TexSom Around the Corner!

We are gearing up for the 7th Annual Texas Sommelier Conference on August 13-15 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, Dallas. Be prepared for two full days of wine seminars led by the world's top experts, followed by a grand tasting of more than 150 world-class wines and small bites by Executive Chef Christof Syre.

Behind the scenes of the conference, the annual Texas' Best Sommelier competition will be taking place, with the winner announced at the Grand Tasting on Monday evening. Each year the winner of the competition is awarded scholarships for professional certification courses.

If you haven't registered for this one-of-a-kind conference be sure to do so soon - tickets are selling fast. http://www.texsom.com/

Cleveland or Bust! By Renee Morgan, 2011 Stephan Pyles Scholarship Winner

Cleveland ... or bust! By Renee Morgan, 2011 Stephan Pyles Scholarship Winner

What a great time we had in Cleveland!  Wait...Cleveland, you say?  What’s in Cleveland?  How about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  Or the Cleveland Browns?  Or the Indians for that matter?  Or the USS Cod Submarine Memorial?

One of the many perks of winning the 2011 Stephan Pyles Cook-Off Scholarship is the opportunity to travel with Chef Pyles to one of the many events he does throughout the year, and boy did I use the time to pick his brain, as well as that of his Executive Chef, Joel Harrington.  I was so honored to accompany Chef Stephan Pyles and some of his staff to Cleveland June 24-25 for the annual 5 Star Sensation, a charity event extraordinaire whose honorary chairperson is none other than Chef Wolfgang Puck!  The idea of the event is to bring top chefs and vintners to Cleveland for a magical night of culinary extravagance to raise money for the cancer hospital.  In addition to the opportunity to meet and do tastings with some of the nations top chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck, Francois Paynard, Lydia Shire, Paul Prudhomme, Michael Symon, one of my favorite vintners, Dr. Ernest Loosen and of course, the great Stephan Pyles, I was so pleased to be even a small part of working to benefit this charity, having lost my own dear mother to brain cancer some years ago.

Let me set the scene for you...we arrived late in the afternoon on Friday and were immediately whisked away to the gorgeous Carr estate for a reception and dinner honoring the chefs and vintners who are there to give so generously of their time, talents and resources.  We were treated to a lavish cocktail reception, followed by dinner, a live band to serenading us and an extensive fireworks show.  Apparently, Mr. Carr loves fireworks and put on the show himself, with a little help from the Cleveland fire department.  This was the first moment I realized just what a great trip this was going to be.  Chef Puck addressed the audience and announced that year’s event raised close to 2 million dollars so far to assist the cancer center, which is one of the best in the country.  He also announced that in an effort to make hospital food choices better, he is partnering with the Cleveland hospital to open the first Wolfgang Puck Bistro and the grand opening/ribbon cutting would be held the next day! How cool is that?

The big event is the next evening and I still had no idea what to expect.  Preparations have all been done at the Cleveland Browns Stadium, who have generously donated the use of the stadium kitchens for the visiting chefs.  The event was held on the grounds of a local college and I am told by the event organizer that local foodies and Cleveland society look forward to the 5 Star Sensation all year.  The event spans the space of 3 huge tents, all decorated in cheerful orange and hot pink satins, and features a band, dance floor, silent auction, as well as, dining tables that organizations have paid thousands to sit at.  Each chef and vintner, has their own booth with glassware, china, silver, cooking equipment and so on.  Chefs, cooks and staff are working furiously to get set up and get food ready to serve. All have brought their best. Chef Joel tells me we are to serve up to 2000 that evening!  As the event begins, swarms of people arrive, dressed, as they say, to the nines!  Service has begun!  We are serving an almond gazpacho, with vanilla roasted fennel, lobster ceviche and Champagne grapes, and Texas goat cheese and short-rib tamale with oxtail and Texas peach and arugula salad.  It is amazing and people are coming back time and again for more!  About halfway through service, Chef Joel graciously suggested I take a “walkabout” to see what everyone was doing.  An awesome opportunity!  I talked with many of the chefs, tasted their food, listened to good advice and received invitations from several chefs to contact them when I’m done with school!  Never one to miss out, I took pictures with each of them...I plan to send them a copy of the picture with my resume!

That night, there was an after-party at the famous Lola Bistro and Wine Bar. I’d read about Lola in The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman, so it was exciting to experience it live!  The next day, it was all over and time to leave but I carry the sights, smells and experience with me always.  Many thanks and a debt of gratitude to the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, Jennifer Grathwohl, Chef Stephan Pyles, Chef Joel Harrington and Lisa Moore for their tireless efforts and for making this priceless experience possible for me.

P.S. - I’ll be on externship at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston for the next three months.  Be sure to watch for more updates and pictures!

Susan Tran Named Winner of the 4th Annual Pastry Competition

Congratulations to Susan Tran of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin for taking home the top prize of $5,000 in the 4th Annual Pastry Competition. The two runners-up, Andrea Morgan and Lauren Ortiz took home $1,000 each. Choosing the winner was a tough decision for our three judges led by Chef Mark Paul of Wink Restaurant, Pat Sharpe of Texas Monthly Magazine and Chef Almar Alcocer of El Chile Restaurant as all three contestants showed off amazing skill and talent!  

11th Annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner A Success!

What an evening! The 11th annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner and Live Wine Auction was another stellar evening of delicious food and wine followed by an exciting Live Auction.

Guests enjoyed six courses, each prepared by a different Celebrity chef, paired with a wine. As guests arrived, they were presented with three different appetizers created by the 2010 Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship Winner, Keith Hildebrant (Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Austin). Keith prepared a Texas Quail Breast with Kaffir Lime Aioli wrapped with Fresh (made from scratch) Ramen Noodle, Daube of Oxtail Dumpling with Orange Gastrique and Goat Cheese Panna Cottta with Roasted Beets and Arugula. Complimented by Gruet Sparkling champagne, guests were off to a delicious start.

Shortly after finding their seats, guests were then treated to the following outstanding menu:

• First Course: Hirame Dry Miso and Tuna Tataki with Cilantro Dressing by Matt Raso (Nobu Dallas) with a 2009 Sokol Blosser Pinot Gris.
• Second Course: Maine Diver Scallop with Sea Urchin, Celery Roote and Beech Mushroom by Blaine Staniford (GRACE, Fort Worth) with a 2010 Cape Classic Indaba Chenin Blanc
• Third Course: Duck Cavatelli, Swiss Chard and Shaved Foie Gras by Jeff Harris (CRAFT, Dallas) with Ambiente's 2006 Opolo Grand Rouge
• Fourth Course: Pork Jowl Bacon and Half Sour Cucumber Salad with Sweet Chili, Mustard and Molasses by Tim Byres (SMOKE, Dallas) and a 2008 Planata Cerasuolo di Vittoria
• Fifth Course: Portuguese-Spiced cap of Ribeye with Kale-Bacon Polenta Cake, Caramelized Pearl Onions and Cinnamon-Apple Chutney by Matt McCallister and Stephan Pyles (Stephan Pyles, Dallas) paired with a 2007 Chamisal Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir
• Sixth Course: Persimmon Pudding, Brown Butter Chestnut, Membrillo and Citrus-Butternut Squash Spoon by Katherine Clapner (Dude, Sweet Chocolate, Dallas).

After being wined and dined, the guests were ready to bid away toraise money for the 2011 Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship fund. Items included hard-to-find wine, Vineyard Tour and Tastings, and an opportunity to have all the Celebrity Chefs of the evening come to your home and serve dinner for 8 people. The Live Auction was a success, raising over $15,000 for the 2011 scholarship!

Thank you to everyone that joined us for this magical evening and to our sponsors Central Market and South Texas Money Management for helping make this evening possible.

11th Annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner

Let’s take a trip to Dallas! The annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner and Live Wine Auction is set for this Sunday, November 7 – and this is not an event you want to miss.

Guests will enjoy six courses, each prepared by a different Celebrity chef, paired with a delicious wine. This year, Celebrity chefs include 2010 scholarship winner Keith Hildebrant (Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Austin), Jeff Harris (Craft), Matt Raso (Nobu), Blaine Staniford (Grace, Fort Worth), Tim Byres (Smoke), Katherine Clapner (Dude Sweet Chocolate) and of course, chef Pyles. The evening will start with a champagne reception at 6pm, before moving onto dinner and the live wine auction at 7pm.

Besides delicious dinner and wonderful wine, the evening helps raise funds for the Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship that is awarded to a Texas culinary student each year.

Tickets are $150 and space is extremely limited. Sign up here: www.winefoodfoundation.org.