Why hello, y'all!
A couple of weeks ago, Coco and I had the pleasure of attending a couple of events for the NYC Wine and Food Festival. It's a foodie's paradise with over 100 events throughout the city. Some of the country's best chefs come together to hold seminars, cooking classes, parties, and demonstrations that hungry amateur food lovers like Coco and myself, can enjoy. And what does this all mean? Well, Coco was happier than a pig in sh#$t! SNL often spoofs Food Network segments with the tag, "Food Network- porn for fat people." And gosh, that is SO true. But don't leave us skinnies out! I'll take food over sex any day!
Of the events we did attend, only one made our stomach excitedly grumble (in a good way)- Good ol' Paula Deen's Sunday Jazz Brunch held at Gotham Hall. I love Paula Deen. Not only because butter is just as sacred to her as the baby Jesus, but because she has an infectious personality, y'all! It's hard to believe that this spunky woman once suffered from agoraphobia.
The setting though nicely spread out, still felt intimate, cozy, and scrumptious! Add a little jazz in the background and the comfort food that spread from wall to wall, and you have the perfect combination for a Sunday brunch meal. And guess who was there to eat with the guests and give witty speeches that sometimes were long winded but still entertaining?? The Queen of Southern Cooking herself, y'all- Paula Deen! (i love that word especially when you do it with the draw!)
So the menu consisted of dishes made by Paula Deen in partnership with Smithfield. But there were also some participating guest chefs from Cookshop, Norma's, Bubby's and more that got to showcase some of their signature dishes. As you can imagine, an empty stomach was a requirement for these festivities. Coco and I tried EVERYTHING. ( I unfortunately had to pass on a couple of dishes that were pregnancy no-no's)but based on my three times around the buffet, here are two dishes that rocked my world!
1) Paula Deen's Tomato Spoon Bread- Oh Em Geeeee. I had two very generous servings. Explosive taste. First of all, I'm a sucker for corn bread and the cornbread used for this was orgasmic. The juicy tomato and cheddar mix was so flavorful and had the perfect temperature for enjoyment. It was crunchy and creamy, not too salty but just a bit so. Delicious down to the last bite.
2) The other dish was prepared by Chef Jeff Lutonsky from Mable's Smokehouse and Banquet Hall in Brooklyn. I love meat. Give it to me any way. I'm a carnivore til death. So when i took a bite of the Slow smoked brisket, i thought the food ambulance was going to have to come take me away. The key to good meat is flavor. Nothing is more disappointing than a bland, chewy, and tasteless slab of meat. Well, not this slab! It was flawlessly smoked, fell apart at the touch, and it was ma-ma-ma-moist! It was garnished with Mable's Secret Sauce and Texas caviar (aka beans). Finger lickin good! I have to make a pilgrimage to the burg to try the rest of the menu at Mable's!
Well, we were stuffed by the end of it. Between my real baby and my food baby, I felt like a contestant on the Biggest Loser. But it was so worth it! Needless to say, Coco and I walked 20 blocks downtown to help our cause and we would do it again in a second. This is one event I will not be missing next year, y'all!
Here's to you. Here's to me.
Kathy.
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