Wine and Food Foundation's Tour de Vin - Oct. 7th

Even though Austin is located in the center of Texas, cultural cuisine and wine is still within our reach.  The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas is hosting the 6th Annual Tour de Vin, a globe trotting adventure for your palate.  Wines from France, Argentina, Italy, and Chile will be showcased along with tasty treats from local restaurants.  Here's a short list of participating restaurants: Buenos Aires Cafe, Cipollina, Fogo de Chao, Foreign & Domestic, Jack Allen's Kitchen, Maria Maria, NoRTH, Portabla, Rio's Brazilian Cafe, Silver Whisk, StrEAT, and The Turtle.  There might be some names that you don't recognize yet, and that can be remedied.  Last year's event was the first time I was introduced to StrEAT, and it is still one of my favorite foodie finds.  It is incredible how brand new foods to me could taste so comforting.  See the food porn below and read about last year's event here.  If you'd like to discover some new tasty eats and taste some delicious wines, tickets are $50 per person for Foundation members and $75 per person for the general public. To purchase Tour de Vin tickets (available in September), or to become a WFFT member, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org or contact the Foundation office at 512-327-7555.  The event is Thursday, Oct. 7th, 2010 from 6:30 - 9:00 at Whole Foods Downtown. Bunny Chow from StrEats. Pionono from Buenos Aires Cafe.  Hint: They have booze in them.  Fete Accompli's Special was a creamy dip served on a cracker.

Love is in the air, and Wine should be in your glass.

 Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate with your beloved than with a class with the Wine and Food Foundation?  Cupid and the Kitchen and Heart Health for Wine Lovers are two events that food lovers and wine lovers definitely want to attend.  RSVP quickly as seating is limited.  Happy Early Valentine's Day and may everyone get a good dose of Oxytocin. 



TEAM CUISINE: Cupid in the Kitchen. Food + Wine = Love.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9, 2010
TIME: 6:00 PM
WHERE: Texas Culinary Academy
11140 Burnet Road, Austin, 78758
Click here <http://www.tca.edu/>  to visit TCA's website
COST: $65 Foundation Members
$75 General Public
RSVP: RSVP Required; Seating limited! Reserve a seat by calling the Foundation office at 512.327.7555 or visiting the WFFT website here <http://www.winefoodfoundation.org/> .

Instructed by Culinary Department Chair Kevin Quinn of the Texas Culinary Academy, TEAM CUISINE offers a hands-on, in-kitchen opportunity to cook in a fun, small group setting. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Chef Quinn will take a few cues from Cupid, helping participants prepare a few recipes that are perfect for this romantic holiday. Chef Quinn will be joined by TCA Wine Instructor Jane Nickles, who will discuss a few featured wines that are guaranteed to get you in the mood for romance. The class will be divided into teams of two, each cooperating to create several recipes from start to finish. Chef Quinn will provide expert instruction and guidance throughout. Upon completion of the dishes, students will enjoy the fruits of their labor. A question and answer session will follow.
*Classes run approximately two hours, but can go longer depending on the menu. This is a hands-on cooking class.


Heart Health for Wine Lovers
WHEN: Thursday, February 11, 2010
TIME: 6:00 PM
WHERE: Twin Liquors Marketplace, Hancock Center, 1000 E. 41^st Street, Austin, Texas 78751
COST: $35 Foundation Members, $45 General Public
RSVP: RSVP Required; Seating limited! Reserve a seat by calling the Foundation office at 512.327.7555 or by visiting the WFFT website at www.winefoodfoundation.org.

February is Heart Month and in honor of your ticker, we are teaming up with the Heart Hospital of Austin and Twin Liquors for a session on how red wine benefits your heart. Cardiologist Dr. Earl Dixon will discuss what has come to be known at the French Paradox – why do some Europeans have lower rates of heart-related disease and illness? – and lead guests through a presentation on the links between good heart health and wine drinking. This event will include wine and a few light hors d'ouevres.

Chefs under Fire an the Carillon's Tasting Menu

I had the opportunity to attend the Chefs under Fire event on Nov. 30th at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.  While I didn't have the opportunity to try the dishes made by the challengers, I did have the opportunity to sample some tasty bites from the Carillon by Chef Josh Watkins.  If you haven't been to the Carillon yet, here's your chance to give them a try.  From Wednesday, Dec. 16th - Saturday, Dec. 19th, Chef Josh Watkins will be offering a fabulous tasting menu for just $30.  This meal is a steal.  Judging from the chit chat about it on Twitter, you'll want to make reservations.  Menu posted below.  Other photos from Chefs under Fire by me, unless otherwise noted. The candied garlic in this dish was simply fantastic.  It was sweet and nutty, and something that you wouldn't expect to with red meat.  The Braised Beef Short Ribs with celery root, apricot glaze, and black pepper gastrique was amazingly tender.  This morsel has set the standard for fork tender in my book.  I had to eat about five of these, just to make sure they were really all that tender.  I think they are, but I might need more just for testing.  Photo by John Knox. Pineapple, cheese, and curry aren't usually served together, but I don't think the Carillon is the usual restaurant. I tried to capture some photos of the flurry of chefs in the kitchen prior to the judging, but alas, most of them looked like a blur. The main activity of the evening was the judging of the dishes by Celebrity Chefs David Bull, Tyson Cole, and Kent Rathbun.  While I was expecting an intense presentation, the judging was more entertainment than I had imagined.  The three celebrity chefs had jokes up their sleeves that kept the crowding laughing all night.  These photos are by John Knox.  More Photos here. Information and details about the Chef under Fire winners here.  Busy chefs. Tyson celebrates something. Sharing chef secrets. Martin Weaver, the creator of the pumpkin bbq sauce. David, would you like some rosemary? Loren Root wins!

Beer, Wine, and a touch of Science. Three upcoming event that will make you giddy!

There's three events coming up that are sure to get beer geeks, wine lovers, and science nerds giddy with pleasure.

Saturday, Nov. 7th is the date of the DraughtHouse's 41st birthday party.  Eats include Pork on a stick from the Traveling Bistro along with cupcakes.  Starts at 1pm. 

Thursday, Nov. 19th is Big Reds and Bubbles at the Driskill hosted by the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.  $75 Foundation Members; $90 General Public Reservations Required; Tickets Non-Refundable.  It's a celebration of wine, champagne, and delicious eats from Annie’s Cafe, Aquarelle, The Belmont, The Carillon, The Driskill Grill The Driskill Hotel, Eddie V’s, Fête Accompli, Garrido’s, Kenichi, Lambert’s, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, NoRTH, Pastry Chef Liz Starling, Perla’s, Perry’s Steakhouse, Roaring Fork, Streat, Truluck’s, Wink

And for the big nerd inside of you, Thursday, Nov. 12th, 6:00pm, is Chemistry Kitchen.  Chef Josh Watkins and Dr. Laude (I'm fairly certain that he was the popular Chem Professor at UT when I was just a wee undergrad) will be bringing you dinner and entertainment.  I saw the word explosion on the flyer.  I want explosions!  And dinner!  I'm just a little excited about this one.  Can you tell?  Click here for the flyer in PDF.

Chef Josh's Muscat Grape Terrine

Globetrotting Cuisine with Tour de Vin

My photographer and I were guests at the Wine and Food Foundation's Tour de Vin.  Tour de Vin is a fabulous food event celebrating wines and food from around the world.  Here's the rest of John Knox's photos, and some of the highlights from the event.

This was one of my favorite dishes.  It is called Bunny Chow from StrEats.  This chow is actually a South African spicy curry fish stew served in a bread bowl.  It is called bunny chow because you are supposed to hold it in both hands and eat it like a bunny.  Michael Vilim of Mirabelle and Castle Hill is opening StrEats on 32nd & Red River.  The restaurant will feature street food from around the world.  Construction of the restaurant starts next week. No website yet.

Fete Accompli's Special was a creamy dip served on a cracker.  Oh so yummy.

Aquarelle served up a fennel tart with carrots.  

 

ThaiFresh served a deliciously spicy rice ball.  These spicy treats were crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. 

 

 Ecstatic Cuisine served up dates filled with goat cheese and pecans.

Calling all Chefs! Compete in Chefs under FIRE! Nov. 30th

 Hey Aspiring chefs! We've got an event for you! Think you can cook up a storm?  Enter this contest and show off your knife skills!

Former Iron Chef Challengers Judge Chefs Under Fire™ In Austin

Chefs David Bull, Tyson Cole, and Kent Rathbun put down their pans and pick up pens to judge cooking competition

AUSTIN, TX (October 8, 2009)  If you've ever wanted to feel the heat of a live cooking competition, while simultaneously getting advice from Texas' three Iron Chef challengers, mark your calendar for November 30th. Three Iron Chef challengers...one night only...one fierce competition! What's the secret ingredient?  Passionate foodies who want to show what they can cook!

Hosted at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin by Keeper® Collection, LLC and the Plate & Vine Interactive Cookbook, Chefs Under Fire is a competition open to contestants nationwide culminating on the evening of November 30th with a timed cookoff between selected contestants and judged by former Iron Chef America challengers David Bull, Tyson Cole, and Kent Rathbun.  This event marks the first time all of these chefs will appear together in a public event of this type.

Chefs Bull, Cole, and Rathbun have all donated recipes to the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas' Plate and Vine Interactive Cookbook, created in conjunction with Keeper Collection.  Each chef has chosen one of his recipes from this cookbook and will challenge potential contestants to prepare a dish using the guidelines outlined by the chef.  Each entrant will pay a $20 entry fee, choose which dish they'd like to prepare, and submit their unique recipes via email, along with photos, and/or short videos to the respective chef.  The chefs will each narrow down their field to three finalists, who will have a limited amount of time to prepare their dish the evening of the 30th before presenting to the panel of judges.  Each chef will announce their final winner live at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center that evening.

A limited number of tickets will be available to the public for the event, available for purchase online at Keeper Collection's website.  A reception for attendees and contestants will begin at 6:30 PM in the Tejas Restaurant featuring food prepared and overseen by Executive Chef Josh Watkins, along with wine for the attendees to enjoy.  The competition will start promptly at 8:00 PM.

"We're thrilled to be hosting such a unique event," says Dana Andrae of the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center, "we have an ideal venue not only because of our entertaining areas and kitchen space, but also because our technology onsite allows us to do live feeds of the event-in-progress to multiple viewing locations. Plus, we're thrilled to be able to show off the culinary talents of our staff that evening before the Chefs Under Fire finalists take the stage."

For more information and to purchase tickets and entries visit www.keepercollection.com.

About Keeper Collection & the Plate & Vine Interaction Online Cookbook: Frustrated by recipes that provide inaccurate quantities, include difficult to follow directions, and produce disappointing and unflavorful results, Keeper Collection created an approach to cooking that is user-friendly, time-efficient, and saves money.  Traveling the world to find award-winning, passionate chefs and authentic recipes, Keeper Collection's interactive cookbooks bring culture into the kitchen.  Being coined as the "future of cookbooks", Keeper Collection cookbooks are on the cutting edge of culinary and viticulture trends.  Keeper Collection also works in partnership with trusted travel companies and our award winning chefs in offering unique culinary packages for learning and vacation.  About The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas: The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is a dynamic, statewide charitable Foundation created to inspire excellence and education in the culinary and viticulture arts. The Foundation fulfills its mission through scholarships, grants and the development of educational programs and projects. These charitable works, including the Texas Sommelier Conference, Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship and affordable community-wide wine and food classes impact students, professionals, future chefs, winemakers and the general community on both state and national levels.

For full event details and contest rules, check here.

Tour De Vin - Thursday, Oct. 8th at Whole Foods Downtown Plaza

^This one is for all you wine and food lovers out there.  Tour De Vin is right around the corner, and a great opportunity to tasty fabulous wines and a variety of a cuisines from around the world.  The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Marquee Event Group, is gearing up for a whirlwind tour of fine wine and food, Tour de Vin. Benefiting The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Tour de Vin is a get-your-passport-stamped style wine and food tasting featuring the best domestic and internationally-inspired cuisine in Central Texas.

In addition to fine wine presented by Republic National Distributing Company, this globetrotting culinary showcase and community favorite brings out a vast selection of sweet and savory bites from Central Texas eateries, including Aquarelle, Buenos Aires Café, Primizie Osteria, Satay, Z’ Tejas and many more. Cienfuegos will also be featured as the live music guest. For a complete list of participating restaurants and wineries, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org. Tour de Vin is open to the public, but space is limited and attendees are strongly encouraged to register early. Tickets are $50 per person for Foundation members and $75 per person for the general public. To purchase Tour de Vin tickets, or to become a Foundation member, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org or contact the Foundation office at 512-327-755   The date is Thursday, October 8, 2009, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Whole Foods Market Rooftop Plaza at 6th & Lamar, 525 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX. The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Marquee Event Group, is gearing up for a whirlwind tour of fine wine and food, Tour de Vin. Benefiting The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Tour de Vin is a get-your-passport-stamped style wine and food tasting featuring the best domestic and internationally-inspired cuisine in Central Texas.

Cupcake Smackdown1.0 - Winner's recipes on Plate and Vine Interactive Cookbook

You might have remembered Cupcake Smackdown1.0.  Did you remember that the top 3 winners also had their recipes featured in Plate to Vine Interactive Cookbook?  The recipes are up, and if you want them (plus many more awesome recipes from local chefs), the interactive cookbook is available for purchase or even as a gift.  Check it out here, and Happy Cooking!

And since I forgot to mention it before, Cupcake Smackdown1.0 raised $1,007.25 for the Wine and Food Foundation's Pastry Scholarship.  Thanks, Austin for being awesome.

Craving a cupcake?

Cupcakes seem to be the most popular item to bake in 2009! We all know that cupcakes are a classic treat that everyone loves to bake and share, but recently a cupcake craze has taken the country by storm.  Not that we are complaining, but you've probably noticed that cupcakes are served in every trendy bakery and cupcake cafes and even trailers have popped up on just about every corner.  This frenzy has definitely kept cupcakes on the brain!

On August 1, over 1000 cupcake lovers from around Texas got together at Austin's first annual Cupcake Smackdown 1.0.  The event hosted cupcake contestants from caterers, store owners, and the regular home-baker in categories like Best Chocolate Cupcake, Best Vanilla Cupcake, and Baker's Choice Best All Around Cupcake.  For the general cupcake enthusiast, the event hosted cupcake eating contests and even cupcake eating contests for dogs!  Cupcake Smackdown 1.0 was hosted by Jennie Chen, local Austin food blogger (misohungrynow.com), and benefited The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas.  In an effort to indulge our Plate & Vine users with the hottest cupcakes in town, we have selected 3 of the Cupcake Smackdown winners to share their secret recipes with us and join the Plate & Vine family of chefs!

1. Best Overall Chocolate - Chef Amy Blodgett-Padilla's Mocha Chocolate Cupcakes

2. Best Overall Vanilla - Chef Blake Howard's Sunny Side Upcakes

3. Best Overall Baker's Choice - Chef Lori Schneider's Tres Leches Cupcakes 

So next time you're craving a cupcake, you can find the tastiest ones on Plate & Vine!  They are a fun way to show your friends and family you care, whether it is a special occasion or just because!

Go crazy for cupcakes,

Plate & Vine Interactive Cookbook Tea