The Best New Chefs Dinner is a highlight at the annual Aspen Food & Wine Classic, but for the festival's 30th anniversary celebration, Food & Wine switched things up, showcasing this year's award winners at a Grand Tasting booth throughout the weekend. Take a look at what they offered — and what we devoured.
Photo: Donna Lee
There was plenty to eat at this year's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, but the experience was hardly just about the food. There were so many people to befriend, so much nature to admire, and, of course, so many parties to attend. For proof that we truly had the time of our lives, take a look at some of our favorite moments.
We were on location at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and while we were thrilled to attend celebrity chef cooking demos, wine seminars, and parties, let's be real for a second: our favorite part of the whole thing is the eating and drinking! So far, we've tasted everything under the sun, from rabbit crepe tacos to lamb bacon gnocchi. See what we're eating when you keep clicking.
This weekend, we're headed to Aspen, CO, to meet up with the industry's biggest names at the annual Food & Wine Classic. While we were there last year, Michael Chiarello shared his cooking don'ts, Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson shared her take on women in the wine profession, Ming Tsai revealed what's new on his PBS series, Simply Ming, and we learned which cocktail trends to embrace (and which to avoid).
Once again, we'll be sharing the most memorable epicurean experiences with you, so be on the lookout for our coverage of this amazing culinary event. For real-time updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram (under the username "heyyumsugar"). And, if you're in town, look out for us; we hope to see you under the tents! Get excited for the return of our coverage by checking out some of our favorite Aspen highlights from years past.
 Bobby's Burger Suggestions |
 Boiling the Perfect Egg With Jacques |
 Ming Makes Tempura and Jokes |
 Reviving Tiki Classics |
 Tastes From the Tents |
 Steve Raichlen's BBQ Tips |
It's that time of year again: for the fifth year in a row, we're headed back to the green peaks of Aspen, CO, for the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Although there are certain celebrity chefs who are mainstays at the event, each year sees a different lineup of food and beverage personalities, many of whom are leading their own seminars on subjects ranging from grilling at home to Burgundy's best white wines. This year — the event's 30th anniversary! — the roster looks more exciting than ever. Here are five stars we can't wait to see in person.
Photo courtesy of Food & Wine
One of the most coveted awards in the food industry is the title of Best New Chef, an honor bestowed upon 10 young chefs each year by Food & Wine magazine. Now, the editors of the magazine are taking the accolade — along with sophisticated dining — to the next level, with a new dining adventure called Chefs Club. The concept? Build a restaurant inside a well-respected hotel (in this case, the St. Regis Aspen Resort) and feature a menu with a rotating guest list of current and former Best New Chef winners. Behold: a new way to afford diners a chance to eat the food of Best New Chefs from around the country.
The menu will change according to season, with Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter menus, each featuring dishes from four chefs. Since Chefs Club's been in the works for over a year, the inaugural menu won't include the Best New Chef class of 2012 just yet. "We didn't know who they were until a month ago, but it's possible we'll use one or two of them for the second season," said Christina Grdovic, Food & Wine's publisher.
Food won't be the only item to write home about. "We'll have 10 cocktails from 10 different bars, based off of Food & Wine Cocktails," Grdovic added. In addition to this program, curated by deputy editor of Food & Wine Cocktails Jim Meehan, there'll be a wine list, too. The list, developed by executive wine editor Ray Isle, will include specific wine pairings for each of the Best New Chef dishes.
In an era of food truck meetups and Fashion Week pop-up shops, Chefs Club could be the next frontier in dining. "People want to be able to go out and have a high-end, innovative experience, but also a quick, affordable meal. Chefs Club is going to do both of those things," Grdovic said. "It'll be the kind of restaurant where you want to go back over and over again. That's what people want."
Source: Thinkstock, Food & Wine
Gail Simmons has a pretty full plate right now: in addition to being in charge of special projects at Food & Wine magazine, she's also got some pretty steady gigs as a judge on Top Chef and the host of Top Chef: Just Desserts. But on top of that, her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full, was just released yesterday.
Over the phone, we caught up with Gail, who despite being at the top of her game, offered plenty of her time to share candid thoughts on everything from the health hazards of celebrity chefdom to her plans 15 years from now.
Find out her thoughts on current food issues, her plans for now (and later), and the one question she'd be happy to never hear again, when you keep reading.
It goes without saying that summertime is salad time, but when the mercury rises, I actually prefer to sip my salad. After all, what could be more refreshing than a bracing shooter of chilled gazpacho?
At this year's Aspen Food & Wine Classic, José Andrés demonstrated how to make his wife's gazpacho. "This is the best salad in the history of mankind. When you drink everything, life is so much better!" José exclaimed to the audience. He proceeded to serve the soup with a shot of gin for a Spanish Bloody Mary of sorts.
Don't omit the Oloroso sherry and sherry vinegar from this authentic Andalucían recipe; it adds a long, lingering finish to every spoonful. For the recipe, keep reading.
For the past 18 or so years, Kate Krader has been the restaurant editor at Food & Wine magazine. If there is anyone who knows about dining trends, it's Kate! After she candidly described a day in her glamorous life, she spoke with us about cocktails, menus, and more. Here's how the conversation went down:
YumSugar: You recently came out with Food & Wine Cocktails 2011. What's your favorite drink in the book?
Kate Krader: There's a bunch of awesome cocktails. Phil Ward's old-fashioned with tequila. The new drinks that are made by chefs are cool. More chefs are getting involved in cocktail programs! Linton Hopkins's sidecar is really good. Wylie Dufresne's sake drink is the best one I've ever tasted.
When a slightly hungover Ming Tsai fixed himself a melon mojito at his cooking seminar in Aspen, Chef Ming also revealed a tip that he'd discovered that weekend.
"One trick I learned from [Chef] Jasper White's prep cook is to use tongs to juice lemons and limes," he revealed, placing half a lemon close to the fulcrum of his stainless steel tongs. He used the tongs to get a better and more powerful grip on the citrus before squeezing.
This tip is a great way to juice without a citrus juicer or reamer, and makes even more use out of those multipurpose kitchen tongs. What's your foolproof method of getting the most juice from citrus?
