Epcot Food & Wine 2014 : A Worldly Experience

Because food events follow us everywhere we go, it was only natural that on our impromptu trip to Disney world we came across the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. I had gone to Epcot as a child, but didn't remember a thing about my experience because I was too young to remember. This was a nice way to freshen the memory in my mind! 

Beautiful View of the bridges...feel like we are in Europe! 

Food & Wine Festival here we come! 

Due to our excitement over this event, and our extreme hunger, we got food from the first country we saw! Luckily, our selection did not disappoint us.

Canada - Seared Raindow Trout with Bacon, Frisee and L8 Harvest, Minus 8 Vinaigrette
& Apple Ice Wine 

There was much debate in selecting the dish from Canada because the woman working the booth raved about the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, which to us sounded WAY too hot and heavy for a hot humid day. I was leaning towards the Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with truffle butter sauce, but my fiancé is allergic to mushrooms, so we couldn't get this dish either. We settled on the Seared Rainbow Trout with bacon & frisee, to compliment both of our tastes and allergies. After the first bite, we were both pleasantly surprised at how full of flavor and delicious this dish was. The addition of bacon to a fish dish was a very glutinous approach because generally fish is considered a lighter entree. The seasoning and sauce on the trout made every bite more and more tasty. We were both very impressed with this dish, especially because fish cooked at a food event can easily be overcooked, and this was definitely cooked just right.
Additionally we paired this tasting with a beverage. I had apple ice wine which was very sweet and a delicacy since ice wine is created during the first frost of the season and is considered rare. I was happy to see ice wine at Epcot, because it reminded me of trips to Canada with my family where we visited vineyards and sampled tons of ice wine.

The Greece Selections

Our next stop, Greece was one of my favorite stands. Every summer in my hometown there is a Greek Festival near my parent's house, which I miss dearly, and wish I could plan my visits around the festival! I was excited for this stand because I could have my authentic Greek food in a festival setting just like that home.

Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios & Honey
 Vegetarian Moussaka
Paired with  Tzatziki Martini featuring Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka and Bols Natural Yogurt Liqueur

I am glad after the hesitation of my fiancé and also our friend, that we ordered the griddled Greek cheese. I knew from my experience in Greektown in Detroit that this type of Greek cheese could not be missed. This was much better than I have previously had because it was melty (not too much, unlike other places, where it hardens up immediately). It was seasoned with pistachios and honey which was also really unique and reminded me of baklava, but on cheese. The sweet and the crunchy mixed with the rich cheesy flavor was to die for!
The vegetarian moussaka was like a potato parmesan with eggplant mixed in. It was delicious! My fiancé had never had moussaka before and he loved it! It was heavy for a hot day, but still very good and hearty.
The martini we paired with this, was "interesting". It was basically a tzatziki martini which neither of us had heard of before so we figured it was worth trying. It was a little too milky for a martini, I think we will both stick to a more clear based martini in the future.

Close Up of the Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios & Honey

Close up of the Vegetarian Moussaka

Next up Puerto Rico!

Puerto Rico

Slow Braised Beef with Puerto Rican Grown Rice
Drink Pairing: San Juan Breeze with a Don Q Limon / Chilled Club Caribe Mango Rum / Gasolina Sangriia Cocktail

We went to the Puerto Rican booth mostly because the drinks sounded phenominal and the music was fun. The only good thing in the end was the drinks! The slow braised beef was tough and overly cooked. It was lacking flavor as well. This was one of those dishes where I would rather eat the rice dipped with the sauce, than the actual  meat.
The drinks, however, were good! Because there were 3 of us, we had a sampling of all 3 drinks being offered. The San Juan Breeze with Don Q Limon was girly, sweet, and reminded me of a lemon  pina colada. It was refreshing and very tropical. The Chilled Club Caribe Mango rum was served as a shot without any mixtures. Much too strong for my taste, but my fiancé loved it! The Gasolina Sangriia cocktail was more of a juicy version of a sangriia and was a little thicker. I wouldn't say this was the best sangria I have ever had, because it was much too juicy and sweet for me, but it was refreshing in the setting.

Food & Wine Festival! 

Australia

Next up Australia!

Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies
Paired with: Nine Stones Shiraz 

Australia was the most talked about booth. Everyone raved about the lamb chop, and we HAD to make sure we tried it. This tasting was definitely worth all the hype! It was a grilled lamb chop topped with mint pesto, and potato crunches (broken chips). It was a very unique way of serving lamb chop, especially because I am a lover of mint jelly on my lamb chops. Adding pesto to the mix was a new twist on a traditional dish. My fiancé doesn't normally like mint jelly on his lamb chops, but this mixture of mint and pesto did just the trick! He loved it! The potato crunchies added the perfect crunch and level of salt to the dish.

China

China!

Mongolian Beef in a Steam Bun with Chili Mayo / Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce
Paired with: Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Red 

Because of our love for steamed buns, we had to make sure to try both options for steamed buns at the China booth! Based on the description, and perhaps even the look of both buns, one may expect them not to be extremely different in flavor, and that was definitely not the case! My fiancé and I have different opinions on which was better, but at least we both agree that they were delicious.
The Mongolian beef had chili mayo on it with some vegetable mixed in. Also, there was a splash of Sriracha on it to add to the spicy flavor. The vegetables added a nice textural bite to the bun. This bun was delicious, but very messy due to all the sauces that covered the meat. All in all, a delicious bun!
The Beijing roasted duck bun was more of a sweet bun because of the Hoisin Sauce, which I love! Generally, I tend to favor spicy food, but in this case, the Hoisin sauce won me over. My fiancé felt that this bun needed some Sriracha to make it a good bun, which he added and loved.

Ben in front of the Shinto House

Japan

Next up Japan!

Spicy Hand Roll - Tuna and Salmon with Kazan Volcano Sauce
Paired with: Sake 

All in all, Japan was the most disappointing booth. Before we even arrived at Epcot, we discussed how we weren't going to get food that we can get back in New York, especially sushi, and in the heat of the moment we went for it anyway because it sounded good.
We ordered the spicy hand roll to share, which was covered in so much spicy mayo that we were not able to get any flavor from anything else. It tasted like rice covered in spicy mayo. Pretty disappointing.
However, the sake we drank with this dish made up for it, since I never turn down Sake. :)

Belgium

Next up Belgium..

Potato and Leek Waffle

We hesitated to get food from Belgium because we were all starting to feel full. We decided that if we were going to eat anything, it had to be truly amazing and worth the room in our stomaches. As we were analyzing the menu, many people recommended we try it. So we decided, perhaps that it was worth it.
Unfortunately, the dish we ordered at the Belgium booth did not live up to the hype. We had ordered the potato and leek waffle, which lacked flavor completely, and was like eating the filling of a shepherds pie on top of a waffle. In theory, it sounded adventurous and great, but in practice, not so much. Never again!

Brazil

Brazil...

Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans Tomato & Cilantro / Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Paired with: Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaca 

At Brazil, we ordered the Crispy pork belly, which didn't even live up to its title. It was not crispy in the least bit, and lacked flavor. It was edible, but was not salty like pork should be, and tasted kind of bland. Normally, pork belly would be able to be eaten without toppings such as beans, tomato, and cilantro, but in this case, it needed those pairings to make it worth the while.
At the register we made an impulse purchase of Brazilian Cheese bread, which was light, fluffy, buttery, and filled with cheese. This was a delicious treat. Definitely something I'd like to have again.
The Caipirinha that we paired with the food was sweet and sour all at once. It was very refreshing. I could see myself drinking one of these on the beach in Rio.

France

France...

Tartlette aux Escargots - Escargot tart with garlic, spinach, bacon, and parmesan
Paired with: Cabernet Sauvignon, bordeaux, Chateau Bonnet 

By the time we stumbled upon France on our way out of Epcot, we were stuffed, but we knew we couldn't pass up on escargot. The escargot was served in a very unique way, which I had never seen before. It was served over top of a crispy flat bread, with the garlic sauce covering every inch. Bacon slices were laid on top of the creation.
This was a genius design, because every time I eat escargot I need bread to dip into the leftover garlic and sauce on the plate. This creation took all the guess work out of eating. All in all, the sauce was tasty with an extreme garlic flavor, however it was a little too salty for our taste.

The Epcot Globe 

Of all the booths we went to, Australia was definitely the winner! In my mind, China, Greece, and France were close runners up.

We enjoyed our experience at the Food & Wine Festival, and hope to be back again next year or many years to come!

Boulud Sud : A Birthday Dinner to Remember!

We wanted to check out one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants for my boyfriend's birthday dinner, and Boulud Sud  (20 West 64th St.) was the perfect choice!

From the moment we arrived we were escorted directly to our seat, however the hostess did not give us the prix fix menu that we saw being offered online and we had to wait for the waiter to come over and check on us to receive it. 

The prix fix menu had decent options, however most of the table chose to order a la carte because we wanted the opportunity to order freely. 

The main menu was divided up in 3 sections, the sea, the garden, and the land, with each being divided into courses. I thought this way of displaying the menu was quite interesting and unique. In some ways it made it harder to order because you had to look at each area for the appetizers and entrees to see all the options. In other ways it made it easier because you could make sure you were ordering appetizers from each area. 

The bread that was placed on the table while we were analyzing the menu set the standard for the meal from the very beginning because it was perfection. It was extremely garlicky in a great way with seasoning and salt giving it that extra added flavor and bite.

As per usual, my boyfriend and I ordered an assortment of appetizers instead of a main course to make sure we could taste as many different things as we could! 

Octopus a la Plancha - Marcona Almonds, Arugula, Jerez Vinegar

We started with the octopus, which is one of our favorite dishes to order when offered at a restaurant. It was prepared in a very unique way, where it was over an almond puree with clementines, arugula, and crunchy almonds. The almond puree was the consistency of smooth hummus, which offset the crunchiness of the actual almonds in the dish. The clementines and vinegar gave the perfect level of acidity to the dish and made me want to lick the bowl! And of course the octopus itself was cooked perfectly and there was a lot of it!

Mediterranean Mezze - Spicy Moroccan Hummus, Herb Falafel, Babaganoush

Secondly, we were given the mezze platter, which consisted of spicy Moroccan hummus, falafel, and babaganoush. I actually could have gone without this platter, as it was more disappointing than enjoyable. The hummus and the babaganoush were too seasoned with spices and just tasted weird. It was almost as though they had used whole bottles of spices on this dish and it was just too much!  The falafel was flavored with mint and cilantro, which was a nice touch and a little more unique than most falafel that I have had, but still too seasoned!

Sea Urchin and Crab Tartine - Green Olive, Lemon, Seaweed Rye Bread

Next we have the sea urchin and crab tartine which was the appetizer that I was most looking forward to because it sounded so unique! The crab and sea urchin itself was amazing with lemony citrus seasoning, however it was on top of rye bread that got a little soggy if you didn't eat it immediately upon arrival to the table. We unfortunately waited to eat this appetizer third, and wished we had eaten it first to preserve the crunchiness of the bread. We each got 1 crunchy tartine, and 1 soggy tartine, but all in all still delicious!

Stokes Farm Heirloom Tomato Salad - Watermelon, burrata, arugula pesto

Next we had the Stokes Farm heirloom tomato salad that was burrata atop a pesto puree and surrounded by heirloom tomatoes, croutons, and arugula. This dish was supposed to include watermelon and when we were all done eating we realized they were missing, which was quite disappointing because the sweetness was missing from the dish. The burrata bled out like it should when pricking it with a fork and was just what we were hoping for! The pesto made a very nice addition to the creaminess of the burrata and the tomatoes added the acidity that was needed. All in all, it was burrata done right! I would definitely reorder this one.

Chilled Lobster Salad "Catalan" - Artichokes, chorizo, crispy bomba rice

Oddly, the chilled lobster salad was the worst dish at the table! Normally lobster dishes are my favorite. The description made it sound great on paper, but in reality it was missing all the flavor and the addition of the artichoke was weird. The dish also did not have nearly enough lobster as it probably should have, as it basically was non existent. The crunchy bomba rice that sat atop the dish was a nice touch and added some nice texture. Additionally, the chorizo was delicious, but we didn't order a lobster salad for the chorizo!

Hand-Cut Beef Tartare - Charred scallion, eggplant, choron, espuma

 Lastly, the hand-cut beef tartare was delicious. It was prepared in more of a puree type of consistency with charred scallions mixed in. I didn't taste the sauces on the plate that came with it, since it was not my appetizer, so I cannot speak for that, but the actual tartare was divine and had a beautiful presentation.

Charred Broccoli Rabe - Pepperoncini peppers, crispy shallots

On the side, we had charred broccoli rabe which was served with pepperoncini peppers and crispy shallots mixed in. Definitely a dish that screamed "Carlen" because of the addition of spicy from the peppers and the crispy texture of the shallots to a savory dish. This was definitely a perfect way to enjoy already delicious vegetables. They were prepared in an oil base and we all enjoyed them.

Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes with Garlic Chips

For the other side, we had olive oil crushed potatoes with garlic chips mixed in. We originally thought we were ordering garlic chips based on the description, but were somewhat surprised when we received more of a mashed potato. They were the perfect level of garlic with many other spices that seasoned it quite nicely. The potatoes had a nice texture since they were not truly pureed like traditional mashed potatoes are.

Grapefruit Givre - Sesame halva, rose loukoum, grapefruit sorbet

For dessert, we ordered this dessert that we kept seeing everyone in the restaurant order and figured this must be the one to order! The grapefruit givre had phenomal presentation with even better taste! A grapefruit was stuffed with grapefruit sorbet and then topped with sesame halva. I don't even like grapefruit and I loved this dessert! The sorbet was so fresh and tart and the addition of the sweet halva was amazing. The halva had a cotton candy consistency which was pretty unique and made it fun to eat!

Chocolate Mousse

Lastly, we had the chocolate mousse. This dessert was equally beautiful and was rich as rich can be. It was creamy and tasted like the most divine chocolate mousse you could ever have. For chocolate lovers, this is your dessert!
I would definitely come here again, and would not skip dessert even if I was full because it cannot be missed! 

Annisa: Foodie Heaven

For my boyfriend's birthday we wanted to go somewhere special to celebrate, and Annisa (13 Barrow St. NY, New York) was the perfect choice! Chef Anita Lo, created a menu that is a combination of American, Asian, and French cuisine which are some of our favorites. The menu was to die for!  Annisa is an intimate, romantic, sophisticated, and quiet place. The service was impeccable down to every detail with our waiter being extremely knowledgeable and welcoming to any questions that we had. 

The menu and wine list were both reasonably priced. Bottles ranged from  as low as $40 and as high as $400. 

We decided to order the 5 course chef's tasting menu for $85 since everything on the menu sounded so good that we wanted to try a little bit of everything.  I am thrilled that they had a tasting menu because otherwise it would have been impossible to choose what to order. 

While waiting for our first course we were given bread that was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside which in my opinion is the best texture for bread. It was served with fresh, creamy butter that formed a curled shape. It was a gorgeous presentation, even though it was only butter! We were offered bread many times throughout the night, so they definitely were not stingy on the bread. My only complaint was I wish the bread was warm, and from the few times we had it, it never was. 

Foie gras treat on the house! Foie gras mousse with chives, dijon, & pickled plum in a waffle shell

At the beginning of our tasting we were given an additional course because we had mentioned that we had never been to Annisa and wanted to make sure we got to try the foie gras that we had heard so much about! We were served little waffle shells that were filled with foie gras mousse, chives, dijon, and pickle plum jelly. The foie gras was exceptional. It was creamy and extremely savory! The chives, dijon, and pickle plum jelly added to the flavor by adding a mixture of sweet and tart flavors to the mix. All in all, this was probably the best foie gras I have had in a long time, if not ever!

Black sea bass sashimi with trout roe, yuzu pearls and shiso

Our first course was the black sea bass sashimi. It was served with trout roe, yuzu pearls, and shiso. The citrus flavor from the yuzu added a nice freshness to the sashimi while the crunchy seaweed piece that sat in the center of the sashimi gave a nice contrasting salty flavor. The shiso added a minty aspect to the dish that was really invigorating.

Seared foie gras with soup dumpling and jicama

Our second course was the one I was most looking forward to since I had read reviews before going. It was seared foie gras served over a soup dumpling that was filled with jicama. Jicama is a Mexican yam or turnip that is tender, yet crisp in texture so when you bite into the soup dumpling there is a slight crunch to each bite.
The waiter suggested eating the soup dumpling by pricking it with a chopstick while it is still on a spoon and then biting into it. This was extremely helpful because the soup poured out onto the spoon and we were still able to savor the valuable soup juices left on the spoon! The crunchy seared edge of the duck foie gras really made the foie gras taste different than anything I have ever experienced. It made the foie gras even richer in flavor than normal. My boyfriend described this dish by saying "there are no words" for how good it was. As for me, it was the best soup dumpling of my life, with the added perk of the most amazing foie gras!

Grilled filet for wild striped bass with summer beans, bottarga, and charred lemon

Our third course was a grilled filet of wild striped bass served with string beans, bottarga, and charred lemon. The bass was grilled to perfection and was very tender and oozing with flavor. I personally loved this dish, but my boyfriend thought that the lemon sauce was a little too much like Caesar dressing. I love the exhilirating lemon flavor of authentic Caesar dressing, so this dish was very much for me. There were mini croutons under the bass sitting in the sauce that helped to soak up the sauce. Basically, it was a way to make sure we were able to savor every last drop of sauce. It was so good that I wanted to lick the plate, but unfortunately that isn't very lady-like :(

Long Island duck duo prepared two ways - three chillies & corn and peaches

Our fourth course was a duo of Long Island duck. The duck was prepared in two different styles and presented on opposite sides of the plate. How ingenious!
One preparation reminded me of a mole sauce, both in texture and flavor, as it was prepared with three chilies and was spicy and sweet all at once! The duck was sliced in several pieces and served over the sauce. This preparation allowed us to enjoy the true meatiness and flavor of the duck while adding some spicy flair with the very delectable sauce.
I felt that the other preparation was the loser of the two, but still very palatable. The duck was shredded like pulled pork and seasoned in Mexican style spices and put atop a corn patty or arepa and mixed with corn kernels and mango pieces. The arepa and duck gave this dish a savory taste, while the corn and mango made it much sweeter. This dish was good, but seemed like a waste to use duck in a preparation I would normally expect pulled pork to be in.

Chilled melon soup with cucumber sorbet and lemon verbena

Our fifth dish was dessert of course! We were served two different desserts to share which was a great idea so we both got to try more than one dessert. Also, since it was my boyfriend's birthday they brought one of the desserts out with a candle in it for him :)
The first dessert was chilled melon soup with cucumber sorbet. It was a mixture of honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon with cucumber sorbet sitting in the center. The soup part was sweet and sugary and much tastier than you would expect for a fruit dessert. The cucumber sorbet was unique and very "cucumbery"! Definitely a sorbet I would get again. This dish was as example of the true meaning of "fresh".

The Birthday Boy!

Poppyseed bread pudding with meyer lemon curd

Our second dessert was poppyseed bread pudding with lemon curd. It was nice and crispy on the outside, but sweet, chewy, and rich on the inside. The very cake-y texture acted as a sponge to soak up the super tart and lemony sauce! It was a very unique dessert, as it seemed like a lemon poppyseed muffin on steroids! It didn't seem as glutinous as it was because of the citrusy flavor of the lemon that toned down the butteriness of the bread.

Additional treat on the house!

At the end of the meal, we were served an additional treat on the house. Melon popsicles, candied ginger, and chocolate mint ice creamed coated in chocolate. For me, each one represented a different flavor one expects to find in a dessert: sweet, sour, and rich! What a great way to end the meal.

Annisa is definitely a place I would return to in a heartbeat because of the very comfortable ambiance, mouth watering food, and great experience! The waiter told us for future reference that we can order the foie gras dumplings by the piece at the bar. We may return for that sooner rather than later!

Spiralizer: Spiralize into healthy!

I just wanted to introduce everyone to an amazing kitchen tool that is very versatile! The spiralizer! I bought mine on Amazon for only $11.99 and it was so worth it. There are more expensive models available, but I don't think they are necessary. 

Spiral Slicer

You can spiralize any vegetable! You can spiralize as a decorative garnish or  make the vegetable into pasta.
My boyfriend and I decided to give it a whirl one night and make an Italian themed dinner with all vegetables without forgoing eating "pasta"! We spiralized zucchini and made it into a pasta! It was much softer than I expected after being spiralized. I was expecting it to be more of a crunchy texture.
We boiled the zucchini for only a minute, but it made it a little watery. Since the texture of the zucchini was already consistent with pasta, I plan to just heat it in a pan for a minute and then add the sauce for another minute to heat it all up. My friend who has made this several times has suggested that this is the better way!

Spiralized Zucchini 

For our parmesan dish, we decided to make Eggplant Parmesan. We grilled slices of eggplant on our indoor grill to get some charring marks and some heat flavor.

Grilled Eggplant

Instead of coating in bread crumbs, we just prepared with red sauce and mozzarella cheese before placing into the oven. We added some other spices on top as well to add flavor, such as minced garlic, basil, oregano, etc.

Preparing Eggplant Parmesan for Oven

When all was ready, we had a healthy Italian dinner made with vegetables and amazing taste!

Healthy Italian Feast!