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Transform your Tree at MulchFest 2010

Though it's questionable why you needed to chop down  a tree in the first place to celebrate a religious holiday through what is really a pagan ritual, you can help the environment and community by recycling your Christmas tree by attmulchfest logoending MulchFest, the 2010 edition.

So when you consider the holiday season is over,be redeemed and see your former friendly conifer reduced to wood chips and sawdust to be used for tree pits and gardens. The New York City Parks and Recreation Department hold this celebration of ecological awareness for two days - January 9 and 10, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at several sites around the five boroughs.

For your tree to qualify for this honor, remove all lights, ornaments, and decorations from it prior to drop-off.

Said Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, "Providing collection and recycling options for residents is environmentally valuable and benefits our neighborhoods. Working in conjunction with the city's Parks and Recreation Department allows residents to take part in the recycling process and permits them to even reuse their composted Christmas trees to fertilize for the spring. Compost is a natural fertilizer and is an excellent soil enrichment that promotes the healthy growth of plants and grass."

But given the likely frigid conditions, you may not want to hightail it anywhere depending on where the tree is lodged so there are other options. The Sanitation Department will collect clean, non-bagged Christmas trees that are left at the curb between Monday, January 4 and Friday, January 15, 2010. Again, remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments and stands before setting trees at the curb. If you placed the dried tree in a bag to prevent needles from getting all over--take it out of the bag when leaving it outside.

Those trees will be chipped and made into compost as well. The compost will be processed and subsequently spread upon parks, ball fields, and community gardens throughout the city.

You'll be able to take wood chips and/or mulch from designated chipping sites. Mulch will not be available at "Drop-off Only" sites. Sring a bag so you can grab some free mulch for your own use.

For more information and site locations see MulchFest 2010: http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/mulchfest/mulchfest.html

MulchFest 2010
Jan. 9 -10, 2010 from 10 am - 2 pm
Various Locations throughout NYC

Metropolitan Cooking And Entertaining Show 2009

DC's hottest chefs showcase their expert culinary skills on the cooking stage at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show. On November 7th and 8th, 2009, it will return to the Washington Convention Center to dish up mouthwatering cuisine and offer fresh cooking techniques at the 4th annual two-day food expo. Giada De Laurentiis

Both DC-based chefs and Food Network stars will be hosting cooking demos throughout the show which takes place from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday, November 7th and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 8th. 

In addition to appearances by Food Network stars Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Guy Fieri, Tyler Florence and the Neelys, the show will offer cooking demonstrations by award-winning local and national chefs, intensive wine seminars, food and wine pairings, cocktail seminars, product sampling and sales from 300+ exhibitors, the Northeast Beef Board Tastings and Entertaining workshops, the Domino Sugar Just for Kids cooking area, and a beer, wine and spirits tasting pavilion.

General admission includes demonstrations and entertaining presentations on the exhibit floor. Additional tickets are required for the feature presentations in the Celebrity Theater, Food & Wine Pairings, Wine Seminars, the Domino® Sugar Just for Kids Interactive Cooking Area, the VIP Celebrity Events, Cocktails with Todd Thrasher, Culinary Innovations with Richard Blais and the Beer, Wine & Spirits Tasting Area.

The award-winning and talented chefs presenting culinary demonstrations at the upcoming event include:

Victor Albisu, chef of BLT Steak
Cathal Armstrong and Todd Thrasher, chef of Restaurant Eve, Eammon's, The Majestic
Richard Blais, chef of TrailBlais (Top Chef Contestant Season 4)
RJ Cooper, chef of Vidalia
Terri Cutrino, chef of Cafe Atlantico
David Deshaies, chef of Michel Richard Citronelle
Daniel Giusti,
chef of 1789 Restaurant
Carla Hall,
chef of Alchemy Caterers (Top Chef Contestant Season 5)
Mike Hanratty,
chef of Mie N Yu
Mike Isabella,
chef of Zaytinya (Top Chef Contestant Season 6)
Jamie Leeds,
chef of Hank's Oyster Bar, CommonWealth
Patrice Olivon, L'Academie de Cuisine
Barton Seaver,
chef of Blue Ridge
Bryan Voltaggio,
chef of VOLT (Top Chef Contestant Season 6)
Thomas Wellings,
pastry chef of Equinox
Robert Wiedmaier,
chef of Brabo, Brasserie Beck, Marcel's

General admission tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on-site.
Children ages 4 - 12 are $10 in advance and $13 on-site.
Children four and under are free.

For more information about the show and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.metrocooking.com

Metropolitan Cooking And Entertaining Show 2009
November 7th and 8th, 2009
Washington Convention Center

2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

Presented by Food & Wine and Travel+Leisure Magazine, The 2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival takes place this Columbus Day weekend. Guests can savor returning Festival favorites including the kick-off event -- Chelsea Market After Dark presented by The Food Network and hosted by Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) and Sandra Lee (Sandra’s Money Saving Meals). There's also the Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Allen Brothers hosted by Rachael Ray held under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO.

• There will be the chic, neighborhood-wide tasting of Meatpacking District Uncorked, RED, hosted by Tom Colicchio with Paul Bartolotta.

• Godiva Chocolatier presents SWEET sponsored by Perrier-Jouët, a celebration of sugary delicacies hosted by Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes).

• The unparalleled tasting of food, wine and spirits will be found in the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite at Pier 54 in Hudson River Park.

A selection of exciting new events that have been added for the 2009 Festival. The fresh program begins on Thursday, October 8th, 2009, with Bacon, Bourbon and the Blues hosted by Thrillist with the following innovative programming continuing throughout the weekend:

Beloved and controversial New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni will hold a culinary discussion to share insights from the field and discuss the highly anticipated release of his book Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater (Penguin, 2009)

An unprecedented dinner series in conjunction with the James Beard House will include:

  • The intersection between food and fashion will be examined at the dinner hosted by fashion designer Zac Posen with Giada De Laurentiis (Giada at Home) and Marcus Samuelsson.
  • 2009 James Beard Award “Best Chef New York City” Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern will host an Oktoberfest Dinner.
  • Alain Ducasse and his chefs will cook dinner in the Beard House kitchen for the first time.
  • A decadent Chocolate Brunch will be held with Jacques Torres & Friends.

TimesTalks presented by New York Times will feature a new line-up of discussions with Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, and Anthony Bourdain

The Festival’s interactive wine and spirits seminars and cocktail clinics will return, taking place at Festival headquarters, The Standard, New York with new headliners like Kevin Zraly, Tony Abou-Ganim, Andrea Robinson, Anthony Giglio and Josh Wesson.

Not-to-be-missed wine seminars at the Astor Center, featuring in-depth discussions with brand aficionados including Boisset, Perrier-Jouët Fleur led by Agnes Laplanche, and Château de Beaucastel led by fifth generation owner and winemaker Marc Perrin  

Delta presents Dim Sum & Disco Brunch hosted by Ming Tsai, featuring talent such as Shang’s Susur Lee and Chinatown Brasserie’s Joe Ng at China Grill.

An all-day affair Flavors of the Farm: A Day with Stone Barns Center and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Hill Country will play host to the queen of Southern cuisine and her friends as Paula Deen hosts Down South Up North with boys Bobby and Jamie Deen; featuring the latest creations from the Lee Bros., along with Art Smith, Chris Lily and Katie Lee Joel.

Closing out the weekend is an unprecedented tribute to Little Italy’s most iconic dish the “meatball”, with Meatball Madness hosted by Giada De Laurentiis at la venue at the Waterfront.

The 2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is produced by Karlitz & Company and Southern Wine & Spirits of New York.

All the proceeds from the Festival will again benefit the community based, hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength.

For 26 years, The Food Bank For New York City is the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. Through its network of more than 1,000 food assistance programs, it provides 300,000 free meals a day to New Yorkers in need. In addition, the Food Bank continues to mobilize its efforts to end hunger and increase access to affordable, nutritious food for low-income New Yorkers through direct services, benefits access, and nutrition education. For additional information, go to foodbanknyc.org.

Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. A net of community groups, activists and food programs  catch children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. It works with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, the nation’s premier culinary benefit; Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale®, a national grassroots effort; Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit®, a touring dinner series; Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out ®, a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline®, a cooking-based nutrition education program. Visit Strength.org.
 
Ticket information and the full line-up of new and returning events can be found by calling 866.696.2933 or at: www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com

2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival
The Standard, New York

First Annual Festival Sud de France

Be transported to Mediterranean France and the Languedoc-Roussillon region when The First Annual Festival Sud de France takes place in New York throughout the month of October.
 
The Festival is a multiplatform program, involving all tiers of the wine & food industries: wine producers, importers, wholesalers, restaurateurs, wine bars, retailers, sommeliers and chefs.

For the entire month of October, New Yorkers will discover the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon through a series of in-store tastings and special Sud de France menus and winemaker dinners at wine stores, brasseries, bistros, and wine bars throughout the City. Producers from Languedoc Roussillon will welcome avid foodies and Sud-ies to explain the methods behind their wines and demystify the Languedoc-Roussillon region, helping to personalize the Sud de France experience.
 
There will be additional events including a weeklong “open house” at the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon (10 East 53rd Street) from October 5 – 9 2009. It will feature nightly classes conducted by Jamal Rayyis amongst others for consumers on topics such as “pairing the wine & cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon,” “Languedoc 101” and a Sparkling Friday seminar on bubblies from Sud de France.

A series of events will take place in September and October in partnership with well-known cultural trendsetters, including Creative Time, the James Beard Foundation, and The French Wine Society.

A rooftop party with Time Out New York and participation in Wine Spectator’s Feast of Famous Faces will touch avid foodies in their elements. The two ambassadors will educate both wine trade professionals and the general public at events, cooking demonstrations and via television and radio.
 
Information on wines served at Festival events will also be made available to help consumers find and remember the tastes they discovered and enjoyed at Sud de France classes and events. A fun contest, publicized through the website, will encourage participants to vie for a trip for two to the “Sud de France” in 2010.

With 30 appellations, 12 vins de pays, and a political-economic climate that is friendly to innovation in all sectors, the Languedoc-Roussillon’s bounty is inviting to consumers who seek value and diversity in their wines. In the June 30th issue of The Wine Advocate, David Schildknecht declared, “the Languedoc has never offered more bargains or more inspiring and talented idealists.”

What a perfect way to celebrate “Food, Wine & Sun” this Indian Summer with the Festival Sud de France. With the current focus and attention on Languedoc-Roussillon the first ever Sud de France Festival is poised to touch a receptive public, ever desiring to learn more about wine through approachable and exciting events and classes.

A web site created for the occasion will publish all details of the Festival in a “blog-style” presentation, including: promotions and participating venues, dates and locations classes and seminars, and information on the wines and cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon, as well as a list of all importers and distributors in the New York metro area.

Go to: www.festival-suddefrance.com/ny

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