World class cuisine meets cutting edge truffle science January 13-16, 2012! Featuring everything truffles--culinary, tastings, science, cultivation and more.Truffles! Not the chocolate kind, black Périgord truffles - aka "black diamonds." These rare and delectable fungi will be the center of attention at the second annual Napa Truffle Festival, January 13-16, at the Westin Verasa Napa where they will be discussed, examined, probed, prepared, demonstrated and finally, paired with wines and feasted upon for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Festival begins with a Friday night reception where you and fellow truffle-lovers will hobnob with your hosts Chef Frank Toque of La Toque, and Robert Chang and Dr. Paul Thomas of the American Truffle Company. You'll also have a chance to meet the Michelin Star Chefs - sans toques - who have come from as far as Chicago and Italy to cook and demonstrate for you throughout the weekend. The next morning, you'll attend a breakfast with keynote address by distinguished food and travel writer, and former editor of Bon Appétit, Barbara Fairchild. Saturday and Sunday feature culinary and scientific programs - cooking demos, truffle orchard tours, and winery lunches, tours and tastings. Truffle dogs will also be on hand to sniff things out with dog training demos (petting allowed)!
The highlight of the Festival will be the Saturday night Truffles & Wine dinner at La Toque featuring a multi-course truffle menu and wine pairing (see last year's menu. Each course will be prepared by a Michelin Star chef, including Michael Cimarusti of Providence in Los Angeles; Suzette Gresham-Tognetti of Acquerello in San Francisco; Marco Gubbiotti of La Bastiglia in Spello, Italy; and Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia in Chicago. The Festival concludes on Monday with a scrumptious Truffle Brunch at Westin's Bank Café, followed by a lively Napa Truffle Festival Marketplace at Oxbow Public Market showcasing local wines and artisanal vendors with their specialty food products.
Cultivation experts and scientists include Robert Chang, Managing Director, American Truffle Company; Dr. Paul Thomas, partner and chief scientist, American Truffle Company and Managing Director, Mycorrhizal Systems Ltd (UK); and more to be announced.The elegant Westin Verasa in downtown Napa will again serve as the host venue, offering a special rate for the Festival weekend. Guests can book rooms online.
The second annual Napa Truffle Festival is hosted by the American Truffle Company.
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NAPA TRUFFLE FESTIVAL 2012 - DETAILS
"The truffles themselves have been interrogated, and have answered simply: eat us and praise the Lord." Alexandre Dumas
Dates: Friday-Monday, January 13-16, 2012
Tickets: Packages available - visit the website for Schedule and Tickets
Host venue: Westin Verasa Napa - special Festival weekend rates are available!
Contact Us: (888) 753-9378
Website: www.napatrufflefestival.com
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS- Reception--meet the Michelin Chefs
- Keynote by Barbara Fairchild--former editor of Bon Appétit
- Cooking demos--learn techniques from Michelin Star Chefs
- Winery lunches, tours and tastings--hosted by Robert Mondavi Winery and Raymond Vineyards
- Cultivation programs--learn about the science and business of planting truffle orchards
- Truffle orchard excursions--wear your mud boots
- Truffle dog training demos--petting allowed
- Truffles & Wine Dinner--an extraordinary dinner prepared by Michelin Star Chefs
- Napa Truffle Festival Marketplace at Oxbow Public Market--from farm, orchard and vineyard to kitchen, table and glass--showcasing local wines, artisan vendors and specialty food products
TRUFFLE LORE
- Truffles are legendary aphrodisiacs - "...the musky scent is said to stimulate and sensitize the skin to touch." - gourmetsleuth.com
- Truffles insight bad behavior - "...there have been gunfights, thefts, accusations of wide spread fraud, even mysterious disappearances of highly trained dogs." - foodreference.com
- Truffles are the ultimate food - "... we were aware of an odour gradually coming towards us, something musky, fiery, savoury, mysterious, -- a hot drowsy smell, that lulls the senses, and yet enflames them, -- the truffles were coming." - William Makepeace Thackeray
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