New York City Wine and Food Festival – Grand Tasting and Demos 2021

Edward F. Nesta checking out the demonstration schedule

On Sunday, October 17, 2021, we experienced the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting featuring Culinary Demonstrations presented by Liebherr Appliances and held at Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 (408 12^th Avenue, NYC), which was part of a 4-day wine and food festival, with many different offerings and venues spread across New York City.

The Culinary Demonstrations

In addition to food, wine, cocktails, and spirits tastings throughout the day, there were (6) culinary demonstrations presented by Liebherr: Andrew Zimmern, Robert Irvine, Buddy Valastro, Duff Goldman, Jet Tila, and Scott Conant. As the demonstrations ran concurrent with the tastings, we attended two, presented by Robert Irvine and Buddy Valastro.

Robert Irvine Culinary Demonstration

Robert Irvine

We attended the culinary demonstration with Robert Irvine, the chef behind the popular Food Network’s "Restaurant: Impossible" television show. Having interviewed many chefs throughout the years, we always find it interesting to learn their inspiration for becoming a chef. Chef Irvine told the audience that his inspiration was his mother, because she was such a bad cook. He joked that you could eat her vegetables through a straw. When he asked his mom why she cooked the vegetables so long, she replied that is how your dad likes them. When he asked his dad, he replied, I’ve been married to her for 50 years.

Robert Irvine setting up demo

People motivate him to excel, and he is a big believer in the military, the first responders. It’s about people helping people less fortunate than ourselves. It is not always about providing money but rather helping out any way we can. He does a lot for the military, and created the Robert Irvine Foundation (www.robertirvinefoundation.org) whose "primary focus is giving back and supporting our military (active, retired, and veterans), first responders, their families, and those in need through resiliency, health, and wellness programs, in addition to the financial support of top-rated military and first responder organizations."

When it comes to cooking, he is a believer in using butter, salted butter, salt, as it is good for food. You can also sprinkle salt on carpets, leave it for 24 hours, then vacuum it up to help clean stains and remove odors. He loves using sous vide as a cooking technique for many types of food including poached, boiled, and scrambled eggs.

Robert demonstrated how to cook lamb with a reverse sear, searing it with Dijon mustard and honey, then topping it with toasted panko, toasted pistachio nuts, parsley, and some mint. Brush on the mustard honey on the lamb, then add the herb nut mixture, then press the panko breadcrumbs on to the meat, and let it sit. Add whole pickled ginger to the lamb jus, and lime juice, to infuse flavor, then remove the ginger. Serve the lamb with kale, broccolini, and boiled potatoes.

Robert Irvine discussing techniques

Tips: Microwave your citrus to extract more juice. Use a coffee grinder to grind whole peppercorns instead of using a pepper grinder. When using oil, heat the pan, then add the oil, rather than heating the oil in the pan due to various smoke points. (Note: Smoke point is when the oil or fat will start to burn.) Olive oil has a smoke point of 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius)., whereas grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point of around 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Robert uses olive oil to finish salads, etc. and uses grapeseed oil to cook. Follow Robert Irvine on Instagram: www.instagram.com/chefirvine

Robert Irvine and Debra C. Argen

Buddy "The Cake Boss" Valastro Culinary Demonstration

Buddy Valastro and Robert Irvine

Buddy Valastro who Food Network fans know as the "Cake Boss" from Carlos Bakery provided guests with some great cake decorating tips.

"Cake Boss"
Buddy Valastro

Tips: When working with royal icing, be sure to keep it smooth and cover it with a wet kitchen whether you are using homemade or store-bought icing to keep it from drying it. Invest in a turntable so you can pipe your border with one hand and turning the table with the other so you can rotate your cake while decorating it.

Cake decorating tips and techniques

Buddy likes to use royal icing over fondant when he decorates cakes as you can easily wipe off the royal icing if you need to make a change. Before you start piping your design onto the cake, mark your cake into quarters by placing (4) small dots of royal icing on the top of the cake. This will allow you to evenly space your swags or other patterns between the marks. Use a steady pressure and squeeze to control the pressure when using a pastry bag.

"Cake Boss" with bag in hand

What motivates him? His dad was his hero, his idol, a baker, and he wanted to be like his dad. Although we went to the bakery with his dad, his dad never told him he had to be a baker, but he wanted to be a baker. His favorite cake? Vanilla cake with French cream, fresh raspberries, and chocolate ganache. Follow Buddy Valastro on Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlosbakery

Food Tasting

So many wonderful foods to try, so few hours in which to experience them. Here is a small sampling of what we experienced.

Ireland brought the "gold" with them, Kerrygold that is, and we sampled our way through their very tasty assortment of cheeses including their Dubliner, Reserve Cheddar, Skellig, and Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey that was absolutely delicious, and our hands-down favorite.

Chef Denevin Miranda

Chef Denevin Miranda of Harriet’s Lounge & Rooftop (1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY) offered guests King Crab Tamaki with Brown Butter, and Garlic Chili Crisp, which was excellent. Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/harrietsbk

Chef Ofir Horesh of Lamalo (11 East 31street, New York City) offered guests a delicious taste of "Modern Middle Eastern" cuisine with Warm Hummus Msabbaha, Small Pita Bread with Warm Msabbaha (a variation of hummus). Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lamalonyc/

Edward F. Nesta and Chef Matthew Woolf

Chef Matthew Woolf of The Rainbow Room (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65^th Floor, NYC) tempted guests’ sweet tooths with Butterscotch Panna Cotta served with Honeycomb, Caramel, and Pear Sorbet, which was comfort food with a delightful twist. Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rainbowroomnyc

Spirits Tasting

We took our palates on a whirlwind trip around the world with a wonderful selection of international spirits, all without the need for a passport or an airline ticket.

Cocktail Time -Let the party begin!

From Japan – Sake

We tasted Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Sake, 14% abv, made in Japan from organic rice, Rice Koji. They have been making sake since 1743, and it was delicious.

From Haiti and France

Crillon Importers, Ltd products

Jean-Baptiste Robert, CEO of Crillon Importers, Ltd. brought a lovely selection of products and introduced guests to Cane juice based rhumfrom Haiti made from crushed sugar cane juice, with their various tastings from Rhum Barbancourt. Tastings included Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star aged 4 years (43% abv/80 proof), Rhum Barbancourt 5 Star aged 8 years (43% abv/80 proof), and their very special Rhum Barbancourt 15 years Estate Reserve (43% abv/80 proof), 2021 Gold Medal – 93 Points from the Beverage Testing Institute, and 94 Points from Wine Enthusiast in 2020).

He also introduced guests to Magellan Gin from France, (41.3% abv/82.6 proof), made in small batches with 100% Capet wheat grain and 11 different botanicals and has a pretty ocean blue color derived from iris root and iris flower.

Jean-Baptiste also brought very special bottles of absinthe made in the South of France: Grande Absente (69% abv/138 proof), Absente Absinthe Refined (55% abv/110 proof), and Absente Ordinaire Liqueur (46% abv/92 proof).

From the Philippines

Don Papa Rum from the Philippines offered tastings of the rum made in small batches and aged up to 7 years in ex-American oak bourbon barrels. Made with molasses, it was interesting for guests to compare the different styles of rum (made from molasses) vs Cane juice based rhum (made from crushed sugar cane juice).

From Mexico

Mezcals and Tequilas: Mexico was well represented with Mezcal as well as Tequila offerings. Interesting to note is that Mezcal is the "senior agave" meaning that the spirit is older than tequila.

Ensamble Mezcal

Mezcals: El Silencio offered two versions of their mezcal: Ensamble, a super-premium mezcal offered in a clear bottle with a white label, made from 7-15 year agave species, (40% abv/80 proof) $84, 750-ml bottle) and Espadín, offered in a black bottle with black and silver label, made from 7-9 year old agave species, 4(3% abv/86 proof).

818 Tequila Tasting

Tequilas: We tasted the very new to market 818 Tequila owned by Kendall Jenner that launched in 2021, as well as a selection of Tequila El Tequileño, made for the past 60 years in Tequila, Mexico.

Recipes – Bringing A Taste Home

Qatar – USA 2021, "Qatar Year of Culture – USA" provided guests with delicious samples as well as recipes. Included below are two of the recipes for Agili Cake, which has saffron and rose water in it, and pairs well with Karak Chai.

Directions: Place a wire rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease molds with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. In a small cup, combine the rose water with saffron for a few minutes, then add to the sweetened condensed milk. Set aside.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt onto parchment paper. Set aside.

Fit the kitchen mixer with the whisk attachment then beat the eggs and vanilla in the mixing bowl on medium speed for 10 minutes until the mixture is well combined and pale.

Add the oil and sweetened condensed milk (save the rest for garnishing) and mix using a spatula. Add the dry ingredients along with the cardamom and gently mix from bottom to top until the flour dissolves. Pour the batter in the molds.

Bake the cake until golden then remove from molds and place on cooling rack.

Karak Chai

Karak Chai Ingredients:

Directions: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot or tea kettle. Add tea bags, cardamom, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract and return to a boil. Stir in evaporated milk and return to a boil again, watching carefully to ensure the tea doesn’t boil over. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, creamy, and caramel in color, about 30 minutes, (The longer the tea simmers the stronger and creamier it will be.) Strain tea through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs: discard spices and tea bags.

Follow Qatar Year of Culture – USA on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yearsofculture

About The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (NYCWFF)

"The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (NYCWFF) is a star-studded four-day event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned chefs, wine and spirit producers, culinary personalities, lifestyle experts and America’s most beloved television chefs while raising critical funds to nourish vulnerable New Yorkers affected by severe illness and food poverty through God’s Love We Deliver and Food Bank For New York City.

Widely recognized as the largest wine and food festival in NYC with more than 80 events, NYCWFF is best known for its walk-around tastings in celebration of America’s favorite foods, intimate dinners with world-renowned chefs, late night parties, hands-on classes, wine tastings and more. Over 50,000 passionate foodies sip and savor wine, spirits and world-class cuisine served up by the industry’s finest and supported by our exclusive wine and spirits provider, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

See You at NYCWFF 2022!

We’re honored to welcome New York’s leading provider of life-sustaining meals and nutrition counseling; God’s Love We Deliver to the NYCWFF family. Together with Food Bank For New York City, the city’s largest hunger-relief organization and our long-term beneficiary, the 14th annual Festival will not only provide a premier epicurean experience but will support New Yorkers in their greatest time of need by raising awareness and critical funds to those facing severe illness and food poverty."

Until next time, cheers, and Bon Appetit!

For information on upcoming NYCWFF events, please visit their website: https://nycwff.org or email them at: info@nycwff.org

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