{"id":17081,"date":"2014-11-16T16:43:27","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T00:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=17081"},"modified":"2020-04-14T09:42:07","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T16:42:07","slug":"afternoon-at-le-cordon-bleu-healthy-food-is-sexy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/afternoon-at-le-cordon-bleu-healthy-food-is-sexy\/","title":{"rendered":"Afternoon at Le Cordon Bleu – Healthy Food is #Sexy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Curried<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m just getting home from four days in Las Vegas where I attended the inaugural Food Fight Write<\/a> conference held in conjunction with the ultimate cooking competition – the World Food Championships<\/a>, where serious cooking competitors throw it down in hopes of becoming world champs in their category. When the smoke clears and the Final Table judges have their say one lucky competitor will be left standing as the World Food Champion.<\/p>\n

\"World<\/a><\/p>\n

The field for the 2014 World Food Championships was expanded to nine categories with 550 competitor spots. Returning categories include: Barbecue, Chili, Sandwich, Burger, Dessert, Bacon and Recipe, while Pasta and Seafood have been added as the two new categories. As in years past, the Recipe category is based on a theme of food, and this year that theme is Cheese.<\/p>\n

\"World<\/a><\/p>\n

Occupying arteries and parking lots adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, you’ll find passionate cooks and grill masters from across the country intent on their craft,\u00a0nonplussed by rows of spectators and the parade of characters and performance artists that stretch along Fremont Street between the Plaza Hotel and the Container Park.<\/p>\n

\"World<\/a><\/p>\n

The four-day conference offered focused sessions on topics directly related to food blogging, from video production, photography skills, graphic design, the path to publishing, finding your voice (writing), to the history and art of cocktails. The business strategy sessions delivered by seasoned veterans of the trade and members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals<\/a> (IACP) really honed in on the”The Business of Blogging”.<\/p>\n

To complete the experience, attendees were shuttled off on a foodie field trip to Le Cordon Bleu Kitchen at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts\u00a0Las Vegas<\/a>. We watched hands-on demonstrations by Le Cordon Bleu’s chef instructors in eight different areas\u00a0and experience what it’s like to be a culinary student pursuing our passion in the professional kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu. \u00a0Building on over 100 years of tradition, the Le Cordon Bleu is synonymous with expertise, refinement, honor and discipline. Students hands-on skills and study in a fast-paced kitchen classroom and are taught the techniques essential to cooking any style of cuisine.<\/p>\n

I was drawn to the kitchen that had a colorful display of\u00a0vegetables and spices and the teaser, “Who said Healthy Food cannot be SEXY?” Two thumbs up. My mantra is “healthy food doesn’t have to be boring”, but sexy works for me, too – I was in the right place! Chef Alexandra Fochi engaged us immediately with her friendliness and Brazilian accent and entertained her audience in an animated discussion about the elements of flavor, and the Red Beans & Rice and Cauliflower in Curried Tomato Sauce was divine vegetarian fare that everyone, before and after us, enjoyed thoroughly.<\/p>\n