Category Archives: Events

Celebrated Chefs Dish at the New York City Wine and Food Festival

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The New York City Wine and Food Festival (NYCWFF) held a grand tasting at Pier 94 in Chelsea on Sunday, Oct. 18. Renowned chefs from the Cooking Channel and Food Network demonstrated their techniques, while countless restaurants from around the country offered samples of their favorite recipes. During the festivities, a few of these Influential chefs were able to share their culinary philosophies exclusively with Mood of Living. This tasteful event benefited both the New York City Food Bank and Share our Strength: No Kid Hungry Campaign.


NYWFF_LeeSchrager_StoryImageLee Schrager, NYC Wine & Food Festival Founder

Miami-based founder of NYCWFF, Lee Schrager, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in N.Y., and the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University (FIU), before spending 17 years working his way up within InterContinental Hotels (IHG). There, he advanced from room service manager to Vice President of Food & Beverage. With experience and networking under his belt, Schrager then went on to create the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in 2002, and, later, the NYC Wine and Food Festival in 2008. These events allowed Schrager to combine his passion for event planning with his passion for food.

With the help of chefs, promoters, and sponsors, Schrager plans each food festival over a year in advance, striving to make each event bigger and better than the year before. An integral part of this year’s festival is sponsor No Kid Hungry; a nonprofit that aims to solve child hunger in America. Schrager says he is extremely passionate about the cause, and has acquired the help of other influential celebrity chefs to aid in promoting the campaign.

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Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine

In the reality TV series Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine helps turn around failing restaurants within a two day period using a budget of $10,000. Because of his tough-love approach and his expertise as a restauranteur, Irvine’s series has an 80% success rate at saving unsuccessful businesses. At age 15, he began his career in cooking after enlisting as a chef in the Royal Navy. Today, Irvine’s passion for cooking and his experience with military culture are what drive his culinary success.

Each year Irvine participates in NYCWFF, where he enjoys making personal connections with audiences and aspiring chefs.

“Food is the crux of life…we don’t want to just eat to live, we want to live to eat,” Irvine said.

NYCWFF_Debi&Gabriele_layout4Celebrity Chefs Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos

Husband and wife, Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos, host the popular Cooking Channel show called Extra Virgin. Mazar is a long-time actress; widely known for her roles in Goodfellas and Entourage, while Corcos, born in Florence, Italy, knows everything there is to know about Tuscan cuisine.The couple met 14 years ago in Italy where they discovered their mutual passion for cooking. Now living in Brooklyn, Mazar and Corcos’ cooking philosophy centers around family, authenticity, and locally sourced produce.

In the early 2000s, the couple created their own food blog, Under the Tuscan Gun, which evolved into a YouTube series. Due to its popularity, the Food Network offered them their own show, premiering nearly a decade later. Now in the show’s fourth season, audiences can tune-in to watch Mazar and Corcos’ comedic exchanges unfold in the kitchen as they cook their favorite italian cuisines. At NYCWFF, audiences laughed at their witty banter and hilarious antics while indulging in their delicious recipes.

While filming Extra Virgin, Mazar says that their only rule is: rules are meant to be broken. Due to the show’s success, the Cooking Channel provides them with total control. They autonomously write and produce all the material. For Mazar and Corcos, this means staying true to themselves as cooks, and sharing the Tuscan lifestyle of simple, delicious food with family, friends, and viewers.

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Justin Walker, Executive Chef at Earth at Hidden Pond of Kennebunkport, Maine

Executive Chef, Justin Walker, embraces farm-to-fork cuisine paired with unexpected elements. He presented us with his popular chicken, featuring black squid ink, buttermilk, sesame and Isot chili.

“I like to take unusual ingredients and use them in a way that is interesting, without becoming taglines,” Walker said.

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On the left: Blaine Staniford, Executive Chef at Grace of Fort Worth, Texas

Blaine Staniford, Executive Chef at Grace in Fort Worth, Texas,  found creativity and freedom by experimenting with locally sourced ingredients.

“Being a chef, food is everything. It is life. It is the pleasures of the table, food, wine, conversation. It is the center-point of life,” Staniford said.

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Scott Gottlich, Executive Chef of The Second Floor by Scott Gottlich of Dallas, Texas

Above all, Chef Scott Gottlich, Co-owner and Executive Chef of The Second Floor by Scott Gottlich, loves cooking for his two sons. He finds inspiration in preparing meals for his family, as well as nurturing a personal connection with his customers.

“Our focus is on an emotional tie to food…elevated comfort food is the way we look at it,” Gottlich said.

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Chef Eric LeVine, “Chopped” Winner, 2011

Acclaimed Chef, Eric LeVine, winner of “Chopped” and the Chef of the Year Award by the International Chef’s Association, presented samples of his artisanal frozen food line, Ravioli Revolution, at the NYCWFF.

“The biggest piece of advice that I can give to people who want to get into this industry is stop playing checkers and start playing chess,” LeVine said. “Instead of trying to get the quick fix, the quick rise to stardom [is to] learn how to cook, learn how to do the foundation, and learn to be passionate about what you do. Make it your life.”

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From Left to Right: Haylie Duff, Katie Lee and Valerie Bertanelli

Food Critic Katie Lee, as well as, actresses Haylie Duff and Valerie Bertinelli, mingled with the crowd and snapped photos with fans at NYCWFF.

The evening ended with the Meatopia event on the rooftop of Pier 94. Guests and chefs mingled while eating a variety of delicious meat-based dishes, and in the distance, the sun could be seen setting beneath the skyline.

Photography by Thomas Graff

The Vendy Awards: The Best of NYC’s Food Trucks

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On a cloudy but warm Saturday, on the 12th of September, Governor’s Island played host to 25 food vendors and hundreds of New Yorkers for a big event. The Vendy Awards is often referred to as the Oscars of New York’s food vendors, where the best gather to be judged by an expert panel. It was also a sweet afternoon where the independent spirit of the vendors and groups of friends and families came together to enjoy one of the last few days of Summer.

 

The field was crowded and it seemed like every food item was essential to try. The first vendor that greeted us was the Hard Time Sundaes, which does not in fact serve sundaes but irresistible mini cheeseburgers. The Snowday truck had sticky maple grilled cheese sandwiches, which looked nicely charred and flattened. The folks at Home Frite served up hot crispy french fries with unconventional toppings such as curry ketchup and roasted poblano peppers. There were a few European delights, the Souvlaki Lady, the Zeus Lunch Box and Old Traditional Polish Cuisine, which served big and soft perogie

s and hearty pieces of kielbasas. The desserts of the day were Booqoo Beignets, Play J Ice Cream and The Doughnuttery.

 

The big win went to the Snowday grilled cheese sandwiches, which also won the people’s choice award. The Snowday food trucks are also part of a noble initiative called Drive Change, which employes formerly incarcerated youths. The Vendy Awards are a celebration of community and independent businesses, most of which maintain progressive and sustainable practices. The event is also a way to connect to the city and culture of New York City. Each owner was standing right by their vendor, ready to make conversation. There were no waiters, no menus. Just you, them, and good food.

2015 Summer Fancy Food Show

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From June 28 to June 30, Mood of Living toured the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show at New York City’s Javits Center.  With a 60-year legacy and 2,600 exhibiting companies, the Summer Fancy Food Show is truly a treat.  In addition to over 22,000 attendees, the Show also hosts the prestigious sofiTM Awards – a culinary achievement that can cement an older company or launch a new one.

 

In past years, modern favorites such as Popchips, Ben and Jerry’s, and Honest Tea found acclaim at the Fancy Food Show, where they debuted alongside booths featuring finest heritage international imports. The organized jumble of the exhibition room means that a single day might find you tasting both Modena’s oldest balsamic vinegar, once used to season the King of Italy’s dishes, as well as the newest nut-and-gluten free protein bar sure to bolster the athletes of tomorrow.  Due to its unique role as a platform for both celebrating long-term brands and propagating new ones, the Show is an excellent medium for retailers and critics to discern food trends and promote innovative culinary ideas.

 

Food isn’t the only thing on the menu at the Show, however.  The Show’s owner and producer, the Specialty Food Association (SFA), is a New York-based not-for-profit trade association with a keen eye for philanthropy.  The SFA not only sponsors grants, education, and events intended to reduce hunger and food waste, but also engages in food rescue through the Show.  Indeed, perhaps the biggest spectacle of the Show happens after the last attendee trails out the door, when the SFA mobilizes the capstone food donation.  This year, seven and a half tractor trailers laden with food from the Show headed to City Harvest, which in turn redeployed the excess food to feed New York City’s hungry.

 

The 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show was a gastronomical journey, allowing us to indulge in foods that emphasize quality of life. For more Specialty Food Association and Fancy Food Show news, click here.

 

Photos courtesy of Selina Cheah

Greek Wine by the Vine

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On June 18th, the Mood of Living team attended the Greek Wines by the Vine tasting class at Astor Center in NoHo. The event featured a wide selection of wines from different regions, paired with a tasting plate of tzatziki, hummus, tirokafteri, taramosalata, Santorini fava and, of course, olives.

 

Greece, known as the home of Plato, Aristotle and the Olympics, is also famous for its winemaking and vine growing. Wine production first started in Egypt, before arriving in Greece around 4000 BC and eventually spreading to the rest of Europe around 750 BC. Today, Greek winemakers – who often hone their craft at the finest universities in the world – focus on creating unique wines with the grapes best suited for the Greek climate.

 

Greece’s characteristic long summers and short, mild winters with plenty of sunshine make it perfect for growing grapevines. The temperate weather results in a wide range of indigenous grape types, a key distinguishing factor of Greek wines. Despite this diversity, Greek wine production is centered on only a select few of its 3000 islands — most notably Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, and Samos.

 

From the delicious wines to the articulate speaker who guided us through the class, Greek Wines by the Vine was a terrific and all-encompassing experience. To find out more about upcoming events and classes at the Astor Center, click here.

Grand Tasting of the Wines From Santorini

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On June 9th, 2015, the Mood of Living team attended The Grand Tasting of Wines from Santorini event, where we sampled a variety of wines from Santorini, Greece. Santorini is an island located off the coast of Athens, well known for its sunsets, blue-domed rooftops, and – most importantly – wine.

 

Winemaking in Santorini dates to ancient times, with evidence of production stretching as far back as 3500 BC. However, it is the 1600 BC volcanic eruption that is credited with creating the unique taste of today’s wine. The eruption’s leftover volcanic ash, along with pumice stone and solidified lava, now serves as the soil for the special type of grape that is indigenous to the island. This grape, known as Assyrtiko, yields the very full-bodied, dry white wine that Santorini is known for.

 

The wine of Santorini differs from other wines because of its acidity and minerality. These distinctive traits stem from not only the rich soil but also the particular climate on the island. A major factor is the high winds, which can reach up to 21mph on a normal day. When the wind blows, it transports and disperses nutrient-laden water from the Aegean Sea across the island. This process serves as the main hydration for the vines, since Santorini only receives about 400mm of rain a year.  Additionally, the lack of clay in the soil helps prevent diseases among the vines, in turn decreasing the use of pesticides and creating a more organic-style grape in Santorini. The island’s excessive sunlight raises the alcohol content of the wine, producing the notable stronger taste and sharp bite that demarcates Santorini wine from other varieties.

 

The Mood of Living team sampled the top wines from Santorini, including the 100% Assyrtiko, the Nyhteri, and the Vinsanto. The Assyrtiko is the most famous white wine from Santorini. The Nyhteri or “Night” is aged in oak barrels and picked exclusively at night, hence the name. This type of wine is very high in pH and alcohol percentage. In contrast, the Vinsanto is a blend of the Athiri and Aidani wines, whose grapes must be sun-dried on a terrace (to protect them from the wind) for about 12-14 days and then aged in an oak barrel for 24 months. This dessert wine is very sweet and marked by its high level of sugar. The Vinsanto also costs more than the average bottle, due to the amount of grapes needed – it takes ten kilos of grapes to make one kilo of juice.

 

Overall, the island of Santorini and its winemaking traditions make for both a delicious variety of wines and a fascinating story. If you would like to learn more about what the Mood of Living team experienced, click here.