Time to taste Winter Park

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce is pleased to host an evening of culinary excellence at the 27th Annual Taste of Winter Park presented by Century Link on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at the Winter ParkFarmers’ Market.  Taste creations from the area’s top chefs, bakers, caterers, brewers and more from 40 different purveyors.

 “The Taste of Winter Park is an annual community tradition that pairs great food and drink with a great evening of music and friends in downtown Winter Park,” says Patrick Chapin, president and CEO for the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.

Guests’palettes will be pleased by everything from steakhouse favorites to quality seafood and decadent desserts to a variety of coffees, smoothies, wine and beer. Participating restaurants will showcase cuisines from around the world as well as classic American dishes. Each food and beverage participant will compete for top prize in categories including entrée, appetizer/side dish, dessert, healthy dish and booth display.   An elite panel of judges will evaluate each entrant and award honors to the most deserving in each category. Judges include Pam Brandon and Katie Farm and, editors, Edible Orlando; Anjali Fluker, restaurant reporter, Orlando Business Journal; Rona Gindin, dining editor, Orlando Home & Leisure;  Scott Joseph, restaurant critic and commentator on WMFE-FM; Ricky Ly, food blogger, Tasty Chomps; Heather McPherson, food editor and restaurant critic, Orlando Sentinel; and Scott Richardson, food writer, The Park Press.

In addition to the delicious dishes, guests will enjoy live entertainment by saxophonist Johnny Mag Sax and a scavenger hunt organized by Edible Orlando to identify and locate fresh, local ingredients used at the event.

The 27th Annual Taste of Winter Park will be held Wednesday, April 18, 2012, from 5:00 -8:00 p.m. at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market, 200 West New England Avenue, Winter Park, 32789.  Tickets are available for $40 in advance for Winter Park Chamber members, $45 for non-members and $45 for everyone at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce located at 151 West Lyman Avenue, by calling (407) 644-8281 or online at www.winterpark.org. Stay up-to-date with event details at www.facebook.com/tasteofwinterparkor @WinterParkTaste on twitter.

Eat Local at the inaugural Winter Garden Harvest Festival

A Local Folkus, LLC, producers of the fall Winter Park Harvest Festival, are partnering with the City of Winter Garden and Slow Food Orlando to produce the first Winter Garden HarvestFestival this spring.


The festival will take place on May 5th, 2012 in the heart of Winter Garden's Downtown Historic District from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will feature a local, producer-only farmers market adjacent to the city’s existing Saturday market. The event will offer an assortment of local food, craft vendors, farm and food related demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and live entertainment. Neighbors and visitors alike will have an opportunity to interact with local food purveyors, gardeners, and food experts throughout the day.
From 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Edible Orlando Magazine has partnered with the festival to hold “Sips and Skylines,” a rooftop garden tour of Green Sky Growers and a cocktail tasting and mixology demo in Winter Garden’s new restaurant, Al Fresco.
Following the daytime festivities, a Farm-to-Table dining event will take place from 7:00 to 10:00pm in Winter Garden's beautiful downtown pavilion. The ticketed dinner will highlight West Orange County’s chefs’ local, seasonal farm-fresh ingredients, as well as some of Central Florida’s best micro brews.

This event is an opportunity to celebrate the City of Winter Garden's farming heritage, while spotlighting its modern connection to the local food scene. In an effort to build on the community's unique history and offer more options to its citizens, the City of Winter Garden has made local food a priority. For instance, the city has championed a highly successful farmers market in the Downtown Pavilion, and has furthermore developed a farm incubation program to help small farmers grow their businesses on city-owned land. Through these efforts, and through the first Winter Garden Harvest Festival, the city will continue to strengthen its community bonds and will further the availability of local food to its citizens and businesses.

*Purchase your tickets for the Farm to Table Dinner - here.
*Interested in sponsoring this event, please click - here.
*Register for “Sips and Skylines”- here.
*Want to be a vendor? Apply here.

Spring has sprung so hop into The Capital Grille for a little treasure of the season

Ah, Spring. A time for renewal, self-assessment, a little cleaning, and a visit to The Capital Grille to sample their new lunch "Plates" menu featuring three new selections that are perfect for the season:  Asparagus Soup, Shrimp and Piquillo Peppers with Crisp Bomba Rice and Grilled Spring Vegetables. 

As always, guests of The Capital Grille can customize their lunch, choosing from nine “plates” offerings – soup or salad, sandwich and a side – all for $18.

According to Executive Chef Matthew Price, it’s out with the cold!  “The new Spring “Plates” lunch menu really highlights some of the crisp, garden-fresh ingredients that are in-season now. Fresh asparagus is the quintessential spring vegetable, and it stars in our Asparagus Soup. This dish serves as a delightful way to start your lunch.  For a sweet and spicy kick, try our Shrimp and Piquillo Peppers with Crisp Bomba Rice.  We are also pleased to offer side dishes made with the freshest spring ingredients, like our Grilled Spring Vegetables, and French Green Beans, both light and refreshing additions to any of our lunch entree selections.”

On a recent visit, I sampled the shrimp, piquillo peppers and rice. The crispy bomba rice was fantastic. Served in a little cast iron pot, the rice was plump and full with crispy edges all around. My favorite part a of a good paella is getting lots of crispy rice, and sometimes you don't get that much depending on what part of the large pan you're served. With this dish, I was able to have my crispy rice (and eat it too).

My guest chose the mini tenderloins sliders with truffle fries. I wasn't able to sample (not even a bite) as he quickly devoured the mini sandwiches, but my general impression from watching him was that they were quite tasty. In fact, he claimed the tenderloins practically melted in his mouth. I was able to grab a couple of the truffle fries, and with their sprinkle of Parmesan and the earthy flavor of truffles, the ubiquitous spuds become nearly elevated to entree status (at least to us fans of fries).

For guests with a limited amount of time at lunch, The Capital Grille ensures they can enjoy the personalized service and mouth-watering cuisine that characterize a Capital Grille dining experience and still be on their way in about 45 minutes.  Guests can also tempt their appetites with traditional lunch favorites like French Onion Soup, The Grille’s Signature Cheeseburger, Rib eye Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti or the Lobster and Crab Burger, among other classics.

The Capital Grille is located at 9101 International Drive, Suite 100. Reservations can be made by calling 407-370-4392 or by visiting TheCapitalGrille.com. In addition to its main dining room, The Capital Grille also features private dining rooms for up to 36 guests, as well as a Chef’s Table accommodating up to 10 guests, with a frontline view of the open kitchen.  

Pie Lovers Unite!

American Pie Council (APC)^® Prepares for Record Numbers at APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships April 27-29 in Orlando and APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco April 28-29 in Celebration, Fla.


Photo courtesy piecouncil.org

The countdown is on for the American Pie Council^® (APC) — America’s only organization dedicated to preserving America’s love affair with pie — as it gears up for its 18th Annual APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships to be held Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29 at the Caribe Royal All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando and its 11th Annual APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®   on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, in nearby Celebration, Fla. 

The APC is now accepting entries from amateur, professional and commercial bakers, as well as budding junior chefs, for the National Pie Championships. Last year, the prestigious pastry bake-off drew more than 447 commercial, 142 professional, 301 amateur and 6 junior entries for an astounding total of 896 pies in the quest to find America’s top bakers. Commercial winners took home bragging rights and the promise of greater sales, while winners in all other categories received plenty of dough, as is cash and prizes, including a Sears Kenmore range. This year’s competition is expected to be even more heated. Entry forms and pie categories for each division are available on the APC website, www.piecouncil.org. Entry is free for junior chefs and $15 per pie for amateur APC members, $35/non members and each entrant receives an Emile Henry pie dish; see website for professional and commercial entry costs.  APC members receive discounted entry costs; membership information is also available online.

Pie lovers are also invited to apply to be a judge at the prestigious competition. Last year, 174 esteemed pie aficionados from all over the world lent their time and taste buds to nibble on nearly 900 pies. No previous judging or baking experience is required; applicants need only explain why they would like to be a judge. Potential pie judges may fill out an entry form online at www.piecouncil.org through March 30, 2012.

Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to make the championships and the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^® run as easy as, well, pie. Volunteers may indicate the shifts or duties

they prefer to work by filling out an application online at www.piecouncil.org by Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

The Caribe Royal is offering a special rate of $129 per night for those competing in or attending the APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships or the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by

Crisco^®. To receive this special rate, guests must mention the event by name.  Reservations may be made by calling 800-823-8300. For more information about the Caribe Royal, visit www.thecaribeorlando.com.

 “Preparations are heating up at the American Pie Council for this year’s championship and festival. Right now, all around the country, bakers of all skill levels are putting the finishing touches on their best recipes,” said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. “Each year tops the last in terms of creativity, enthusiasm and dedication to the art of pie baking. We absolutely cannot wait to see what this year’s festivities will bring.”

More than 32,000 pie lovers from across the globe are expected to transcend upon Celebration, Fla. on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 for the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®. The increasingly popular, free admission festival returns to Celebration with all the activities that have made it a family favorite, including the Crisco^® Creation Station, the pie tinart activity for art lovers of all ages, and the Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants, featuring entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country. Always a crowd favorite, the kids’ and adults’ pie eating contests return this year, once again sponsored by Private Selection. Meanwhile, the Book Nook will expand this year to feature even more choices by pie authors, many of whom will be competing in the championships, including Michele Stuart of Michele’s Pies in Norwalk, Conn., who recently released her cookbook, “Perfect Pies: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes from America’s Pie-Baking Champion.” All festival events will be held both days. 

The highlight of the festival is the Never Ending Pie Buffet, which last year featured an astounding 87,000 slices of pie as well as ice cream, toppings and beverages from America’s best known commercial bakers. The Never Ending Pie Buffet has grown each year, from 83,000 slices in 2010 and 70,000 in 2009. The buffet and the children’s activities are the only paid events at the festival.  All stage entertainment and demonstrations are free.  Tickets are the Pie Buffet are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

Those interested in keeping up to date on the latest news concerning the pie championships, pie festival or pie news can follow the American Pie Council on Facebook and Pinterest and on Twitter at FYPie.

The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 28; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 29. Admission to the festival is free. Costs for the Never Ending Pie Buffet are: $10 adults, $5 ages 65 and up; $5 ages
6-12.

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community at www.celebration.fl.us or the American Pie Council^® www.piecouncil.org.

Crisco^® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company.  For more information, visit www.crisco.com.

The American Pie Council^® is the only organization committed to maintaining America’s pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America’s love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships. For more information, please visit www.piecouncil.org.