I was fortunate to attend the Food Blog Forum last weekend, which came to Orlando through the diligence of Julie Deily (The Little Kitchen)and Dawn Viola (Dawn Viola), and the sponsorship of Walt Disney World, Kitchen Aid, La Creuset, OXO, Whole Foods and many more. It was my first food blogging conference and quite frankly, it left me with an overwhelming sense of encouragement, both personally and professionally. I was able to pick up great tips and soak in the group’s creative energy; I was a sponge.

The weekend was a unique one for me, as the event was held at Walt Disney World. I mentioned in my previous post that I had helped plan a few of the FBF events, writing menus, station design and layout, which led to my excitement. The entire Disney team rallied to make these events unforgettable – chefs from across Walt Disney World happily volunteered to participate. The Food Blog Forum Orlando was destined to be the tops.

Of all my credentials, this one is my favorite!

We spent the weekend at the Poly –Cast Member lingo for the Walt Disney Polynesian Resort—keep reading you will be an insider soon. We were welcomed by the famous Little Lady Laura, who I spent a few days with when I started working in Park Events. She was fabulous at connecting with all of the guests and helping to create a seamless event (I did see her slip down the Poly poolside, so rest assured, she had a blast).

The Poly Lobby

After a long week of “getting it done” at work, Sir Wes and I happily enjoyed the season’s first poolside sangria before I went to the reception at The Grand (AKA- Disney’s Grand Floridian). I knew the reception would be the perfect way to start the weekend- it was held outside at Summerhouse, overlooking the lake and the pool. Beautiful weather, fantastic service and food that would be talked about all weekend! I knew how great it would be, the dishes were flavorful and elegantly presented. I actually even tried the beef short ribs (for those who are not aware, I stay away from pork and beef). Just a bite, though – Sir Wes wanted to make sure the flavor he added came out right. Kudos to Chef Douglas, Chef Larry, Sir Wes and the talented Grand Culinary Team.

Perfect weather!

Before sunrise, the bloggers were on their way to Epcot for the day-long forum, but before the speakers started, we broke bread. And here is where I start to get proud- it was AWESOME. The Park Event Operation (PEO) team delivered a St. Patrick’s Day Eye Opener that continued the culinary train started the previous night at the Grand.

The speakers were captivating!

The morning was spent listening to inspirational talks by Jaden and Scott Hair of Steamy Kitchen, Dianne and Todd of White on Rice Couple, David Leite, who spoke about Bigger and Bad Ass Posts, and Dawn Viola, who rounded this talented group. They all offered so much great advice, inspiration, and constructive criticism that I’m sure you could not get out of a book. My scribble-scrabbled notes were miles long.

I snuck out a few minutes early so I could get a sneak peak, and I felt like a child waiting to give mom a present- I just couldn’t wait for everyone to see. The room set up was fantastic, full of bells and whistles.

The team did a wonderful job setting the stations and the tables- plenty of room to accommodate 100+ bloggers and their huge cameras. I told one of the chefs before the guests arrived- “wait until you see the mass of camera’s about to walk into the room”! The “Healthful Taste of Disney” lunch was recorded by many as the most creative and flavorful meal they had experienced. How could I not be grinning from ear to ear!?!?

The Chefs were creative and healthful, they also were able to accomodate so many different allegeries and dietary concerns, which, by itself, is magical for some guests!

After the lunch, we had roundtables of small groups which was great for getting a ton of my questions answered. I was also comforted to see the other Bloggers had similar questions and doubts. And then came my favorite part, a food styling and photographing demo from Aran of Cannelle et Vanille and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple. There are a few reasons I started blogging, but the biggest was my love of taking photographs and wanting to grow that hobby. Aran’s photographs are like Food Ballet – colors and textures just dance and they leave you feeling enriched. Just beautiful.

Inspiring!

The forum broke and Bloggers spread thru Epcot to enjoy the remainder of the day before gathering back to a dessert party with a phenomenal viewing of the fireworks. The desserts were all amazing, but the talk of the event was the Guinness Ice Cream with Bacon Brittle- I’m thinking of getting the recipe for you soon! The following morning was a brunch hosted by Whole Foods Orlando, which I was unable to attend. You can, however, read about it by searching Twitter for #FBFORL and see for yourself how big of a hit it was.

Kudos to Pam and Karen!

It is difficult to sum up the feeling I had when I drove home. I took so much away from the weekend and I am certain that it will impact my blog, my work and my life. I shared with my leaders and peers at work just how much all the bloggers enjoyed everything. They felt Walt Disney World went over the top, and showed a tremendous amount of gratitude. The reactions of the guests at the Food Blog Forum is what we, as cast members, take away; to be able to take a part in creating this type of magic, is an honor. A lot of hours and hard work were put into this event and I was fortunate enough to see firsthand how magical it is for our WDW guests. I wish every Cast Member was able to experience how impactful their efforts are, it is a gift that will resonate with me every day.

“Be Our Guest”- Standing on the Other Side at the Food Blog Forum

March 25, 2012March 26, 2012Carroll 12 Comments

Orlando Food Blogger Forum-

March 15, 2012March 22, 2012Carroll 4 Comments

One of my favorite things since I’ve started in the catering business is when I actually get to be a guest at an event! This weekend I am attending my first blogger conference right in my own backyard! Work backyard that is- The conference is being held right at Epcot.

I took a walk early one morning to grab a shot of the Food Blogger Forum venue in the break of dawn.

The unique part is that I while I was signing up for this talent loaded conference put together by amazing bloggers, I have also have been working on planning the events from an operational stand point. And I have been getting sooo excited because our teams are really pushing boundaries to give the bloggers an awesome experience. We, as chefs and caterers love when our guests are equally as passionate about food and beverage, and never want to disappoint!

Inside these doors is where the Magic happens!

Our teams spend weeks planning events, looking at guest flow, station designs and looks, as well as the food presentations, and that’s just some of the details. We dream big- and consider what a right fit for each event and what we can do operationally. Our teams are numerous and it is quite a feat to keep everyone on the same beat.

Logistics!

Creativity is quite important!

My favorite events to help plan are the functions with high detail- whether it’s a dinner for 5000 people in a theme park with numerous action stations, off premise kitchens and only an hour to set, or a more intimate dinner with a highly creative menu and room set up. The adrenaline rush that comes from pulling off these events is what I love about catering.

Mornings at Epcot are so gorgeous!

Planning events are pretty awesome, it is great having the ability to sit down with such a creative team and bounce ideas until something sticks. Those planning meeting are definitely my favorite! They certainly can go on for hours, and sometimes we have to walk away because we have hit a brick wall. I told a friend recently, that it is embarassing how much I love my job, but it is true.

What great timing -The Flower and Garden Festival is going on too!

And now, after weeks of planning the events of the food blogger conference, I am hanging up my chef hat and putting on my guest hat! I am definitely going to soak it all in and I can’t wait to experience the magic first hand!

SOOOO Glad I am on my "Lent Mulligan" this weekend- these desserts and pastries are going to be awesome!

In a few minutes the quiet of the day will be gone- So pretty!

Preserved Lemons and Curried Grains

March 10, 2012March 10, 2012Carroll 3 Comments

The lemons are ready! I have been preserving lemons for the last few months and they are perfect! I used them for the first time last week in a warm grain salad. The best way to keep your preserved lemons is in the same container they started in. When you are ready to use some, take out what you need, rinse the lemons off with water and remove the flesh, the skin is what you want to keep.

Preserved Lemons are ready!

Preserved lemons are very versatile- from vinaigrette to a cocktail!

Remove the flesh and pulp. The skin is all you need.

The first dish for the lemons was inspired by not having much in the refrigerator- another busy week at work. Perfect timing to as it was Monday! Have you heard about Meatless Mondays- I’m pretty impressed about how this initiative has gained steam. Meatless Mondays, is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Families across the country are joining in- whether their reasons are health based or financial based, 1/3 of the country has reduced their meat consumption in 2011. Grains, tofu, soy are offering replacement proteins and a healthy alternatives. This brings us to the popularity of grains- which can be seen all over the food magazines and in most restaurants. Chefs are now wondering …what else can we do with grains??

Preserved Lemons Debut!

Here is the recipe that my preserved lemons made their first appearance-

All of this was in the kitchen- waiting to get used up!

Preserved Lemon and Curried Grains

1 ½ cup uncooked spelt
1 ½ cup uncooked kasha
1 ½ cup uncooked lentils
3 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup diced onions
2 tablespoon chopped garlic
24 oz. coconut curry broth
6 tablespoon chopped preserved lemons
2 tablespoons curry powder
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 oz. roasted red pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 ½ cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
½ pint grape tomatoes
Preserved Lemon and Curried Grains Mise en Place

It’s pretty easy to cook grains- start by washing them off with water. Put a pot on the stove and add the washed grains, add water or stock to about two inches above the grains. Bring to a slow boil and cook until tender. When the grains are a la dente, drain them from the pot with a colander. You can cool them down and reheat them when you are ready to serve. This is a great way to prepare meals for a busy week.

I had a few pots working 🙂

Cook the grains to a la dente.
Place a large stock pot on the stove over medium high heat; add olive oil, followed by the onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
Add the cooked grains to the pot and stir in broth.
Mix in the lemons, curry, cilantro, roasted peppers and ground red pepper. Allow to gently simmer, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
Put the green beans and tomatoes into the pot about 15 minutes before serving- this will keep their beautiful, bright color.

Add the bright veggies at the end so they keep there color and don't turn to mush!

Like with many other soups and stews, this dish gets better with time. Give it an hour or a day the flavor will deepen. Another similarity to soups and stews is ingredients can be of the “clean the fridge” mentality- no beans? Use cauliflower- any vegetable or none will work! The grains can also be switched up.