Today was the first day of the Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival. As a blogger for PlumTV, I am attending the event to photograph and write. The real-deal blogging won’t happen until after the event is over, but I thought I’d share a few images from today. Even though the weather has been cold and raining (the event is held outside in a large tent) the festival-goers seemed spirited, and, well, festive. I am back from day one with a very full stomach and a dizzy array of wines running through my system. The highlights of today? I’d say the “Gelato di Limoncello con Fragole” from cook Christina Ceccatelli, and Phantom Hill Winery’s Pinot Grigio – but not paired together. More to come tomorrow!
Updated 6/22/09: here is my post from day one!
I am not an adventurous eater. I’ll put it right out there and say that chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese are right up there on my list of favorite foods. This fact lingered in the back of my mind as I contemplated a weekend of true foodery – the 3rd Annual Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival.
The Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival consists of two days of chef demonstrations, tastings and wine pairings. It draws chefs both locally and nationally, descending on Sun Valley with their favorite recipes and their mad chopping skills. This year’s festival had a little surprise on the menu – rain.
The weekend kicked off on Friday night with a VIP Sponsor Reception at the Knob Hill Inn. Delicious steak and mushroom sandwiches were complimented by selections from Idaho’s 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. While waiting in line for my first glass of the weekend, I chatted with the event coordinator from the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce. ”Try the Rose,” she suggested. ”Everyone’s talking about it.” After my first sip I smiled broadly over the pink liquid. It was dry and not too sweet – my idea of the perfect Rose.
On Friday evening a heavy rainstorm knocked out power to much of Ketchum – including those restaurants serving Vintner Dinners. Festival-goers laughed about the minor issue as the demonstrations began Saturday morning. The event was held in a large tent on the lawn of Sun Valley’s Dollar Lodge. Folks sipped coffee and huddled around ground heaters while struggling to hear the first chef, Riccabona’s Brent Rasmussen, over the pouring rain. Not the best weather for the event, I’ll grant you, but once the food and wine started flowing it hardly seemed to matter.
Chef Rasmussen’s delightful Morel Mushroom Quiche was followed by Dungeness Crab dishes created by Portland chefs Vitaly and Kimberly Paley. The dishes were paired with wines from Phantom Hill (OR) and their Pinot Grigio hit my taste buds just right. This usually white wine had a pink tint thanks to the “cold soak” on dry ice as the grapes made their way from Idaho to the Oregon winery.
Next, il Naso’s chef Doug Jensen taught me a useful cooking lesson while preparing summer bruchetta. After heating bread, peeled garlic gloves can be rubbed directly onto the surface – and the garlic melts right on. ”Now this,” I thought to myself, “is my kind of cooking.”
The afternoon continued with Rack of Lamb from local restaurateur Tom Nickels, and Wild Mushroom Strudel with Wild Watercress Salad from Ketchum Grill’s Scott Mason. I particularly enjoyed the taste contrast of the watercress (picked from the creek near St Luke’s Hospital in Ketchum) with the sweet strudel. After being jokingly mocked for claiming that strudel is a breakfast food, I am ready to concede that it has other places at the dinner table.
Cristina Ceccatelli, cook and owner of Cristina’s Restaurant, took the demonstration stage in front of a rapt audience. With an offering like “Gelato di Limoncello con Fragole,” who wouldn’t be excited. Speaking in a thick Italian accent, Cristina led us through the process of creating the perfect gelato. Once it was done I gladly helped myself to seconds. It was heavenly.
Wrapping up day one, Viking chef Vaughn Hobbs took us through four courses. As he took the stage, the Viking emcee remarked “Never trust a skinny chef!” Chef Vaughn, as he is known, is a portly chef with a flair for showmanship. Viking, which was a major sponsor of the event and provided all the cooking equipment, really put on an entertaining show. The final demonstration included the ability of a Viking range to melt chocolate chips…on a paper plate. We were rewarded with help-yourself chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.
As other festival goers headed to a night of Vintner Dinners, I headed home to rest my stomach for day two.
See this post on my PlumTV Blog.









