Belated Wine and Food Fest Gushing

OK, I know it's been almost a month since the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, but since it's sincerely one of the highlights of my calendar year, I'm still basking in the glow from this year's events. Each year is a bit the same and yet very different, and although I anticipate and plan a bit for the events, I really can never predict the fun that will ensue.

Two favorite unexpected aspects from this year:

-- The rise of the cocktail, and thus, the rise of the amount of spirit sampling in the grand tasting tents. 

The Ascot in mass quantities in its dispenser

For an unseasonably warm weekend, the refreshing Ascot from Icebox was a wonderful respite, but by far, the stand out in this category was Cardinal Gin, hailing from Kings Mountain in N.C. The story is awesome -- twin brothers and their daddy, but even better is the gin. They were providing mini gin and tonics, and the buzz around how good this stuff was, the botanicals that were clearly evident in the sip, was a favorite conversation.

It's available at multiple locations in the Charleston area, so yippee for supporting small business and my taste buds at the same time.

-- Industry talk. 

This year, for me, it was even more of a learning experience. The parties were awesome, yes, but so were the panel discussions on topics ranging from cookbooks to choosing a fish. Immersion was the key here, well, that, and getting over the free sample thing. Just lining up like cattle to get a sample can be fun for a while, but why not stop and talk to the producers you like and pick their brains? Or better yet, explore the festival beyond the tasting tents?

When you do this, it is like a food homecoming, talking shop as it were, whether you are chef, producer or enthusiast. The feeling is mutual.

Tart-tober

The last month, I have been in tart heaven. Talking about tarts, reading about tarts, writing about tarts and even sampling a few tarts.

This tart-topia actually started a few months ago, when author Holly Herrick asked The Beehive to help promote her new book, Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet.

As a well-established author with two books and countless articles and reviews under her belt, I was honored.

Since then, we've had a bubbles n' biscuits book release party (I love alliteration!), heard every joke about "tarts," been on the "Tart Train" to Charlotte to promote the book, crowned Holly the "Queen of Tarts" for Charleston Magazine, and this morning, enjoyed a tart discussion on the front of the Food Section of The Post and Courier.

Photo by Grace Beahm/ The Post and Courier

It's been tart-terrific, and I've had the wonderful opportunity to spend work time reading and drooling over food, including from blogs such as Pioneer Woman and (for my vote) the best one of them all, Helene Dujardin's Tartelette. And I've had the chance to get to know Holly, who is not only a professional, but a friend.

My time in the kitchen has become more joyous, and I'm cooking more, from my first attempt at chicken and wild rice soup (made with my homemade stock from a bird I roasted) to a well-worn bean salad recipe interpreted in a new way with edamame and pork belly. It sounds fancy, but it's not -- it's just using good food, which is one of the lessons Holly has taught me.

The Tart Train rolls on to NYC in December, and then the events start afresh for Holly's next book,  Food Lovers Guide to Charleston and Savannah.

Speaking of which, I better go lace my running shoes. Looks like I'm going to need them.

Yes, I have a difficult job. No, really

I am running about Charleston, sampling culinary delights. Here are my thoughts from the first day of the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival:

http://www.charlestonscene.com/news/2011/mar/05/thoughts-first-day-wine-food/

Iron Chef Interview

Anyone who knows me knows that cooking shows have always been a part of my life, from Yan Can Cook to Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. However, the 24-hour a day lure of the Food Network has made certain chefs big contributors to my entertainment, including Iron Chef and Food Network favorite Bobby Flay.

Flay and I got a chance to talk a couple of weeks ago when I interviewed him for a celebrity chef profile for the 2009 Charleston Food + Wine Festival official guide, and his persona was open and accommodating during our phone interview. After much coordination by multiple publicists, I simply got a call from him one day at an appointed time, and he just said "Hi, this is Bobby Flay."

We talked about a few subjects but mainly focused on hamburgers, the subject of one of his upcoming demonstrations in Charleston, and a passion of his that he has honed in his new Bobby's Burger Palace restaurants. His restaurants feature an option to "crunchify" any order (add homemade potato chips), but it is the word itself that I find almost as delicious as the concept. Since it's Friday, I urge you to find a way to "crunchify" your day! And you can bet that this great word made it into the final article.