SFNYC 2025 Food Almanac: Food as Medicine Panel Discussion

Please join us for our annual Food Almanac with a panel discussion featuring:

• Chef Andrew Bennett, Executive Chef, Lenox Hill Hospital
• Richard LaMarita, Chef Instructor & Ayurvedic Professor, Natural Gourmet Institute
• Amy Benerofe, Founder and President, Our New Way Garden

This will be a hybrid event with the option to join virtually or in person @ Prime Produce!

For those joining in person, delicious food will be provided by Chef Mom of Cafe424 @ Prime Produce, known for her healthier, home-style and vegan Jamaican dishes made from scratch. Through her catering, cooking classes, and cozy, island-inspired space, she brings people together through food, culture, and community.

Your ticket includes a variety of Chef Mom’s dishes, access to the panel discussion, and supports Slow Food NYC’s mission to build a more just and sustainable food system. Space is limited, secure your tickets today!

About our speakers:

Andrew Bennett: Lenox Hill Executive Chef Andy Bennett has over 25 years experience, including foundational years working with renowned chefs Raymond Blanc and Daniel Boulud in both his native England and his adopted home of New York. Andy's signature style of cooking developed while he was the executive chef of the health-focused, Michelin-starred restaurant Rouge Tomate; combing a nutritional and seasonal approach to food with the creativity and techniques of fine dining. This passion for health and nutrition continues outside the kitchen, where Andy enjoys cycling, hiking and gardening."At Lenox Hill Hospital, my team and I use creativity and flavor to elevate the hospital's food and nutritional offerings, making "every moment matter for our patients during their stay"

Richard LaMarita: As a part-time instructor, Richard has taught at the Natural Gourmet Institute since 1994. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, having completed the Culinary Arts and Culinary Management Program, he has worked with numerous chefs in NYC, including Chef Floyd Cardoz at Tabla Restaurant. He has also been a private chef for the past 15 years and a student/practitioner of Ayurveda for 25 years. He has studied with such accomplished masters as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Vaidya B. D. Triguna. He has led seminars on Ayurveda, including Ayurvedic Diet and Nutrition, Cooking, Yoga and Meditation throughout the U.S., and in Europe and Asia. Richard also teaches specialty classes and cooking at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health.

Amy Benerofe: Our New Way Garden Founder, President, and, Farm Manager, Amy has been farming in Westchester since 2008. Amy brings over 30 years teaching experience in urban and suburban settings with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Amy is a graduate of Stanford University and earned an Advanced Certificate in Educational Sustainability from Manhattanville College.

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