We receive emails constantly asking us to try new food products, but since we are focused on the philanthropy side of the food industry, we usually politely turn them down. However, last year when Tandoor Chef reached out to us asking us to try out a few convenient and delicious frozen food products, we found our happy medium – only in a slightly different context. Upon further inspection we realized that Tandoor Chef has been supporting various causes and was founded on philanthropic principals.

Tandoor Chef supports the Deepkiran Foundation, which offers educational support to children in remote Indian villages. The foundation was established by Deep Foods in 2005 as a non-profit organization to help children in remote villages of Gujarat, India. Schooling in Gujarat is out of reach and also never made a priority by the village elders. “Deepkiran” means “Ray of Light” and refers to the organization’s goal of providing hope to the children of India through education.

NOW onto the delicious food that provides this important support to Gujarati children.

I loved the new line of unique pizza options: Chicken Tandoori with Spinach, and Chicken Tikka Masala, and Palak Paneer.

I love Naan and I love pizza – what a brilliant idea of putting the two together!

Naan Pizza Spinach and Paneer Cheese
Reminded me of the spinach and artichoke pizza in NYC. Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. As an unaged cheese, the paneer provided a fresh and creamy counterpoint to the crisp naan.

Naan Pizza Cilantro Pesto
Pesto goes together well with any breads or pasta, so it’s only natural that this cilantro pesto paired so well with the naan base. I’m sure many of you have used a piece of crusty bread to scoop up the last bits of pesto in a pasta dish. Obviously, this was way better, but I had that same sense of urgency – I needed to have every last bite. In short, this was a perfect combination.

Margherita
Very simple and familiar, but still unique. The naan really brings a new twist to a good old-fashioned pizza. It’s worth a try just to experience a different crust and new interpretation of the much-loved margherita.

Roasted Eggplant
I love eggplant and pizza, but this was my least favorite. It was still tasty, but the eggplant was a little dry and didn’t manage well with the frozen pizza process. Fortunately, I think there’s an east fix: Next time, I’ll drizzle some olive oil on top of the eggplant before I heat it up in the microwave. Eggplant tends to absorb liquids very well, so I’m sure this will counteract any dryness.

Other non pizza dishes – These were surprisingly my favorites. I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the selection.

Chicken Tandoor with Spinach
This was a great dish. The problem I have with frozen food is that it’s difficult to heat up evenly. But this dish was perfect. The portions were just right and the temperature was evenly distributed throughout the spinach and meat.

The spinach was also creamy and rich and there was a good chicken to spinach ratio. Overall, I really enjoyed this dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes. The most impressive part about Tadoor Chef’s east to prepare chicken tikka masala was how the rice stayed moist and flavorful. This was mind boggling to me! How is this even possible?

The chicken was also moist and there was just enough sauce to go with the chicken and the rice without overwhelming either.

Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.

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All good things must come to an end. But that doesn’t mean things can’t go out with a bang!
On Sunday evening, the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival came to an official close with its final event, Party in Guy’s Garage presented by Pucker Flavored Vodka. Right in the heart of the Meatpacking, at 440 West 15, food lovers and charity supporters alike gathered together at the Highline Stages to bid a fond farewell to the four-day long festival dressed as their favorite 1980s stars, munching on some of the city’s best pub grub.

Lee Schrager—founder and organizer for both New York’s festival as well as the South Beach Wine & Food Festival—addressed the crowd before bringing out the man of the hour, Guy Fieri. He thanked the event’s sponsors and attendees but quickly moved on to the true reason the festival was created and has been such a success. “We’re here eating and drinking tonight to help those who have no food,” remarked Schrager. He explained that 100% of the net proceeds go to the two charities, Food Bank For New York City and Share our Strength and that his call to help the hungry has become his life-long mission.

The king of the evening, Guy Fieri, entered to blaring ‘80s tunes and warmed the crowd up with his signature charm. He was extremely concerned that the crowd sampled some of the culinary delights that were being passed around over the course of the evening, with one popular bite being the signature Artichoke pizza slices form Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef was also doling out signature roast beef sandwiches and pastrami on rye and for something sweet, guests flocked to the Levain Bakery stand that doled out brownie bites and cookies in individual spoons, perfect for easy eating.

Other highlights included the photo booth sponsored by Bing, where party-goers were able to take crazy poses complete with a wind machine to make your hair also fit the part, ‘80s-style. And the evening was not complete until the Ronald Reageans ‘80s Tribute band took to the stage to belt out some of the decades biggest hits including tunes by Bon Jovi, Poison, Guns and Roses and Rick Springfield.

Fieri is no stranger to charity work and has supported additional programs like – The Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), a program that promotes and provides career opportunities in the food service industry for underserved youth through culinary arts education and employment.

He most recently lent his talents to host the recent – BR Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival this past September, which benefited local charities including, Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Glide Memorial, Santa Rosa Memorial Trauma Center and Local & National Veteran Organizations.

Photos by Alexander Kok for Appetite for Good.

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength® , a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

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• A Perfect Balance at the NYC Food and Wine Festival
• A Golden Ticket to the New York City Wine and Food Festival
• Living the SWEET Life at the Food Network Wine & Food Festival

Tequila Patron’s The Art of Taco
Hosted by Bobby Flay

As many of you all know already, 100% of the net proceeds from the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength® fight hunger. Since 2007, Festival events have raised over $1,800,000 for Share Our Strength! This year alone the the Festival raised over $1,200,000!

This Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival event was definitely heaven for anyone who loves tacos & tequila!

A total of 57 vendors showcased their savory and sweet version of tacos along with some wineries, drinks, and of course, tequila. I must confess, I did not even make it through half of the vendors however my colleague, Patrick Chang, nearly finished everything [Note to anyone who plans attend this event next year: Skip lunch that day!].

This year the taco offerings were heavily skewed toward meats, primarily beef and pork with a few lamb, chicken, and duck even thrown in. Given the carnivorous offerings, after my 6th meat taco, the rest started to blur and only a handful really stood out, mostly the seafood tacos.

Here are our top 5 favorites, ranked in order of preference:

1. South Gate
Piquillo Pepper & Crabmeat Taco

Chef Kerry Heffernan’s taco was an asian interpretation with his crabmeat taco wrapped in rice paper and a side of green market chili oil. His goal was to create a fresh taco and I will definitely say that he succeeded! In a sea of corn/ flour tortilla tacos filled to the rim with meat, Chef Kerry’s taco was refreshingly light and well balanced in spice and flavor. Even though I was superbly stuffed, I went back for a round two.

2. Suenos
Coconut-Habanero Wild Salmon Taco *Note I think I had the shrimp version

Now these guys were all over the twitter feed so I made it a point to check out what all the buzz about. When I first stopped by, Suenos was out and waiting for backup to arrive. By the time I got my taste, I finally understood what that buzz was about. This tropical flavored taco with its spiced coconut flavor was simply delicious. I would have definitely gone back for second round if I had any room in my stomach.

3. Dos Caminos
Chino Latino Tuna Ceviche Taco

All right, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for anything with ceviche. Dos Caminos offered the most petite sized taco with a punch of flavor. The citrus flavored tuna was so delicious (and small) that I had to get another one. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t have 50 more vendors to taste, I would have just stood there and keep popping their tacos in my mouth.

4. B&B (Burger and Barrel)
Asian BBQ Taco with Kimchi

B&B’s taco was delicious and displayed in a delightful manner. The crisp taco shell offered a nice contrast in texture and the taco was not heavy at all. I loved their touch of kimchi on top.

5. Nuela
Beef Tongue Taco (I had mine with some habanero peppers)

Now this was the one taco that set my mouth on FIRE. My friends all know I love chili peppers but little did I know that this one taco topped with habanero peppers would send me running for a drink to put the fire out. The reason why it made it to my top 5 was because before my mouth started burning, I can recall the delicious taste of the taco and it was honestly the first time I ever tried Beef Tongue. Sadly 2 minutes after eating this taco, my taste buds required a cooling drink and a 15 minute break to recover any sensation.
[Note to anyone who plans on trying Nuela’s taco – when they say its REALLY spicy, it really IS spicy.]

Other notable tacos were:
- Gotham Bar & Grill
Wild Mushroom Taco

This was a pleasant surprise, simple yet flavorful and delicious without being too heavy at all.

- Ed’s Chowder House
Grilled Spiced Shrimp & Double Smoked Bacon Taco

These guys were causing a traffic jam with the time it took to grill their shrimps, but I have to say they were worth the wait.

River Park
Oyster Taco
Now if I loved fried oysters, this would be on my top 5 list. River Park was the only one to offer an oyster taco and it was well fried, not too salty and not too heavy.

The Standard Grill
Rock Shrimp, Cactus & Queso Taco

Now these guys ran out of tacos before we could even make it there (somewhere around one and a half hour into the event). Apparently they were very among the top two favorites (Suenos being the other) but they were ill prepared for the overwhelming demand for their tacos. Maybe next time they’ll bring more or send for a backup second round which is what Suenos did.

- Make my Cake Bakery & Café
Sweet Potato Rice Pudding

I must admit that I was beyond stuff by this point but their pudding was so delicious that I had just had to have a bite and more.

Check out what you missed you and remember to get your tickets early for next year’s event!

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength® , a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

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They say you should never have too much of a good thing. But a plentiful amount of two good things is an ideal balance, right? With this principle in mind, I marveled at the balance of great things offered at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, which took place from September 29th to October 2nd. The event helped our city and our world by donating 100% of its net proceeds to the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®. Both organizations admirably strive to eradicate hunger; the Food Bank focuses locally on New York’s five boroughs, while Share Our Strength also reaches out to children across America. While the results of this year’s Wine and Food Festival are not yet known, the event strove to exceed the $1.2 million it raised for these charities in 2010. So why am I talking about a balance of two great things? While the Festival satisfied attendees’ desire to help the world by providing nutrition to our neighbors in need, it also satisfied their more visceral desire to stuff their faces with awesome food and booze.

My conversations with some of the vendors revealed that the Festival also fits perfectly into the charitable nature of the vendors’ business missions. For example, while sampling an extremely creative and uber-fresh root vegetable stack from The Fat Radish, I learned that the restaurant actively focuses on locally-sourced ingredients and sustainability, and that it recently participated in the Let Us Eat Local event in support of that cause.

Up-and-coming food manufacturers discussed their altruistic interests too. SlantShack Jerky, which generously allowed me repeated helpings of its excellent products, explained that its business model takes into account the benefits of offering hormone-free and high-quality beef. Because reviewing everything offered at the Festival would require a 10-volume treatise (not to mention dialysis and an angioplasty), here are some highlights of the bits that I sampled.

Walking into the event, I was stunned by the aroma of cappuccino-braised short rib served with pumpkin sage gnocchi. This little number, whipped up by Bradley Anderson of DUO Restaurant & Lounge, was rich and gooey but still nicely textured due to some pecan praline and roasted onions. The beef melted instantly once bitten and left a lingering smokiness on the palate. Well played, sir.

To wash it down, I next checked out the lobster pumpkin bisque with tarragon foam from Alan Ashkinaze of Millesime. I’ve had plenty of bisque in my day, but this was definitely unique and surprisingly light. Served cool, it had the refreshing qualities of a good gazpacho while staying true to the rich, buttery, seafoody flavor of lobster. And while foams sometimes seem overly fancy or complicated without adding much to a dish, presenting the tarragon in a light, airy way injected flavor into the bisque without compromising its intended texture. Without a doubt the best bisque I’ve ever had.

If you’re normal, you think ravioli is delicious. And if you don’t like truffles, you should go to jail. There, I said it. If you haven’t been locked up, then feast your eyes on this: quail egg ravioli with sheep’s ricotta and black truffle. Yes, you read this dish from Roberto Deiaco of Armani/Ristorante 5th Avenue correctly. I admit to being a sucker for anything containing truffle, but this intensely savory, buttery masterpiece was a smart vehicle for delivering the grainy starch of pasta with the rich creaminess of egg and cheese. Marvelous.

After ten doses of meat and starch, I convinced myself to check out a dish constructed around something green. Thankfully, Dale Talde (of Talde) unleashed a Perilla Salad: a one bite salad with bacon tamarind caramel, toasted peanut, candied chili, and dried shrimp. I sort of assumed that a “one bite” serving size was just a cost-efficient and practical way to serve the masses attending the Festival. But the mouthful of salad was a truly inventive method of delivering an intense flavor burst, with the caramel, peanut, chili, and shrimp providing sweet, crunchy, spicy, and salty touches that make the salad complete.
PHOTO

If this Website were not so G-rated, I would use a filthy stream of obscenities to describe the deliciousness of Marble Lane’s Guiness-braised Kobe short rib sliders. We’ve all had sliders, and we’ve all seen menus offering “Kobe beef” of dubious quality. But these sliders were the real thing. The reduced beer created a slightly sticky sauce, but the tiny yet shockingly crusty bun evened the dish’s texture into something that went down easy while leaving behind the earthy mineral flavors of quality beef. Sincere congratulations are due.

And just in time for Yom Kippur, Carsten Johannsen of Commerce whipped up some amazing Korean braised pork belly with Vidalia onion marmalade and pork rinds. There’s certainly no lack of pork belly dishes in New York’s popular restaurants these days, but many of them seem to emphasize the falling-off-the-bone qualities of the meat without trying to provide any textural depth. In refreshing contrast, Commerce’s dish involved some acidity and sweetness in the marmalade to cut through the rich, fatty meat. In addition, serving the meat on top of ultra-crunchy pork rinds made the dish uniquely crunchy. Mazal tov!

Check out some more pictures below. I hope they covey the variety and quality of the offerings at the Festival this year. While I didn’t talk about any of the wine or liquor offerings, rest assured that a vast array of distributors and manufacturers were at the Festival slinging quality hooch and vintage pours. Overall, the New York City Wine and Food Festival provided the exact balance that I mentioned above – attendees left with their stomachs full, but also with a more profound satisfaction that hungry Americans will get some help securing the nutrition they need.

Photos by Carmel Mushin for Appetite for Good.

Help fight against hunger

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength® , a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

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• Guy’s Garage Party Closes NYC Wine & Food Festival
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This year was my first Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival’s. I felt like Charlie on his tour through the Chocolate Factory. Though there was chocolate (my old favorite Lindt and a new favorite, Pure Dark), this was but a sliver of the drool-worthy fare laid out at this event. I recommend arriving early and skipping breakfast. You can make up for it when you get there.

Replace, for example, your standard two-egg omelet with lobster scrambled eggs topped with trout roe, crème fraiche, served, for your convenience, in a hollowed-out egg and designed, I think, to make your heart stop through an ingenious combination of cholesterol and extreme joy ( Highpoint Bistro & Bar).

Swap dad’s Bisquick pancakes for Viennese palatschinken wrapped around a tasty slice of trout and topped with concord grapes (Wallse).

Or, if you prefer something sweet, try a brown butter panna cotta topped with a Danjou pear (much like a regular pear) and Niabelle grape (much like a regular grape, but smaller and sourer; One if by Land, Two if by Sea).

This should not be confused with the sturgeon custard, which, though similar in appearance, has a very different flavor (Gilt).

Charlie, probably craving a savory antidote to his sugary tour, would have envied me, as I sampled not one, not two, but three select cuts of steak, each more delicious than the next (strip loin, BLT Prime; hickory smoked rib eye, The Palm Tribeca; and an equally lovely third steak, Dry Aged Beef Coulotte with Tuscan Kale, E&E Grill House).

I guiltily sampled a plum and sesame glazed lamb spare rib (very fatty, very delicious from China Grill) and shamelessly devoured the perfect plate of braised brisket (MexiQ Kitchen & Draught). Also delectable was a braised short rib, flavored with an unusual combination of anise, pomogranate carmel and curry (21 Club). I’m a little inclined toward meat of the four-legged kind, but I had a sashimi tuna steak that gave beef a run for it’s money (Blue Water Grill). My favorite dish actually ended up being seafood: Empellon’s octopus ceviche with parsnips and salsa papenteca. I don’t know what salsa papenteca is- it’s component parts are equally mysterious, but it is delicious. I loved the variety of textures- from the crunchy sunflower seeds to the soft creamy parnips and the chewy octopus.

Close seconds were a succulent chicken meatball encased in a fried ball of sticky rice (Tanuki Tavern) and perfectly cooked orecchiette with sweet Italian sausage, rosemary, and parmesan garlic (Benchmarc Events).

While Wonka’sfactory probably didn’t have meat, it most certainly didn’t distribute wine. This festival did. I deposited my gratis Ikea wine glass to more wine vendor stands than is probably advisable. Some favorites were a sweet Old Cask Malbec from Trapiche and an interesting, intense Sicilian wine called Nero DAvolo (Villa Pozzi). I also tried a selection of white wines from Greece, a derivation I hadn’t expected, but was pleased to find very tasty (Lyrarakis Wines of Greece). My favorite was a clean tasting rioja (Marques de Riscal Proximo). I enjoyed a glass of champagne (Nicholas Feuillatte) before moving on to stronger drinks. Jefferson’s 10 year aged bourbon was smooth and delightful, and the even older Redbreast irish whiskey knocked my socks off.

You wouldn’t know it if you didn’t look carefully, but 100% of the proceeds from this event go to the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength . Perhaps the cause is downplayed because the thought of feeding hungry children while indulging in the city’s richest and most expensive food is a little discomfiting. Understandably, emphasizing the haring facts about hunger in America might undercut the enjoyment of the festival. A report this year from the Agriculture Department showed that 14.5% or 17.2 million US households are food insecure (World Hunger Education Service, Coleman-Jensen 2011). Even when supported by federal food stamp programs, many Americans are unable to afford regular, nutritious meals. In New York City one in six live below the poverty line, making less than $18,310 for a family of three and certainly not enough to purchase fresh and healthy food. Recent cuts in federal spending for food banks and soup kitchens (40% cuts this year) makes private donations and events like the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival’s even more important.

The Food Bank For New York Cityis one of the American Institute of Philanthropy’s top-rated charities, with an extremely low overhead and a retinue of awards recognizing their support for healthy cooking in schools, their distribution of fresh produce, and their food and health education programs. They help New Yorkers connect with food stamp distributors and advocate for food stamp access in all communities. They tackle the root of hunger, which is poverty, in a very direct way as well, offering tax-filing services that have earned applicants $61 million in federal returns this year alone.

Share Our Strength® focuses on ending hunger in children. Alarmingly, 9.8% of households with children experienced food insecurity last year. A subgroup of those children (1% of households) experience “very low food security”, which means that those children were considered undernourished by their caregivers. Share Our Strength® focuses on more than just the mid-day school lunch. They are working to provide nutritious breakfasts (perhaps not lobster scrambled eggs) that not only outfit kids for a day of work, but motivate them to come to school. They are also bridging the gap during summer vacation by advocating for summer meal programs.

While I understand the urge to focus on the delicious dishes at the New York City Wine and Food Festival and the desire to spare the attendees the story of the millions of hungry Americans, I would argue that knowing the facts behind the ticket price enhances the experience. For one, it made me appreciate the hardworking chefs churning out dishes for a good cause in a new way. It also made me feel a little less like Augustus Gloop, the greedy fat kid who drowns in Wonka’s chocolate river. The tour through the Chocolate Factory gave hungry kids like Charlie a chance for a better life, and in a way, the Food and Wine Festival is about that too.

Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.

Help fight against hunger

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength® , a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Related Posts

• Guy’s Garage Party Closes NYC Wine & Food Festival
• A Perfect Balance at the NYC Food and Wine Festival
• Living the SWEET Life at the Food Network Wine & Food Festival

Presented by Corcoran. Help fight against hunger

Meatpacking Uncorked is Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival’s version of Fashion’s Night Out. Each ticket holder received a passport which had a map of all the wine and food stops. Most of the wine stops where in the apparel stores and the food stops where either at the food trucks or restaurants located around the Meatpacking district.

I was interested in checking out the food stops first. Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone else had the same idea because much like FNO, the lines were superbly long!

Here is a recap of the food stops that I was able to snag a bite at:

GO Burger
Go Burger claims to have the blueprint for a better burger and I have to say: they definitely do! Their slider was simply delicious. If the line was not so long, I would have gone back for another round.

Gaslight Meatballs
I was surprised that Gaslight served meatballs since I know them for their pizzas. Sadly their meatballs were uninspiring – next year I hope they serve pizzas instead!

Sweet Street Desserts

A variety of desserts

Now this was truck was a home a run. Sweet Street’s desserts were perfectly done. I tried their red velvet cupcake and it was so much better than most cupcakes I’ve had in NYC. The cupcake was perfectly moist inside with a light frosting on top that was not too heavy or too sweet. I also tried their lemon crumb bar which was heavenly – a citrus lemony flavor that was fresh and natural. I had the pleasure to meet founder Sandy Solmon who posed for a picture.

Luke’s Lobster Shrimp Rolls

I swear Luke’s Lobster had the longest line in the whole block. Their shrimp roll was definitely tasty but we were only allowed one per passport holder and I did wish that they were serving their famous lobster rolls. Nonetheless, I loved my shrimp roll and got a shot of co-founder Ben Conniff who was running show that night. Here’s a pic of him serving a shrimp roll!

Valducci’s Pizza (They were not listed but they were handing out free food to participants!)

Pizza & Zeppole
I stumbled across this truck on my route and was lured in by the sugar coated fried dough known as zeppoles (all right I’ll admit I didn’t remember the name and had to google this).

While the pizza was too drippy for my taste, the zeppoles were a tasty detour treat!

Gorilla Cheese NYC

Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Now I could smell this truck a mile away – Grilled Cheese with Bacon. Yummmm. I definitely had to try one. The gentleman handing out the sandwiches was kind enough to not make me wait in the line. Even if I had to wait in line, I wouldn’t have to wait long since these guys were efficient! Gorilla Cheese’s Bacon Cheese sandwhich was superb a gourmet version of a classic comfort food. Here’s a picture of founder James Klayman and his wife:

Asia Dog

Hotdogs with a choice of kimchi or thai mango topping

Asia dog is such a simple concept and was well executed with two servers – one of them being the owner, Mel. The line was long but it moved relatively quickly and the hotdogs were definitely worth the wait. I was informed that they just opened a little shop at 66 Kenmare so if you’re ever there, stop on by and try one of their hot dogs.

I have to admit even with a map, the whole treasure hunt like experience was quite hectic, hopping from truck to truck and store to store.

I definitely did not make it to every food spot but I did manage to swing by a few boutiques for some wine.

While the food trucks captured a lot of people’s attention, the place to be for this event was definitely the Cooking Channel’s party at Villa Pacri. At the party, six types of Cooking Channel-inspired food were served:

• Pickled Shrimp with Lemon Chive Aioli
• Sloppy Janes
• Mini Lobster Roll on a Potato Bun
• Pancetta Wrapped Chicken Skewers with Salsa Verde
• Tomato Arancini with Basel Pesto
• Grilled Lamb on a Rosemary Skewer with Black Truffle

Food Network’s entwine wine and Negra Modelo beer flowed freely at the bar while the hors d’oeuvres kept coming around in a timely fashion. Since everyone was probably still waiting in line at the food trucks, the party was just the right size.

Needless to say, the general manager of Villa Pacri, Nicolas Vinsonneau and his team hosted a wonderful party and all the guests had a great time.

So if you didn’t get a chance to check out this event, be sure to get your tickets next year and remember, this is definitely an event where you should go with a group of friends!

Help fight against hunger

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

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I started my night with a delicious glass of chardonnay from Joseph Carr and began browsing around. Apparently the first vendor was not ready yet so I went straight to Buddakan’s table where they were serving Tuna Tartare Spring Rolls with Crispy Shallots and Ponzu.

Buddakan’s Tuna Tartare set the bar quite high for the rest of the vendors. Their spring rolls were simple yet elegantly light and delicious. If I didn’t have to walk around to explore the other vendors, I would have just parked myself at their table and continue nibbling away at their spring rolls. (Yes they were that good!).

I did discover the Macy’s Lounge where Emeril Lagasse was signing his Thanksgiving cookbook. In the Macy’s Lounge, there were hors d’ourves being served such as Spiced Shrimp and Spinach in a Filo Dough Pastry and there was also a buffet table serving chicken pot pie, lasagna, salad, corn, beans and beef brisket. There was definitely a southern influence in the food offering but the best dish hands down was the beef brisket – absolutely flavorful and well spiced.

Back in the main pathway, I passed by some mini grilled cheese sandwich and tomato red pepper soup made by The Cleaver Co. Both dishes were delicious and hot, straight from the kitchen; however The Cleaver Co. had a slight disadvantage being situated right next to the Lobster Place. The minute I spotted the Lobster Place serving oysters, I rushed over and hopped right in line.

The oysters on menu for the night were fresh Beau Soleils and Barron Points oysters, 1 each on a plate and they were SO fresh and delicious! I went back for 3 more servings… to make a total of half a dozen oysters. If you are ever tired of those Long Island Blue Point oysters, check out the Beau Soleils and Barron Points.

The Lobster Place also served clam chowder and lobster bisque. The clam chowder was fantastic however the lobster bisque did not even come close.

I moved on to explore the Jacques Torre’s chocolate shop, passing by mobs of people clamoring for a cookie or flowers from the florist shop right next door. The pathways were narrow but I eventually made my way around and stumbled upon then table serving Yellow Tail Bubbles and Muscato wine.

The Yellow Tail Muscato wine was FANTASTIC- a well balanced sweetness with a light fizz, a perfect girly wine for those with a sweet tooth. The Yellow Tail Bubbles were a pleasant surprise, a sparkling wine that was smooth and light, not too dry or acidic with decent sized bubbles. It’s definitely a bottle that would pair well with most dishes and even better, Yellow Tail has designed the bottle to be resealable!

There were many other vendors that I passed by and tested but none of them made a strong impression until I reached the very last vendor at the end: Morimoto. Morimoto was serving Raw Hamachi Bun that was superb -a light and fluffy bun that sandwiched a thick slab of raw hamachi dressed with a spicy mayo sauce. No wonder the line was so long! I got there just in time before they ran out of their last round of buns. If they hadn’t run out, I would have been back for round 2.

Overall the Chelsea Market After Dark event was just the right size, with the right amount of vendors to feed the guests, and plenty of alcohol from Palm, wineries, Svedka Vodka flowing freely.

The Macys Lounge was where the party was rocking for the rest night with a DJ spinning top 40s and Svedka cocktails flowing until midnight.

If you missed this NYCWFF party, remember to get your tickets early next year!

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

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Last Friday night I was lucky enough to be in attendance at SWEET, a late-night dessert party that kicked off the weekend events of the fourth annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. The Festival is one of the finest culinary events in the city, both in terms of taste and of philanthropy. A whopping 100% of the net proceeds of the New York City Wine & Food Festival benefit two dedicated, amazing organizations: Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.

Hosting the event was the lovely Sandra Lee, host of the Food Network’s Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee who stood for pictures with the guests and told this writer that Share Our Strength – with its focus on ending childhood hunger – is particularly close to her heart, having grown up struggling to make ends meet. Later she presented chef Mark Israel from Doughnut Plant with a plaque for winning Godiva’s SWEETest Challenge. (I wasn’t able to taste the award-winning treats as they were gone by the time I reached the table!)

As we ascended the plush red-carpeted stairs into the trendy SoHo venue, 82 Mercer, attractive servers greeted us with trays full of chocolate truffles. One might think that given the long night ahead of tasting the finest desserts New York City has to offer, this author might have exercised some restraint in the stairwell. One would be wrong.

The prize for most creative presentation (and most reminiscent of a favorite childhood ice cream treat) definitely goes to Confetti Cakes for their Godiva white chocolate rainbow push pops. I felt like a kid again.

I was really delighted to see Babycakes at this event. They always shock me with how delicious vegan fare can be. They served a simple, moist, mini chocolate cupcake. No fancy adornments in the form of sprinkles or icing, but that suited me just fine. I’ve always preferred the cake part to the icing part of cupcakes.

Kudos to François Payard Bakery for their surprisingly delightful strawberry tiramisu with basil syrup. Basil (or indeed any herb, which I associate with savory dishes) is not something that would spring immediately to mind when considering what kind of topping with which to drench my cake. Chocolate syrup, yes. Whipped cream, sure. But basil syrup? What kind of nonsense is that?

Some pretty AMAZING nonsense, let me tell you.

Served in adorable little pipettes, the basil syrup added a burst of flavor, at first kind of perplexing, but then very pleasing. The savory basil was an elegant complement to the sweet cream of the tiramisu.

The Sea Grill’s Michael Gabriel offered a toasty little send-off to summer in his Godiva chocolate s’mores parfait which immediately brought me back to mid-summer campfires and ghost stories.

But my personal favorite of the evening was chef Sandro Micheli’s roasted cranberry crumble topped with lightly whipped vanilla cream from US Cranberries and Adour Alain Ducasse.

So many amazing restaurants participated this year and they should be commended for dazzling guests with their beautiful, delectable, and charitable desserts. If you want to follow their example, get involved with the Food Bank of New York City and Share Our Strength.

SWEET was presented by Godiva and generously sponsored by Absolut Vodka & Brancott Estate.

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.

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On Wednesday, May 11th,City Harvest hosted one of their most memorable and laughter filled luncheon “On Your Plate.” This 7th annual event was held at the exclusive Metropolitan Club featuring their witty and colorful guest speaker, Jill Kargman.

For those who have not had the pleasure yet to read one of Jill Kargman’s books, Jill is an accomplished New York Times Bestselling author of nine books, with her most recent book called “Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut.”

This event however kicked off with an elegant cocktail reception where New York’s society ladies mingled and caught up with one another. And yes the cocktail reception began at 11:30am.

From left to right: Karen LeFrak, Muffie Potter Aston, Eleanora Kennedy, Gillian Miniter

New York’s socialites who made an appearance included the honorary chairman, David Patrick Columbia, Muffie Potter Aston, Gillian Miniter, Emilia Saint-Amand, and Jennifer Carlston.

From left to right: Jennifer Carlston, Gillian Miniter, David Patrick Columbia, Emilia Saint-Amand and Jill Kargman

As soon as the waiters were finished setting the tables, guests flurried around to find their seats. Each place setting had a mint julep cocktail, a martini glass filled with watermelon gazpacho and attentive waiters ready to pour any guest a glass of pinot grigio.

From left to right: Amy Miller, Angela Dotson

The executive director of City Harvest, Jilly Stephens, kicked off the luncheon with a short speech, thanking everyone for their support and reminding everyone of how their support is so crucial in the fight against hunger in New York City.

The executive director of City Harvest, Jilly StephensAfter her speech, Jilly Stephens, invited one of City Harvest’s very own truck drivers, Trevor Reich, to speak about his experience working at City Harvest and the compassion that fuels his effort to make a difference in the fight against poverty.

Each dollar donated goes towards paying for the gas, which fuels the trucks and pays the drivers who pick up and deliver the food to the soup kitchens that serve the hungry population of New York City.

A very moving video clip was played that demonstrated the impact that City Harvest has on the less fortunate New Yorkers. After the video clip, guests were allowed to enjoy their lunch, which consisted of:

• Wheat roll
• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad with Artichokes and Chickpeas
• A trio of dressings: Dijon Vinaigrette, Herbe Vinaigrette, and Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
  and last but not least
• Vanilla Icecream with Chocolate Sauce and a Miniature Red Velvet Whoopie Pie.

After guests had ample time to finish their meal, the honorary chair, David Patrick Columbia, gave his introductory speech to welcome the guest speaker, Jill Kargman.

Within minutes, Jill Kargman had the crowd laughing as she revealed how she was told to censor her speech but thankfully the attempt to behave properly only lasted a few minutes. Instead, Jill Kargman settled for just being herself: witty, frank and completely uncensored. Jill entertained the guests with some of her own childhood adventures involving the series of disastrous ballerina baby sitters who ranged from being a drama queen to a sex maniac.

In a clever manner, Jill praised her parents’ generosity and support for the less fortunate ballerinas yet she also humorously questioned their choice in whom they welcomed into their homes.

Through wit and colorful humor, Jill’s stories illustrated the generosity of New York’s society and how important it is for them to support a charity such as City Harvest in order to make New York City a better place for everyone.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

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Skip Lunch Fight Hunger

City Harvest
May 11th, 2011
Event Website

The Macquarie Group is a well-known, multi-billion-dollar global investment bank. But many people probably don’t know that its philanthropic arm, the Macquarie Group Foundation, has contributed more than $100 million to community organizations over the years. Its pro-bono efforts are largely driven by its passionate employees. One such employee, William Fang, propelled the New York office of the Macquarie Group to become one of the top teams for City Harvest’s annual Skip Lunch Fight Hunger campaign.

Last year, the Macquarie Group placed 6th by raising a whopping $14,800! However, this feat did not come without hard work. In order to convince coworkers that hunger is a worthy cause, he raised $1,000 in a 42-mile 5-borough bike tour for City Harvest to prove his passion – without training! In Will’s own words, “hunger is not a sexy cause that people can get passionate about. [I had to] show people how much [I] care[d] about it.” Well, it worked. The 1,500-employee New York office is in its third year skipping lunch to help feed hungry children during the summer, when many go without food because schools are closed.

Apart from the annual Skip Lunch event, Macquarie employees participate in numerous other City Harvest events, such as the Greenmarket rescue and Mobile Market. Kathryn O’Neal-Dunham of the Macquarie Group Foundation sees these events as a “win-win all the way around” because her colleagues get to “experience hands-on and come back glowing.”

This year on May 11th, Will, Kathryn, and the Macquarie Group NY office are aiming for the top 5! Come this Wednesday, why don’t we all skip lunch and support them in a passionate cause? The Macquarie Group matches a dollar for a dollar – so your donation will be doubled! What better incentive than that?

Photo courtesy of Macquarie Group.

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