This last weekend I went to the Carmel Food and Wine Harvest in Carmel, CA.
What's everyone else drinking with?
First and foremost, let me just say I’m blessed to live in Northern California where I can easily and affordably mingle with foodies and winos of just amazing quality and talent. Okay, now that that’s out there, let me tell you what I ate and drank…this will be picture intensive and probably cover a couple of posts.
Wine and food tasting around the edges with a farmer's market in the middle!
This food and wine event is a chance to discover that rising chef and/or restaurant while sipping crazy-good wine from mostly independent and upstart wineries. This is an extremely friendly and approachable event — no snooty-tooty AT ALL. Every single chef and wine maker seemed to enjoy chatting about their wine and sharing their vision for their creations.
Chef Todd talking me into some Pork Innards
Taking things waaay too seriously.
Even though the weather (while gorgeous) was a little warm for cooking, the chefs really pulled out all the stops. From Pig Innards (Pork Belly Confit with Espresso Pink Peppercorn Brodo – was actually what it was) to cupcakes, this place was one treat to the tastebuds after another.
Lavender cupcakes with orange mist creme and a little wafer thing
Beef Tenderloin en crote with pepper sauce.
This is not your Mom's green jello with pineapple and carrots - that's all I can say about that.
Simple but so elegant tablescapes that are instant still life.
Great hay bale walls staggered to create shadow boxes for pumpkins.
These were way up there on the delish-list
Get it? Grapes of.....
Asian Pulled Duck Tacos
Look at this arrangement, can't you see it as a gorgeous centerpiece? I don't think it would be too hard to re-create.
The makers of the Beef Tenderloin en crote, clearly hating the tasters 
Exhibition kitchen stage -- we saw Iron Chef Peter Armellino; we briefly chatted and I'll tell you more about that later
Leaning in for a kiss -- I envision this to be Max Riedel -- Okay, I'm a little weird.
Tagged: carmel_food_and_wine, carmel_harvest, Chef Todd Fisher, festival, food, food and wine, Iron Chef, Kitchen Aid, Peter Armellino, Quail Lodge, still life, suzy-homemaker, suzyhomemaker, wine, Wrath Wine
I hope the recipe you are trying to get is for Ventana’s wild mushroom macaroons. I am trying to get that one too!
Oh my gosh Joanie, were those not SO DELICIOUS??!!! If you get the recipe, let me know. I’m trying to get the fois gras dumpling recipe to see if I can sub out fois gras for something more affordable.