Blue Hill At Stone Barns

Mistral

The Mistral is usually a dry wind in France, and it's arrival almost always clears the skies and dries the air. This effect provides the Mistral a reputation of bringing good health! Indulge at the chef's table at Mistral and enjoy good health in dining. Below is the pairing menu we enjoyed:

• Oysters on the Half Shell (2 ways) with Blanc de Blanc Champagne
• Seared Hamachi with radishes, cucumber and arugula with Loire Valley Chenin Blanc
• Grilled sauteed zucchini terrine, mint and herb coulis with French Rose
• Seared Foie Gras with young Sauterne
• Seared Sea Bass with Chateauneuf du Pape
• Local grilled Lamb (rare) with 2005 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cocktail intermezzo (table side preparation)
• Local artisanal cheeses with Shiraz
• Two desserts

Walla Walla Wine Trip

Want to visit a wine region where the wine makers still pour in the tasting rooms even if they've been featured in popular food and wine magazines, or recognized by industry awards?

Where passion for wine isn't about being pretentious, but about experiencing the region through every sip in your glass and the food on your plate?

Then visit Walla Walla. We recently returned from a wine trip in Washington's Walla Walla region.

Below is list of some of the best places we found:

K Vintners - by far the best Syrah!

Brasserie Four - seasonally fresh with inventive wine menu!

Guests make their wine selection from the bottles on the shelf and fridge and take to their table!

Spring Valley - no denying the rich heritage of this spirited western family's consistently rated red wines


Woodward Canyon - social savvy, talk with the folks at woodward via twitter at @woodwardcanyon!



L'Ecole - committed to sustainable practices - and making yummy wine too!



Foundry Vineyards - where Squire Broel combines art and wine in a harmonious balance for the senses

Tomorrow - Tickets Go on Sale

If you missed the opportunity last year to secure your place at the table to one of the best farm to table experiences the get ready! Tomorrow, Saturday, March 20, tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. PDT/12 p.m. EDT for Outstanding in the Field.

Outstanding in the Field brings you together with local farmers, food artisans, chefs and winemakers to create an outdoor dining experience that provides the perfect connection of local bounty on your plate. Chef Laurie Riedeman of Elemental at Gasworks will be at Full Circle Farm and Chef Matt Dillon of The Corson Building will be at Oxbow Farm ; the two Washington farms featured this year. More than 50 farms across the U.S. will be participating this year. Find one near you!

Southern Chef Series

Having spent a good amount of my life in the South, I can truly say:

Ya'll, if you have the opportunity, sign up for the Southern Chef Series in events in Atlanta, which pair a top chefs from the region with a group of twelve guests, who work alongside the chef to create an intimate, multicourse meal.

The series kicked off this past October with Chef Nathalie Dupree and will be expanding in 2010. A few spots remain for the next dinner, January 24, with Atlanta Chef Linton Hopkins.

Not familiar with Chef Hopkins? He is the chef/owner of the fabulous Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, has competed on The Food Network's "Iron Chef," is a two-time James Beard Award Nominee, and was named as one of Food and Wine magazine's Best New Chefs in 2009. He is also proprietor of Holeman & Finch and H&F Bread Co in Atlanta.

Along with dinner, the $425 package includes accommodations at the Inn at Serenbe, breakfast the following morning at the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop, and a second lesson preparing lunch. Come hungry for knowledge. Come hungry to work. But most of all, come hungry.

Other instructors in the series include: Top Chef contestant Kevin Gillespie.

To register, contact the Inn at Serenbe: 770-463-2610, serenbeinn.com.