There was plenty of booze and small bites to enjoy at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. While visiting the Grand Tasting Tent, we chose the best to present to you. From tequila popsicles to tasty foie gras topped with a rhubarb jello, we happily snuck back for seconds of all these delectable items.
— Additional reporting by Nicole Perry
The magnitude of celebrity chefs and fine dining opportunities at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen make it an ideal event to forecast culinary trends. Last year, we spotted the rise of vegetarianism, game meats, and high-brow desserts, which continued to rise in popularity over the year and still shape the culinary scene today. This year, we scouted a few new trends worthy of noting. Take a look.
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Chef Amanda Freitag of Food Network'sChopped and Iron Chef America had a lot to say about pork during her cooking demonstration at the San Francisco Chipotle Cultivate Festival. Bacon lovers cheered as she drew a fat roll of pancetta out of the fridge. She made a pork chop topped with crispy pancetta, and along the way shared her best practices for buying, prepping, and cooking pancetta. Seasoned pancetta cooks and newbies alike should keep reading for some key pancetta-cooking tips.
For the past two and a half years, Nate Appleman has been Chipotle's culinary manager, working on recipe developing for the burrito chain and its new Asian eatery ShopHouse, sourcing ingredients, and streamlining kitchen and restaurant operations. After his chef demo at the San Francisco Chipotle Cultivate Food Festival we discussed his nontraditional workdays at Chipotle, the challenges of using fresh ingredients, and the importance of thinking beyond the food being served.
POPSUGAR: What does your typical day look like?
Nate Appleman: My day changes every day. I work a lot on developing ShopHouse and seeing it to market. I'm personally involved in hiring the crew, the managers, looking at the food cost numbers, and developing the menu. I spend a lot of time on that. But I spend a lot of time on Chipotle. It's constantly changing, because we use real ingredients, and real ingredients change. It's not like other restaurants or companies that have a formula. We don't cook by formula; we cook by ingredients. We're constantly evaluating tomatoes, seeing how they change, and if there is a problem, fixing it.
PS: What's your favorite aspect of your job?
NA: There is no monotony to it. I never know what the day will bring, because it changes all the time. I love that. In a restaurant, when you become a chef, you stand on the line and expedite tickets every single day. I don't like that and don't want to do that. I want something new, exciting, and fresh. I want to be cooking, creating, and doing. I get that opportunity.
PS: What unusual challenges have come up?
NA: The big challenge with Chipotle and ShopHouse is we're a big company. We have really strong beliefs about the ingredients that we're using and the accessibility and availability of those ingredients is hard. For a small, independent restaurant it's easy. You go to the farmers market, you pick up the food, and you're using great stuff. Well, we try to do that on a large scale. We have almost 1,500 restaurants.
Nate talks about Chipotle lessons, restaurant trends, and more.
"Sandwich King" Jeff Mauro knows a thing or two about great cheeses. In particular, the Food Network star, who's partnered with Cracker Barrel Cheese, has a soft spot for cheddar, specifically domestic varieties. "We're turning out great cheese and beating a lot of imported cheeses," he said. "Go America, right?"
Since we're always on the hunt for affordable cheese plate ideas, a punchy sandwich, or great pairing ideas, we asked Jeff to share his cheese expertise. Here are his thoughts on all things cheddar.
Dara8182 reinvents the traditional bacon and egg breakfast with these easy, grab-and-go prosciutto egg cups.
This recipe is laughably simple. It makes for a great breakfast and can be eaten on the go.
For more — and the recipe — visit her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.
Chipotle's not just making burritos; for a couple of years now, it's also been serving Asian-inspired meals with sustainable ingredients under the Washington DC-based concept known as ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, and at this past week's Cultivate Festival, Chipotle offered San Franciscans a taste. The concept, which currently has one location only, offers build-your-own bowls with a variety of elements, from noodles and rice to stir-fried vegetables and crushed peanuts. To learn more about the ShopHouse philosophy, expansion plans, and our tasting notes, keep reading.
Last year, Girl Scouts and Nestlé team up to do the unthinkable: combine a beloved American cookie with the classic Crunch chocolate bar. We loved the partnership. But when the two companies teamed up again to create new limited-edition Coffee-Mate creamers ($3) for Summer in Thin Mints and caramel and coconut flavors, that's when we started to scratch our heads. But alas, tempted by all things Thin Mint, we called the products in for a taste test.
Thin Mints Coffee-Mate
Taste-testers agreed that the fudgy and minty coffee creamer both smells and tastes like Thin Mints, and possesses a cooling effect that would be refreshing during the warm Summer months. Detractors complained that the flavor was a little artificial-tasting and more subtle than they would've liked in taste. Still, the stars speak for themselves: most enjoyed the flavor enough to give it a high rating.
For Father's Day, give the gift that keeps on giving with these family cookbooks, written by celebrity chefs who are also dads. You present Dad with an awesome, beautiful cookbook written by one of the best chefs, and in turn he'll offer delicious, memorable meals for you and your family. It's a win-win for everyone!
Father's Day is approaching quick, so here's menu inspiration for a leisurely Father's Day Sunday lunch. What better way to recognize and celebrate Dad than by making all his favorite things? No matter what your dad likes, you're sure to find one of his favorites in this mouth-watering menu. Artichoke, corn on the cob, chicken wings, and apple cobbler are just a few dishes Dad will appreciate receiving on his honored day.
Summer produce is usually so good that it doesn't need much to make it better. But when you are looking to spice things up, we have a few ideas to make your Summer snacks more interesting and elegant. Butter, citrus juice, and salt are a few of the no-brainers, but we've thrown in some oddball ingredients too, like ginger and kelp sprinkle.
If you don't live in New York City and you have taste buds that are anything like ours, then chances are you're vying desperately for a Cronut. What is a Cronut, you may ask? It's a doughnut-croissant hybrid, developed by Dominique Ansel, that has swept New York City into a sugar rush. While you might not be able to wait in that extravagant line for a chance to purchase two cream-filled Cronuts, you can peruse this photo album to see extreme close-ups of the man, the bakery, and the Cronut-making process itself.
Just one look at Whipped's gooey brownie, and we're willing to skip the butter and eggs this go-round.
Double chocolate vegan brownies: rich, fudgy, and super easy to whip up!
For more — and the recipe — visit her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.
The best way to revive oneself from a case of Summer laziness is with a tall glass of iced tea. It's National Iced Tea Day, so even more reason to bust out the glass pitcher. While it's OK to turn hot tea into iced with regular tea bags or loose-leaf teas, a few companies have created tea pouches specifically intended for iced tea brewing, making your life easier. More importantly, it leaves your brew refreshing and crisp without any unpleasant bitterness. Here are five standouts for you to peruse (and hopefully enjoy!) this Summer.
Chef Amanda Freitag may look and act tough as nails on Food Network's Chopped and Iron Chef America, but in person, she's all smiles and infectious giggles. Fun fact: she and POPSUGAR LIVE host Matthew Rodrigues worked together on the set of Iron Chef America, so right away, she was happy to chat with another member of the family. I caught up with her after her cooking demonstration at the San Francisco Chipotle Cultivate Festival, where we talked about her life as a judge, chef competitor, and most recently, restaurant owner.
POPSUGAR: You are so bubbly and warm, but your personality on Chopped is so different! How is that?
Amanda Freitag: It is. I get totally edited. I'm funny behind the scenes. I'm funny sometimes with the chefs. I think they capture those moments when I'm being stern. That's only one part of me. The other fun-loving, playful part is the other 80 percent. It's hard. I have to be a judge; I have to be intimidating and serious.
PS: What have been some of your favorite moments as a judge on Chopped?
AF: Oh my . . . how much time do we have? Wonderful moments like when the lunch ladies competed, which we now call them "school chefs." There was not a dry eye in the house. Sam Kass was our guest judge who works with Michelle Obama on the White House food movement. These women, what they're doing and how they make those kids feel normal and feed them, as a chef, it's something I hope I can do someday. It was so moving.
Aside from the moments when people burn themselves, cut themselves, fall down, put nothing on a plate, Madison Cowan was a memorable chef for me, because he came on Chopped and blew us away. He made the most incredible, delicate, elegant food with a humble background and story. We were all blown away. That doesn't happen often.
PS: More often than not, is it judging the least disastrous of the bunch?
AF: Not always disastrous. It's a tough environment. Everyone is a little flustered. I've competed in that kitchen a couple of times. I can say it's incredibly hard — harder than Iron Chef for me. Chopped is 30 minutes. There is very little equipment, very limited pantry.
Keep reading to learn more about Chef Freitag's new restaurant.
We might not all have access to cronuts, but we can still make Gina's fancy baked cake doughnuts at home.
A baked cake doughnut bursting with strawberry and lemon flavor.
For more — and the recipe — visit her blog and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.
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