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Food and Wine Classic
Would You Rather Attend Aspen or South Beach?
I've been lucky enough to attend the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen twice now, but I've never been to the Food Network's annual bash in Miami's South Beach. One's in the mountains, and the other is at the beach: if you could attend only one festival, which would you prefer?
Would You Rather Attend Aspen or South Beach?
Ming Tsai Makes Tempura — and Many a Joke
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.
A Look at the Food & Wine Classic Quickfire
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.
Jacques Pepin on the Perfect Boiled Egg
One of my favorite seminars at this year's Classic was a cooking demo performed by French luminary Jacques Pépin along with his daughter, Claudine. On this sunny Saturday in Aspen, you'd never have guessed that Jacques, who's cooked for Charles de Gaulle and with Julia Child, turns 74 this year: the ebullient chef and his witty daughter exchanged lots of lively banter, and managed to make a whopping six tomato dishes in 45 minutes!
Although I can't wait to make the pair's appetizing tomato dishes, the most useful facts were his tips on boiling eggs, which they used in a harlequin tomato salad.
Giada Loves Cooking With Her Family
Although her demonstration at the Food & Wine Classic was first thing on Saturday morning, Giada de Laurentiis was full of bubbly energy. In front of a huge audience she cooked three dishes — fregola salad with citrus and red onion, prosciutto lamb burgers, and a ricotta cappuccino dessert — while answering questions from the crowd. Now that she's a mother, it's very clear that Giada is all about her family.
The Best Bites at the Food & Wine Classic
Yum wasn't the only one to eat her way through Aspen last weekend, I was right there beside her! While I enjoyed some of her favorite bites, I had an entire selection of my own memorable dishes. Here you'll find the best of the best that the Food & Wine Classic had to offer.
Ray Isle on Rosé
Each month when Food & Wine magazine arrives at my desk, I look forward to reading Ray Isle's latest article. As the deputy wine editor for the glossy, Isle writes interesting wine-related stories, recommends affordable pours, and pairs each of the recipes with an excellent variety. In short, he's incredibly knowledge in the world of wine.
Gail and Tom Reveal Details From Top Chef Vegas
At the beginning of every Top Chef episode, Padma Lakshmi reminds viewers that the winner will make a special appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, so it's no surprise that much of the events at the festival are devoted to all things Top Chef. Take Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio's demonstration, entitled "In the Kitchen with Top Chef," for example. The two culinary minds created dishes (her: a strawberry lychee cocktail and shrimp pea pasta; him a lobster pea ravioli), provided tips on how to cook more like a top chef, and best of all, revealed details from the upcoming season that recently finished filming in Las Vegas.
Michael Symon Shares Tips on Flavor and Spice
"I like to do demos because they let me vent," Michael Symon admitted in Aspen. Which was fine by the crowd. It was only 10 a.m.
YumSugar's Best of the Tasting Tents: Food
The biggest event at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic is the Grand Tasting, which took place five times over the span of three days. Inside several vast tents, attendees could sample a wide variety of food, from Peruvian tiradito to Cypriot soutzouko. As delicious as the offerings tasted, half the fun was eating with my eyes.
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