Here's what I'm up to at the 2017 South Beach Wine and Food Festival, my favorite food event of the year.
The South Beach Wine and Food Festival comes at the perfect time every year: at the end of February, just as winter starts to feel like it'll never end (yes, even in L.A.!). This four-day bash is one of the premier food events in the country, and it's got something for everyone: tasting events for families, amazing high-end meals prepared by chefs from around the world, and lots of extravagant parties, including the world-famous Burger Bash. The fest is now in its 16th year, and I look forward to it every single year. It's a wonderful opportunity to gather friends together from all corners of the country, and to soak in the creative energy that comes from being around so many brilliant culinary minds. And to get a little beach time, of course.
This year, I'm over-the-moon excited to be hosting a dinner with Massimo Bottura, the chef and owner of Osteria Francescana in Modena, which was named the best restaurant in the world in 2016. (Check out Season 1 of the Netflix series
Chef's Table for a peek at his incredible process.) Not happy to be just the world's best chef, Massimo is also a passionate advocate for charity and the founder of Food for Soul, an organization that works to raise awareness about the problem of food waste and world hunger. He's an inspiration to say the least.
I'm also going to be preparing a special dish for the Grand Tasting Village, the beachside centerpiece of the festival. More than 50 chefs set up tasting stations for guests to sample whatever strikes their fancy, and there are fun live demos all day long. The demo will be just like my show, but with a chance to chat with the audience about anything that's on their minds, and I'm going to be cooking my lobster linguine. With a tomato-cream sauce, lots of fresh herbs, and the bright green pop of peas and arugula, it's definitely a decadent dish, but doesn't feel too heavy that you can't sample all the other incredible dishes the event has to offer. If you're going to be at SOBE, I hope you'll come by and say hi!
0 comments