2009 Aspen

I ate plenty of thick-skinned, giant pomelos in my youth, but it wasn't until Aspen this Summer that I had my first taste of Pomelo wine. Ever since, the refreshing white has been my go-to everyday Sauvignon Blanc.

Produced by California's Mason Cellars, Pomelo is made entirely out of Sauvignon Blanc grapes — but with its effervescent, citrus-peel aromas and pineapple flavors, the wine could've fooled me into thinking it had real fruit.

My favorite part? At $10 a bottle, I never have to think twice about picking up as many bottles as I want at my neighborhood wine store. Have you ever tried Pomelo? What other Sauvignon Blancs do you prize for their extreme value?

At his seminar in Aspen, French cooking authority Jacques Pépin had a lot to say about boiling the world's most perfect eggs. While doing so, he also managed to make six stunning tomato dishes, using a number of in-season varieties, including a stacked Greek tomato salad, tomato-laced spaghetti with anchovies, and a tomato-bread gratin.

I just so happened to return from the neighborhood farmers market bearing a loaf of fresh-baked bread and vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, so I combined those with Parmesan to make Jacques's gratin. The simplistic French country dish highlights the seasonality of sweet cherry tomatoes, so don't skimp on quality ingredients, and be sure to buy local tomatoes. Get your hands on the recipe, which requires only five minutes of prep, after the break.

At his seminar in Aspen, Iron Chef Michael Symon had a lot to share beyond flavor and spice. The pork-loving chef demonstrated how to make a double-bacon "BBLT" sandwich, with bacon, pork belly, lettuce, and pickled tomato, and kept the crowd entertained with his wisecracking (in addition to wanting to kill the inventor of the garlic press, Michael also wants to go after the guy who invented turkey bacon). As he paid homage to the pig with his 'wich, he also had plenty of pointers to offer when it comes to preparing meat. See them after the jump.

Although he'd just given President Obama a lesson on grilling steaks, Bobby Flay was back on the burger track at his seminar in Aspen, where, like fellow Iron Chef Michael Symon, he had plenty of his own venting to do. "I've never met a vegetarian burger that I like," he declared, as he wowed the crowd with a Cheyenne burger (barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, and onion rings), garlic-parsley bistro fries, and a chocolate milkshake. "And I can't stand a cheeseburger that's not fully melted." To right all the world's burger wrongs, Bobby offered plenty of pointers for plating the perfect burger patty. Be burger-equipped for the holiday weekend when you read more

When the Summer's in full swing, I pretty much live on tomatoes. I eat them out of hand and in salads, drink them in gazpacho — and now, thanks to Michael Chiarello, I can swim in them! In addition to making fresh mozzarella on the spot and singing the virtues of sustainable agriculture, chef Chiarello also introduced the audience to a savory martini made from tomato water, a clear liquid with a delicate, acidic flavor that's produced when tomatoes are strained of their juices. When paired with bocconcini and a chiffonade of basil, this genius non-alcoholic martini resembles a caprese salad in a glass.

The best part: make use of beloved tomatoes by reserving their remains for another recipe (pico de gallo, anyone?). Make this distinctive drink when you read more

When public television chef Ming Tsai spoke at last year's Classic, I learned that he was wildly hilarious. Thus, at this year's festival, I couldn't wait to catch some more laughs. Ming shared tips for East-West cuisine while making blue cheese burgers and bacon potstickers, a ginger margarita, and a tempura shrimp cocktail. In addition to offering up lots of advice to home cooks, the Blue Ginger chef and owner also shared his thoughts on everything from eating at Alinea ("I thought it'd be gimmicky, but it was unbelievably sexy, delicious food") to his approach to dining out ("When I walk into a restaurant, I only want to see locals"). Get more of his cooking tips after the break

The final event at the Food & Wine Classic features the current winner of Top Chef on Sunday morning. Normally it's a cook-off between the cheftestant and an acclaimed chef like Jacques Pepin. However, this year they decided to do something different and pit two Top Chefs, Stephanie Izard and Hosea Rosenberg, against each other. The chefs were given 25 minutes to create a gourmet breakfast for Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Dana Cowin, and a lucky audience-member who bid $15,000 to act as a guest judge. Want to know what went down at the quickfire? Keep reading