IFBC Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

Beautiful Harvest at Sur La Table

Find out what’s new this season from Sur La Table and KitchenAid®, including a FREE online cooking class!

When I stepped off the elevator into Sur La Table’s headquarters last week, I had literally been looking forward to the moment for an entire year. A highly-coveted excursion ticket at this year’s International Food Bloggers Conference [IFBC] in Seattle, it was a chance to see demonstrations of some of the newest KitchenAid® products, kitchen gadgets (who doesn’t want more kitchen gadgets!!), and seasonal offerings from Sur La Table. (Plus, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that I was looking forward to receiving one of those now-legendary IFBC blogger gift bags Sur La Table has become known for.)

After an entire afternoon of product demos and delicious treats, I think the thing that most impressed me was Sur La Table’s commitment to culinary education. This quote, emblazon across the headquarters entry wall, highlights this mission:

So, did you know that Sur La Table has a culinary education program? I’m not just talking about in-house “cooking classes,” but a full-on culinary education program.

“We try to teach techniques instead of just recipes,” Sephi Coyle, Director of Sur La Table’s Culinary Program, told us. “If you learn techniques, you can then apply them in all kinds of ways in your home kitchen.”

Technique classes are offered every day of the week at local stores, and also online through Craftsy. Check out Sur La Table Craftsy online class offerings for October:

Cooking With Spices: Techniques for Big Flavor – Spice up your life and your seasoning techniques with Sur La Table Resident Chef Angie Lee.
Secrets to Cooking Fish: Eight Essential Techniques – Learn to confidently cook fresh, flavorful fish! Sur La Table’s senior resident chef, Joel Gamoran, shares expert tips for sautéing, roasting, grilling and more.
FREE CLASS!! Cooking Mistakes: What Can Go Wrong and How To Make it Right – Fix your most common cooking mistakes with guidance from Sur La Table’s senior resident chef, Joel Gamoran!

In addition to learning about their culinary education program, we got a sneak peek of the upcoming holiday line at Sur La Table, plus a couple very cool product demos.

Unfortunately, the first of the product demos is going to cost me, because I’m getting one.

By now, you’ve probably seen the plethora of spiralizers on the market. Most require significant wrist-action or hand-cranking, which is why I’ve avoided them [thank you, carpal tunnel]. But this KitchenAid® Spiralizer attachment, exclusive to Sur La Table, is pretty darn slick. Not only does it create long, beautiful spiral veggie noodles effortlessly, but it also peels, cores, and slices, as shown below. (Sorry that there are no action shots of it spiralizing actual vegetables. I was so fascinated by the process that I momentarily forgot to take any pictures.)

We also got a demo of KitchenAid®’s new Precision Press Coffee Maker. With both an integrated timer and an accurate scale, this battery-powered French press gives you precise control over every part of the brewing process.

After the coffee maker demonstration (and a rather dramatic pause) it was announced that we would all be taking one home in our gift bags, and the reaction of the blogger-collective was priceless. (Oh, how I wish I had my camera filming!) You’d have thought Oprah herself had just come into the room – in all her royal Oprahness – and boomed, “You get a coffee maker, and you get a coffee maker, and you get a coffee maker…”

When I called home later that night to tell Mr. B about our new coffee maker, I could literally hear him doing his happy-dance over the phone!

A free KitchenAid® Precision Press Coffee Maker would have been a wonderful gift all by itself, but Sur La Table has made a name for itself among past IFBC attendees for its generous blogger gift bags, and this year they definitely did not disappoint!

In addition to the aforementioned awesome coffee maker, seasonal swag dominated our gift bags, including some of my personal favorites: a beautiful Staub Pumpkin Cocotte (a fancy name for a oven-safe casserole/soup bowl) and a NordicWare Pumpkin loaf pan. Oh, and brownies – Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Spice Brownies. Oh.My.Goodness.

You will be seeing that Pumpkin Loaf Pan in my post this Wednesday, when it serves up my very own recipe for “Nana’s Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread.”

Disclosure: As an attendee of the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle this year, I participated in an excursion to Sur La Table, where I received all of the aforementioned swag and then some. Furthermore, this post contains affiliate links. (Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you: I think there’s even a ointment for them.)

IFBC 2014 Foodie-Find Awards!

October 29 By Renée ♥ 5 Comments

Welcome to the first ever
Good Hearted Foodie-Find Awards
An unapologetically subjective, completely biased list of new-to-me food discoveries from IFBC 2014

California Endive | The Good Hearted Woman

Best [Healthy] Addiction
Raincoast Crisps
from Lesley StoweSometimes it pays to stay late at the party. On the first night of IFBC, I lingered talking with a small group of fellow foodies while that night’s sponsoring vendors started folding up and putting away. As the folks at Leslie Stowe’s began packing up their Raincoast Crisps, a few of us asked for an extra box or two – strictly for research purposes, of course – and were rewarded for our patience ten-fold. The truth is, I was grateful to have a good selection to take home, because I didn’t sample them with intention at the event (mostly because I was pretty focused on the savoring the salmon). But a cracker is a cracker, right? Wrong.

Anyway, when I got home, I popped open the first box for the family and announced: “Here – give these a try and tell me what you think.” Next thing I knew, we were all munching them non-stop. I brought home seven varieties, and after a lot of “intense research,” we unanimously chose the Cranberry Hazelnut variety as our favorite.

My new favorite lunch: A short stack of Raincoast Crisps, a wedge of Laughing Cow, a serving of Noosa Coconut Yoghurt (I’ll get to that!) and a piece of fruit. (If you want to try Raincoast Crisps – and you should! – use this store locator to find a retailer near you. Pacific Northwest can find them at New Seasons.)

Best Sensory Swag
Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans
from RodelleOh, how I wish we had smell-a-vision! This little vial of vanilla beans may not look like much, but Wow! Open it up, slice a bean down the middle and suddenly your whole world smells like Heaven. (If Heaven were baking cookies and dabbed a little batter behind her ears.) I have fallen hard for these Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, so look out: next year, my whole holiday post calendar may be filled with empty little vanilla vials.

Best Party Food Boat
California EndiveI just can’t stop thinking of things to put on adorable little endive boats. I love the crunchy texture, the spoon-like, mouth-size shape, and the sweet, slightly bitter flavor that seems to enhance everything it carries. And what an easy party set-up! Just make fillings the day before, and plate it up onto endive boats at the last minute – no fuss, no muss. I love it.

California Endive can be found nation-wide at Whole Foods, and at select stores around the US.

Best Tasty SurpriseQi’a Organic Superfood Breakfast Cereal
from Nature’s PathI have to admit that when I picked this unassuming little sack of seeds up in the Swag Room, I just threw it in my bag and didn’t think much more of it until I got it home. I mean, what’s one little bag of seeds, anyway? But then my 17-year old started eating it, and told me that she loves it. Loves it! So then we all gave it a try, and she’s right!

Qi’a (pronounced Kee-ah) is made with Chia, Hemp and Buckwheat, and just two tablespoons of cereal soaked in 1/3 cup of milk (we use unsweetened vanilla almond milk) will give you long lasting energy from early morning until lunch. Why so little? Chia expands up to sixteen time it’s volume to fill you up. The flavor is rustic, hearty, and very satisfying in a nutty-sweet kind of way. (And if you happen to have a textural problem with chia seeds as I do, you will find that pleasant crunch of the buckwheat and hemp dramatically offsets that chia-gel feel.) You can buy Qi’a at Fred Meyer stores, on Amazon, and at select stores around the country. Retail price may appear to be a little spendy, but one bag goes a very long way. (To find a store in your area, check their store locator.)

Best of Show
Noosa Coconut YoghurtIf I had to pick the one product I’m most likely to buy on a regular basis, given my middle-class income, I’d have to choose Noosa’s Coconut Yoghurt, because it is luxuriously amazing and great with practically everything.

Noosa Yoghurt is available at New Seasons and other select stores. (Download a coupon for .55 off your first tub here!)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Bristol Bay Sustainable Salmon

If I could have only one product from IFBC, and never have any of the others ever again for the rest of my life, I would most definitely have to go with sockeye salmon. Because, well… it’s the best salmon on the planet. Healthy, rich in Omega 3’s and vitamin D, and sweet, savory and delicious in every possible way, Bristol Bay sockeye boasts 5,000 years of sustainability, having fed Alaska Native communities for hundreds of generations, and comes from one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world.

Where can you get it? Because Bristol Bay is the largest wild sockeye run in the world, the odds are good that if you are eating sockeye in the U.S., it’s from Bristol Bay. (Note that salmon labeled Atlantic, Norway, Chile or even Organic is farmed, not wild.) If you are curious about where your salmon comes, just ask your grocer!

If you want to learn more about the products featured at IFBC, check out 10 Favorite Food Finds from IFBC 2014 from Veg Girl RD.

Taste of Seattle & Gourmet Fair {IFBC Recap: Part 2}

October 20 By Renée ♥ 4 Comments

After a hectic day of sponsored meals and learning sessions at IFBC, Saturday evening presented us a welcome opportunity to unwind, relax, schmooze and nosh. Seattle’s best chefs and restaurants, along with local vintners, culinary vendors, and cookbook writers, stirred up some amazing culinary creations and gastronomic goodies in an effort to wow the Foodie crowd.

Me with Portlanders Maddie R. and Jana S. in the Urbanspoon photobooth at IFBC

Mary Platis and Laura Bashar absolutely knocked it out of the park with this Olive Oil Lemon Curd, from their book “Cooking Techniques and Recipes With Olive Oil.” (Priscilla Willis, of She’s Cooking, shares the recipe here) Sushi, by its very nature, is as much a feast for the eyes as the palate, but some offerings at A Taste of Seattle transcended one’s normal expectation of beauty and reached for Magnificent. Thai Style Fried Chicken & Waffles? Yes, please!! Made with local, hormone-free chicken, Seattle’s Kaisho served up a a savory, sweet sample that put a whole new spin on comfort. Probably my favorite bite of the night (and the one I’m most likely to try to copy in the future!) This amazing mussel-shell dress was one of the stunning pieces from Seattle fashion artist Fortunate Nora that made an appearance at A Taste. Another stand-out bite was this slider from the Westin’s own Relish Burger Bistro. The grape tomato topped gave it a great pop of freshness, color and flavor. See those little unassuming plastic cups that are dwarfed by the giant burger ice sculpture? Those are tiny root beer floats made with cardamom ice cream! Delish! (If you want to try making some at home, check this recipe from Girlichef.)

After finishing up at A Taste of Seattle, a few of us topped the evening off with a very entertaining night at Hula Hula, a local karaoke bar, where Jana S (Merlot Mommy) and Nicole J. demonstrated that cooking is only one of their many talents. But that’s another story for another day. 🙂

Bottom line – would I recommend IFBC to my food blogger friends? Absolutely! I sampled some delicious, inspiring cuisine, took home an armload of Evernotes for review, met some fantastic people, connected with a few brands that I’m very excited about, and overall had a fantastic time. In fact, I’ve already signed up for next year!

Cupcakes & Salmon & Swag – Oh My! {IFBC Recap: Part 1}

October 14 By Renée ♥ 8 Comments

I traveled to my first International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle last month by train, and I just couldn’t start this post without showing you this lovely image of Portland’s Union Station.

Whenever I am in the train station, especially in the early morning hours, I find myself humming Simon & Garfunkel…

“…When I left my home and my family,
I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers,
In the quiet of the railway station,
runnin’ scared, laying low
Seeking out the poorer quarters,
where the ragged people go,
Looking for the places only they would know…

Love that song.

Sorry. Back to IFBC. Held in the beautiful Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle, I shared a room on the 32nd floor with one of my favorite fellow PDX food bloggers, Jana, the Merlot Mommy. Check out our view of Puget Sound!

IFBC officially kicked off with an opulent Grand Opening Reception, hosted by Raincoast Crisps, Bristol Bay Sustainable Salmon and Accolade Wines.

The Reception Hall was literally lined with decadently beautiful mini-cupcakes and dreamy little desserts. The mango trifle was my personal favorite – a smooth, creamy bite of tropical-heaven.

Nevertheless, desserts notwithstanding, the selection that held my fascination was the one thing that stands between me and vegetarianism: Salmon. Red, healthy, sustainable Alaskan salmon. Sweet, savory, tender salmon. From one end of the 40-foot banquet table to the other.

Oh. My.

I almost cried, I was so happy. Salmon cakes. Vodka soaked salmon. (Yes, it was amazing. Thank you for asking.) And this one-of-a-kind salmon dish created especially for IFBC – mixture of salmon, corn, wasabi peas, zesty little cracker rounds, cilantro, and an (as yet undetermined) dressing – was hands-down my favorite. I’m working on getting the recipe, or at least the ingredient list, to share with you.

Adjacent to the Grand Opening Reception was the Gift Suite, or more accurately, the Swag Room. Wow! I was so glad I was carpooling home, because there was a lot for swag for the taking. (See that California Endive below? The samples that I brought home will be showing up in one of our new family favorites in tomorrow’s recipe post!)

There were so many awesome brands represented with so much cool swag that it is impossible for me to pick a clear favorite. Maybe the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans from Rodelle? (Yes! Free gourmet vanilla beans! Does life get any better than that!?!) Or how about the 4-in-1 zester from Crisp? Or the completely addictive small-batch crackers from Raincoast Crisps? I could go one for ten paragraphs about just the swag at IFBC. Amazing.

But there was one stand-out. For many reasons, one of my favorite take-homes of the night came from Aneto Natural. These folks came all the way from Spain to share their product with us, and they brought every one of us a cheery yellow-checked apron, each personalized with the name of our blog.

Wow.

I took some time to talk with one their representatives. and I loved how passionate they were about their product, and how completely dedicated they seemed to be about meeting every blogger they could one-on-one. They showed an amazing generosity of spirit, and that is worth a lot in my book. (I’ll be posting a recipe using their Paella Base next week.)

Moving On.

Saturday morning started early with a breakfast hosted by Noosa Yoghurt, one of my favorite discoveries at IFBC. Our tables were covered with ingredients for making ourselves a yoghurt parfait. While we spooned away daintily at our picture perfect creations, we listened to Noosa founder, Aussie Koel Thomae, share with us how she started Noosa after moving to the US, and why her yoghurt is so unique.

“We are defining a new market for yoghurt – the indulgent yogurt.” {Koel Thomas}

Indulgent is right! Wow! So creamy and thick, Noosa Yoghurt is made with whole milk and fresh ingredients. I found it to as filling as it was delicious, so while it may have more calories per bite, you won’t need as many to fill you up, I guarantee. Noosa was debuting its new Pumpkin flavor at IFBC, and I tried it. Very, very good. And I probably would have had more, except that I could stop eating the coconut flavor. (As further evidence that I am completely in love with Noosa, it should be noted that I made a trip to New Seasons the day I got home, just to buy some more.)

The rest of the day was filled with learning opportunities. Here are some of the highlights:

Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, award-winning authors of (among others) The Flavor Bible, delivered the keynote address. (The Flavor Bible is the first known comprehensive reference of compatible flavors. ) Their newest book, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, debuts in two days, on October 14th. (I’ll be posting a review of the e-book version next week, and giving away a free copy too!)

Leading up to lunch, we enjoyed a very entertaining cooking demo with Thierry Rautureau, The Chef In The Hat, and sampled duck confit sliders with huckleberry demi-glace, a popular small plate at his new restaurant, Loulay. I found our time with Chef Rautureau to be most uplifting: he left us with so many ideas that my head was almost spinning, but more than that, I left with feeling happy and inspired to be more fearless in my own kitchen. Definitely time well-spent. (To read more about Chef Thierry’s presentation, check this post on Fit & Fed.)

Attendees had a variety of classes to choose from, so Jana and I decided to take a “divide and conquer” approach, with each of us taking a different class and then comparing notes later. Which is how I landed in Krusteaz’ “It’s A Speed Scratch Party.” As you may know, I don’t use a lot of boxed mixes or processed foods, so I attended this more out of curiosity than anything else, and the best thing I took from it, for myself, was some really cute table-scape ideas. I am always fascinated when people come up with color-coordinated, themed anything, and event stylist Jennifer Sbranti of Hostess with the Mostess presented some really creative entertaining ideas. I also genuinely enjoyed hearing about the humble beginnings of the Krusteaz brand. (Hint: It involves a bridge club and a traveling salesman.)

For the last session of the day, I attended Cooking Backwards: The Art and Science of Local and Seasonal Cooking, which turned out to be my personal favorite IFBC session. Writer Audra Mulkern, farmers Megan Boyce-Jacobs and Christina Miller and professional recipe developer Greta Hardin shared their perspectives around reverse engineering your menu. Their passion about the farm-to-table movement inspired me to rededicate myself to connecting more purposefully with my local farmers, focusing on creating more seasonal meals, and planning for the off-season. (You will be hearing a lot more about this class in a future post.)

Coming soon: Hard Cheese: IFBC Tips You Probably Won’t Read Anywhere Else {IFBC Recap: Part 2}