2011 Sun WineFest

'Bloomin ham and cheese sandwich' by ON20: Bayonne ham, Bloomsday Cato Corner Farms cheese, and Bloomsday fondue (NICK CAITO / CTNOW.COM)

I covered this weekend’s 2011 Sun WineFest at Mohegan Sun for A La Carte (that’s where the good writing and photos are, check it.)

Here’s what I’m still thinking about, more than 24 hours later.

Pictured at left is the “Bloomin’ Ham and Cheese” sandwich, made by the chefs from Hartford’s Polytechnic ON20. They had wanted to do a take on a croque monsieur, and ended up with these perfect little sandwiches: toasty fresh-baked bread, salty Bayonne ham and melty Bloomsday cheese from Colchester’s Cato Corner Farm. As if that wasn’t sumptuous enough, the plate got a ladle of rich mornay sauce, a spurt of Parmesan foam and sprinkles of crispy pancetta.

Our first bites knocked us speechless. Then Rob composed himself. “That,” he said, “was disgustingly good.”

ON20 has a knack for making items so unique and delectable that they’re seared into my memory forever.

Exhibit A: the chocolate custard with caramel foam, served in emptied hand-painted eggshells and topped with Maldon sea salt at the Taste of the Nation Hartford this past May. Exhibit B: The Okinawa purple sweet-potato soup with a foie gras bon bon at our power-foodie dinner in November.

We had a great discussion with executive chef Noel Jones, who was very warm and gracious. He shares our fervor for Cato Corner – he told us that the restaurant’s cheese plate now exclusively features selections from the farm.

Sake-braised pork belly with sweet-and-sour lentils (NICK CAITO / ctnow.com)

I also got to chat with the equally friendly star chef team at Jordan Caterers: Kevin Cottle and Van Hurd. Their booth was designed to reflect a farm-to-table concept, with copper cookware and earth tones. And their sake-braised pork belly paired perfectly with sweet-and-sour lentils (genius, I need to make some of my own) and truffle jicama apple salad.

What I don’t like about the Sun WineFest – and I’ve said this before – is the “token” purchase system for food items. A Grand Tasting ticket is $70 per person. And it gets you: wine, beer and cocktail samples, as well as whatever bits of bread, cheese, chocolate or other specialty food booths happen to be passing out. If you want more substantial food, you’ve got to pay for it. And pay you do.

In order to purchase small tasting plates from the restaurant booths, you need to first shell out for plastic tokens. (Yes, it’s very “state fair.”) One token equals one dollar. And to actually fill your stomach, you’ll need to buy at least 30 tokens. Maybe more. Tack that on to your ticket price and you’re well over the $95 all-inclusive admission fee at the Foxwoods Food & Wine Festival, normally held in November.

The event is also incredibly crowded (maybe even moreso this year, if you take cabin fever into account,) so it’s not like you can really fill up on the “free” food. But for that matter, you can hardly get to the wine tables, either. So you might not get drunk.

Since I was there in a media capacity, I really would have appreciated better organization – the printed programs didn’t list the restaurants’ offerings, so I instead took pictures of each booth’s signs. (Bloggers, if you don’t do this already, it saves you soooo much time later on.)

One of these years, I’m just going to bite the bullet and buy a Celebrity Chef Dine-Around ticket…

Speaking of, here’s a gratuitous shot of Bobby Flay.

January 30th, 2011 | | 1 Comment »

Why I Hate Winter…

How do I count the ways?

Somewhere in there lies a black Honda Accord…

January 13th, 2011 | | No Comments »

Brussels Sprouts Are Not The Root Of All Evil

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would someday enjoy Brussels sprouts, I would have laughed in your face. Hell, if  you had told me 10 months ago that I’d someday enjoy Brussels sprouts, I’d have the same reaction.

Confession: Before Thanksgiving, I had never actually eaten Brussels sprouts. Then I tried my friends’ take on a Bobby Flay recipe, with pomegranate seeds and walnuts. I think the earth moved.

I guess I’m wondering why this vegetable gets such a bad rap. Tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted for about 20 minutes, these little green buds are really enjoyable.

During our big grocery shopping trip yesterday, I decided I’d try my hand at the Flay recipe. But I couldn’t find pomegranates anywhere. The produce manager pointed me in the direction of pre-packaged POM Wonderful arils. GENIUS. Have you ever tried to extricate seeds from a fresh pomegranate? Solving a Rubik’s Cube is easier. I would have paid a whole lot more than $4.99 for that convenience.

The end result: earthy greens, mixed with subtly sweet juicy fruit and a welcome crunch from the chopped nuts. I might have overdone it with the salt, but I’ll know to ease up for next time. It was a nice complementing side dish to our Saturday dinner of beef tenderloin and homemade mashed potatoes.

If you’re in the Hartford / Springfield area, Lattitude in West Springfield has become famous for its fried Brussels sprouts appetizer, served with a sweet chili aioli dipping sauce. Though I’ve dined there several times, I still haven’t tried this starter. Now it’s on my must-do list.

Which vegetables surprise you with their taste and versatility?

January 9th, 2011 | | 3 Comments »

A Healthy Chocolate Milkshake

Oh, hey. Guess what I’m still terrible at? That’s right, photographing my thrown-together kitchen creations. Those of you who diligently shoot every step of your recipe, I salute you. That’s hard work.

Last night, after a dinner of homemade pizza and sauteed kale (yes, I’m trying to eat regular servings of greens,) I had a fierce craving for chocolate. Rather than rip into our stashes of Christmas-stocking candy, I decided to go with something a little healthier.

Chocolate milkshakes are fantastic when you’re a kid and don’t have to worry about gaining weight.  But at this point in my life, I don’t like to drink my calories. (Except beer and wine, but that’s a given.) With a little creativity, though, I put together a frozen chocolate treat that tasted pretty damn close to the real thing.

Approximated recipe (one smoothie)

1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup frozen banana slices
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup crushed ice

Note: I blend all my smoothies in my Magic Bullet (individual 12-ounce cups.) If you’re making this in a blender, approximate it for the amount of servings you want.

The banana slices add creaminess and heft to the “milkshake” without ice cream. Feel free to add more milk or more crushed ice to achieve desired thickness.

Tip: When your bananas are about to turn and you don’t want to throw them away, slice them quickly and put them in a plastic bag or container. Store them in the freezer. They come in really handy for recipes like this. Frozen at that point of ripeness, they’re really sugary-tasting.

January 7th, 2011 | | 5 Comments »

Free Is Not For Me

I feel like I repeat myself a lot on this topic. But some situation always triggers this debate – whether an article in the media or a series of endless emails from PR companies – and I end up discussing it all over again.

Unlike other bloggers, I do not accept freebies. That means no products for review, no “comped” meals at restaurants, no gift certificates for future dining experiences as a “thank you” for writing about a restaurant, no trips, no free alcohol. I state this clearly on the “About Me” section of my blog, yet I still get weekly emails from food product companies and public relations representatives.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, people. But you’re putting me in a super-awkward spot. At the moment, I have a very close relationship with a mainstream media outlet as a regular contributing food writer and blogger, and  I need to abide by their ethical guidelines. And it is wildly uncomfortable to insist on paying for a meal that a chef or restaurant owner intended to serve as a courtesy. I do this dance about three times a month.

But even without that relationship, I would continue to follow these practices. I’m still paying for that j-school education, after all, where my professors consistently preached the importance of staying impartial and unbiased. As I’ve stated previously, one of my professor maintained that it was unethical to take anything more than a bottle of water. A statement that strong will stick with you, especially now that I’m teaching journalism myself.

I immediately weighed in when well-known food writer, editor and writing coach Dianne Jacob wrote a blog entry about “sponsored posts” before Christmas. She, like me, believes in a strict no-freebie rule. But she heard from several bloggers who disagreed on some level. Typically, these were the ones who had participated in some kind of sponsored setup.

Bloggers, I know it’s up to you to decide whether to accept freebies or sponsorship. And it’s fully within your right to do so, as long as you disclose according to FTC guidelines. But I have read wayyyy too many overly positive and frankly, cloying reviews of restaurants, products and services based on samples, handouts, invitations and payment. Trust me, it’s okay to dislike something publicly once in a while. Your readers will take you much more seriously.

That said, there are some bloggers that take no prisoners – Dave of Dave’s Cupboard and his daughter, a contributor, are never afraid to say a sample product sucks beyond belief. And Dave makes that very clear on his “terms of use.” He’s told me that he thinks companies appreciate his honesty. But I think bloggers like this are rare. It’s a natural instinct to want to please someone that did you a favor. And bloggers want to continue to work with said restaurants or agencies that will keep sending them products or invites.

I’m sure we’ll continue to see more debate over this topic in 2011, especially as food bloggers gain more relevance and readership. But in the meantime, I’m still going to cringe at overly ingratiating posts. You can do better.

January 3rd, 2011 | | No Comments »
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