More Food Network Award Pics

It's Friday and sunny, so my thoughts are drifting back to Miami right about now.

April 15 is still a few weeks ago, but the Food Network is doing its best to get you to watch the Food Network Awards.




Mmmm Mmmm! What is with all the bags under the eyes? This was a Friday night about 7 p.m. Perhaps Bobby Deen took to the South Beach party scene more than his momma.

And, finally, because I can...



my first Kris Kross reference! Cat was so hot that night; she deserves it.

As far as the award categories go, ehhh. Will I cry if Minneapolis loses to Portland (it does) for "Delicious Destination of the Year"? Doubtful.

Anyhow. Enjoy. Watch Al Roker talk about childhood obesity this weekend and let me know how that is. Peace.

Giada and her Pushup Buddy

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday, but I literally spent most of my day looking for photos of Giada De Laurentiis with Jackie Warner of Bravo's Workout.

Let me explain...

A livejournal post came across my Giada ticker (you all have one, don't you?) that read:

giada de laurentiis was on the today show and jackie warner from workout was showing her how to do pushups. so giada was down on all fours and jackie was behind her, holding her hips up. OMG!!!!! i ain't gonna say nothing. fuuuuuck.

So, naturally, I was intrigued. Workout is a fun show and Jackie--the owner/head trainer/lesbian temptress--is obviously sexy and charismatic.

Anyhow, I don't know if the Today show is against posting photos and/or videos of situations that would make countless men, women and children drool (I'd just like to see it to see it. All right, maybe I'd drool. Just a little bit.), but I can't seem to find any ANYWHERE!

Then, last night, I think I figured it out.

Kathy Griffin appears on this episode. Jackie is her trainer and she pulls the same hip-holding-pushup-move on her!

I don't have an actual pic of the move, but I'm sure there are others out there who can back me up. Jackie holds onto the hips while Kathy complains about not being able to do a pushup.

NOW... either this Livejournal poster CONFUSED Giada with Kathy (which I would think would make Kathy's day) OR Jackie re-enacted it on the Today show. It's also possible that this Livejournaler was stoned out of his mind.

Who's right? Who's wrong?

Sandra Lee Chefography

I finally caught Sandra Lee's Chefography this weekend and--let me just say this--Sandy never disappoints.

As most of these specials go, Sandra Lee takes us through:



such as her financially successful craft and home-based business, her (eventually) successful cook books and TV show, and her involvement in various charity and philanthropic organizations.

And she takes us back to:

yikes! Sandy's teenage parents divorced and she was forced to move about between her grandmother and birth father as she grew up-- eventually taking on parental duties for her siblings at age 11.

Sandra was heavily influenced by her grandmothers who taught her about cooking, baking, decorating and fashion (she described each one as "fabulous" during different times of the interview).

After a stint at college in Wisconsin, Sandy moved back to LA and immediately thought: Hey, I need some window treatments.

I'm sure that's the first thing starving actors think of when they move to LA. As I showed you before, the system worked well and Sandy's uncle "knew a welder" who decided to jerry-rig some up for her so she could take them down to the LA County Fair (another event I'm sure people immediately think of when LA is mentioned... county fairs).

Blah, blah... one thing led to another and they were well-received. Ladies desperate to hang sheets on their windows lined up for miles to buy them. Sandra was ready to sell her invention to Wal-Mart and be done with it, right?!

Wrong. No retailer would purchase the coat hanger system. It was unproven. That made Sandra sad.

She may not look all that sad there, but she was. Imagine if "Semi-homemade" was in black & white! How would she coordinate!?! Anyhow, I'm off-topic. Back to her invention.

Sandy decided the next best thing would be an infomercial. She professionally pined-after (read: stalked endlessly) her idol Florence Henderson to serve as host. Only thing was, Flo wasn't having it.


Somehow Florence came to her senses and realized that if she could peddle denture adhesive, she was pretty much game for anything. She did the infomercial, dubbed KURTAIN KRAFT.



Now, I don't think it's ever mentioned why she chose to use a "K" for all the "C" words, but I've learned not to question Aunt Sandy's reasoning--especially after downing a few of her cocktails.

The infomercial--which cost something like $50 thousand of her "own money"--was a "complete success."

As you can see..



Just take it all in. Take it ALL in.


For real, take another look.

Look at how comfy Flo is sitting on that window bench--legs pressed together so tightly that Mike Brady woulda never...um, never mind...Sandy's hand resting so delicately upon her thigh. It just conveys a sense of... KRAZINESS.

Ahh! I gotta stop looking. Anyhow, this infomercial led Sandra into the idea that she could host a "lifestyle and garden show" called Simply Living.

This was also her chance to show off a fancy new look:




Close? There were some other Celine shots throughout the Chefography, but this one took the whipped topping-topped cake.

Anyhow, this idea tanked. Food Network ended up offering her a show that allowed her to incorporate "some of her decorating ideas" as long as she cooked. Well, by this time she'd already taken a 2-week course spent some time training at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Canada and was ready for the challenge.

Overall, the special was fun and entertaining. I know people are complaining about how she leaves out "the wallet" ex-husband of hers, but that would have brought down the entire show. She'd have had to drink to a few extra cosmotinis to get through all that.

And that is something I wasn't ready to see.

PS- I should mention that Sandra Lee mentors and gives to the Project Angel Food fund. While both are worthy causes, they don't really fit in with a comical review. Hope you all can forgive me:-)

Saturday is Bobby Deen Day

45 comments thus far on my "Bobby Deen is Looking for Love" post back in September. Keep 'em coming!

I was in Savannah, Georgia yesturday and wen't and ate at Lady and sons. While I was there Bobby showed up.He's a total gentleman that was willing to take as many pictures and sign as many autographs as we wanted.Those of yall who don't like the way he talks don't come south than, because thats all yall are going to hear. I may only be 15 years old but I know a true southern gentleman when I see one... and Bobby is definently one.He's so sweet and knows how to treat his fans. KEEP BEING YOURSELF BOBBY. THAT'S WHAT US TRUE SOUTHERN WOMEN LIKE !!!!

Thanks, Emily, for the insight. Bobby sounds sweet.

Tyler Parties It Up & Sandra's Kurtain Kuestion

Tyler Florence's Chefography was on last night. Wasn't he just cute as a button back in the day? Since then, he's managed to go from a button-up-shirt size button to the kind of button on a big, wintry peacoat, and back again. Oh well... I'm sure there's some ladies out there who'd just like Tyler to loosen up some buttons.

First Pussycat Dolls reference on this blog!

These photos come from Tyler's blog entry about his birthday. His son Miles and wife Tolan got him a Vespa, which is a cute image to have on a Thursday.

I've been reading some of the commentary on Sandra Lee's Chefography on TWoP (thanks Jordan) and am intrigued. She supposedly left out the section of her life that talks about her marriage to and subsequent divorce from "the wallet" (what her critics refer to the ex who possibly financed many of Sandra's projects).

What I want to know is, how is this supposed to make my windows look nice?

This lil' invention made Sandra $60,000 the first weekend it went on sale? Looks kind of like some medieval, S&M, semi-homemade torture set and hamster wheel.

But if that's your thing, it's currently going for about $12.95 on eBay! :-)

It's sunny and nice out so I doubt I'll be watching a lo of TV the rest of the day. I don't even know which Chefographys are on tonight! I'll have to just catch the Chefograthon this weekend.

Someone's Looking Out for Sandra

Curses! I was waiting to post until later today, after I had a chance to review Sandra's Chefography. And what do you know, the show is nowhere to be found on my DVR!!!!!




Sandra looks good as Nelson, doesn't she? :-) I guess Aunt Sandy will get off easy this time.

From the comments, it sounds like it was entertaining. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to some extensive review today:-/ Unlike Rachael, there's a lot I don't know about Sandra Lee so I'll make SURE the next time it's on my DVR tapes it.

Get In Touch with Aunt Sandy

Sandra Lee's Chefography is on tonight, but luckily TV Guide provides us with some tidbits before it airs. Among them, Sandra "loves the guy on Ace of Cakes"!!!!!


Sandra also likes Iron Chef, but wouldn't give out any opinions on any other fellow Food Network stars. Oh well.

In the interview, Sandra talks about her tumultuous childhood, her start in the food and craft business and what keeps her going today.

As easy as it is for people to make fun of Sandra Lee, I think this interview and TV special will be good for her and perhaps show another side of Aunt Sandy-- the side that doesn't mix Kahlua and Jack in her cheerios for fun.

I don't know if I'll be making it to see Robin Miller tonight at Sur La Table. I don't plan on shelling out the 18 bucks for her cookbook and I think a dinner out and concert sounds more exciting. Sorry Robin! Catch ya on the flip side.

Surround Yourself in Ina's Love

This is a good article from the Star News Online (oh my god, she's doing it to me too with the "good _______") about Ina Garten, her background and why she's so well-liked by her fans.

The article also gives some added information on her husband Jeffrey's role within Ina's world (her "primary investor and advisor") and business partner/friend Frank Newbold, who regularly appears on her show.

The best bit of information is that Ina is expanding into 360 degrees!




By year-end, Ms. Garten’s setting will change. She is building a large barn just south of her home that will house a television kitchen, allowing shows to be filmed from a 360-degree angle.

Wow! Ina from all angles! I can't wait, as I'm sure this new kitchen will be even bigger and more extravagant (I want six ovens!).

The article is a nice pre-read to Ina's Chefography, which airs tonight on the Food Network.

Should I Go See Robin Miller this Tues?

I read this Washingtonian story a few days ago about "Food Networkers" coming to DC soon for various events and felt a (slight) tinge of excitement. Up first is Robin Miller, who's making an appearnce this Tuesday at the Pentagon City Sur La Table (the same place as Ina's last signing that I tried to intercept).



It's Sunday--the day of rest-- so forgive me for no funny arrows or captions:-/

"Skeletor" (I think that's a copyrighted TWoP term) will be doing a cooking demo and book signing from 6-8 p.m. (much better hours than Ina's 12-2 p.m. on a work day).

Just like Ina's signing, I think it'd be fun to go just to check out the crowd. I sort of feel obligated to go since I have this blog, she's in town, and I didn't see her while I was in South Beach.

Hmm.... what to do, what to do? It'd be worth if for the candid photo opportunity, I'm sure.

• Paula Deen will be here April 18 to promote her new memoir, It Ain't All About the Cookin' in a live interview. I feel bad saying this, but unless Bobby Deen shows up... I think I saw all I needed to know during the Oprah interview. :-)
• Masaharu Morimoto will be here May 12 as part of the Smithsonian's "Japan WOW! From Traditions to Trends" series. That'd be fun. We'll see. I have some time to marinate on this one.

Also, Rachael's Chefography is on tonight. I'll probably watch, but i'm wondering if any new information will be shared that I don't already know. Hmm... anyhow, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Video from FNSBW&FF

Lauren was nice enough to send me this video from the 2007 FNSBW&FF. It's got a lot of great footage of Martha, Paula, Giada and other food tv/FN celebs.



I love the "incarcerated" line by Martha!

Lauren has a fun Web site and online cooking show called College Bites that "aims to teach college students how to become kitchen experts." She also has a lot of photos up of her on the red carpet at the recent Food Network Awards and food tips and recipes.

As you probably know, Dave Lieberman got his start doing a college-based cooking show while studying at Yale. Next thing he knew he was written about in the New York Times and the rest was food network history.

Enjoy the video and enjoy your Saturday! Thanks again, Lauren.

Can You Even Believe It's Sandra Lee?

I thought my Friday might end up ruined due to the rain/snow mix we're currently experiencing in D.C., but luckily I found this:



You may remember my post back in October about Sandra's Halloween special, but you really must see her live in action to truly appreciate all that is Sandra Lee and her Semi-homemade sassiness.

So, I may just have to stay in this Friday. It's too cold to mess around.

Break out the cocktails, everyone-- it's the weekend!

Paula Gets her Hubby Into the Game

Well, Paula has brought ole Michael Groover, her husband, into the brand game! He's partnering with Savannah Coffee Roasters to create a line of coffee called "Captain Michael's of Savannah."



In case you were wondering, Michael is (was?) a harbor ship pilot. I can't imagine he has much time to be out on ships, now with all of the promotional appearances he goes to with Paula.

Also, in case you were wondering, yes, all captains must look like Captain Edward J. Smith of the Titanic.

I saw a lil' ad for this Captain Michael and his special coffe on Paula Deen's Web site, so check it out. You all. :-)

Who will be Ina's date?

Congratulations to Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Michael Chiarello, Emeril Lagasse, and my fave Ina Garten for receiving Daytime Emmy nominations for their respective Food Network shows.




A list of all the nominations is available here.

True, a lot of the awards are going to the show itself or, in some cases, people other than the host who work on the show. Still, it's a honor just to be nominated, right?

I wonder who Ina will take to the awards? I'm voting for that T.R./P.R./whatever his initials are-guy. I'm sure jOffrey will be out out town.

Here's some more FN-related nominees:

Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Photography (Film or Electronic)

EVERYDAY ITALIAN * FOOD
RICHARD DALLETT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Outstanding Lifestyle Directing

EASY ENTERTAINING WITH MICHAEL CHIARELLO * FOOD
NATALIE GUSTAFSON, DIRECTOR

Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Editing

EVERYDAY ITALIAN * FOOD
ROBERT KRISCH, EDITOR
MICHAEL SELLERS, EDITOR

Outstanding Lifestyle Host

ESSENCE OF EMERIL * FOOD
EMERIL LAGASSE, HOST

THE MARTHA STEWART SHOW * SYN
MARTHA STEWART, HOST

PAULA'S HOME COOKING * FOOD
PAULA DEEN, HOST

Outstanding Lifestyle Program

BAREFOOT CONTESSA * FOOD
RACHEL PURNELL, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
OLIVIA BALL, SUPERVISING PRODUCER
SOPHIE SEIDEN, PRODUCER
CARL GREEN, PRODUCER

PAULA'S HOME COOKING * FOOD
GORDON ELLIOT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
MARK SCHNEIDER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
JESSICA SHWEKY, PRODUCER
AIMEE ROSEN, PRODUCER

An Idea for Sandra

No post yesterday? What's the matter with me?! Well, here's an early one to hopefully make up for it. This time change is screwing with me worse than ever before.

Anyhow, perhaps you've heard that Giada De Laurentioli has teamed up with PYREX (you know, the maker of glass bakeware) and you have the chance to win a dinner party with Giada herself!



I guess this turned-to-the-side, I love looking at my own name photo was the best one they could find for marketing purposes. Hmm...

Not to be outdone, I think I have the perfect product for Sandra Lee to lend her name to...



No, not that kind of silicone. Get your mind out of the gutter.



That kind of silicone! It'd be a fight to the finish to see which FN star--Giada or Sandra--could best promote the benefits of Pyrex or silicone. Right?

Sandra's could even come in awesome colors (to match your outfit, curtains and plate chargers) and shapes such as bunny rabbits and martini glasses.

Seriously. When can I become a brand executive?

Dave says "Here's to Beer!"

Dave Lieberman is starting to become quite the food & Internet mogul. First, he debuted "Eat This," a Web-based show featuring short "webisodes" of fun food-related fidings and information. That was followed up by a second "season" called "Dave Does" (both appeared on the Food Network's Web site).

Now he's teaching us all about beer in this handy online tutorial at Here's to Beer.



I like a dressed up Dave. Sometimes we tire of seeing him in the same purple polo.

I haven't gone through the entire "course," but I've already learned a lot about "hops" and yeast and all of those other... things... that go into making beer.



The site is incredibly interactive and includes an animated Dave that guides you through the entire course. He even quizzes you and chides you if you answer incorrectly!

More to come as I explore the site a bit more. Let me know what you think!

One more thing...

UPDATE: Perhaps this post should have been titled "Two more things...". Hmm... it was late.

Good Sunday evening! Did you have a fun weekend? Sorry for no Friday post, but I just wasn't feeling any inspiration. It had been a very long week.

Anyhow, just two more things related to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival that I forgot to mention:

1. Alton Brown is great to his fans.





Any chance he could get, Alton would be taking photos and signing autographs. I joke here about the "man crushes," but I really think Alton was one of the few chefs that the male attendees were dying to get a photo with. I just didn't see the same kind of adoration for, say, Bob Flaymaster.

I wanted to say hi to Alton at the Food Network Awards afterparty, but he was swamped. Ace of Cakes star (and my pal) Mary Alice and her husband are super Alton fans, but I didn't want to walk up and say, "Hi Alton, you know on the show 'Ace of Cakes' there's that Mary Alice? Well, she likes you. Oh, and so does her husband. And you're not too bad by me, either."

I think I was just too freaked after my rambling episode with Dave earlier (luckily his head nod to me at the party was enough and I didn't want to spoil it with some attempt at conversation).

2. My Flickr Page of Festival Photos

I want to invite you all to check out all my photos from the festival at my Flickr Page. They haven't been Photoshopped or anything, so forgive me for the bad quality.

There's lots more of Giada, Michael Chiarello, Paula Deen, Ina Garten (I wish; she wasn't there), Tyler Florence, and more. Check 'em out!

Okay, this time change is wearing me down. I gotta hit the hay!

Will there be Mary Alice Commentaries?

Make sure to pre-order your Ace of Cakes DVD box set and collectible drumsticks at the Food Network Store.



I'm so happy that Ace has stepped into the DVD world (and I know Amanda will be, too). Does this mean un-edited footage (no bleeps over the swear words)? Mary Alice commentaries and behind-the-scenes footage? Coupon for a free sample?

I hope so.

The drumsticks are kinda funny, I suppose.

Not really much else to report today. Unlike last week, this week is taking forever:-/

On Jordan's suggestion, I finally checked out Television Without Pity and its forums last night. I have known about it for a while, but just never got around to it.

Jeez! I thought I dissected the FN shows! The people who post on there are tough. And I might just love it. More to come on that.

Ta ta.

When Did Robin Miller Become Holly Hunter?

That Food Network certainly is pushing Miss Robin Miller these days, aren't they? When did she get all Holly Hunter with herself? :-)

I think with the inevitable decrease in available time on Rachael's schedule, they're turning to the next "quick and easy" gal! Robin Miller!

I think I've mentioned before that I rarely watch her show. I've chalked it up to the fact that I don't have kids or the desire to prep a full week's worth of meals on Sunday night, freeze 'em, and throw things together throughout the week. I think her ideas are great for busy moms and people who need big meals every night of the week to feed their huge families.

Maybe I'm wrong. I have caught a few bits here and there. She was one of the few FN stars I didn't see the whole time I was in South Beach. I should have gone just to see what her crowd looked like.

I have looked at her online cookbook and it actually looks pretty good. I've already made the Salmon Cakes with Sesame Wasabi Cream (but I just skipped ahead and made them right off the bat and didn't "morph" it from a previous meal).

What are your thoughts on Robin?

OH, and for you Iron Chef fans, Food Network Canada's blog Food For Thought has a cool behind-the-scenes recap of writer Catherine Jheon's trip to a taping. Unfortunately for we USAers, the episode she describes is not airing tonight in the states.

It's snowing here! I miss the sun!

Day 2 of the FNSBW&FF

It's hard to believe that a full week of posting only covered the first day of the festival. If you're bored, I think this one post will pretty much sum up the second (and final day...for me) of the festival.

I hit the beach early (a.k.a. 11 AM) to get a good spot at Rachael Ray's cooking demo.




Her crowd was huge (as you can imagine) and everyone was very eager for RayRay to come onstage. For those who didn't catch her at the festival opening's Burger Bash or her book signing the day before, this was the first time they'd be seeing her.

Rachael was introduced by a former intern and now current employee of the festival, as well as festival director Lee Shrager. Both praised Ray's dedication to the festival throughout the years and remarked on just how much her popularity has grown these past few years.

Rachael gave everyone a warm welcome and launched into her menu quickly. It's amazing how "second nature" this appeared for Rachael, as she was the hands-down champion of both cooking and engaging with the audience simultaneously.

Even when her audience wasn't all that engaging.

Rachael has become such a celebricook that her audience was most interested in simply being in her presence. Rachael took continuous questions throughout her entire demonstration, despite the majority of them being something like:

"I watch you all the time and would love for you to autograph my _________."

or

"It's my dream in life to have a picture with you, Rachael."

Okay, these are not questions, people. And they're also not the easiest things to do (take photos and sign stuff) while cooking! Still, Rachael was immensely generous and pretty much fulfilled everyone's photo/autograph request.

She kept answering the same questions she gets asked by every newspaper, TV, whatever interview, and let us know that she'd be having children "never." :-)

It was driving me crazy, so I had to think of something relevant and smart to ask. Something that any old fan wouldn't think of.

Unfortunately, the only thing coming to mind was her wax figure (it had just been unveiled that week). So I yelled out, "How does it feel having your own wax figure" or something like that.

"Creepy," Rachael replied. Then she said something about how great a job they did and how she and "wax Rachael" went to an event together that week.

Then someone chimed in with another, "Can you sign my _____?"

Oh well. Rachael had to literally jet and get to the Oscar's, so her Sunday presence was limited to that hour in the morning. Still, she's great to see in person and truly a professional when it comes to dealing with the fans, keeping a segment moving and making things fun. I'm so happy I had the chance to see her "do her thing" in person.

The other big event I wanted to catch on Sunday was Nigella Lawson's question and answer session. She elected not to cook and instead fielded questions from her large crowd. And it was really fun.

All the KitchenAid kitchens had these large, diagonal mirrors above the counters so audience members could see what the chef was doing (kind of like those overhead shots a lot of FN shows employ). Well, as I've mentioned, many attendees were there for reasons other than finding out what kind of onion was being sauteed.

For Nigella, those mirrors served another purpose:



Haha! I'm a dork, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who looked.

Nigella was great with the crowd and was actually quite helpful, as her audience had real questions to ask for a change.

Nigella on men:

"Women don't know that men can think about nothing. We're always asking, 'What are you thinking about?' and then getting upset when they say 'nothing'. If they're watching a football match, they're just watching a football match. They're all surface and I love them for it."

I don't really remember what that was in reference to, but I have it recorded and thought it was funny.

She also fielded a lot of great questions about her favorite chefs, her penchant for purchasing cookbooks late at night online, and her feelings about American cooking.

One of the most intriguing things I heard her talk about was how the popularity of Italian cooking in the west actually influenced the UK and created more interest in Italian cooking than Italy itself-- and Italy it much closer to the UK than California!

She spoke so casually and elegantly and really is a goddess, if I must say.

Sunday also included more and more tasting in the grand tasting tents. Heaven.

I also caught a bit of Dave's cooking battle, but had to leave early. He seemed really "tired" and wasn't that into it, anyhow.

Sunday was a bit shorter of a day for us. We were pretty dead from the after party still.

Luckily, we had an amazing dinner at Spiga that night and had a little more time to enjoy South Beach before returning home.

I'm being honest when I give my highest praise to this festival. It was amazing experience and I hope to make it back next year.

The Rachael Ray Sux Community Is Going to Go Bonkers Over This...

Page Six reports that Rachael Ray was attacked and bit by a dog last Saturday in Union Square Park, trying to defend her beloved Isaboo:

According to the TV host's rep, "This dog came up - there was no owner in sight - and became aggressive. Rachael and some others shooed it away, but it came back and attacked Isaboo. Other dogs were involved, and Rachael jumped in and was bit by one of the dogs on the leg. A nurse was in the park and checked her out. She's fine."

I'm glad that everything is okay, but am worried about what the RRSux people will say about this. I'm sure that because she's alright they'll have no problem saying it's hilarious:-/

I like dogs, but don't like them unleashed. I don't care how tame or trained they are. Doesn't the owner know that there are some rich people in New York willing to sue over much less than a dog bite? Sheesh.

American Express Grand Tasting Tents

The Publix Grand Tasting Village and the American Express Grand Tasting tents are the centerpiece of the entire FNSBW&FF. More than 18,000 attendees over three days flocked to the hundreds of restaurant, wine and spirit exhibitors to try samples of fine food, delicious wines, new and inventive liquors and some things that aren't even on the market, yet.



But before the Grand Tasting tents opened, a few other exhibitors were out on the beach passing out some delicious items.

By 11 a.m. I still hadn't eaten anything (had to save room, you know) and was starving. One of the first things I tried was a whole grain chicken salad with gazpacho and jicama salad. Now that's different than your everyday Eggo.



Surprised that nearly 20,000 people come here in February when it's freezing in most of the country?

So, what is one to eat immediately after something like that? Ice cream, of course.

[Photo via Side Salad]

Dark chocolate pomegranate! I saw people gobbling these up the entire festival. Didn't matter if they had a pint of Amstel Light in one hand and a glass of chardonnay in the other. These were a huge hit.

Speaking of Amstel Light, did I mention that it was flowing non-stop all weekend? Free with your admission.


Inside the tents, food was the major attraction. Still, wine and liquor had a major presence.





For me, this (and the "Experience France" exhibit) was more than enough wine to get a good taste of wines of the world. However, there are major wine tastings that go on at the Miami Convention Center each day... if that's your thing, and for many people-- it is.






It's overwhelming, isn't it? But so much fun. There was a giant raised platform with a DJ and open bar inside of the tents, complete with crazy dancers.



Also, the "Future Brands" tent (placed in-between entrances of the two giant tasting tents) had such a crowd I never made it inside to sample some liquors that aren't available to the generally public. Shoot!


One of the my favorite things I tried was a chocolate truffle from Romanicos Chocolate. It was only 30 calories, was made with no butter, and had no added sugar, yet still was delicious!

Alcohol-wise, I had a green tea vodka lemonade and a new kind of Tommy Bahama dark rum that I really liked.

I only heard a few complaints while inside the tents... mostly about the massive crowd and how loud it was. I admit that due to the number of people it made it hard to ask questions to the exhibitors or find out anything about what you were trying. Mostly people would just squeeze up to the table, grab the small plate or little cup and move out of the way.

I'm sure exhibitors would have appreciated a little bit more face time with the tasters, as the whole point is to build some recognition for their restaurant/company/etc. Unfortunately, many just ate or drank without any knowledge of the company (or in some cases the ingredients themselves).

Even with those few complaints, the Grand Tasting Village is totally worth the $137.50. Many people went straight to the bar at 1 p.m. and stayed until they got kicked out around 5. And the best part is, if you come back the next day you get to eat more of what you liked the day before!

Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday, Tyler Florence! He's 36 years young today.

He was great to see at the festival and is always the consummate professional.

Sounds like he had a nice time, too. He's good about keeping his blog updated:

We had a wonderful time at this years South Beach Food & Wine Festival. It was nice to see all of my Food Network friends and spend some time together. It was especially nice for everyone to see my wife's growing belly. By far our highlight of the weekend would have to be EJ, Emeril's son. Talk about a personality. That boy is hysterical, loves Elvis, sings Hound Dog, and wants to have a restaurant one day of his own with a "Big Old E" hanging on the front door. It was so much fun to spend time being entertained by him.

We had some wonderful dinners in Miami. Thursday night we went to Table 8 with Cat Cora, and Dave Lieberman. It was outstanding. Our friend Govind Armstrong has outdone himself with the menu. Saturday night we went to Prime 112 with Giada and her husband Todd. It is a great place to grab a steak next time you're in South Beach. Sunday night we had an amazing dinner at Casa Tua with Michael Chiarello and his wife Eileen. We were anxious to catch up with both of them since they are our new neighbors in California.

And news on his show, Tyler's Ultimate:

I'll be home for a few weeks, with a small trip to the Housewares Show in Chicago and then back to New York to shoot another season of Tyler's Ultimate. We've taken all of your requests and come up with some great new episodes, and recipes. I'm excited to get back in to the studio for more shows...Tyler

FNSBW&FF... More Photos

I planned on writing about the Publix Grand Tasting Village today, but silly me forgot my pictures and notes (I carried digital recorder with me during the whole event so I wouldn't forget what I was trying, which restaurant it was from, etc.) on another computer.

In that case, let us bask in some more pictures from the festival.

What is it about Paula Deen that makes men want to feel her up?




Last year it was Alton; this year Robert can't keep his paws to himself.

Giada and Bobby also hit up the American Express Chefs' Private Party before I saw them at the Food Network Awards After Party.




By the looks of it, Bobby was having a great time trying to get close with his fellow FN-star. Giada would have none of that, though! When I saw her she was hand-in-hand with her husband, on the other side of the hall as the Flayster.

I was already lovin' Tyler a lot more than I had been before attending the festival, however pics like this really seal the deal.




He's just a man's man, isn't he? He can cook and chug a beer at the same time. Women at his demos would literally beg for him to just come to their homes and cook for them. It was sad. This one lady on Saturday said it was her "fantasy" to have Tyler come to her house and cook a "pierna" (which means "leg" in Spanish). Are your stomachs growling over that one, yet?

Tyler casually responded: "Yeah, maybe that'll happen" and attempted to move on.



[Photos Source, Source]

Maybe he was drinking over the thought of becoming a father once again? His wife Tolan was there with him at the festival, but I missed her. No wine for her, but hopefully she indulged in the food portion of the festival.

It was a surprising 60 degrees here today in DC. Not quite the same as the Miami weather, but it's nice nonetheless. I'm glad it's Friday... I still need to unpack!

Hope everyone has a fun weekend!