The smell of grape must surrounds me as I drive through sunny Napa Valley, I love that smell!  It reminds me of the grape harvest, good wine and the great food that is found in this area.  Every November, the Culinary Institute of America hosts a food conference at their Greystone location in St. Helena, CA.  Greystone is centered in the heart of California’s northern wine country and offers the perfect location to immerse in all things culinary.  All while drinking wine.  Not a bad days work!  The Worlds of Flavor conference brings together the top chefs and experts in the industry to immerse the attendee in a sea of culinary knowledge.  This year’s topic was Japan, a cuisine I profess to know little about, so I was anxious to dive in and learn.

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My job as Research Chef has taken me many places with fabulous food, but Paris is always a highlight for new culinary experiences.  The fresh open air markets make me want to run and find a kitchen so I can cook and play with the delicious ingredients found there.  Scallops still in the shell with roe attached, unpasteurized fresh cheeses, melt in your mouth foie gras, whole and freshly caught rabbits, flaky, buttery croissants that are like no other, macaroons that deliver incredible flavors in one bite.  Don’t get me started on the incredible wines to go with all these ingredients!  The fresh, local ingredients that are found here are the building blocks of a great cuisine that has produced some incredible classic dishes.  It makes sense that Paris was a perfect backdrop for the Sial conference, a food exhibition that showcases new trends, ingredients, products and technology served up at the convention center a short distance from the city’s center.

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Hot Dogs and burgers have gone upscale, and gourmet burgers and dogs are popping up in fine dining, casual dining, street food and even in vending machines.  Hot Doug’s, in Chicago, is one of the most famous, upscale hot dog joints, serving dogs and sausages with every delicious combination you can imagine.  The specials are incredible, combinations such as Calvados Smoked Duck Sausage with Morello Cherry Mustard and Goat Cheese, shows how far a traditional hot dog has come.  All the dogs are served up with fries cooked in duck fat, which is something worth the two hours of standing in line!  You can visit Hot Doug’s here, and if visiting Chicago be sure to check it out in person!

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What makes a meal memorable?  The atmosphere, the flavors, the presentation?  For me all of these things, but what is most important is the people you share the meal with.  The stories behind the chefs or purveyors dishing up the food are fascinating to me, as they are often as unusual and varied as the meals themselves. 

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Viva Las Vegas!  I headed off to the sparkling city of Las Vegas for the Pizza Expo, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 1-4, 2010.  The show is the perfect size, small enough to walk the whole floor, absorbing all the new products and sampling new ingredients, but large enough to bring the industry’s best.  This is also always a great opportunity to try new restaurants, and this year - with the explosion of “mixologists” hitting the scene - maybe an interesting cocktail or two. 

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