Things I Learned at the 2015 Food and Wine Conference #FWCon

Used with Permission by Amy of Kimchi Mom

Alrighty folks, it's been 2 weeks since the start of the 2015 Food and Wine Conference and to be honest with you, it's been a difficult post to write because I can't seem to organize my thoughts. I have started this post numerous times which is one of the reasons why it took so long to publish. So I thought I'd structure this post differently by utilizing bullet points in the disorganized mess that it is.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is huge!

When I attended the conference last year, I flew on a direct flight from SFO. This time around, I had a layover at DFW and, having never flown into/out of there in the past, I didn't realize the shear size of the place. To top it all off, going there I had a 40 minute layover which means that when my plane was pulling into the gate, my connecting flight at a gate in the next terminal was already boarding. Thankfully, I made it but I must apologize to the staff on American Airlines Flight 2407 on July 16 because I may or may not have bitten off their head when I was delayed deplaning. To give you an idea, when I was coming home, my layover was a couple of hours and I had time to look around and saw a sign outside a McDonalds in the terminal that gave the locations of the four other McDonalds restaurants there at the airport. I wish I took a picture of it but by then, I was tired and just wanted to get home.

Thank you Dixie Crystals for teaching me something new.

Let me say, first off that I appreciate all of the Food and Wine Conference sponsors, but I must single out Dixie Crystals. The first event after registration on Friday evening was a sugar scrub hosted by them. Before I proceed, I must explain that women who write food blogs far outnumber men who write food blogs. It is for this reason why I understand what Dixie Crystals was doing with this event, however I'm a guy. I spent the first half of the event a little clueless because it was unclear to me what a sugar scrub is and what to do with it. I even had to pull Cindy of Cindy's Recipes and Writings aside to explain it all. Thankfully, she explained that I was doing this for Mrs. Stuntman and she would appreciate the scrubs.

The learning is real.

Maybe I was overwhelmed last year with just the experience of attending but I found the sessions to be more informative this year. As opposed to one or two presentations sticking with me like last year, it seemed like I took something away from each. Last year, I dismissed the cooking demonstrations but I was able to take something away from them this year as I've already illustrated.

Let's discuss the food.

Before the official conference activities began, I got talked into going to lunch with a lovely group of ladies at Shubee's Coastal Grill & Bar. There was an open invitation on facebook but I was initially reluctant to reply due to a potential schedule conflict but I'm sure glad I went. During the lunch, the owner's made a presentation and we got to tour the commercial kitchen. I was told that they were known for their crab cakes and they lived up to their reputation!

The food at the conference also did not disappoint. Throughout the weekend, I was continually impressed by food presented. Of particular note was the poutine bar for Saturday's lunch sponsored by Idaho Potato Commission and Wisconsin Cheese in addition to Saturday evening's family style dinner sponsored by Certified Angus Beef and the Hess Collection Wines.

Final Thoughts

One of the other differences between this year and last for me personally is that I was carrying around a lot less equipment this year. In 2014, I had my flip phone, my daughter's old iPhone that couldn't make or receive calls (but could connect to WiFi so I could tweet) and my point-and-shoot camera. This year, I was able to consolidate everything to a single smartphone however I found myself taking less pictures than I did last year. The picture I did take can be found on my instragram page by doing a search for the #FWCon hashtag.

One other aspect I have yet to address is the supportive and positive family atmosphere there at the conference which separates itself from other food blogger conferences. I came home with another huge stack of business cards--all of them I consider friends.

Lastly, I recommend checking out these other reviews of the 2015 Food and Wine Conference for other perspectives. In addition, they were able to document the festivities with far more beautiful photography than I am capable at this time. They are, in no particular order:

• Inspiration From The 2015 Food & Wine Conference by Out of the Weeds
• Food, Wine and Winning Recipes by gorare.com
• Food & Wine Conference 2015 Recap...All That (and a Bottle of Hot Sauce)!! by The Weekend Gourmet
• 2015 Food and Wine Conference Recap by Simply Southern Baking
• Food and Wine Conference Re-Cap Part 1 by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 Wrap Up #FWCon by Desserts Required
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 Recap – #FWCon by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Food and Wine Conference Recap #FWCON by Nosh My Way
• 2015 Food and Wine Conference Recap #FWCON Food, Friends, Fun! #ad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• A Weekend of Food, Friends and Learning at #FWCon 2015 by Curious Cuisiniere
• Food + Wine Conference 2015 – A Content Filled Weekend! #FWCon by An Appealing Plan
• The Heart of the Food and Wine Conference 2015 by Jenni Field's Pastry Chef Online
• The Food and Wine Conference Re-Cap Part 2 by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• A Family Reunion at The Food and Wine Conference #FWCon by Momma's Meals
• Re-capping the Food and Wine Conference by Dessert Geek
• Connecting the Dots at the Food and Wine Conference #FWCon by Kimchi Mom
• 2015 Food and Wine Conference Recap by Famous Ashley Grant
• Food and Wine Conference Recap #FWCon by Whole Food | Real Families
• 2015 Food and Wine Conference: A Very Personal and Inspirational Experience #FWCon by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 Recap - be a subject for change and live the fourth! #FWCon by Love and Confections
• Breathe, Just Breathe by ShoutOUT
• Why You Need to Make the Food & Wine Conference Happen in 2016 by Frugal Foodie Mama
• Fun at the 2015 Food and Wine Conference in Orlando, FL by Recipe for Perfection
• #FWcon Food and Wine Conference 2015 Recap by The Healthy Fit Foodie
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 Recap #FWCon by Casa de Crews
• The Blind Speed Date – A Cheese and Wine Tasting To Remember by When Cheese Met Wine
• Food & Wine Conference Recap #FWCon by EatPicks
• Food, Wine and a Conference {#FWCon recap} by My Sweet Zepol
• Foodies Unite at the Food and Wine Conference #FWCon by Take A Bite Out Of Boca
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 Rewind by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Fabulous Friday: #FWCon 2015 Edition by The Crumby Cupcake
• 2015 Food & Wine Conference by Cabot Cheese Cooperative Blog
• Food and Wine Conference 2015 by Dixie Chik Cooks

Mozzarella Ice Cream with Tomato Jam and Candied Basil #FWCon #WiswconsinCheese

Mozzarella Ice Cream with Tomato Jam and Candied Basil #FWCon #WiswconsinCheese

Yikes! Has it really been two weeks since my last post? Where has the time gone? In all honesty, I have been pretty busy with my daughter finishing up her school year and I was eating a lot of heat and serve dinners Mrs. Stuntman purchased from Costco. There's nothing wrong with them, but they're not appropriate to publish here.

In addition, my summer schedule significantly changed a couple of weeks ago when Mrs. Stuntman and I agreed that I would make a return trip to the Food and Wine Conference next month. I have very fond memories from last year's conference because I was able to connect in person with so many people I had been speaking to online and because I won a recipe contest with a filet mignon dish.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

Speaking of recipe contests, Wisconsin Cheese has sponsored one for the 2015 Food and Wine Conference and this is my entry. The rules stated that each entrant develop an original, easy summer recipe, so per (what has become) my standard operating procedure, I consulted my copy of The Flavor Bible which suggested pairings with wine, bread, and fruit. I had originally planned to prepare either a crostini or bruschetta, however one evening I was replicating the caprese pasta dish I published last autumn and thought that the flavors of mozzarella, tomato and basil might work here, but I knew that a plate of sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil drizzled with some balsamic would be insufficient. I had always been intrigued by dessert menus at fine dining establishments that feature cheese plates, so it occurred to me concept of a caprese salad could be converted into a dessert.

Dish Details

For each component of this dish, I studied several versions I found from a google search and used similarities between them to develop these original recipes. I believe this dish could be featured on any fine dining dessert menu. One of the requirements was to use cheese produced from cow's milk from a Wisconsin cheese producer so I ensured I used mozzarella from one of these companies.

Ingredients

For the tomato jam:
2 pounds Roma Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Juice from 3 limes (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup sugar

For the ice cream:
8 ounces mozzarella, coarsely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks

For the basil:
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar

Method

1. Prepare the jam. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the jam is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. Prepare the ice cream. Put the mozzarella cream and milk in a blender and blend until the cheese has broken into bits. Separate the eggs and place the yolks in a separate bowl and beat, then set aside. Combine the dairy mixture with the sugar into a medium saucepan over low heat to warm. Slowly raise the heat. Once the mixture reaches approximately 100° Fahrenheit and pour approximately 1/2 cup of the dairy into the eggs to temper them. Pour the egg yolks and cream back into the dairy and stir. Continue to slowly raise the heat and stir until the mixture reaches 175° Fahrenheit, then remove from heat and transfer the custard to a medium bowl and place in an ice bath to cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours. Transfer the custard to your ice cream machine, then churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Candy the basil. Place the egg white in a bowl and then the sugar on a small plate. Dip a basil leaf into the egg white and shake off any excess, then dredge the leaf in the sugar on both sides, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan to dry, approximately 10 to 12 hours. To plate, spoon some jam on a cold plate, top with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with candied basil leaves.

Final Thoughts

The 2015 Food and Wine Conference will be held July 17 through 19 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida and will connect bloggers with small business owners, winemakers, chefs, public relations professionals, traditional media, new media, authors and brands. Topics of discussion will range from search engine optimization, marketing and promotion on social media, and effective writing to publishing a cookbook, working with public relations agencies and food photography. I invite you to attend and recommend you use the promotion code available from any of the 33 brand ambassadors to receive a $50 discount off of a conference ticket. Even if you are not attending, I encourage you to stay updated by following the #FWCon hashtag and by giving the Food and Wine Conference facebook page a 'Like', adding the G+ page to your circles, and following the twitter and pinterest pages. Furthermore, please 'Like' Wisconsin Cheese on facebook and follow them on twitter, pinterest and Instagram.

Review of the 2014 Food & Wine Conference #FWCon

This has been a complicated post for me to write. The problem I have is the whole experience of the 2014 Food & Wine Conference is overwhelming and difficult to summarize, so the easiest method to do so is from the beginning.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Coming from California, I knew it was not feasible to travel on the same days as conference events so my family and I traveled to Orlando. There are two thoughts I had regarding the area initially. Landing, I noticed the area was very green which is a contrast to the dry state of affairs where I live because the land is mostly brown due to a drought. My second impression hit me when I walked out of the airport terminal from baggage claim, which was the amount of humidity in the air. It was not really an issue but I did need to adjust to it. (I must admit that I am a bit spoiled by the weather where I live.) Mrs. Stuntman and my daughter came with me so they could take advantage of the fun things to do while I was attending the conference.

Rosen Shingle Creek is about a 15 minute trip from the airport. When we arrived there, Mrs. Stuntman was in awe. I think her expectations were off because the pictures on websites do not do the hotel justice. Once we settled in, I wanted to ensure I kept my promise I made in my contest entry so we had dinner at A Land Remembered Steakhouse. I'll reserve the entreé I ate for a future project but the other dishes we ate were:

My daughter was entertained by the alligator-shaped butter.

Appetizer: Ahi Tuna, Lemon Myrtle Crust, Napa Cabbage Slaw, Chili Pepper Citrus Vinaigrette

Mrs. Stuntman's Entreé: Cedar Plank & Broiled Salmon, Roasted Cipollini Onion & Chive Butter

Side Dish: Caramelized Vidalia Onions

We then returned to our hotel room about 10pm local time but I was asleep about an hour later which was insanely early considering it was about 8pm in California but I suspect that a tiring day travelling in addition to a full meal and a bed more comfortable than the one I have at home contributed to my lethargy.

Friday, July 18, 2014

I got an early start Friday morning when I woke up just before 5am and could not go back to sleep. I think my internal clock hadn't fully adjusted yet but I also think the anticipation of the conference start contributed to my insomnia. After getting a cup of coffee, I watched Isabel on local TV with the Great Big Idaho Potato Truck promoting the Idaho Potato Commission and the Conference. By late morning, Mrs. Stuntman and my daughter had arisen from their slumber so we went down to grab a bite to eat.

View from Room 7229

Looking Down at the Pool

As the day progressed, I had the oddest experience recognizing strangers from their avatars on their websites. At 4pm, the first official Conference event started with a reception sponsored by Idaho Potato and by then I felt I was among old friends. We moved to an event sponsored by Gallo Family Vineyards where they premiered a new wine: Riesling. From there, the conference went to a dinner hosted by the hotel that featured small plate versions of dishes from the restaurants there at the hotel.

One dish, in particular, was very special to me. It was recreation of my contest entry in the Rosen Shingle Creek Recipe Contest. I knew I had won the contest before leaving but was unsure how to act that evening because I was sworn to secrecy until it was announced, however I had attendees coming up to me Friday night congratulating me and noting that it was their favorite dish of the evening. A few people told me that they had three servings! The dish was replicated as Peppered Tenderloin of Beef Over Corn Polenta, Frisée Salad and Cabernet Reduction and I was able to take a picture of it which is below. For me, this is the most satisfying part of the winning the contest because people outside my family were able to try a dish published on my website.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Saturday's business atmosphere during the day contrasted with Friday night's social environment. The day started off with a keynote address from former Next Food Network Star contestant Emily Ellyn and season 1 winner of MasterChef Whitney Miller. The sessions continued with topics such as utilizing social media to maximize exposure, creating your own brand, and SEO best practices. Two presentations resonated with me in particular. The first discussed creating a business from a food blog by Erika of Not Ketchup and Michele of Intense Academy Gourmet Sauces. The second was a presentation by food writer Monica Bhide during a writing workshop. Her energy and passion is inspiring. The morning break was sponsored by Duda Farms; lunch by Fields Auto Group; in addition to the afternoon break by Cabot Creamery Cooperative and Parkesdale Farm Market. I should also note that music during lunch and dinner was provided by Braden Palmer.

Speaking of dinner, it was served family-style. Jenny Hemmer of Gallo Family Vineyards answered previously submitted questions regarding wine pairings and the winners of the recipe contests were announced.

For the Davidson’s Safest Choice No-Bake Summer Recipe Contest, the winners are:

First Place-Huevos Rancheros by Susan of The Wimpy Vegetarian
Second Place-Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Pie by Courtney of Neighborfood

The winners of the Idaho Potato Recipe Contest are:

First Place-Loaded Potato Breakfast Casserole by Amee of Amee's Savory Dish
Second Place-Chewy Chocolate Potato Biscotti by Rosie of Newbies in the Kitchen
Third Place-Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Potato Patties by Cindy of Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Honorable Mention-Loaded Potato Breakfast Gnocchi by Terri of Love and Confections

Amee's dish is particularly notable because she won a trip to Idaho later this fall and, like my dish, was featured at Saturday's lunch. I was able to try Amee's dish and understand why it was chosen first place (particularly with ingredients such as cream and bacon).

Besides myself, the Social Media winner of the Rosen Shingle Creek Recipe Contest is Seafood Stew by Cindy of Cindy's Recipes and Writings

The Dixie Crystals Brownie Dessert Contest winners are:

First Place-Bittersweet Balsamic Strawberry Swirl Brownies by Jenni of Jenni Field's Pastry Chef Online
Second Place-Raspberry Chambord Brownies by Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Third Place-Caramel Macchiato Brownies by Betsy of Desserts Required

Both Jenni's and Liz's brownies were served at Saturday night's dinner for dessert.

Jenni's Brownies surround Liz's Brownies

The appetizer and entreé courses were:

Field Greens with Cucumbers, Grape Tomatoes, Sliced Radish and Carrots, Raspberry Vinaigrette

Clockwise from the Right: 1) Grilled Tescan Vegetable Skewers, 2) Tomato Basil Linguine: Garlic, Campari Tomatoes, Brie Cheese, Goosenecks of Imported Grana Pandana Cheese 3) Braised Tenderloin of Chicken, Caramelized Onions, Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauce 4) Porcini Mushroom Risotto

After dinner, a group picture of all the #SundaySupper bloggers present was taken and I ensured I took a picture with Nancy of Gotta Get Baked, my Adding Some Class guest from this past April. If you haven't already, please check out her Bacon Pesto Parmesan Rolls.

Used with Permission from Karen of In the Kitchen with KP

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Sunday's sessions were held at Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Even though the college is next door to the hotel, Fields Auto Group provided the transportation and I got to ride in a Bentley. First up, Chef Giuliano Hazan demonstrated a carbonara dish. From there, I attended workshops on various topics such as creating and maintaining a media kit, food photography and working with brands. Lunch was sponsored by The Beef Checkoff and Idaho Potato Commission.

One of the recipe contest prizes was a $100 gift certificate to one of the hotel restaurants so Mrs. Stuntman opted to dine at Cala Bella. The dishes we ordered were:

Appetizer 1: Mozzarella Stuffed Bella Meatballs, Tomato Ragu & Fontina Fondue

Appetizer 2: Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Capers, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Cracked Pepper

My Entreé: Osso Buco con Gremolada, Veal Shanks Braised with Olive Oil, Wine Plum Tomatoes, Vegetables, Lemon & Garlic, Risotto del Giorno

Mrs. Stuntman's Entreé: Cala Bella Lamb, Marinated Herb Roasted Chops with Pickled Shallots, Rosemary Minted Marsala Sauce

Deconstructed Tiramisu

Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday evening we travelled back home, but before we left my family and I was able to spend time with one of my best blogging friends before the Conference, Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke and was my Adding Some Class guest this past February. Check out the Crème Brûlée dessert she made for me. Before we left, Mrs. Stuntman snapped this picture of us.

Overall, I highly recommend attending next year, especially if you have yet to attend in either of the past two years. I was discussing the matter of food blogging conferences with some others who noted that it is smaller than some others but it allows for better networking opportunities. On a personal note, I'd like to thank Christina of Go Epicurista, Braden and Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen and Peter of Feed Your Soul Too for their assistance when my disability became a hindrance.

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction and Polenta #FWCon

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction and Polenta

In my own observation, I've noticed that low to moderately priced steakhouses offer little in terms of plate presentation creativity. Last fall, I was surprised to find that even a fine dining steakhouse I patronized utilized such a simple presentation. Thankfully, A Land Remembered steakhouse and seafood restaurant at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel is a little more creative. No, I haven't dined there but I plan to when I attend the Food and Wine Conference this summer and a quick google image search yielded some beautiful dishes.

A quick check of their menu reveals options for steaks such as sauce Diane and Oregon bleu cheese but I was surprised by what was not on the menu: a red wine sauce. I also paired my steak with an Italian starch that isn't even on Rosen Shingle Creek's Italian restaurant menu because it not only complements the steak but provides visual appeal to the plate. Furthermore, I have demonstrated two different methods of cooking polenta but found a third and wanted to experiment.

From a presentation standpoint, I recall Chef Cat Cora noting something I hadn't even considered during an episode of America's Best Cook which went something like put round food on a square plate to create a contrast in shapes so I wanted to test out the theory.

This dish is my entry into the Rosen Shingle Creek recipe contest I referred to in my preview post last week.

The Challenge

Win the Rosen Hotels recipe contest described above.

The Source

For the dish composition, I used the roasting method (i.e. brown the food on the stovetop, add butter, baste with the pan fluids then rest the food for carryover cooking) described upon pages 32 and 41 of Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio in addition to the basic pan sauce method (i.e. sweat mirepoix, deglaze with vinegar, reduce, add stock, reduce again and strain out the vegetables) found on page 75. The Flavor Bible also played heavily into the frisee salad. I applied the method to prepare polenta as described in the kitchn to an adapted list of ingredients found on page 198 of Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer.

Ingredients

For the salad:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small head frisee, green leaves only (discard the white root)

For the polenta:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the filets with reduction:
4 six-to-eight ounce filet mignon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock

Method

1. Prepare the salad: Combine the vinegar with the olive oil and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cook the polenta: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water and salt, then bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, whisk in the corn meal slowly until the mixture thickens and the corn meal no longer sinks to the bottom of the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover, stirring every 10 minutes until the polenta is thick, approximately thirty to forty minutes. Once the desired consistency has been reached, stir in the butter and parmesan.

3. Roast the filets: While the polenta cooks, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until smoking. Remove any moisture from the surface of the filets by patting them with a paper towel, then season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the filets in the skillet and brown for approximately two to three minutes. Turn the steaks to brown on the second side, but add two tablespoons butter and thyme sprigs to the pan and baste the filets with the browning butter until just before the desired doneness is reached. Remove from the skillet to a plate and tent with some aluminum foil to allow for carryover cooking while the reduction is prepared.

4. Make the reduction: Add the remaining tablespoon to the hot skillet used to roast the fillets. Once the oil shimmers, add the shallot to sweat, approximately two to three minutes. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant but not browned, approximately an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the fond left by the filets and bring to a simmer, reducing the wine by one-third. Add in the beef stock and simmer again until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the remaining tablespoon butter, removing the skillet from the heat if necessary to prevent the reduction from separating. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain out the solids.

5. Finish the salad and plate the dish: Whisk the vinaigrette again to combine, then toss with the frisee. For the presentation, spoon polenta in approximately the same diameter as the filet onto the middle of the plate, top the polenta with the filet then garnish the filet with the frisee salad. Spoon some of the reduction around the polenta then serve.

Successful?

We won't know who won this contest until it's announced at the conference, so I'm unsure if it's successful in that regard. The flavors of the dish certainly complemented each other. If you want to know who was chosen the winner, I recommend following Rosen Hotels on twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and Google+.

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+.