News
For those of you fortunate enough to have been in the VIP Tent at the Colorado Mountain WineFest two weeks ago, you were treated to some exquisite food and believe it or not, I am not talking about our cheesecakes (but the standing ovation was nice).
No, the true VIPs in the VIP Tent are the students and their culinary chef instructors from the Colorado Culinary Academy out at Colorado Mesa University/WCCC!
From Dan Kirby, head of the Culinary Program:
Beginning in 2004 when the Colorado Mountain WineFest moved to Riverbend Park, the culinary school at Western Colorado Community College teamed up with then WineFest director Amy Nurnberg to offer the first-ever VIP experience at the festival.
This year was the 20th anniversary of the festival and 30 students and seven faculty members worked all weeklong preparing food for the event. Four of the volunteer students also assisted the Celebrity Chefs at their demonstrations on Friday night at the DoubleTree hotel, and at the chef demo tent on Saturday in the park.
In addition to supervising students at the festival, chef instructors Wayne Smith and Jon St. Peter surprised guests and each other in their chef-demo presentation with a classic ACF “Mystery Basket” competition. Each chef put together a basket of locally grown meats and produce and then surprise the other on stage. They were given 45 minutes in front of the crowd to plan and execute an entree using only the ingredients provided, and it proved to be a crowdpleaser.
This year's offerings were: France - Salad of smoked salmon, mizuna, gold beets, goat cheese, and hazelnuts with citrus-vanilla vinaigrette, summer vegetable tart with lavender and fennel seed, Beef shoulder tender tournedos Béarnaise, hearth breads; Pan Pacific - seafood and vegetable coconut curry with jasmine rice, stir-fried shredded pork with corn and cabbage, chai-spiced green tea passion-peach smoothies; Colorado - beer can chicken with red chile rub, cilantro-lime slaw, Colorado lamb barbacoa soft tamale with queso fresco and mint chimichurri. Hungry yet?
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
In honor of our local culinary gem, our local culinary program, this week's website is from the CIA, no, not that one, but The Culinary Institute of America... some great recipes! (http://www.ciaculinaryintelligence.com/
And this week's recipe of the week is one of the dishes served in the VIP Tent at the Colorado Mountain Winefest!
MAV COOKBOOK
The Maverick Cookbook is now on sale! One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to the scholarship funds of the CMU Alumni Association and the culinary program. You can pick up a copy (or 2, what a great gift!) at the Alumni office, at the CMU Bookstore, or online at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21035_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=245
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Lee is the founder and owner of Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Catering. He can be reached at decadencecheesecakes@mindspring.com, through their website at www.decadencecheesecakes.com, on Facebook or by calling 256-4688!
No, the true VIPs in the VIP Tent are the students and their culinary chef instructors from the Colorado Culinary Academy out at Colorado Mesa University/WCCC!
From Dan Kirby, head of the Culinary Program:
Beginning in 2004 when the Colorado Mountain WineFest moved to Riverbend Park, the culinary school at Western Colorado Community College teamed up with then WineFest director Amy Nurnberg to offer the first-ever VIP experience at the festival.
This year was the 20th anniversary of the festival and 30 students and seven faculty members worked all weeklong preparing food for the event. Four of the volunteer students also assisted the Celebrity Chefs at their demonstrations on Friday night at the DoubleTree hotel, and at the chef demo tent on Saturday in the park.
In addition to supervising students at the festival, chef instructors Wayne Smith and Jon St. Peter surprised guests and each other in their chef-demo presentation with a classic ACF “Mystery Basket” competition. Each chef put together a basket of locally grown meats and produce and then surprise the other on stage. They were given 45 minutes in front of the crowd to plan and execute an entree using only the ingredients provided, and it proved to be a crowdpleaser.
This year's offerings were: France - Salad of smoked salmon, mizuna, gold beets, goat cheese, and hazelnuts with citrus-vanilla vinaigrette, summer vegetable tart with lavender and fennel seed, Beef shoulder tender tournedos Béarnaise, hearth breads; Pan Pacific - seafood and vegetable coconut curry with jasmine rice, stir-fried shredded pork with corn and cabbage, chai-spiced green tea passion-peach smoothies; Colorado - beer can chicken with red chile rub, cilantro-lime slaw, Colorado lamb barbacoa soft tamale with queso fresco and mint chimichurri. Hungry yet?
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
In honor of our local culinary gem, our local culinary program, this week's website is from the CIA, no, not that one, but The Culinary Institute of America... some great recipes! (http://www.ciaculinaryintelligence.com/
And this week's recipe of the week is one of the dishes served in the VIP Tent at the Colorado Mountain Winefest!
MAV COOKBOOK
The Maverick Cookbook is now on sale! One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to the scholarship funds of the CMU Alumni Association and the culinary program. You can pick up a copy (or 2, what a great gift!) at the Alumni office, at the CMU Bookstore, or online at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21035_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=245
------------------
Lee is the founder and owner of Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Catering. He can be reached at decadencecheesecakes@mindspring.com, through their website at www.decadencecheesecakes.com, on Facebook or by calling 256-4688!
Beer Can Chicken
(served in the VIP Tent at the 2011 Colorado Mountain WineFest)----------------
The use of a beer can chicken stand simplifies production and ensures your chicken doesn't get “tipsy” on the grill.
1/4 cup spice rub of your choice (we made a Southwestern concoction of red chili, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, etc. The usual suspects)
1 whole fryer chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 can of beer
One day before cooking rub the chicken cavity and skin liberally with spice rub. Bag and refrigerate.
Build a moderate charcoal fire or set gas grill to low to medium. (If you have a temperature gauge it should read 350-375 degrees with the lid closed.)
Open beer. Drink down an ounce or two of the beer. (Optional step, not advised if you are cooking 48 chickens as we did last Saturday.)
Place beer in stand and work the chicken over the beer so that it fills the cavity. Place on grill, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees. If using charcoal you will need to add 10-20 briquettes every 30-45 minutes to maintain heat.
Remove chicken when done and allow to cool for a few minutes then separate chicken from beer can. Cut and serve.
The combination of dry heat and beer steam results in juicy poultry with crisp skin.
