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Culinary MVPs Abound During A Super Week

Tribune photo by JEFF HOUCK

Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, left, chats with chef Tom Colicchio, head judge on the Bravo TV show "Top Chef" during The Taste of the NFL event Jan. 31, 2009 at Tropicana Field.

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By JEFF HOUCK

jhouck@tampatrib.com

Published: February 6, 2009

I know Super Bowl Week is supposed to be about professional football. And it is. But the emphasis on food and drink is quickly catching up as the focus of the week's festivities. Among the highlights:

•Lunching at Malio's Prime Steakhouse with former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo. Now a "wine ambassador" for Martini & Rossi, Cefalo travels the country promoting the brand's various products, including their Sparkling Trio: Asti, Prosecco and Rose, which debuts in April.

This isn't just Cefalo exploiting his NFL playing days. Until about six months ago, he owned Cefalo's Wine Cellar and Cefalo's Wine Corner in South Florida. He also founded Cefalo's Cave Club, a private wine club with personal wine lockers, tastings, classes and meals, and he owns a wine collection with more than 1,200 bottles. Plus, his family's winemaking roots go back to his grandfather in Pennsylvania.

•Meeting Martha Stewart during a book signing Jan. 31 at Westfield Countryside mall. Store managers there told me they sold out of the 600 allotted copies of her latest book, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." A line of more than 1,000 people waited to say hello to the author and TV host. The crowd included one 6-year-old boy named Cooper, who brought his tank of hermit crabs and put them on the signing table in front of her.

•Covering the Taste of the NFL party at Tropicana Field. For one night, the St. Petersburg home of the Rays was an intimate, big-ticket charity dining club featuring amazing food by chefs from the NFL's 32 cities. Marty Blitz of Mise en Place in Tampa made a sauteed calamari with shitake mushrooms, Thai chilies and an edamame soy glaze that was well-received. New Orleans chef Susan Spicer's crawfish curry was so good, I went back for seconds.

•Chatting with Gina Gallo of Gallo Family Vineyards of Sonoma County, Calif. Gallo furnished the wines for the Taste of the NFL functions. Growing up as the granddaughter of Julio Gallo offered her a special glimpse into the process of making wine. After college, she came back to the family business and worked her way up to becoming winemaker. (Aficionado Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, raved about the wines, telling me that he enjoyed the cabernet served at the Taste.) You can listen to my Table Conversations podcast on my blog, The Stew, at TBO.com, Keyword: Stew.

•Meeting Tom Colicchio, Spike Mendelsohn, Andrew D'Ambrosi, Richard Blais and Antonia Lofaso of "Top Chef" at the Taste of the NFL. The braised pork shoulder they served on a lettuce cup - Colicchio's recipe - was simple yet delicious. And it was fun to finally meet people I'd only e-mailed, interviewed or Twittered with online.

•Hanging out at the Super Bowl and seeing the range of food offered by Raymond James Stadium's food provider, Levy Restaurants. Finding a sushi stand that also served sake was a treat. So was the Taste of Victory table with giant versions of red velvet cake, double chocolate cookies and fudge brownies as big as a paperback dictionary. Bumping into Food Network star Guy Fieri at the game was an unexpected surprise. Fieri taped a segment for the entertainment show "Extra" on the Friday before the game, eating a helping of raccoon. Because, you know, that's all we eat here in Florida.

CHILI SAYS, 'I LOVE YOU'

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm will host a chili cook-off and movie at 6 p.m. Saturday for Valentine's Day. Cost: $5.

Those attending are encouraged to bring vegetarian chili or a side dish. After sunset, the movie "The Princess Bride" will be shown.

RSVP to assocdir@sweetwater -organic.org.

CIGAR CITY HONORS

Congratulations go out to Cigar City Brewing's Wayne Wambles, who won a first-place ribbon in the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting for his Mayan Chocolate Imperial Stout.

Wambles and business partner Joey Redner have dubbed the brew "Hanahpus Imperial Stout" in honor of Hunaphu, who according to Mayan myths gave cocoa to the Mayan people. The imperial stout is aged on cocoa nibs, dried pasillo and ancho chilies, cinnamon and vanilla beans.

As a commercial brewer, Wambles won numerous medals. Redner writes about beer for the Tampa Bay Times and has worked in the beer industry.

You can read Redner's blog about making beer at www.blog.cigarcity beer.com.

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