
While Yum was into
Tyler Florence's kitchen essentials, I was more interested in the cocktail — or should I say mocktail, it was nonalcoholic he was pouring. The refreshing beverage was a mixture of cranberry juice, ice, and sparkling apple cider. This cool and delicious concoction is perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

Yesterday, I dropped by a
Macy's Culinary Council event to see
Food Network star
Tyler Florence. He was kicking off the tour for his two latest books,
Stirring the Pot and
Dinner at My Place. He talked to a packed audience about his recent move to California, his upcoming plans in the television, wine, and restaurant industries.

At
Tyler Florence's demonstration at the
NYC Wine and Food Festival, Florence taught the crowd how to make the ultimate birthday dinner. It was the exact dinner he made for his wife on her birthday! The boyishly handsome chef has had a busy year.

Along with some of New York's top chefs, the stars of Food Network were busy partying hard this weekend at the
Food Network's NYC Wine and Food Festival. The Macy's Culinary Council party on Saturday night (which I attended — more details to come!) drew the largest crowd of celebrity chefs.
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Gail Simmons mingled with friends, while
Bobby Flay danced with fans.

All weekend we've been attending the
Food Network's Wine and Food Festival in New York City.
We learned some interesting food facts at the demonstrations and tastings. To find out what the celebrity chefs taught us, test your common culinary knowledge by taking our quiz!

If you're in the mood for a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, but want something other than a traditional tomato sauce, I highly recommend this creamy
pesto dish! A tasty blend of bread and seasoning, the meatballs that dot the pasta are scrumptious with the perfect texture.Both the pesto and meatballs are simple to make, but do require time. The best thing about this recipe is it makes a lot, so save some for a later date.

In case its around-the-clock food shows aren't enough for you,
Food Network has announced it will test-launch a new cooking magazine.
The 160-page debut issue of the aptly titled Food Network Magazine will
hit shelves on Oct. 14 with a rather limited distribution of 300,000 copies.