Every year all of us insanely hard working foodies/chefs/food industry professionals and fans gather together for the New York City Wine and Food Festival. In collaboration with Food & Wine Magazine & Food Network, we put our efforts together to celebrate, great food, bev, desserts all for one common goal: To fight hunger.
This year I was honoured to work BTS “Behind the Scenes” with GODIVA at #NYCFWF 2013. We celebrated food, drink and chocolate with some of NYC’s very best Chefs. Delicious Godiva chocolate truffle recipes were developed by each celebrity chef, all with fighting hunger as the cornerstone to our efforts. What a beautiful collaboration of hearts and talents.
Check out some of our BTS images and a sneak peep into one of my favorite pastry chefs kitchens: Chef Stephen Collucci of Colicchio & Sons. 
Such Talent, that Collucci. Well, you have to be, if you’re Tom Colicchio’s Exec Pastry Chef. Love these guys and their passion for the gold standard.
Chef Collucci was inspired by Godiva’s Truffle Flight Collection, this guy is no joke. Go visit him in house soon…
Followed by a visit to young up-and-coming Chef Matthew O’Haver, Executive Chef of ilili, NYC. Loved his Chili & Cardamom infused hot chocolate.
At the grand event for #NYWFF Godiva Truffle Showdown, we ran into my old Top Chef Alumni & friend Illan Hall (Winner of Top Chef Season 2), who had a bit to say about life in NYC vs LA. He’s also a CA —->NYC transplant like myself. Stay tuned for more. The Gorbals, might just be opening in NYC soon.
We also caught up with the incredibly talented Pastry Chef Elizabeth Falkner. She’s now cooking up a storm in the City, the “Chef-Crush” to so many is now cooking both culinary and pastry now. Such a talented and humble gem, she is.
Godiva’s Truffle Takeoff Host Chef of the Hour, Chef Duff Goldman, oh yes, the Ace of Cakes Himself. Duff gave us some inspiring insight on what makes a successful entrepreneur in this highly-competative field. Stay tuned for more on that @ Men’s Fitness!
And the winner of NYCWFF’s Godiva Truffle Showdown was NYC’s historic establishment Le Cirque’s Executive Pastry Chef Laszlo Bollok.
Congrats Lazlo on your win and for all the incredible time, energy and talent put towards such a great cause. For more on the cause and our beloved NYC Food Bank, please click here: http://www.foodbanknyc.org/
With love and delicious chocolate, xo Candice