First Annual Varli Food Festival - An Indian Culinary & Chef Showcase

As the first-of-its-kind Indian foodie event in New York City, The Varli Food Festival will showcase the culinary creations of 30 finest local restaurants that focus on Indian cuisine. Promoting awareness of Indian cuisine and culture, the inaugural event will feature food and drink tastings and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, as well as a documentary film screening. 10% of the event’s total proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank for New York City; in addition, 100% of silent auction and cookbook proceeds will benefit the Food Bank for New York City as well. ”¢ Guests will be granted the opportunity to sample various dishes from local Indian restaurants; these include: Tamarind, Devi, Pranna, Junoon, Tulsi and Chola, just to name a few. A full open bar and several dessert stations will also complement the tastings. ”¢ World famous chefs will demonstrate their skills in crafting signature dishes, displaying first-hand the unique art of Indian cooking. These chefs include Floyd Cardoz (formerly Executive Chef of Tabla Restaurant and author of One Spice, Two Spice), Vikas Khanna (author, The Spice Story of India, Modern Indian Cooking and Flavors First, as well as Founder of Cooking for Life and SAKIV Organizations), Jehangir Mehta (the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, and The Next Iron Chef, as well as author, Mantra the Rules of Indulgence), Hari Nayak (author, Modern Indian Cooking and Spice, and Co-Founder of Cooking For Life), Hemant Mathur (featured on PBS’ How To Cook Everything: Bittman Takes On America’s Chefs and Food Trip with Todd English, as well as Travel Channel’s ’Epicurious TV), and Maneet Chauhan (Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef). ”¢ Sanjeev Kapoor - celebrity chef, TV show host, author of best-selling cookbooks and winner of numerous culinary awards -will also indulge the guests in an on-stage cooking show. Sanjeev Kapoor was selected by Richard Quest (CNN) as one of the top five Celebrity Chefs in the world along with Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Olivier and Wolfgang Puck. ”¢ During the Festival, film screenings will include True Business and Karma to Nirvana, two films based on the relationship between food and religion, presented by Junoon Hospitality, as well as a unique documentary by VARLI that explores the history, process and people of the Indian culinary industry. ”¢ Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on exciting silent auction items, such as a private restaurant dinner-for-two, a cooking lesson from a renowned Indian chef, and an exclusive wine tasting event. ”¢ Each guest will recieve a Certificate Booklet granting exclusive access into the finest Indian restaurants Ticket price: $100 per person