Kids Food Festival In Bryant Park

Need plans this weekend? Bring the family over to Bryant Park for a free
festival that will revolutionize the way you view food. This first ever Kids
Food Festival (January 21-22, 10am-6pm) is just what the doctor ordered
when it comes to turning your kids into happy and healthy eaters. —

Growing gourmands will get to dart from stand to stand for
the Balanced Plate Scavenger Hunt (based on USDA guidelines!). Kids will get to
see, feel and sample foods in every group before returning with a goody bag
filled with healthful booty. There are also hands-on cooking demos to turn your
picky eaters into future Food Network stars plus family performances by favorites
like Joanie Leeds and Super Sprowtz. Also, be sure to head over to Citi Pond
for some free figure-eights.

But the Kids Food Festival is way more than just a yummy
time—it’s fundamentally grounded in helping to stomp out childhood obesity and
hunger through the education and promotion of sensible food choices. In fact, a
percentage of the festival’s proceeds will go straight to the Share Our
Strength campaign—a nonprofit organization working tirelessly to end childhood
hunger in America. 

THE EVENT ROSTER: A
SNEAK PEEK
Note: These are ticketed events. At
the James Beard Foodie Pavillion, Children are $25/each, 2 free adults. At the Kids
Performance Area, Adults are $25/each, 2 free children.

Saturday, January 21
10am: Kristin O’Connor’s workshop on
Allergy-Free Cooking (James Beard)
1pm: David Burke gets his f-u-n on
with crepes (James Beard)
3pm: Tristin and Tyler teach how to
make great snack time choices with Cricket Azima (James Beard)

Sunday, January 22
10am : Bilingual Birdies delights
with English and Spanish tunes (Kids Performance)
12pm: Joanie Leeds performs (Kids
Performance)
1pm: Ellie Krieger reinvents the
meaning of breakfast with Mango-Stuffed Challah French Toast (James Beard)

For a full list of the
weekend’s events, click here.

Want to get a culinary jumpstart on the weekend? Crank up some tunes and whip
up this fun and fruity salsa with the kids.

Fresh, Flavorful and
Fun Salsa
By Cricket Azima

INGREDIENTS

4 tomatoes
1 cup strawberries
1 mango
2 kiwi
1 seedless cucumber
2 different colored bell peppers
1 15.5-ounce can of cannellini beans
1 8-ounce can corn
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes
olive oil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
chips (baked chips for a healthier option)

INSTRUCTIONS
1- Dice
tomatoes, strawberries, mango, kiwi, cucumber and peppers and place in a medium
mixing bowl.
2- Add
beans and corn to the bowl and stir together.
3- Tear
or chop cilantro leaves and add to the bowl.
4- Dress
salsa with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and eat
with chips!