Last month, I had the opportunity to attend MetroCooking DC for my third year! MetroCooking DC is a two day cooking and entertaining show held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This huge foodie event has something for everyone from celebrity and James Beard award winning chefs to cooking lessons, tastings from local restaurants, demonstrations, vendors, book signings, and so much more. I covered my first day last week and here are my previous posts covering MetroCooking DC: 2014 Part 1 and Part 2, 2015 Part 1 and Part 2.
On Sunday, there were even more cooking demonstrations from James Beard Award winning/nominated chefs and Taste Talks featuring a variety of food-related topics. Caitlin Dysart was the first chef of the day and made a Flourless Chocolate Cake and White Chocolate & Mint Diplomat Cream as the base for a Buche de Noel. She is the pastry chef at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia and won the Rammy Award in 2014 for Pastry Chef of the Year.
Jacques Pépin and his daughter, Claudine Pépin, cooked together as the celebrity demonstration of the day. They showed some incredible techniques including creating tomato and butter roses, transforming a lemon into a bird, deboning a chicken, and making the perfect omelette. Jacques Pépin has written over 25 cookbooks, hosted 12 highly acclaimed public television shows, has taught at the French Culinary Institute since 1988, and is the Executive Culinary Director for Oceania Cruises.
Erik Bruner-Yang is the chef/owner of Maketto and Honeycomb in Washington, D.C. He is also the founder of Toki Underground. In 2016, he won the RAMMY Award for New Restaurant of the Year. For his demonstration, he made Prahok K'tiss (a spicy Khmer pork dip) along with a homemade curry paste.
Other special events on Sunday included the Miss World Cook-Off; book signings by Jacques Pépin, Nora Pouillon, Deborah Smith, and David Guas; the Beer, Wine, and Spirits Garden; and the Grand Tasting Pavilion. The RAMW (Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington) Grand Tasting Pavilion has been one of the highlights of MetroCooking DC for me each year. Over 40 restaurants participated this year with sips and samples benefiting Educated Eats (an organization committed to promoting the restaurant and food service industry as a career of unlimited opportunity).
Kona Grill (Locations)- Seven Spice Seared Ahi Tuna and Cucumber Salad with Sumiso Sauce, Picasso Roll.
I visited most of the vendors on the first day, but still had a handful to see on Sunday.
Cooking Light and My Recipes were sponsors for the event and had a large section among the vendors. There was a spot to decorate your own sugar cookies, make a cup of hot cocoa, and try some samples.
Go Oats is a fairly new company (August 2015) based in Lorton, Virginia. Their products are a way to enjoy oatmeal on the go in bite size form. Flavors include Maple Brown Sugar (my favorite), Cranberry Walnut, and Fresh Blueberry.
Jovian Pantry makes Asian sauces and spices with no MSG or artificial preservatives. You can purchase their Caramel Braising Sauce, Pho Spice Sachet, and Viet Vinaigrette online.
That looks like soooo much fun! How did he do the butter roses without the butter melting?
What a fabulous experience! Looks like fun!
I love attending events where well known chefs ply their trade. You feel like you get to know them and it is a great way to be inspired in your cooking journey.
What a great day this must have been with some cooking legends, and that food looks amazing.