Food & Wine Festival

while back I decided that eventually I was going to dedicate an entire blog post to Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.  Last October I was lucky enough to vacation during this blessed event and suffice it to say that I will always try and vacation in October from now on. 

For those of you who know nothing about F&WF let me fill you in.  When you arrive at the main entrance to the World Showcase you can pick up a F&WF guide map and let the eating begin.  Go either way, left or right, and take a look at all of the small food booths set up depicting countries from all over the world.  Each "country" has a few selections of tapas-sized foods to choose from as well as a small handful of select wines.  Each selection costs $2-$7.  If you're on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use your snack credits for most single tastings.

On top of the food booths, there are different free food seminars and lectures going on at different areas of Epcot.  You can also pay to take special seminars, tastings, and full meals.  For foodies it is truly a radical experience. 

Last year I put $30 on a small gift card that I wore around my wrist.  Everytime I wanted something to eat or drink I just gave the cast member my gift card and it was deducted.  They even print on the receipt what your balance left is.  It's honestly the smartest way to keep track of your F&WF spendings.

This year a few countries were dropped off, a few were added, and some older ones were picked back up after being absent for some time.  Last year I had some pescetarian/vegetarian choices but I'm definitely getting loads more options this year.  Here are most of the options that Matt and I will have this year.  I'm including some the drinks that I tried last year.  Very happy to see all but my favorite South African wine return.

1.  Chile:  Shrimp Ceviche
2.  Desserts & Champagne:  Pear Streusel Pudding Cake, Rose Imperial (amazing champagne)
3.  Brazil:  Shrimp Stew with Coconut & Lime
5.  Argentina:  Roasted Corn & Cheese Empanada
6.  Mexico:  Esquites (pan-fried corn & spices), Dos Equis (one of my favorite beers ever)
7.  Poland:  Potato Pierogies with Carmelized Onions & Sour Cream
8.  China:  Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
11.  Singapore:  Shrimp Cake with Singapore Noodle Salad (Brand New Country)
13.  Germany:  Octoberfest (great beer!)
14.  Italy:  Baked Cheese Ravioli (Matt will be all over this)
15.  Hops & Barley:  Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw & Remoulade (great last year), New England Lobster Roll
17.  Japan:  Sushi (I will try sushi again.  And try and like it)
18.  Australia:  Seared Barramundi with Cherry Tomatoes, Arugla, and Lemon Oil
19.  Morocco:  Falafel Pita Pocket, Tangerine Mimorsa *drools*
20.  Belgium:  Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream (Brand New Country)
21.  Spain:  Seared Albacore Tuna & Romesco Sauce
22.  France:  Escargots (I will try this finally!)
23.  Ireland:  Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's Pie (I loved this last year)
24.  Canada:  Maple-glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad, Moosehead Beer (yummy)
25.  Charcuterie & Cheese:  Cheese Fondue & Croutons with Roasted Potatoes
26.  Greece:  Greek Salad with Pita Bread
27.  New Zealand:  Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw & Lemon Oil (I loved this so much I got it twice last year)

Click on this link to see the full F&WF guide map.  http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/photos/FestGuideMap_2010.pdf

I plan on eating a lot of mini-meals this October.  ; )