After attending the illustrious Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Southern Wine and Spirits executive and CIA alum Lee Brian Schrager envisioned hosting a similar event at the Beach.  And not just any beach, but South Beach in Miami. 

That was a little over ten years ago. Now, the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival is one of the most celebrated in the country.  Once a year thousands of food lovers come together, along with food legends new and old, for the ultimate party.  A party with a purpose that is -- the South Beach event has raised roughly 10 million dollars for culinary and wine education at Florida International University.  Based upon this sucess, Mr. Schrager has also created a similar event in New York City and word is that a west coast event is also in the works. 

To celebrate ten years of good times and good food in South Beach, Lee Brian Schrager along with writer Julie Mautner have written the ultimate cookbook to go with the ultimate party, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival cookbook.  This cookbook gives you a glimpse inside the event with lots of great photos, profiles, and recipes from some of the greatest names in food.  I recently had the opportunity to interview Mr. Schrager about the South Beach festival. Take a look at what he had to say:

Q. I've only attended the New York City Wine & Food Festival, but after reading Anthony Bourdain's introduction to this book it is clear I am missing some serious fun in South Beach!  Where did you learn to become the ultimate party planner, or is it something that just comes naturally.

A. Event planning is in my blood, but there are two key components – 1) having the right team and 2) delegating.

Q. Most people only associate Food Network personalities with your festivals, but in the introduction Anthony Bourdain also said that “although the familiar Food Network stars have become more prominently represented, the professional dimension-the beating heart-remains strong.” Is that something that was intentional so that the festival would appeal to everyone, professionals and laypeople?

A. Absolutely intentional!  I’m well-known for saying that we offer something for everyone – where else can you see Ferran Adrià on one stage and Paula Deen on the next.  I love the diversity of our talent and our consumers.

Q. I know this is like asking you to pick your favorite child, but what year of the festival is the most memorable for you to date and why?

A. SOBE’s 5th anniversary in 2006 – one because it was an important milestone for us, and two because that was the year we learned we can’t depend on the weather – the BubbleQ® was rained out that year – and we started tenting everything.

Q. What has been the biggest change in the festival since its inception?

A. Now we have a more educated and demanding consumer.

Q. Is there any Chef or Food personality that you’d like to have participate that hasn’t?

A. Escoffier ...

Q. In addition to NYC and South Beach, what city would be ideal for your next big festival?

A. Los Angeles in 2012

Q. Which current food trend do you love and which one do you wish would just go away?

A. I love food trucks right now!  And I’m not sure I ever really got the bacon thing.

Q. In the book you mentioned that your mother’s culinary “Trinity” was Mimi Sheraton, Julia Child, and the Joy of Cooking what’s yours?

A. I have a culinary four-pack instead of a trinity - Christopher Idone’s “Glorious Food”, Jacques Pepin’s “La Technique”, Steven Raichlen’s “The Barbeque Bible”, and Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Bread Bible”

Thanks so much to Lee Brian Schrager for taking the time to speak with us. Featured below is a recipe from one of the previous South Beach events, just something to give you a little taste of what you're in for should you decide to experience it for yourself. 

Cindy Hutson's Pork Tenderloin

Recipe from The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook by Lee Brian Schrager and Julie Mautner (Clarkson Potter, 2010)

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Serves 8

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup ground Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans
• 1/4 cup mesquite dry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 to 5 pounds pork tenderloin, silverskin removed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup Chipotle-Honey Glaze (recipe follows)
• Creamy Manchego Polenta (recipe follows)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the cocoa, coffee, mesquite seasoning, salt, and cayenne in a zip-lock bag, and shake until well combined. Place some of the mixture on a plate and roll the tenderloin around in the rub until it is evenly covered. Slice the tenderloin into 3-ounce medallions (roughly 24 pieces).

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil and butter. Sear the pork medallions on each side: about 3 minutes for medium-rare, 4 minutes for medium, 5 minutes for well done.

4. Remove the medallions and place them on a plate. Remove the excess oil from the skillet. Return the medallions to the skillet and ladle the Chipotle-Honey Glaze over them to coat.

5. Remove from the heat and serve with the Creamy Manchego Polenta.

Chipotle-Honey Glaze

Recipe from The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook by Lee Brian Schrager and Julie Mautner (Clarkson Potter, 2010)

• 1 cup honey
• 2 canned chipotles in adobo, minced
• 1/4 cup water

Combine the honey, chipotles, and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.

Creamy Manchego Polenta

Recipe from The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook by Lee Brian Schrager and Julie Mautner (Clarkson Potter, 2010)

• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup high-quality fine or coarse-grain polenta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated manchego cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and garlic, and cook over medium-low heat until tender, 5 minutes. Add the thyme, and then pour in the stock. Raise the heat, and when the liquid is almost ready to boil, slowly add the polenta.

2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, making sure there are no lumps. Add the cream immediately and continue to stir. When the polenta is almost done (follow the cooking instructions on the package), about 20 minutes, whisk in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

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The way I see it, the world is divided into two distinct groups: those who like cake and those who like pie. It's that simple. Oh sure, we all cross the boundaries occasionally (or, in my case, whenever opportunity knocks), but each of us harbors a deep-seated preference. You know I'm right.

For this reason alone, author Nancie McDermott is my kind of diplomat. Following the success of her mouth watering-ly wonderful Southern Cakes, Southern Pies provides the perfect counterpoint. There are so many tempting recipes within these two volumes that I'm feeling a teeny bit bipolar in my convictions.

The author is a well-traveled culinary pro who now lives in her native North Carolina. With a well-honed palate and critical eyes, McDermott explores the easy-as-pie desserts she grew up with—as well as those she has learned as an adult from friends and friends-of-friends. McDermott also serves as the reader's personal guide through the history behind recipes like Barry Maiden's Hungry Mother Spicy Peanut Pie; Dr. George Washington Carver's Sliced Sweet Potato Pie; and Cornelia Walker Bailey's Sapelo Island Pear Pie.

It doesn't matter if you're a born-and-bred Yankee or a Dixie chick; Southern Pies includes all the old-school standards  as well as enough unique regional favorites to sway the favor of any sweet tooth. (The author even makes a convincing case for curiosities like Bean Pie and Irish Potato Pie. Really.) In true Southern tradition there are no fancy-schmancy ingredients here, just good ol' economical resourcefulness.

Southern Pies is here just in time for Thanksgiving, one of the many American holidays so closely linked with this iconic dessert. With more than 60 recipes including Blue Grass Cranberry; Persimmon; Miz Bob's Double Apple; New Orleans Creole Coconut; and a whole chapter devoted to chocolate, this book is sure to get a workout for many months to come.

Black Walnut Pie

amazon.com

Makes one 9-inch pie

A close cousin of the hickory tree, black walnut trees are native to the United States, particularly throughout the Appalachian Mountains and into the Midwest. The town of Spencer has been hosting the West Virginia Black Walnut Festival each October since 1954, celebrating the tree that is prized for its beautiful wood as well as its rich, smoky-flavored nutmeats. The shells are extraordinarily difficult to crack, and the process stains hands and clothing, but Southern cooks have persevered for centuries to obtain an annual supply for use in making cakes, pies, ice cream, and fudge, These days, shelled black walnuts are widely available in supermarkets around the country, or check mail order sources.

• Pastry for one 9-inch single-crust pie
• 
  

• 3 eggs, beaten well
• 3/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1 cup sorghum, molasses, or dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) chopped black walnuts

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust, then crimp the edges decoratively. Line and partially bake the crust.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Use a fork or a whisk to mix them together evenly and well. Add the sorghum, butter, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine them into a thick, smooth filling.  Add the walnuts and stir to mix everything well.  Pour the filling into the prepared piecrust.

Place the pie on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees.  Bake until the edges puff up and the center is fairly firm, wiggling only a little when you gently nudge the pan.

Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool to room temperature.

Old-Time Chess Pie

From Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott, Chronicle Books 2010

Makes one 9-inch pie

This simple combination of eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla makes a delectable old-school chess pie. Luscious and sweet, it is one of the quickest pies in the Southern baking repertoire, and also one of the most cherished, past and present. If you're looking for a pie that travels well and wins major praise for minimal effort, this one will suit your purposes well.

• Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie (store-bought or home-made)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten well
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust, then crimp the edges decoratively.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour, and stir with a fork to mix them well. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Using a fork or a whisk, stir well to combine everything into a smooth, thick filling. Pour the filling into the piecrust.

Place the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F, and bake until the edges puff up and the center is fairly firm, wiggling only a little when you gently nudge the pan, 30 to 40 minutes more.

Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool to room temperature. 

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Back in the day, before the advent of the Internet, wire services were depended upon for getting the news first and fast in the world of traditional journalism. No agency epitomized that more than the Associated Press.

It's only appropriate then that the new cookbook by the food editor of the AP be all about speedy, reliable dishes to make on hectic deadline-packed weeknights. "High Flavor, Low Labor'' (Ballentine Books) by J.M. Hirsch contains nearly 150 recipes filled with global flavors and time-saving tips. As a dad, he knows first hand how to create a dish that will satisfy the entire family, especially when every member is ravenous to sit down to eat.

There are inventive takes on such standbys as hummus, with Hirsch's "Spiced Cashew Hummus with Smoked Paprika'' made with cashew butter and hot sauce. There's a kid-loving "Deep-Dish Pesto and Prosciutto Tortilla Pizza,'' which involves stacking tortillas with tomato sauce, slices of prosciutto, onion, and cheese, then baking, before slicing into wedges like a pie. And there are crowd favorites such as "Pepper Steak Grinders with Mango Chutney'' that take a mere 20 minutes to make.

On a recent weeknight, I decided to try my hand at the recipe for "Lemon Grass and White Bean Turkey Chili.'' It's sort of a cross between the classic Thai soup, tom kha gai, and American white chili.

Aromatics, including a lemon grass stalk, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika and jalapenos get sautéed in a Dutch oven.

The recipe calls for jarred jalapeno pepper slices. Not wanting to buy a jar just for that one purpose, I substituted fresh, diced jalapeno, along with some fresh lime juice instead, which worked out quite well.
Although the recipe instructs you to next add the coconut milk, chicken broth, ground turkey and drained cannellini beans all at once to the pot, I opted to add the ground turkey first and let that cook until it crumbled. Otherwise, I feared the big mound of raw turkey meat would be too difficult to break into smaller pieces once all the other ingredients were added.

After adding everything else, let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Just before serving, add a hefty amount of baby spinach leaves and cook just until wilted.

This Asian-take on white chili is at once hearty, creamy, a little spicy and a little tangy. For a dish that came together in about half an hour, it tasted far more complex than anticipated. Just like an article done in the heat of deadline, this is one dish that definitely hits the spot fast.

Read more about Carolyn's experience with High Flavor, Low Labor on her blog FoodGal

Lemon Grass and White Bean Turkey Chili

amazon.com

• 15-inch stalk lemon grass, cut into 4 segments and gently crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon diced jarred jalapeno pepper slices
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (chicken or lean beef could be substituted)
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
• 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan or medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the lemon grass, olive oil, jalapenos, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Saute for 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, broth, turkey, and beans. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Discard the lemon grass. Add the spinach and stir for 1 minute, or until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

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Photo ©2010 Ellen Sliverman

Instead, it is about appreciating that farmer next door and the Artisan cheesemakers down the lane.  The folks who are stars in their hometowns, not on TV, who do what they do for the love of it and not the promise of fame. The collaborative part of this book is not the all-star list of talented chefs showing their skills, but the relationships these chefs have with their suppliers: the farmers and artisan food makers whose product is a constant source of inspiration in the chef's kitchens.  

Read the story of how heirloom tomato farmer Tim Stark went from aspiring novelist to growing tomatoes that are coveted by market goers and four star chefs like Daniel Boulud.  For some, the chef-farmer connection has come full circle. Former chef Eberhard Muller fell in love with a local wine distributor, got married, and decided to buy a farm. He now provides produce for the same restaurant where he once worked (Le Bernadin).  There are many more stories like that one. The passion these folks have for what they do just leaps off the page and I believe that passion shows in the quality of their products too. After reading this cookbook you'll be inspired to find your own David Cleverdon (Kinnikinnick Farm, Caledonia IL) or Matt Linehan (Sparrow Arc Farm, Kennebunk ME), get into the kitchen and create a seasonal, sustainable, and local culinary masterpiece using recipes like the Heirloom Bean Soup below. 

Heirloom Bean Soup with Lobster and Minestrone Vegetables

amazon.com

Serves 4

For the soup

• One 1 1/2-pound lobster, steamed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 1 medium leek (white part only), washed, cut into small dice, and washed thoroughly again
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 fennel bulb, cut into small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups Steuben beans, soaked overnight, or 2 cups navy or cannellini beans
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 pound asparagus, ends snapped, peeled, and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  

For the basil pesto

• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• Coarse salt
  

For the vegetable garnish

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 ounces green beans (about 12 to 15), cut in half
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 small leek (white part only), cut into 1/4-inch dice and washed thoroughly
• 1 ripe plum tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, preferably Parma, cut into fine julienne
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  

1. Remove the lobster meat from the shells. Cut the shelled tails in half lengthwise and remove and discard the digestive tract (the dark vein-like structure). Cut the clawmeat into 1-inch pieces. Discard the shell. Cut the lobster tail meat into 1-inch pieces; cover and refrigerate. Remove the top shell and head from the body and discard. Rinse the body and break it into 3 pieces.

2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, leeks, celery, diced fennel, and garlic; season with salt and pepper, and cook for
10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Drain the beans, then add them to the pot along with the bay leaves, fennel seeds, and lobster body pieces. Stir well and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 to 11/2 hours, or until the beans are very tender. The amount of time this takes will vary based on the age of the beans. The younger they are, the less time they will need to cook.

4. While the beans are cooking, make the pesto. Put the basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor, add the oil in a thin steady stream, and process until the basil is finely chopped, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and pine nuts and process for another 20 seconds. The pine nuts should be finely chopped but not a paste. Transfer the pesto to a small serving bowl. Stir in the cheeses. Taste and season with salt as necessary.

5. Drain the beans and vegetables, saving the cooking liquid but discarding the bay leaves and lobster body pieces. Purée the beans in the bowl of a food processor. Return to the pot and add enough bean cooking water to make a thick soup. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Return the soup to low heat to keep warm. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for an additional minute, or until the vegetables are almost tender.

6. To cook the vegetable garnish, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots, green beans, celery, and leeks and cook for 2 minutes. Mix the semi-cooked vegetables, tomatoes, and lobster meat in a medium sauté pan with the olive oil. Heat slowly over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the prosciutto and parsley.

7. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and put a heaping tablespoonful of the warm vegetable-lobster mixture in the center. Drizzle with basil pesto. Serve immediately, with additional pesto at the table.

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