Tasty things worth knowing
MidAtlantic Wine + Food Fest: May 13-17
35 brunches, lunches and events set for three states
For a third year, the not-for-profit MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival will again boast international guests, chefs, drink purveyors and more from May 13-17.
Chefs and winemakers from around the world will travel to the East Coast to collaborate on 35 brunches, lunches, tastings and dinners.
Guests can chat with vintners, brewers, distillers and other experts, and take a culinary journey through the Brandywine area, in addition to other activities.
Last year, festival events took place in 14 cities and towns throughout Delaware and Pennsylvania. This year the reach is extending to additional sites in New Jersey and Maryland.
Additionally, a culinary event called Breaking Bread Behind Bars is added to the lineup. This dinner is a collaboration between the Delaware Department of Correction, Delaware restaurant group SoDel Concepts, and the MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival to benefit skills training for Delaware offenders and facilitate their reentry to the community.
Breaking Bread Behind Bars will be held on Thursday, May 14, inside the Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution in New Castle.
Since its founding in 2013, the festival has engaged 126 chefs and 28 winemakers from six continents, has issued 6,500 tickets, and has sold out 46 events. The festival has drawn attendees from more than 15 countries.
This year the festival will raise funds for CAMP Rehoboth, OperaDelaware and Christina Cultural Arts Center. For specific locations and ticket info, visit the website: mawff.org.
Delaware Culinary Students Head West
Cape Henlopen, Wm. Penn earn national invitation
Students from Cape Henlopen and William Penn high schools won top honors at Delaware ProStart Invitational, an annual competition presented by the Delaware Restaurant Association for high school students. The culinary and management students will now advance to the country’s premier high school competition, the National ProStart Invitational, in Anaheim, Calif., from April 18-20, which focuses on restaurant management and culinary arts.
More than 60 Delaware students competed for the top honors this year. A team from William Penn was named the 2015 Delaware ProStart Student Invitational culinary champions, and a team from Cape Henlopen once again took home first place in the management competition, after going to nationals last year.
The culinary competition highlights the creative abilities of each team as they prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, with no access to running water or electricity.
Management teams develop a business proposal for an original restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges, who challenge them to address the issues restaurant managers face on a daily basis.
For more information on the competition and the DRA, visit delawarerestaurant.org.
Delaware Local Food Exchange Update
Area grocery store’s fundraiser closes on goal
The Indiegogo fundraiser for the Delaware Local Food Exchange (DLFE), an area grocery store located in Wilmington, has concluded its fundraiser for a new DLFE location in Trolley Square.
At press time, the DLFE had raised almost $19,000, with just over $6,000 more to go to reach its $25,000 goal by the end of the campaign, which was scheduled for March 28.
In business for almost five years, the DLFE focuses on local and sustainable foods, helping put thousands of dollars back into the local farming community. Donations went toward renovations and equipment in the new Trolley Square space.
For more information, visit indiegogo.com/projects/delaware-local-food-exchange.
