Preview of the 2014 Food & Wine Conference #FWCon

No dish to feature today, folks. Wait! Before you go, I have some exciting information for you.

As you're probably well aware, I'm a huge supporter of the #SundaySupper Movement and it's mission to bring back Sunday dinners around the family table in every home. The movement has grown from a small group of 8 bloggers organizing a virtual progressive dinner in January of 2012 to an audience of three million weekly. The movement has also expanded to host a Food and Wine Conference where bloggers network with small business owners, winemakers, chefs, public relations professionals, media, authors and brands to gain a better understanding of such topics as search engine optimization, social media marketing, articulate writing, cookbook publishing, public relations collaborations and food photography. This year will be the second annual conference after last year's inaugural event was a success. It will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on July 18-20.

Unfortunately, I was unable to go last year but I will be in attendance this year and invite you to join me in Orlando. I am also lucky enough to have been chosen to be a Brand Ambassador for the conference. What that means for you, my readers, is that I'll be tweeting and publishing pictures during and after the conference so please follow me if you don't already. In the interest of full disclosure, I am receiving a discounted ticket for being an Ambassador.

Meeting me in person probably isn't enough incentive to join me but I hope those speaking at the conference will be. Whitney Miller, season 1 winner of Masterchef, Katie Workman, editor-in-chief of Cookstr, Dan Cristo, one of the founders of triberr, plus many others will all address the conference in addition, Chef Giuliano Hazan will be conducting a cooking demonstration, scheduled for Sunday morning.

Speaking of food (after all, this is a food and wine conference), I trust the organizers, who held the conference in the same location last year, figuring they would not have returned if the food was anything less than exceptional. Why would I do so? Check out these pictures.

If finances are an obstacle to your attendance, the conference has ways to help in that regard too:

Dixie Crystals Sugar has sponsored a brownie recipe contest where first, second and third place winners will be chosen. Each will be reimbursed for their conference registration in addition to other prizes. Please click here for more information. Follow Dixie Crystals Sugar on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and instagram.

Idaho Potato Commission wants your best breakfast potato dish to enter into their recipe contest. There will also be three winners chosen to be reimbursed for their conference registration plus other goodies but there will also be a grand prize of an expense paid trip to Idaho September 29 to October 1, 2014 awarded to one of the winners. Click here for details. Follow Idaho Potato Commission on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and instagram.

Rosen Shingle Creek has also decided to sponsor a recipe contest in celebration of their fortieth anniversary. They are asking for an original dish inspired by a menu item from one of their restaurants: A Land Remembered steakhouse, Cala Bella Italian bistro, Mi Casa Tequila Taqueria Mexican restaurant, Banrai Sushi, or Tobias Flats and Watering Hole specializing in unique flatbreads. There will only be two winners chosen but both winners will receive a two-night stay at Rosen Shingle Creek in addition to reimbursement for their conference registration. Click here for details on how to enter. Follow Rosen Hotels on twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and Google+.

Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs is looking for a summer no-bake egg dish for their recipe contest. Two winners will receive reimbursement for their conference registration in addition to one year's supply of eggs. Enter the contest here. Also follow Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs on twitter, facebook and pinterest.

If recipe contests aren't appealing, then you can simply register here but be sure to use the promotion code FoodieSM to get a $50 discount.

I hope you'll join me this summer because it promises to be an educational, epicurean and fun experience. Either way, get updates on the Conference by following it on twitter, and pinterest; giving its facebook page a 'Like'; and adding the Conference on Google+.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

Rigatoni with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

I would estimate that pasta dinners occur, on average, weekly in my home. without fail, each time I serve said pasta dish to Mrs. Stuntman she asks, did you put hot dogs in it? to which I'll reply, no. This must be a Filipino thing. I can think of no authentic Italian pasta dishes that utilize hot dogs so call this a compromise to appease her.

The Challenge

Satisfy Mrs. Stuntman's desire for proteins in pasta.

The Source

I adapted this dish from Food & Wine.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound dried rigatoni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage meat, removed from casings if applicable
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh basil, cut into chiffonade (1 tablespoon reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni and boil two to three minutes less than the instructions on the box dictate, stirring occasionally. Once al dente, drain and set aside if necessary.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the sausage and brown, approximately five minutes. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up the fond from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by half, approximately five minutes. Add the cream, mustard and red pepper and simmer for an additional two minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat and toss the sauce with the rigatoni and basil. Serve in warmed bowls, garnished with additional basil and parmesan.

Successful?

This dish would make a great weeknight dinner because it can be prepared from prep to plate in under thirty minutes. The dish yielded very intense flavor and Mrs. Stuntman was also happy with it.

Presenting: Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad

This post was fairly spontaneous. The weather this week has been very warm where I live. The predicted high temperature in San Francisco the day I typed this was 94 which is highly unusual. To give you an idea, a thirty minute drive east during the hottest days of July when it can often reach over 100, it's common for San Francisco not to break 80. This past Monday, after listening to the weather forecast I made a list to purchase ingredients for warm weather dishes such as ceviche and gazpacho. I also looked at salads and found one on Bon Appétit magazine's website that sounded refreshing.

It's subjective, but I'm also slowly coming to the realization that I take my best pictures outdoors. The picture of the gazpacho I referred to above wasn't taken by me, but my strawberry dessert I published last September and the Moscato themed dessert from a couple of weeks ago were, so I thought I could use the practice.

You might also contrast this salad to the salad I published for the Five Ingredients or Less #SundaySupper event because there are more than five ingredients in the dressing. I didn't adapt the recipe, so you can get it here.