I have been to Disney World during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival seven out of the last ten years. However, I’ve only attended four culinary demonstrations previous to this one. But I’m happy to say that all of these were well worth the time and money.
The first-ever demo that I attended was in 2010 and was given by Chef R.J. Cooper, an award winning chef from the Washington, DC area…
Randy Ford (King Estate Winery rep), Pam Smith (the emcee) , and Chef RJ Cooper
Chef Cooper prepared this for us…
Pork Chop with Barberry Compote paired with King Estate Signature Pinot Noir
That same year I attended a second culinary demonstration, this one given by Chef Kent Rathbun, an Iron Chef and then owner of 7 restaurants in Texas.
Nancy Larkin (representing Bunratty Meade), Emcee Pam Smith, and Chef Kent Rathbun
Chef Rathbun also prepared a pork dish…
Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Chipotle-Corn Mash with Texas Peach Barbeque Sauce, paired with Ravenswood Zinfandel (left) and Bunratty Meade (right).
The other two culinary demos that I attended were during my Oct. 2014 trip. The first of these was given by Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew tv show…
Hopefully the above photos convey just how entertaining Carla was during her demonstration. And then of course there was her wonderful dessert…
Salted Peanut Chocolate Pudding Tart with a Salted Peanut Shortbread crust and Milk Chocolate Ganache (paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc)
At another Oct. 2014 culinary demo I had this delicious Spiny Lobster Bolognese (paired with a glass of Rodney Strong chardonnay)…
![[IMG]](http://s1229.photobucket.com/user/jabead/media/October%202014%20Disney/DSC00641.jpg.html)
Prepared by Chef Ken Vedrinski, an award winning chef from the Charleston, SC area…
![[IMG]](http://s1229.photobucket.com/user/jabead/media/October%202014%20Disney/DSC00633.jpg.html)
So up until now I was 4 for 4 in choosing great culinary demonstrations to attend. Would the trend continue with this demo by Andrew Yeo, Executive Chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida?
When Paula, Hunter, and I chose to attend this culinary demo, all we knew were the name of the chef and that he would be preparing a veal dish. And while Chef Yeo did in fact prepare a veal dish, it was so much more than just that.
The chef at work…
And the finished product…
Braised Veal Cheek with Eggplant Parmesan Tian and Tomato Fondue paired with a glass of Cecchi Chianti Classico
And a close up of this beautifully presented dish…
HOLY COW, this was good!! (or more specifically, holy “young cow” 
) And the eggplant parmesan tian was not just a silent partner in this dish. It was equally as delicious as the veal. I’ve never been a huge fan of eggplant but this was awesome. Oh, and in case you are like me and have never heard of the word “tian”, here is the definition I found. Tian – a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooed in olive oil and then baked au gratin. In addition to the egg plant, I remember that celery root was another vegetable used in this dish. So that was two days in a row that I had a dish which included celery root (the first being at our Food & Wine Pairing lunch at the Wave, where it was mashed and served with our filet). I’m thinking now that celery root (or celeriac) is the up and coming thing on the vegetable scene.
) And the eggplant parmesan tian was not just a silent partner in this dish. It was equally as delicious as the veal. I’ve never been a huge fan of eggplant but this was awesome. Oh, and in case you are like me and have never heard of the word “tian”, here is the definition I found. Tian – a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooed in olive oil and then baked au gratin. In addition to the egg plant, I remember that celery root was another vegetable used in this dish. So that was two days in a row that I had a dish which included celery root (the first being at our Food & Wine Pairing lunch at the Wave, where it was mashed and served with our filet). I’m thinking now that celery root (or celeriac) is the up and coming thing on the vegetable scene. And another photo of the chef with (the ever-present) Pam Smith…
Chef Yeo was telling Pam that he would be one of the chefs at the Party for the Senses, which we would be attending the next evening. Though he would not be preparing the same dish at the Party (as the guest chefs often do), what he would be making involved churros…but with a very interesting twist. This definitely got our attention and we made a mental note to seek out Chef Yeo and his churro dish at the Party.
This definitely got our attention and we made a mental note to seek out Chef Yeo and his churro dish at the Party.And that just leaves one more photo of the chef with my friends, Hunter and Paula…
…just because I loved their matching Finding Nemo themed “Wine, Wine, Wine!” t-shirts.
P.S. I would normally post a photo of the menu (which includes the recipes for the veal cheek, tomato fondue, and the eggplant tian) from our demo but unfortunately my puppy got a hold of it shortly after it was unpacked from my suitcase and it is now covered with puppy chew marks. But it’s hard to get mad at something as cute as this…
Well, until she destroys one of your favorite sandals!!! UGH!!!
But anyway, here is a distant photo of the menu (with two out of three recipes) that I took at the demonstration…
Hopefully, if your eyes are good, you can read it. And if you are interested in the eggplant recipe, post your request here and I’ll see what I can do.
Taste of Disney 