rougaibi (La Colombe) and Elena Faita (Mezza Luna cooking school at Quincaillerie Dante), we will prepare and serve the State of Emergency banquet for the homeless people.

This year, the four-course menu will feature the following: guinea fowl rillettes with condiments; ravioli di Elena (with four cheeses); ragout de boulette (a traditional Quebec meatball dish); and Pur Caraïbe chocolate mousse and vanilla caramel.

As you can see, we try to be creative and versatile, and offer attendees one of their best meals of the year.

Last year's cavatelli was so popular that after the event, I added my version of this pasta to Toque!'s menu, a clin d'oeil to the event.

You can go to ATSA's website at atsa.qc.ca to learn more about this great get-together where social solidarity is saluted.

Eating fulfills physical and social needs. I am pleased to be able to provide food, time and volunteers to those in need. With winter right at our door, it's the perfect time to share and reflect on the human condition and social cohesion.

That being said, you might want to try the following recipe for your peers at home, instead of for 200 people.

Cavatelli di Elena

What you need

200 grams ground durum-wheat semolina

150 grams fresh ricotta

1 egg yolk

What you do

Place flour in a mound on a clean work surface. Break ricotta into chunks and slowly work into flour with fingers until a sandy texture is achieved.

Drizzle egg yolk and incorporate evenly into dough. Begin to work the mixture together and continue to knead until smooth, adjusting with flour if dough is too moist (the amount of moisture will depend on the type of ricotta used).

When ready, cut small pieces of dough and begin rolling with your palms into long strands about one centimetre in diameter. Then, cut strands into pieces about 1.5 centimetres long.

Next, take each piece, and press and roll lightly with your thumb on a gnocchi paddle (the back of a fork may be used instead). Start at the top end of the paddle and roll away from you.

Once all the pieces are done, blanch in salted water for about 30 seconds. The cavatelli can be served a variety of ways: with tomato and basil sauce, cream sauce, even pesto. Let your creativity and imagination run wild with the ingredients you have available and have fun!

Serves 4