May 17, 2013

21c Museum Hotels Bringing Proof on Main Chef Levon Wallace

Returning to Atlanta Food & Wine Festival for the third year, 21c Museum Hotels is a Gold Level Sponsor for this year’s festivities. Born out of a desire to integrate contemporary art into everyday life, 21c launched in downtown Louisville, Kentucky in 2006. Offering a compelling combination of cutting edge contemporary art, genuine hospitality, and chef-driven culinary experiences rich with local flavor, 21c reflects authentic modern Southern Hospitality.

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May 13, 2013

Learn the secrets behind the Blackberry Farm Wine Cellar from Food and Beverage Director Andy Chabot!

Blackberry Farm sat down with Food and Beverage Director Andy Chabot to find out a few secrets and tidbits about the wine cellar at Blackberry!  Here is what we discovered:

 1.  A lot or a little? We have more than 350 selections of half-bottles from great producers.  It’s perfect for couples wanting to pair different selections with one meal or someone wanting a glass or two.  On the other end of the spectrum we have more than 1,000 magnum selections.  

2.  We display our wines with the most elegant decanters around! Inspired by Martine Saunier, when I first purchased our Ercuis decanters, colleagues gave me flack for their feminine style, but now they’re our most complimented pieces.

Want more secrets? Find out more here… 

Tags: atlanta food & wine festival, blackberry farm, guest blog, midtown, midtown atlanta, southern, sponsor
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April 29, 2013

Le Creuset Kitchen Sessions with Chef Josh Feathers and Roasted Potato and Mountain Ramps

A spectacular spring side, Chef Josh Feathers shows us how to create roasted potatoes and mountain ramps! 

Read more  from Chef Josh Feathers…

Tags: AFWF, Atlanta, Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, blackberry farm, Chef Josh Feathers, Southern Farmers
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April 22, 2013

School Is In For Summer

 
Our 100+ classes cover just about anything epicurean you can imagine. A small sampling:

Stella + Art
Art Smith (IL/FL) & Marc Stroobandt (GA) with Timothy Magee (GA)
Stella and Art sitting in a kitchen, p-a-i-r-i-n-g. First comes food, then comes brew, then comes amazing pairings all for you. During this cooking demonstration and tasting seminar, award-winning chef and master brewer will join forces to create surprising beer and food pairings. The end result … a marriage of soul-filling, simple dishes and refreshing, crisp flavors. We’ll drink – and eat – to that!
 
Coastal Merroir
Mike Lata (SC) with Clammer Dave Belanger (SC)
We’ve embraced the notion that land influences the characteristics of the foods and wines produced on it through the concept of “terroir.” But oyster farmers across the South are using their own version of terroir with the “merroir” concept. During this tasting seminar, a seafood-loving chef and a popular clam farmer will lead guests on a tasty and informative exploration of the “merroir” of Charleston’s barrier islands, showcasing how Clammer Dave’s sought-after oysters are sustainably grown and harvested using the centuries-old, “cull-in-place” method. The world is our oyster!
 
Vini Vidi Spumante
Brett Davis, MS (KY)
We came. We saw. We sparkled. While most wine drinkers think lush, robust reds when they hear “Italian wind,” only the savviest consumers know that Italy actually produces more kinds of spearkling wines than any other country in the world. From light, off-dry Proseccos to classic Franciacortas, Italian spumantes are varied, tasty and quite affordable. During this tasting seminar, participants will explore the flavor ranges of Italian sparklers from Asti to Lambrusco and Moscato. Cin Cin!!
 
The Brothers Grill
Kevin Rathbun (GA) & Kent Rathbun (TX)
There are no tall tales here. Only raw meat, a sizzling flame and two brothers who can grill like no other. During this grilling demonstration, participants will learn the tips, tricks and flavors for which grilling fairy tales are inspired.
 
Liberate Your Lettuce
Edward Lee (KY), moderated by Christine Quinlan, FOOD & WINE
It’s time to liberate your lettuce from the salad bowl! With Romaine, Bibb, Radicchio, Mizuna, Purslane and Iceberg, maximizing spring and summer’s bounty will be a treat. During this cooking demonstration, participants will learn how to draw out the lettuces’ complex flavors through different “cooking” methods like pickling, searing, stir fry and more. BOOK SIGNING: Chef Lee will be signing copies of his cookbook, Smoke and Pickles, in the book sighing area in the conference floor lobby after this class.
 
 
Our classes take place on Friday, May 31, Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. To learn more about our offerings, view the schedule.
 
Ready to sign up? Tickets to our traditional and Connoisseur day passes include learning experiences:
 
1-day pass, including 3 learning experiences: http://bit.ly/xKMw9m

3-day pass, including 9 learning experiences: http://bit.ly/z95nDa

Tags: ATL, Atlanta Fesitvals, Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, Food, midtown, Wine
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April 13, 2013

The Southern Glossary for Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Some phrases don’t need a definition (bless her heart) but we realize some on our Web site, like “Advisory Council,” “Tasting Tent Talent” and “Connoisseur Lounge” might leave you scratching your head. Since we’ve got a variety of ways to build your perfect AF&WF experience, we made a brief glossary to guide you along:

• Advisory Council: a group of culinary industry rock stars who are personally invested in showcasing, celebrating and protecting our region’s rich food and beverage traditions. Made up of close to 70 award-winning Chefs, Sommeliers, Mixologists and industry leaders, Council members work in collaboration with the Festival to build the weekend’s programming. Membership is by invitation and all members commit to building authentic, educational and entertaining programs and events. Our original Council, aka the Founders Council, set a few very basic rules for future participants: all activities are voluntary, no one gets paid; if you have an ego, check it at the door; and finally, if you’re going to be on the Council, you’d better bring your A- game.

   

• Presenters: a collection of industry leaders who support the efforts of the Festival and the Advisory Council. Presenters enrich the Festival’s Learning Experiences by acting as “teachers” in our various classes.

   

• Imports & Inspirations: our South wouldn’t be so special without the many international influences – French, Spanish, Latin American, African, etc. – that have defined our food and beverage traditions. It’s only fitting that we extend our Southern geographic focus beyond our TX – DC borders and shine a light on our “cousins” from other Southern regions around the globe: Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece), South Africa, South America, the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand), and South-of-the-Border (Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean).

   

• Adopted Southern: sometimes we meet people so great, we just have to have them involved in the Festival. In a few rare cases, these fabulous folks don’t have ties to our Southern region or any of our “Other Southern” regions (gasp!), so we deem them “adopted Southern.” It’s because they’re so wonderful that we know they must be tied to the South, even if it’s through some 6-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon sort of way. Mmm, bacon. 

   

  

• Learning Experiences: housed in our Official Host Hotel, the Loews Atlanta, the Festival’s Learning Experiences are PhD-worthy programming. The Learning Experiences are how we wish school could have been: only learning about what you really want to, in the form of a wildly specific lesson from a passionate expert in the subject. From “Creole Surf ‘n Turf” to “Sip Down Under,” our classes cover ground from here to Australia on a vast variety of subjects.

   

• Trail Chefs or Tasting Tent Talent: the Festival’s Tasting Tents are like no other, offering curated “tasting trails” which feature some of the South’s best ingredients and dishes. To ensure guests experience a wide variation of flavors, the Festival engages Trail Chefs: leading Southern culinary talent who rotate throughout the tents during the weekend. More than 70 Trail Chefs are engaged by invitation during the weekend, each participating in only one Tent session. The Chefs complement our Tasting Tent exhibitors (approximately 100 purveyors, restaurants, etc.) who are in the tents throughout the full weekend. 

   

• Connoisseur: the serious food and beverage lover, looking for the very best experience the Festival can offer. Connoisseurs have a dedicated concierge, daily breakfast served by our award-winning chefs, VIP passes to Tasting Tents, exclusive Connoisseur classes, up-close demonstrations with nationally-recognized chefs, and reserved seating for general Festival classes. Connoisseurs also have access to the Connoisseur Lounge.

   

• Connoisseur Lounge: inspired by the “classic Southern hunting club” and presented by PNC Bank, the Lounge is designed to be a visually delicious experience for our Connoisseurs. Designer William Peace will incorporate rich woods, leather, crystal decanters, and inspired artwork into the lounge, topped off of course with an incredible bar. A perfect mix of contemporary and classic, the Lounge is your escape into a dream living room during the Festival.

Did we leave something off? Tell us in the comments section!

Tags: Advisory Council Members, AFWF, ATL, Atlanta Festivals, Festival, Georgia, Loews Atlanta, midtown atlanta, southern, Southern Food, The South
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March 14, 2013

London Calling

If National Lampoon needed a script for European Vacation part two, they missed a perfect opportunity to find one. The recent Atlanta Food & Wine Festival’s London Promotional tour was not lacking in humor, mishaps and an important message of love — love of Southern food and drink.

With four chefs (John Besh, Ashley Christensen, Kelly English, Duane Nutter), a chocolate maker (Kristen Hard), a mixologist (Neal Bodenheimer), a publicist (Tara Murphy) and a recent culinary graduate (Syrena Johnson, the first scholarship recipient of Chef Besh’s ChefsMove program), we ventured to London to host three events in three days for more than 200 people and to spread the “gospel” of Southern food and drink.  

The hilarity included everything from trying to “import” more than 60 lbs of Anson Mills grits, rice and Sea Island red peas in our luggage; transporting via taxi more than 200 lbs of beef, pork, and seafood and 30 cases of bourbon, Virginia wine, rum, and Sazerac from one location to the next; and trying to explain collard greens to our host chef who happened to be French and quite confused. “What are deez co-laird greens?  I do not know zeez.”   But the fun didn’t stop there. Imagine a six-foot-eight chef trying to sleep in his European twin bed, or all the chefs trying to prep their meals in a 12 x 12 kitchen, or simply the impact of serving bourbon to our tea-drinking British cousins. As one guest put it, “this bourbon is lovely, but I would say quite strong, dears.”

When we started the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival in 2010, our goal was simple:  we wanted to shine a national spotlight on the rich food and beverage traditions of the South from Texas to D.C.  We also had a secondary goal of positioning Atlanta as the gateway to the epicurean South.  As reviews came in following our second Festival in May 2012, including one by award-winning writer Josh Ozersky with TIME and RachelRay.com that called us the “only indispensable food event in the country” and the South the “new gastronomic capital of America,” we knew we were well on our way to achieving our goal.  

But as determined entrepreneurs and proud Southerners, we couldn’t help asking ourselves, “is spreading the ‘gospel’ of Southern food and drink domestically enough of a goal?”  Of course, we answered with a resounding “No, ma’am.”

Driven in part by good business sense (the UK is a leading source of tourists to the U.S., our hometown partner Delta Air Lines had increased its UK presence with the acquisition of 49 percent of Virgin Atlantic, and dozens of international journalists come to our region each year to cover our food and beverage culture) and in part by ego, we set our sights on creating a promotional tour in London: a Southern invasion, if you will.

Working in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Services, the U.S. Embassy in London, Delta Air Lines and Hilton Hotels Worldwide, we managed to pull off what in hindsight seems like an insane feat of three events in three days, including a cocktail reception at the home of the Deputy U.S. Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, who happens to be Southern, a luncheon for British food, beverage, travel and lifestyle media, and a party at a private club for American ex-pats and prospective Festival attendees.  We were also able to squeeze in a little cultural exchange between chef Syrena and the students of British Chef Jaime Oliver’s Fifteen Apprentice program.

Despite a little chaos and navigating foreign surroundings, Southerners should be proud of what our chefs accomplished.  They served beautiful, delicious and inspired dishes, each expressing a special Southern element. From Chef Christensen’s white North Carolina sweet potato soup with pickled “co-lairds” and a quenelle of chicken liver butter, or Chef English’s Mississippi catfish hush puppies, to Kristen Hard’s chocolate cake with chocolate bourbon ganache and peanut brittle glass, unique and enticing dishes were served to perfection.  Each meal was accompanied by a wonderful New Orleans-style cocktails by Neal Bodenheimer, including a classic Sazerac and a Four Roses salted sorghum old-fashioned, or lovely wines from Virginia.  

And the feedback was just as we had dreamed.  Our guests gobbled each bite with oohs and aahs and brief pauses to comment on how “surprising” the food was. “After all,” as one guest remarked, “I thought the South was only fried chicken and barbecue.”  And, when they weren’t eating or drinking, they listened carefully as we extolled the treasures of our region – our exceptional agricultural products, our centuries-old traditions, our unwavering devotion to keeping our region’s food and beverage culture alive and vibrant. We encouraged them to experience a broader view of the South at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.  

From dish to commentary, we triumphed.  We came, we saw, we ‘Southernized!’ And if all goes as planned, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and the rest of our region should be prepared for a British invasion in May.

Tags: atlanta food & wine festival, dominique love, duane nutter, guest blog, London, midtown atlanta, south, southern, Southern Invasion, US Embassy
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May 11, 2012

Acura Presents: Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Fried Green Tomatoes with Spicy Raita

Fried green tomatoes make a delicious traditional Southern side dish. Pair them with Top Chef’s Season 6 fan favorite Kevin Gillespie, beautiful Atlanta, and the all-new Acura RDX, and you have an unbeatable combination.

Today, Chef Kevin Gillespie shared his personal fried green tomatoes recipe with fans in the Acura tent at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival to rave reviews. But Kevin is no stranger to great reviews. After taking on the competition on Season 6 of Top Chef, Gillespie returned to his position as Executive Chef at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta prepared to wow.

Fresh, in-season food is a staple at Woodfire, and Kevin wants you to make it a staple in your home. With a couple cookbooks in the works, Gillespie’s recipes will soon be yours to impress friends and family. The first of his books, Fire in my Belly, includes over 120 recipes focused on great ingredients and delicious results worthy of a restaurant kitchen, but easily accomplished in the home.

Acura is excited to grant us all a sneak preview of that amazing fried green tomatoes recipe so your kitchen can be as exciting as the Festival this weekend. So what are you waiting for? Here is Chef Kevin Gillespie’s classic Southern dish with a modern twist, with an introduction from the man himself:

There are as many ways to fry a green tomato as there are to scramble an egg. My granny always dredged them in cornmeal and cooked them in bacon grease. I liked the bacon, but the breading got soggy. I like my fried green tomatoes supercrunchy. You have to crisp them up fast enough so that the tomato doesn’t get mushy. I use flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs for crunch. It’s not traditional. But it works a lot better than anything else I’ve tried. I totally ripped this method off my friends Kevin and Lisa Clark, who run Home Grown restaurant in Atlanta. However, I serve the tomatoes with a creamy, spicy sauce, which is hardly ever done in the South. In this dish, I experimented once again with crossing Southern and Indian cuisine. The spice trade routes naturally bring these two cuisines together. So I made a raita out of whole goat’s milk yogurt spiced up with Indian green chile pickles. The spicy-tart, creamy yogurt works perfectly with the fried green tomatoes. If you can’t find goat’s milk yogurt, use the milder cow’s milk variety. For the Indian chile pickles, try an Indian food market or order them online. Hot mango pickle also works well in a pinch. Or substitute any Indian pickle and add some finely minced jalapeno chile pepper.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Grapeseed oil (about 2 cups, for frying)
3 baseball-size green tomatoes
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs, finely ground and sifted
Espelette pepper
Spicy raita (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Line a platter with paper towels and set aside.

2. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 inches of oil to the pan. Heat the oil to 350° F. Or heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350° F.

3. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices and season with salt and pepper. Bread the tomatoes with the flour, egg, and panko, one step at a time. Add the tomatoes to the oil and fry until GBD, about 3 minutes per side. If you’re using a deep fryer, the cooking time will be about 4 minutes total. Transfer the tomatoes to the paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and Espelette pepper. Serve with a generous portion of the raita.

Spicy Raita

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain yogurt, preferably goat’s milk
1 clove garlic
1 carrot, peeled
1 lime
1 tbsp finely chopped spicy Indian green chile pickles
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp cumin seeds

Directions:

1. Spoon the yogurt into a medium mixing bowl. Grate the garlic on a Microplane grater directly into the yogurt. Again, using the Microplane, grate and measure out 3 tablespoons of the carrot and mix it into the yogurt, carrot juice and all. Squeeze 1 tablespoon lime juice into the mixture, then stir in the pickles and mustard.

2. Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over low heat until they turn a shade darker and develop a deep nutty aroma, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then. Slow toasting gives the cumin a real depth of flavor that releases into the sauce over time. Tilt the cumin from the skillet directly into the yogurt. Let stand for at least a few hours before using. The raita is best made a day in advance so the flavors can fully develop. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe from Fire in My Belly by Kevin Gillespie/Andrews McMeel Publishing. Fire in My Belly by Kevin Gillespie is available beginning October 9th, 2012. Click here if you wish to preorder your copy.

Tags: acura, atlanta food & wine festival, fried green tomatoes, guest blog, kevin gillespie, recipe, sponsor
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21c Museum Hotels: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Connoisseur Lounge

21c Museum Hotels is on the move. Though bustling with some exciting expansions in the works, the artsy trendsetters found time to bring their unique concept to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Connoisseur Lounge. Attendees will get to experience the mix of Southern hospitality, thoughtful design, contemporary art and creative cuisine that has won 21c rave reviews from critics and guests alike. As sponsors of the 2012 Connoisseur Lounge, 21c invites visitors to encounter visions of nature in the 21^st century, where the virtual and the organic co-exist in our exhibition of selected works from the 21c Museum Collection.

Their pop-up exhibition features works by artists Ellen Kooi, Matt Collishaw E.V. Day and Rob De Mar who all seamlessly explore the blurred lines between organic and manufactured nature. Get cozy in oversized Fatboy® beanbags while watching Jennifer Steinkamp’s dancing digital tree, which envelops viewers in a site-specific projection of a tree, cycling endlessly through the seasons. The AstroTurf carpet and collection of Pink Snails (pictured here) by international artist collective Cracking Art Group will further suggest that you have stepped into a portal to a world beyond.

21c chefs Michael Paley (of Proof on Main and Garage Bar) and Matt McClure (of 21c Bentonville, opening early 2013) will be serving up what they do best: seasonally inspired food with references to the culinary traditions the American South. Their event and tasting tent menus pay homage to the local farmers, artisanal producers and sustainable agriculture that are at the heart of the 21c food and beverage program.

Born out of a desire to integrate contemporary art into everyday life, 21c Museum Hotels was founded in downtown Louisville, KY in 2006 by contemporary art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. Come explore for yourself and discover how 21c is redefining the art of modern Southern hospitality.

Learn more at 21cMuseumHotels.com.

Tags: 21c hotels, atlanta food & wine festival, guest blog, sponsor
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Ballard Designs at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Featured in the Welcome Lounge – The Olivia Mirrored Side Table

Ballard Designs is the official home furnishings sponsor of this year’s Food & Wine Festival and outfitted special areas throughout the event. Their interiors can be seen inside the Welcome Center, Grilling Terrace, Tasting Tent, Connoisseur Lounge & The Pop-Up Restaurant. 

Since its founding in Atlanta in 1983, Ballard Designs has brought a unique combination of exclusive products, trusted design expertise and competitively priced, classically inspired home furnishings to your door. In addition to online and retail stores, a full-color catalog is published monthly, with over 50 million copies circulated throughout the U.S. each year. Traveling the world in search of inspiration and obsessing over the smallest details helps us to ensure that every piece that we produce embodies Ballard’s guaranteed quality and exceptional value.

Featured in the Tasting Tent – A Mix of the Orb Chandeliers

In addition to seeing some of Ballard’s most sought-after interiors, event attendees will have the chance to preview the newest items from their summer collection, which will include:

-       Susan Kasler’s Directoire Collection  

-       Patras Side Tables

-       Chevron Striped Indoor/Outdoor Rug

-       Southern Living Versatile Beverage Bucket

-       Auto Tilt Sunbrella® Umbrellas

-       Leather Cube Ottoman 

-       Julian Apothecary Floor Lamps

Be sure to take a seat in one of the couches from our Davenport Collection if your feet get tired or enjoy a delicious meal on one of the Messina Dining Tables. Stay tuned to the blog to see the video on how all of these beautiful installations came together!  

Tags: atlanta food & wine festival, ballard designs, guest blog, sponsor
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May 9, 2012

Chef Lee Richardson: Rice Grits

This guest blog post was written by 2012 Advisory Council member Chef Lee Richardson (Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel). Chef Richardson will be busy on Saturday, May 12 at the Festival: you can find him at ‘Chefs Eat Wild’, ‘Chefs Gone Wild’, and the Wild Game Dinner. For details on each of these events, visit his profile.

Down in New Orleans, we’re virtually raised on rice.  Where would red beans be without it?  But my adoptive state of Arkansas takes its rice just as seriously — in fact, 50% of all rice produced in the U.S. is grown there.

Not long ago I had what I can only describe as a rice epiphany.  Why not grind rice the way one grinds corn to make grits?  Now that I treat rice like that other favorite southern grain staple, it transcends its traditional role at the table.  The result is creamy – unlike the hard, dry texture of corn grits, and with a little milk, salt, and butter, my “rice grits” are a real improvement on the original corn product, if I may say so myself — and with all due respect to grits traditionalists.

At Ashley’s, I’ve been pairing rice grits with hearty Southern entrées to get plates like Grilled Quail, Rice Grits, Granny Beans, and Bacon.  Or how does Red Beans and Rice Grits with Poached Eggs sound?  Come taste for yourself at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.  

Tags: atlanta food & wine festival, guest blog, lee richardson, rice grits
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