The Melting Teapot

At the International Food Blogger’s Conference, I spent two days immersed in engaging and thoughtful sessions on writing, blogging, and photography.   If you are interested in food writing and blogging, I encourage you to check out the presentation slides that are now available on the IFBC2010 web site.

However, today’s focus is on what is probably most interesting to readers of this blog – the samples of culinary goodness that were available.

Cheeses and chocolate were both available in vast quantities.  Indeed, other than Friday night, the conference was located at Theo’s Chocolate Factory, where there were always platters of chunked up chocolate bars available.

Meals during the conference were quite special.  Breakfasts were continental, with pastries from Bakery Noveau, donuts from Top Pot, and beautiful Driscoll berries.  Lunch and dinner on Saturday were provided by several star chefs who put together a variety of small plates, while on Sunday we were treated to selections from a lineup of local food trucks. Throughout the conference, gluten-free bloggers dined on a gorgeous line-up of food provided by the popular Wheatless in Seattle.  One of the funniest aspects of a conference full of bloggers was that everyone snapped pictures before grabbing plates. 

I had many wonderful bites of food, but there were three that were particularly memorable.

My Top Three Bites

#1,  Cupcake Royale's Salted Caramel Cupcakes: These were so good that I’ve requested these as my birthday party cake next week.

The frosting has a wonderful texture, creamy and buttery, but not so heavy that it coats the roof of your mouth. The caramel flavor is immediate and full, without the waxy finish that I’ve gotten from cheaper quality frosting. It has a well-balanced sweetness, not overly sugarfied, which I quite liked, and the way it held up against the dark chocolate cake was just perfect.  There’s a hint of sea salt, which touches the roof of the mouth and enhances the other flavors.  The only thing that would have made this cupcake better would have been a nice cup of golden yunnan tea (this will be a definite birthday pairing for me).

Currently, there are four Cupcake Royale locations in Seattle.  The big news for those of us on the east side of Lake Washington is that soon there will be a fifth location in Bellevue!

#2, Melon Gazpacho Soup: This refreshing cool soup was served in a cup, and as I raised it for a sip  the gorgeous aroma of cantelope wafted up.  It had the tastes of a late summer garden, and it provided a simple yet satisfying flavor.  The sweet cantelope was nicely contrasted by a hint of hot pepper – cold against heat.

I had a glass of red wine from Rodney Strong in hand, which was quite nice, but I think the gazpacho would have paired perfectly with an aromatic white (perhaps a torrontes or albarino?).

The two chefs behind the soups at the tasting also served up some flavorful veggie goodness at Saturday’s dinner.  I liked all of their offerings enough that I’m going to order their new cookbook, Down Home Downtown: Seasonal Recipes from Two Sonoma Wine Country Restaurants.

#3: Hallava Falafal: At their best, falafals have a delicate, crispy crust on the outside and are lightly fluffy on the inside.  Hallava's falafals were perfectly textured, and they were also some of the most flavorful I’ve ever had.  I heard many of my fellow bloggers talking about the great falafals, so it wasn't just me who was impressed.

The falafal itself had a bit of a peppery zing, which was nicely offset by the cool yogurt topping.  The tang of the pickled veggies on top provided even more depth.

If you ever  see the bright yellow Hallava Falafal food truck at a farmer’s market or a street corner, definitely make a stop!