Event Will Feature Healthy Cooking Demonstrations and Other Activities Promoting Health and Wellness
The Department of Education today announced that it will host “Taste of the Big Apple,” a fall celebration designed to promote healthy eating and to celebrate the diverse flavors of New York City. The event is open to all New York City public school families and will take place at the High School for Food and Finance. Students from that school and chefs from the Office of School Food will present cooking demonstrations featuring a variety of nutritious and appealing recipes. Guests will be able to sample dishes and enjoy an apple tasting. Participants also will receive coupons to obtain free, fresh produce from a green market, which will be set up at the school during the event. Milagros Batista, a chef and the Co-Director of Alianza Dominicana, will lead a workshop about Latino culinary traditions and healthy eating habits.
“This event is a wonderful opportunity for public school students and family members to come together to celebrate food and cooking, an important tradition in so many families,” Chief Family Engagement Officer Martine Guerrier said. “It’s also a great opportunity to learn about healthy cooking and eating habits by discovering new recipes that incorporate fresh, seasonal produce.”
In addition to the culinary activities, students and their families attending “Taste of the Big Apple” can take part in a Hip-Hop warm-up program and participate in a free raffle for prizes, including passes to the American Museum of Natural History and an Apple computer. The Department of Education’s Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy is hosting the event in partnership with the Office of School Food, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the New York Apple Association, Red Jacket Orchards, the Greenmarket Program of the Council on the Environment of New York City, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York Roadrunners Foundation, the American Museum of Natural History, and Per Scholas.
“Taste of the Big Apple” will take place from 5:00 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at Food and Finance High School, located at 525 West 50th Street in Manhattan. Spanish-language interpreters will be in attendance, and interpreters for speakers of Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian and Urdu are available upon request by contacting the Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy in advance of the event.
More information about “Taste of the Big Apple” can be found at http://nyc.gov/schools/Offices/OFEA/tasteofthebigapple or by contacting the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy at (212) 374-7625 or ofea@schools.nyc.gov.