AllEars® Team Blog

To me, one of the most exciting things about the annual Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is the long list of well-known and respected chefs it brings to Walt Disney World to share their expertise with Disneyphiles who happen to be foodies. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to attend demos by a number of chefs I would never have seen in person otherwise. Many have become household names, hosting their own television programs or writing their own cookbooks: Martin Yan, Cat Cora, and Bobby Flay, just to name a few.

Of all the chefs I've seen over the years, though, one of my favorites has to be pastry chef Keegan Gerhard, who has participated in the Epcot Food and Wine Festival every year since its first. His enthusiasm for dessert-making, coupled with his down-to-earth, approachable style make him a delight to watch in the kitchen setting. Widely known as the creator and spiky-haired host-turned-judge of Food Network's live Food Network Challenge Series, Chef Keegan was named one of the nation’s top 10 pastry chefs of 2002 and 2004 by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines. Today, he's also Executive Pastry Chef/owner of his own restaurant, D Bar Desserts in Denver, CO.

I first saw Chef Keegan in person at last year's festival, at both the First Bites Opening Reception, and at a culinary demo, during which he prepared a delicious and whimsically named "Dessert Sandwich Situation." This year, I again caught the busy chef as he co-hosted the First Bites Reception, and at another culinary demonstration, where he presented an enhanced version of last year's dessert sandwich, Faux Foster Bananas Impostor. (Recipe at the end of this post.)

Better than all that, though -- I was lucky enough to have a few minutes with Chef Keegan as he was preparing for the opening of this year's Festival at Epcot. We talked about how the annual event has changed over the years, as well as his thoughts on the state of food and pastry in particular, at Walt Disney World. We also chatted a bit about the impact his Food Network Challenge has had on pastry chefs everywhere, and what's on his horizon.

DMK: You've been coming to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival for 16 years running. What keeps you coming back?

KG: Yes, I've been to all of them. ALLLLLLLL of them! I think only Bob Waggoner [host of the PBS show "U Cook with Chef Bob"] and I have been coming here since the beginning. It's funny, it sounds set up, but Epcot is my favorite Food & Wine Festival, and there's two reasons for this. The very first year I was at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida, I was corporate assistant pastry chef and my boss Norman was asked to go but couldn't, but he sent me. No one thought much about it because it was the first year, and no one knew how it would be. First years of festivals are always sketchy. I liked it, it was great. The next two years were very transitional, and since year three they've made it better every year.

DMK: Do you do many other Food & Wine festivals?

KG: I do a ton of them. I know some chefs don't like to and only do them because they have to, but I enjoy them. I wish I could do more.

DMK: What is it about the Epcot festival that makes it special?

KG: In particular, the three things I like: First of all, the guest access. You're not terribly far removed, you have a lot of interaction with Disney guests, especially in events like Party for the Senses and Sweet Sundays. Sweet Sundays is an uncommon format. You get to make three desserts for people and you spend two hours with them, and you're eating a meal -- there's a little more camaraderie, a little bit more of a connection you can make with the audience than in a 30-minute demo. The obviousness of what Disney's created with Party for the Senses -- the interaction, the action stations, the cooking, the wine, the food, it's just a big event. There's a buzz in the air about it, so I love that part as well. The demos themselves are my passion, that's what first drew me. I have a big passion to teach people that dessert should not be intimidating. Dessert should be fun, you shouldn't be afraid of things you don't know in baking and pastry. You just have to learn a few tricks to build your confidence. I think the key in food is If you can teach people a few tricks and they build their confidence, then they can start to be creative. If you're afraid, if you're nervous, if you have anxiety in any occasion you can't really unleash your creativity, right? But once you gain some confidence, you make something 10 times, you think, 'Hey, what about this twist? What about that twist?' And then that's when your passion gets included, that's when you have a story about the food you're making. So in a demo, I get to tell stories about why and how I make things. That's probably my most common question I get: What inspires you to create food? I love to tell those stories. I always have stories about my desserts. I like to share those.

DMK: Are there any special challenges to cooking here at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival?

KG: There are a few. In the beginning it was very challenging, because I don't believe that Disney realized how quickly it would grow. If you know the Odyssey, the entire festival happened in that building the first couple years. And there were 30 of us, and one oven. But once they realized what was going on they began to correct that. The Epcot Catering Center, where we work now, didn't even exist back then. So they grew it grew it grew it... But the challenge is always just cooking in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar equipment. But you know, I like that.

DMK: What about that makes it enjoyable? It seems that unfamiliarity would make things really difficult.

KG: My role on TV is kind of an odd one, if I'm being honest. I created the competition that became Food Network Challenge. I'm not a TV guy. I'm just a pastry chef. So to be on TV and get quote-unquote famous as a great pastry chef, but nobody had ever seen me make anything in nine years, it's kinda weird. So I much prefer the format of my restaurant, because at night I make desserts in front of you, like if you would go to sushi, but instead it's dessert, every night -- we can sit there and talk. It's like a live demo all night long. I'm sitting and interacting with people while I'm cooking. I prefer that, but in a situation like this, where you're a guest chef, you don't know anybody, you don't know where anything is, you have a couple of options. You can hide in a corner, or you can get involved. I believe that the oddity of that position on TV -- there's some responsibility there. Whether it's warranted or not, people look up to you. Whether it's warranted or not, our show has changed the industry some. I feel like I'm representing the pastry industry, Food Network, my show, and I'm certainly representing myself. So I try to set an example of how I think culinarians should be. I introduce myself to everybody. It used to be really easy -- there were only four guys. Now it's 70 people. It took me 45 minutes this morning. But you know what? If you just look somebody in the eye and say good morning to the dishwashers, to the stewards, to all the guys who worked really hard before you ever got here to get your ingredients together and they're curious to meet you, and they don't know how you'll be, you can put everybody at ease.

I believe that food is a connection, and when you say that, it's usually about me to the guest or it's me at a demo, and you realize, hey, I'm a normal guy, and so we have a connection. It's the same in the kitchen, there's the same barriers to break down. I have to put them at ease. So I show them and cook with them and I teach them and I let them taste my stuff and I make it myself. There are some chefs that are so busy they just turn in their recipes, they don't have the time to stay here. I've always made the time to come and make my own food. I don't want to bring my own staff to cook, I want to cook with the guys who are already here.

One exception was last year. Lisa, my wife, and I both were guest chefs, so we shut our restaurant down for three days and put a sign up that said, "Gone to Disney World." We brought our whole staff as a kind of reward for having been open two years. Oddly, 75 percent of our staff had never been here before, so they were wearing their 'First-Time' buttons -- It was life-changing for them!

All my passion for what I do, whether it's a food festival or TV or my restaurant whatever, I believe that food is a connection and I believe that the possibilities are limitless. I've been doing this for 16 years and I do at least two events, sometimes four. I like it that way, I like to work, and play at the end. It's special. People are already excited to be in Disney, and now Disney has made Epcot Food and Wine Festival an added attraction that some people plan their vacations around.

DMK: Having said that, have you had a chance to walk around the Food Booths around World Showcase?

KG: Not yet this year, but yes, I'm always intrigued to see how people react. I don't think that everybody understands that Epcot Food & Wine is going on. There's some people that come for it, and there's some people that don't. The people that just randomly come during festival are like, "Wow! Epcot really IS cool!" I always think, what about the people who come back in the summer and it's not the same?

DMK: Since you've been coming to Walt Disney World a while, you've probably had the chance to try a lot of the different restaurants. What are your favorite desserts here? And where do you like to eat when you come here?

KG: Oh, that's a good question. I can't be impartial because I know a lot of the chefs behind the scenes and a lot of time the personality is a draw for me to the restaurant itself.

I think Disney is extremely fortunate because they have a couple of really great pastry chefs. For example, if I look to dessert first, Erich [Herbitschek] at the Grand Floridian is amazing. When you go to Victoria and Albert's, it's over-the-top, crazy, amazing dessert, but everything that he makes is great. Another guy I think is a complete genius, and I actually just admire to no end, is Stefan Riemer. He's gotten promoted now into a corporate position in development with Disney's cruise line, but he turned the food and beverage situation and that buffet and pastry area at the Yacht and Beach Club around, and Boardwalk as well. So it's really exciting to see the food come up, because I was here when there wasn't really much of a food scene here, and when they really started to get serious about it, with California Grill and Spoodles and Flying Fish. It's evolved, and the emphasis has always stayed on great food. I consistently eat at Flying Fish, every time I come. (Chef) Tim Keating is a friend of mine -- my wife worked as a pastry cook for him at the Four Seasons Houston. I love Jiko. I think Jiko is so unexpected and uncommon for Disney. Who would think you could take a really cool, almost fine dining South African restaurant and put it at Disney? And if I'm being super-duper honest I always race my wife or my sous chef or my pastry cook on the [Kitchen] Sink at Beaches and Cream. Our plan of attack is Party for the Senses, sneak out and watch IllumiNations, and then run over and try to get to Beaches and Cream before it closes.

DMK: Is the winner whoever feels sicker from eating so much ice cream?

KG: (laughs) It's hard to determine who wins, but it's just the fun of it all... You know, I like corny. I don't ever tell anybody this, but you know when I finally get to play in the park, after I've done everything? I always eat at Prime Time Café for lunch, always. And I never believe that they'll correct me, and they do. I didn't finish my peas last time and the server airplaned them to me before my dessert. Oh, and I love to eat at that weird little drive-in in the Studios [Sci-Fi Dine In Theater], where you watch movies. I mean, come on, even if you're grumpy and you sit in there, you're going to feel like a little kid, so I think it's cool.

DMK: So overall you enjoy dining at Disney World?

KG: A lot of the higher-end outlet chefs, from places like the [Yachtsman] Steakhouse, are chefs now in the Epcot Catering Center, so inevitably the level of the food that's put out -- even in the kiosks -- just kind of increases in quality. It's got a very symbiotic relationship, I think, because you have these great chefs from all over the country, and all over the world, coming to the Festival. Fortunately, Disney doesn't ignore that. They see what these guys do at Party for the Senses and they adapt that, and try to make that possible in the park for guests all the time. Disney has a big advantage because they're seeing some of the best culinary talent in the world come here. It would be easy to ignore and just stay on the same track. I'm proud of Disney that they kind of push the envelope a little bit. They don't do what's been done for 20 years, they're always doing new stuff.

DMK: So after Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, what's next for you? More Food Network Challenge?

KG: Well, we have done all of our holiday shows, so there's seven new episodes for Challenge to come that have not come on yet. I don't know yet if we're going to get re-signed. You find out every year. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? But at the end of the day we've shot over 300 shows so they're going to be on for... EVER! Probably. I've done a couple other fun little things, made a couple of appearances on some other Food Network shows... I did an episode of Chopped All Stars, which will come on next year. I just shot two fun little random things for DIY Network for a show called Disaster House... And then a big focus for us will be to keep D Bar in Denver great and to get D Bar in the Hillcrest open in April.

DMK: You're opening a second restaurant?

KG: Yes, we're about to open in San Diego, in Hillcrest. Our favorite people in San Diego are these two brothers, Jon and Adam Schlegel, who own a restaurant called Snooze -- a cool breakfast place. They're like the breakfast version of D Bar. We're opening up side-by-side with them, on 5th and University Avenues. I'm known for pastry, but I was a chef for seven years before I was a pastry chef. D Bar is a restaurant, we do lunch and dinner, but we're very dessert-focused at night. In San Diego, at Hillcrest we'll be even more so. It will have 120 seats, it's a much bigger space. But we don't want to do a bunch of restaurants. We just want to do Denver and San Diego and --

DMK: And Disney World?

KG: Listen, I would do Disney -- but you gotta be a hotshot to do that, and I don't know if I'm big enough yet! But then we're looking for Austin (Texas) and that's all I really want to do. That will be enough, right?

For more excerpts from my interview with Chef Keegan, see the video below:

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Recipe for Faux Foster Banana Impostor

Nutella Panini

your favorite egg bread, such as Brioche
Nutella spread
unsalted butter, melted
vanilla bean
Method:
1. Cut crust off of bread to end up with a perfectly square shape.
2. Spread Nutella to make a sandwich.
3. Scrape vanilla bean and whisk seeds into the butter.
4. Brush vanilla butter on both sides of sandwich.
5. Use a Panini grill or toaster oven to toast the sandwich to golden brown crispiness.

Caramel Sauce

1.5 ounces water
8 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 ounce light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream, hot
1/4 ounce vanilla paste
pinch of salt
Method:
1. Cook water, corn syrup and sugar to a deep amber.
2. Combine cream, vanilla paste and salt. Bring to just a simmer or light boil.
3. Stop the cooking process of the caramel by adding the hot cream mixture.
4. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Banana Sorbet

10 ounces water
4 ounces granulated sugar
1.5 ounces Trimoline (which is inverted sugar, or use honey)
18 ounces roasted bananas
1/2 each lemon juice
rum to taste

Method:
1. Peel and slice bananas lengthwise. Lay on a sheet tray with a silpats and roast in overn 300F until the sugars begin to caramelize.
2. Combine all other ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Put the syrup and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Strain, cool, chill, then process in ice cream machine.

Plantain Chips

Plantains
Granulated sugar
Method:
1. Slice the plantains lengthwise to about 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place each slice individually into the deep fryer at about 350F.
3. Once golden brown and crispy, remove and toss in granulated sugar.

Homemade Crème Fraiche

1/2 ounce buttermilk
2 cups heavy cream
Method:
1. Mix ingredients together thoroughly and place into a sealed container.
2. Keep contained out at room temperature for about 24 hours or until mixture has thickened to the point where it seems to resemble jelly.
3. Keep refrigerated after this point.

NOTE: In the photo above Chef Gerhard substituted cocoa nibs for the plantain chips.

Well, it's happened again this year. I fly into Orlando for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, and hit the ground running... I love this event so much, I always try to cram too much into too short a time.

Even though I've only been here about 36 hours so far, I already feel like I've lived a whole other lifetime... and food-wise, I really have. I've had the chance to sample so many savory and sweet delights, I thought I might give you a quick update. I plan to do more in-depth reviews of most of these experience over the next week or so, so be sure to look for those in the AllEars Newsletter and, of course, on the AllEars.Net website. But until I'm done feasting at the fest, here are my quick impressions via some photos that will hopefully speak a thousand or so words on my behalf.

I started out yesterday by interviewing pastry chef and Food Network star Keegan Gerhard. Chef Gerhard is just as down-to-earth and charming in person as he is on television, and we spent quite a while talking about the work he's done at Epcot's festival over the past 16 years, as well as what's next on his own agenda. (I'll share some video from the interview later this week.)

I followed that interview with a quick trip around Epcot's World Showcase, where the Food and Wine Festival's International Marketplaces (aka Food Booths) were open in "preview" mode before Friday's official opening. I sampled a few items but wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it, since I knew I would be attending the Festival opening event, the First Bites Reception.

The Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Polenta from the Canada booth, a winner I remembered from last year -- It's a winner again, in my opinion, even if it's not the most photogenic dish:

The feijoada (bean and pork stew) in Brazil -- definitely rated a "meh" from me:

But the rice pudding with berries -- YUM! So creamy, so good!

The First Bites Reception in the Festival Center was a nice preview of ALL the different sorts of activities you can experience during the festival's 45 days -- the food booths' offerings, culinary demos, wine tastings, HGTV personalities, and live entertainment. I found it ran a lot more smoothly this year, but still, I'm still contemplating whether it's worth the hefty price tag. I haven't quite made up my mind. (You can read my review of the 2010 event HERE.)

My first Food & Wine Festival event today was "Kitchen Memories" featuring Victoria and Albert's chef Scott Hunnell, and pastry chef Erich Herbitschek. The three course they prepared for us were, in a word, fantastic.

I followed that with a culinary demo hosted by Keegan Gerhard -- I *know*, more desserts! But someone has to do it. And so I muddled through, as Gerhard presented his take on the classic Bananas Foster -- a "dessert sandwich situation" that featured the chocolate-hazelnut spread known as Nutella, that he called "Faux Foster Banana Impostor"

And all of that doesn't include the various wines that were paired with all of these delightful dishes!

As you can see, it's been an intense 36 hours of eating and drinking! Tomorrow, Saturday, I'll be taking the morning off from festing to head over to the Magic Kingdom to help it celebrate its 40th anniversary! But I'll be right back to Epcot later in the day, trying out some more food booths, and attending one of the new Mixology demonstrations -- I understand that they'll be featuring the pear cognac called Xante, and that they'll be showing us how to make three different cocktails! Sounds like fun!

I'll be posting updates all through the weekend on Twitter (follow me @dcdeb_allears) and on my Facebook page: facebook.com/DebraMartinKoma. If you have anything in particular you'd like to know, leave me a message here or tweet me and I'll do my best to come up with an answer for you.

OK, better get ready for tomorrow... I think the next 36 hours may be as whirlwind as the first were!

Each year, as the middle of the summer approaches, my thoughts start to turn to... no, not time at the beach, or an exotic vacation abroad. My thoughts turn to what the autumn brings -- the annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World! (Yeah, I'm kinda odd like that!)

I love the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot -- as my waistline can attest. It's a six-week-long event filled with so many diverse experiences: a chance to sample food and beverages from around the world presented both in fancy dinners and informal tastings, celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, seminars, not to mention an impressive array of live entertainment. This year's festival, Epcot's 16th, starts September 30 and runs through November 13, sporting the theme of "A Passport to a World of Flavors." I recently had the chance to speak with Marianne Hunnel, who as Event Content Development Manager, is responsible for overseeing much of what goes on during this culinary cornucopia of eating and drinking events.

"It's so much fun to find these little discoveries and then share them with our guests," Hunnel enthuses, as she talks about what's new at this year's festival. "This year especially I’m excited to see the hard work of so many people showcased -- things that we have been talking about for several years have finally come to fruition, and it's very exciting to watch that happen."

So what are the new things that Hunnel is most excited about?
You may know that for the duration of the festival, a couple dozen food booths, known as International Marketplaces, are placed around Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon. Each of these marketplaces represents a country or a region and offers small portions of dishes indigenous to the area, along with native beverages as well. In the Italy marketplace, for example, you may find ravioli and chianti, while in Morocco you might find a kebab and mint iced tea.

This year, there are several areas that have never been represented at the festival before: Portugal, Hawaii (inspired by the new Hawaiian Disney Vacation Club, Aulani) and the Caribbean.
The Caribbean marketplace will feature a braised beef dish over rice called Ropa Vieja, as well as Jerk-Spiced Chicken Drumstick. Beverages in this booth will be tropical -- a frozen Rock Coconut Mojito and a frozen Dragon Berry Colada. (One of the sponsors here is Bacardi.)

Hawaii also will not have a "wine presence," but will instead offer Kona beer and a rum-based Seven Tiki Mai Tai to accompany its tuna poke (cubes of tuna sashimi, aka uncooked) with seaweed and Kalua pork sliders. Note: don't confuse Kalua with the liqueur Kahlua -- Kalua is the barbecue method used to cook the pork!

Portugal's booth will offer a wine bar, as well as calamari salad with olives and smoked paprika.

"We've been talking to people in Portugal about doing this for many years," Hunnel explains. "They've wanted to break out of that paradigm, that Portugal just has port wines. I'm excited to see this come about."

Hunnel notes that even returning marketplaces are going to be changing things up a bit -- in France, for example, they're going to offer Coq Au Vin.

"We talked to the managers and chefs at our operating participants," she says, "and they're doing a lot of other fun new things, too, including quite a few new dining events that they've not done in the past."

("Operating participants," by the way, are those locations around World Showcase that are not owned and operated by Disney, including the restaurants in Mexico, France and Italy.)

In France, for example, they will again be holding the French Regional Lunches as they have done the past few years, but they are also introducing a dining experience called, "The Best of Bocuse." Hunnel says this dinner will be "all about Paul Bocuse," the famous French chef who had a hand in developing the restaurants in the France pavilion. Mexico will not only continue with its popular Tequila Tastings in the La Cava tequila bar, but will add a tequila tasting plus lunch at its new La Hacienda. Not to be outdone, the Italy pavilion will offer beer and pizza tastings from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays in its newest restaurant Via Napoli, as well as an Italian dessert and wine pairing, and a special dining event on October 23 featuring Italian white truffles.

If it seems like you're reading about more than wine at some of these programs you're not imagining things. The last few years there has been a growing shift to include spirits at the festival as well as beers, especially hand-crafted beers. This year that trend continues, with mixed drinks also being added to many marketplace menus.

"There has been such an incredible spin in the food and beverage world regarding beer," Hunnel notes. "It's almost being treated similar to wines now -- there are even certifications you can get for learning about the various beers."

To follow that trend, Hunnel says that they are featuring eight craft beers from around North America in one of the marketplace booths. Brews from Canada, Lousiana, New Hampshire and Colorado will be included. But if crave an imported ale or lager, fear not -- you'll still find plenty of international beers at other marketplaces like Germany.
If beer and wine aren't to your liking, but you're still interested in an alcoholic beverage, you might want to swing by the Scandinavian marketplace, where they'll be featuring a Xante Sunshine Cocktail -- an aromatic concoction of pear liqueur made from cognac, lime juice and elder flower. Or maybe you'd prefer the sparkling sake from South Korea that will be offered at the First Bites reception and some of the beverage seminars. Or there's always the mixology seminars that will be offered each evening at 6 p.m. in the Festival Center.

But wait... there's more! (I sound like an infomercial, but it's true!) The special dining experiences will extend beyond the borders of Epcot, and spill out into restaurants around the Walt Disney World Resort. There will be an assortment of dinners at several of the Downtown Disney restaurants -- Bongo's, Wolfgang Puck -- as well as dinners at The Wave, Victoria and Albert's and two opportunities to partake of exclusive dinners at California Grill. Over on the BoardWalk, Cat Cora's Kouzzina will host a number of special events as well, many attended by the Iron Chef America champion herself.

Speaking of celebrity chefs, they will be out in force this year -- names you might recognize if you're a fan of Top Chef or any of the cooking-themed Food Network and Travel Channel shows include Alan Wong, Robert Irvine, Art Smith, Suvir Saran, Jamie Deen, and Keegan Gerhard. In fact, Gerhard is returning to host the kick-off for the festival, its "First Bites Reception," held the evening before the festival officially begins in the Festival Center (formerly known as the Wonders of Life pavilion). Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro is also appearing at this year's festival. He'll be hosting a culinary demo on October 8 and a Sweet Sunday event on October 9. Other famous names you might spot in the festival's program are Andrew Zimmern, Bryan Voltaggio and Chris Cosentino, three chefs who are also dads, who will be sharing the spotlight with their offspring for a special event in the Festival Center to be held on October 29.

"This event comes under the umbrella of Disney's 'Magic of Healthy Living'," Hunnel explains. "These chefs were tasked with creating an incredible, healthy meal paired with a non-alcoholic cocktail. I've always wanted to do a very family-oriented event like this, and these kids cooking with their dads should be special."

Does it seem like I'm overusing the word "special"? Well, maybe I am, because there are a lot of new and unique offerings this year, and the word just fits. Take for example another "special" new event -- The Discovery of Chocolate. Offered on three Sundays (October 9 and 16, and November 6), this is a tasting that explores the many forms our favorite cacao bean can take.

"Each of these tastings is going to be very different," Hunnel asserts. "You'll have the chance to listen to experts talk about the origins of chocolate, while tasting different types -- maybe Mexican versus Belgian, or white, milk and different types of dark chocolate. You'll be tasting them with a cocktail or maybe wine, and at the end of the program you'll have the chance to try two tapas-sized dishes made with chocolate, one savory and one sweet."

Mmm, chocolate! I can hardly wait for that one!

In addition to all the new culinary programs, the Food and Wine Festival is pairing with HGTV for the first time this year to bring a series of entertaining programs on... entertaining. Well-known HGTV personalities like Vern Yip and Lisa LaPorta will be appearing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Festival Center, presenting home entertaining seminars with plenty of tips for the upcoming holidays. These seminars will take place at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.

And finally, kids might enjoy checking out the Cranberry Bog (sponsored by Ocean Spray) that's going to be on display near the World Showplace. I'm anxious to see this myself after seeing the latest batch of commercials featuring those two guys standing out in a bog. I wonder if we'll be able to wade in it ourselves?

Whew. I think that's all that's NEW this year, but that doesn't even take into account all the returning programs. For example, the First Bites Reception, Sweet Sundays, 3D Delicious Dessert Discoveries, Grand Marnier and Tequila Tastings, Cheese Seminars, Signature Dining Experiences, French Regional Lunches, Food and Wine Pairings in Morocco and Japan, Wine Schools -- these are all returning this year. Also returning is the Friends and Family in the Kitchen series, renamed Kitchen Memories. (Hunnel's husband Scott, of Victoria and Albert's fame, will be featured the first weekend in that series, by the way.) And of course, what would the Food and Wine Festival be without the Party for the Senses, the signature Saturday night grand tasting event? These will be back, but not, unfortunately for every Saturday of the festival. There will be no Party on the first Saturday, October 1, nor will there be one on October 29.

Complimenting all the eating and drinking is the chance to make merry with the Eat to the Beat Concerts. This year, there are a number returning acts, like Hanson and Howard Jones (who I WILL see this year, I promise!), as well as new-to-the-series performers like The Pointer Sisters and The Orchestra (which is former members of ELO).

Now I know you're all wondering what all the details are -- times, dates, prices, how to book, etc. Unfortunately, these sorts of details are still being finalized, so Hunnel couldn't really be specific about everything.

"We hope to get everything online by the beginning of August, if not sooner," she says. "But we want to make sure we have everything accurate -- we know how people plan their trips around a certain event or chef, and we don't want to disappoint anyone by announcing something too soon."

So... we have to be patient a little while longer.

Hope I've given you something to mull over while you're sitting on the beach, or taking that vacation abroad this summer, and dreams of the Food and Wine Festival are dancing through your head.

Remember 407-WDW-FEST -- that's the number to call beginning at 7 a.m. on August 16 to make reservations.

RELATED LINKS:

Official Press Release 2011

Special Events (more details to come)

Eat to the Beat Concerts

2010 Festival Overview

Read other Readers' Reviews of Previous Festivals

Fifteen years is a pretty long time, no matter how you slice it. And that's why this year Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival is shaking things up a bit. It's the 15th anniversary of the culinary event, which takes place October 1 through November 14, 2010, all around Epcot, even branching out to several other locations around the Walt Disney World Resort.

I recently spoke to Marianne Hunnel who, as area manager for Park Event Operations, has been charged with coordinating this year's event, and asked her to share some insights, particularly as far as what's new and different.

For the first time, guests actually have a chance to get a "sneak peek" of the festival, dubbed "Delicious Discoveries" this year. The Thursday night before the official opening guests can attend the "First Bites Opening Reception" in the Festival Welcome Center. The evening will be co-hosted by pastry chef Keegan Gerhard, of TV's Food Network, and Pam Smith, a registered dietician, cookbook author and perennial host for numerous Food and Wine Festival programs.

"We're very excited at this opportunity for guests to see a preview of this year's festival offerings," Hunnel says. "We'll have culinary demos, beverage seminars, marketplace tastings, and even a special cake from Mike McCarey of Mike's Amazing Cakes. It will really set the stage for what you're going to be able to see at the festival this year."

Hunnel adds that while they are still working out the details for possible "meet and greets" with the chefs, they do plan to keep the event to under 500 guests, to make it a "really special night." But don't worry -- this preview is just that, only a "taste" of the festival. "We're not giving the whole festival away," she notes. "This is just to whet your appetite."

So once whetted, how can you satisfy your appetite? What are some of the other offerings making their debut ?

For one thing, there's the rather unusually named "Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French", which will be held on Saturdays in October. After a Grand Marnier tasting, guests will learn a bit about mixology, then have a chance to sample crepes suzette and more in the setting of the elegant Bistro de Paris in the France pavilion.

This emphasis on spirits was also present last year, when the festival introduced tequila tastings at its Mexican location La Cava del Tequila (the program returns this year).

Hunnel notes that the festival is not only providing opportunities to sample spirits, but also beers, particularly microbrews. In fact, right at the entrance of the World Showcase Plaza will be a special experience, "15 Beers for 15 Years," which Hunnel calls a "fun selection of beers from Oregon to Florida." She notes that you'll also be able to purchase bottled versions of the brews you find especially pleasing to the palate. (The Brewer's Collection marketplace will return this year, offering a variety of German beers, such as Rudeberger Pilsner.)

Another addition to the program listing is the "3D Disney's Dessert Discovery," to be offered each week of the festival on either Thursday or Friday evening at the World Showplace.

"This evening is all about desserts," Hunnel stresses. "It's different from the Sweet Sundays program (which is again offered this year) in that you are not served a meal. There will be some action stations (where food is prepared) and there will be some showy elements, but this is really about the desserts themselves."

The evening, which includes cocktails and cordial pairings, is capped off with a VIP viewing of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Says Hunnel, "It's a great way to end your day... or rather, embellish it!"

Historically, the Food and Wine Festival has been centered in Epcot, with the occasional program or dining experience held at a resort. This year, however, there are 15 special "signature" dining experiences, 14 of which are located outside of Epcot.

"We've had a lot of feedback from guests that they are looking for dining events during the weekdays, not just weekends," Hunnel explains. "We decided to reach out to our other restaurants, particularly those in the Downtown Disney area, to see if they'd be interested in participating."

Their efforts were clearly successful. There are signature dinners planned at Downtown Disney's Portobello, Fulton's Crab House, Raglan Road, Bongo's Cuban Café, Paradiso 37 and Wolfgang Puck's. Other non-Epcot locations offering signature dinners include Victoria and Albert's and Citricos (Grand Floridian), California Grill and The Wave (Contemporary), Flying Fish Café and Kouzzina (BoardWalk), Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and bluezoo (Walt Disney World Dolphin). In a number of cases, the celebrity chefs attached to these establishments, such as Cat Cora (Kouzzina) and Todd English (bluezoo), will be on hand.

While those signature dinners will be on the high end of the price spectrum (ranging from $125 to $450 per person), you can get a taste of what's new at the festival for a decidedly more modest cost. Amidst the returning international marketplaces located around the World Showcase Lagoon are a few ones, notably booths representing South Korea and Belgium.

"We've tried to keep everything as traditional as possible for these countries," Hunnel explains. "We're even bringing special beverages from South Korea that are indigenous to the area -- a black raspberry rice wine called "bokbunja joo" and honey ginger tea -- to go along with the BBQ short rib and lettuce wraps that will be available."

The Belgium booth, too, will feature specialties of the region not found at Epcot before. The kiosk for the small country, home to world-famous Godiva chocolate, will feature a special Godiva iced coffee, along with steamed mussels, and waffles with a berry compote (but not all mixed together!).

The festival would not be complete without its popular Eat to the Beat concert series, which features bands performing nightly at the America Gardens Theatre. There are a number of performers new to the festival schedule this year, including Howard Jones, Rick Springfield, Air Supply and Hanson, along with popular returning acts Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (I saw them last year -- don't miss them!). And of course every Saturday night will see what Hunnel terms the festival's "pinnacle event," the tasting extravaganza known as Party for the Senses.

Last year's Party for the Senses evenings sported a different theme each week, a concept that has been abandoned this year. Instead, guest chefs will be "providing the flavors they want to create," Hunnel says. "If they have a specialty or something in particular they want to do, they'll be doing that." In addition, performers from Cirque du Soleil will be joining in the Party for the Senses again, after a several year absence.

When you add what's new to what's returning -- Food and Wine Pairings, Wine Schools, French Regional Lunches, Cheese Tastings, Tequila Tastings, Culinary Demos, Wine Seminars, and more -- this 15th anniversary festival shapes up to be 45 delicious days.

"It's so exciting to see how this festival gets bigger and bigger every year," Hunnel concludes. "We have something for everyone, whether you're novice or epicurean. I think everyone finds our festival to be not only a very credible event, but very magical in Disney's own special way."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many of the special dining experiences mentioned in this blog sell out in advance. If you're interested, call for reservations as soon as possible: 407-WDW-FEST.

Also, you will be able to book certain culinary demonstrations and wine seminars online. These 45-minute programs are held several times each day and require a fee of $8 to $13 (tax included). If you've attended these sessions in previous years, you'll be happy to learn that this year's portion sizes will be a bit larger. According to Hunnel, they are still finalizing details on these programs, but they will be available for online booking before the end of August.

Debra Martin Koma is in Walt Disney World this weekend covering the opening of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.

Her photos will be posted here :

You can also follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dcdeb_allears

Tequila tasting

Front of Epcot

Getting ready for tequila tasting!

Potstickers in Shanghai. Mmmm!

Panna cotta w/yuzu granita at Sweet Sunday!

Great breakfast @ sweet sunday!

Beautiful eh? But it's hotter than heck!

Debra Martin Koma is in Walt Disney World this weekend covering the opening of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.

Her photos will be posted here :

You can also follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dcdeb_allears

Final note of the night: walked 18,523 steps (7.30 miles) just in Epcot and to/from Dolphin. Must. Soak. Feet. Good night

One of the evening's standouts -- beef w/roasted potatoes and beet salad w/manchego and serrano

The entertainment for the Spanish-themed evening:

Party for the Senses was awesome and ended with a spectacular thunderstorm! Back in the room after dodging the raindrops and lightning!

My table in the Wine View Lounge at Party for the Senses

Waiting for Party of the Senses

Gaaah, I'm melting, it's so hot! Back to the room to get ready for tonight's Party for the Senses - Spanish theme!

Pointing out the way to the Festival Center

More Signage

Approaching World Showcase

Just a few shots of the signage -- approaching World Showcase

Lamb chop in Australia is outstanding!

Crowds are moderate probably because it is sooo hot!

A break from F&W. Soarin! Love the feet!

Pierogi & kielbasa at Poland

Spanish cheeses at tasting. Yummy!

Ready for cheese tasting

Love this year's Food and Wine posters & merchandise!

World showcase so quiet in the morning

Debra Martin Koma is in Walt Disney World this weekend covering the opening of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.

Her photos will be posted here :

You can also follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dcdeb_allears

Misc notes as the evening winds down:

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy puts on an awesome show - hope the video I took turns out.

EDIT: Here's the video:

Did you know? You can only get full Food & Wine programs at turnstiles & a few other places, instead they have weekly guides at most locations.

Longest lines at the festival food booths that I saw were for the Lamb Chop at Melbourne, Australia.

Here's an interesting tidbit -- I walked 18, 776 steps today (7.4 miles). Yes, my feet hurt.

Caymus wine seminar

More shopping at Festival Center

Shopping for Wine at the Festival Center

For dessert creme brulee! Yum!

Tonight's concert Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Rava masala dosa

Food & Wine has officially begun!

Hello Walt Disney World!