On Friday morning of my long weekend in New York City the sky was bright blue and cloud free.

It felt more like a warm end of summer day than an early October morning, with temps reaching the mid seventies in the city…

I wandered a few blocks from my hotel, just past the Chelsea Market, to the Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival Welcome Center where I joined the Cranberry Marketing Committee team for their ”Harvest to Plate” Press Event...

Ashley Chard and Toby Stapleton from the Cranberry Marketing Committee (on the left of the picture) teamed up with some heavy hitters to showcase new and exciting ways to enjoy cranberries.

The stars of this event are the Executive Chef of The Shop Andaz 5th Avenue, Roberto Alicia (middle right in the picture), and Clark Wolf (far right in the picture) the Founder & President of Clark Wolf Company.

I quickly discovered the versatility of cranberries when Jeremy Ossland from The Bar Andaz 5th Avenue shook things up by serving a delicious fizzy Cranberry Relish Cocktail…

This side dish turned adult beverage is made with; Buffalo Trace Whiskey, signature fresh cranberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, Punt e Mes, Angostura bitters, and finished with sparkling white wine then garnished with an orange peel…

Clark Wolf is a very animated and dynamic speaker. He captured my attention while he enthusiastically preached about the many health benefits of cranberries and ways that they can incorporated in everyday cuisine…

While Clark praised the tart red North American berry, Executive Chef Roberto Alicia prepared some crantastic snacks for the hungry crowd…

First I sampled tasty tangy Chicken Rilettes on Toasted Bread with pickled Cranberries…

Next I enjoyed some juicy tender Pork Roulade with Greens and Pickled Cranberries…

There are many more creative recipes with cranberries on USCranberries.com.

I also had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the Senior Editor from Parade Magazine Fran Carpentier.  She asked me to snap this picture of her with Clark Wolf…

What a crantastic morning!

Thank you to the kind folks at the Cranberry Marketing Committee for inviting me to the press event, it was an eye opening learning exprience for me.

No longer will I just pour a can of cranberries into a bowl for Thanksgiving dinner,  I now know that cranberries can be enjoyed in many recipes and with any meal 0f the day.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I hope you have a crantastic day!

Brad

Other Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival Articles…

• OMG! I’m on a Food Network Commercial and more Celeb Pics from the NYC Wine & Food Festival
• Confessions of a Baconaholic: Is Chuck Hughes a Baconaholic on His Day Off?
• Drenched in White Truffles to Kick Off the Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival
• Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming About the Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival
• :> Smiling All the Way to the 2010 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival <: