NYC’s Top 3 Food & Bev Events in April

Bacon & Beer Classic

Bacon plus beer equals a little slice of foodie heaven. Indulge to your heart’s delight at the upcoming Bacon & Beer Classic. The unique festival will feature 50+ bacon infused dishes from the best local chefs/restaurants, 100+ craft beer and cider samples, grown-up games (think giant jenga), bacon eating contests, and more.

• When: April 22-23
• Where: Citi Field
• Price: $69 - $139

Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend at NYBG

What could be more relaxing than sipping palate-pleasing wines surrounded by the beauty of nature in bloom? The New York Botanical Garden is hosting a Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend to celebrate the result of 150,000 daffodil bulbs planted last November. The weekend will include talks from the region’s top sommeliers and vintners, wine tastings and demonstrations, live music, and guided tours of Daffodil Hill.

• When:  April 23-24
• Where: New York Botanical Garden
• Price: $25 adult (Free for members)

4th Annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo

Heat up Springtime with the 4th Annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo in Brooklyn. Featuring over 50 artisanal hot sauce makers from around the world, this year’s event is sure to impress. Events throughout the weekend include a guacamole eating contest, margarita mix-down, pizza eating contest, and the West Coast vs East Coast Bloody Mary Mix-Down National Championship.

• When: April 23-24
• Where: Brooklyn EXPO Center
• Price: $10 advance purchase

Spotlight On: Lauren Ames, Account Coordinator

My recent transition into the world of PR and marketing has been exciting, challenging, and inspiring.

From day one at Nonni Strategic Marketing I was given responsibilities that reflected Erica’s trust in me. Erica, Managing Director, is consistently supportive and loves listening to classical music as much as I do. Gabriella, Account Coordinator, is never impatient when walking me through a new program and always lets me bring her to falafel places for lunch. Lauren, Digital Media Strategist, makes herself available at any time to give me advice on technology and meditation techniques. After two weeks with NSM I had arguably absorbed more useful information than in my last three months of college.

Now, my days are full of a variety of tasks: pitching to journalists of well-known publications, media monitoring, developing social media posts and posting schedules for various clients, attending wine tastings, learning about the food and beverage trade, crafting newsletters, and of course, writing blog posts.

I’ve never felt so empowered as a new employee and am eager to see where this opportunity will take me in the future!

Actual snap from my first week at NSM

St. Patrick's Day Event with New York Women's Culinary Alliance

We enjoyed a wonderful St. Patrick's Day event with Flahavan's and the New York Women's Culinary Alliance (NYWCA) at the Good Housekeeping Institute in the Hearst Tower. Participants enjoyed a taste of the best foods Ireland has to offer. John Flahavan of Flahavan's Irish Oats explained what makes Irish oats unique and the Flahavan's team served up oat sushi and other creative dishes that go way beyond the traditional bowl of porridge. 

The Flahavan's team with Good Housekeeping Editor, Susan Westmoreland (far right)

John Flahavan presenting to the New York Women's Culinary Alliance

Spotlight On: Flahavan's Oatsotto Recipe

Winter Storm Jonas hit us hard this past weekend leaving us with major cravings for warm, comfort food and a good movie lineup on Netflix. Thanks to Flahavan's Oats, we were able to whip up a creamy, hearty dinner in no time with the Oatsotto recipe featured below. 

Oatsotto

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash – peeled and diced, discard the seeds
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 oz butter
• 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
• 1 large onion – chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
• 10 oz Flahavan’s Steel Cut oatmeal
• 4 oz white wine
• 4 chicken breasts, diced
• 5 cups hot chicken stock
• 2 oz grated or crumbled Parmesan cheese
• Arugula leaves to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
2. Place butternut squash in a roasting dish, drizzle with oil, season well and roast for 10 - 15 min until soft.
3. Heat the butter in a saucepan and sauté the garlic and onions on a gentle heat until soft.
4. Add the steel cut oats and fry for 5 minutes, stirring well.
5. Add the white wine and allow the oatmeal to absorb the liquid.
6. Add the diced chicken with 2 cups of the hot stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the rest of the hot stock approx. 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed. This can take 15 minutes.
8. Cook gently, stirring all the time until sauce has thickened and the steel cut oatmeal has softened.
9. Stir in the Parmesan and roasted butternut squash and season to taste.
10. Stir in the arugula before serving.

Try using Flahavan’s Steel Cut Oatmeal instead of rice in your own favorite risotto recipe