The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival Presented By Capital One Launches 'NYCWFF At Home' Benefiting Restaurant Relief

NEW YORK, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (NYCWFF) announced today it has launched NYCWFF at Home presented by Bank of America, an ongoing, virtual, live cooking and educational series that will bring consumers into the kitchens and living rooms of their favorite chefs, cooks, mixologists and food personalities. Each digital event will be powered by Zoom and co-hosted by Andrew Kaplan, a close friend of the Festival and host of the popular podcasts "Beyond the Plate," and "CookTracks." The series launches on May 4 and will air three times per week.

The initial NYCWFF At Home presented by Bank of America lineup includes personalities such as:

• Mexican Fiesta with David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris (May 4);
• Home Cooking with Alex and Ava Guaurnaschelli (May 6);
• Classic Carbona with Chef and Healthy Lifestyle Crusader, Rocco DiSpirito (May 20)
• Cookbook author and TV personality, Gail Simmons (May 27);
• Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman of The Meatball Shop (Details and Date to Come);
• Rachael Ray (Details and Date to Come);
• Katie Lee (Details and Date to Come);
• Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto (Details and Date to Come);
• Amirah Kassem of Flour Shop (Details and Date to Come);
• Josh and Amanda Capon, Lure Fishbar (Details and Date to Come);
• The Zakarian Family (Details and Date to Come) and
• Chloe Coscarelli, Vegan Chef (Details and Date to Come)

Hosts will broadcast live from their homes and connect with participants during interactive cooking demonstrations and question and answer sessions. Hosts will also be giving away one complimentary annual subscription to the Food Network Kitchen app during each class. Proceeds from these ticketed online events, which sell for $20 per person, will support the newly established NYCWFF Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, a campaign to support the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (NRAEF) Restaurant Employee Relief Fund to help restaurant workers hit hard financially by the COVID-19 crisis.  NYCWFF is partnering with the NRAEF to raise funds specifically for restaurant workers throughout the state of New York.

"Bringing our Festival into the homes of our fans is the natural progression of our commitment to create entertaining culinary experiences while supporting a great cause," said Lee Brian Schrager, Founder and Director, NYCWFF. "This new virtual platform helps us keep NYCWFF top of mind at a time of great uncertainty and provides a way to give back to the incredible New York restaurant community that has been there for us during the past twelve years, supporting our Festival and also our beneficiaries No Kid Hungry® and Food Bank For New York City."

Specific dates for the series, along with additional guest hosts, will be announced on NYCWFF.org/atHome. The NYCWFF Restaurant Employee Relief Fund complements the efforts of its sister festival, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One, which launched the SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Relief Fund in March. The SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Relief Fund has raised $1.5 million to date and has already issued more than 400 grants to restaurants in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, Florida counties.

To make a tax-deductible donation directly to the NYCWFF Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, please visit NYCWFF.ORG/Relief.

About the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One
The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One is hosted by and benefits the No Kid Hungry^® campaign and Food Bank For New York City, with 100% of the Festival's net proceeds helping fight hunger. The Festival has raised more than $12 million to date for these hunger-relief organizations.  Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival.  In September 2018, BizBash named the Festival the #3 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the sixth year in a row.  More information on the Festival can be found at nycwff.org.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF):
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include:

• ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program
• Restaurant Ready – partnering with community-based organizations to provide opportunity youth and justice-involved individuals with skills training and job opportunities
• Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers
• Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees
• Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry
• For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

SOURCE Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival