This past weekend I headed south for Food Blog Forum at Walt Disney World in Orlando. It was a weekend packed with food, friends new and old, and inspiring panels covering photography, writing, public relations and every topic in between. Not a minute of it all would’ve been possible without the tireless efforts of Julie Deily of The Little Kitchen, as well as Dawn Viola.
Saturday’s events began with a hearty St. Patrick’s Day breakfast showcasing dishes from the Emerald Isle (think bangers and mash and soda bread scones), as we transitioned into the morning panels hosted by Todd Porter and Diane Cu, Jaden Hair and David Leite.
It wouldn’t have been a food blogging conference without food as a main attraction, but as the following photos will show, there was not a giant turkey leg nor a funnel cake in sight. Instead, Disney used their magic to produce a 10-station culinary display that was part nourishment and part entertainment. From penne pasta with calico scallops to chocolate ravioli with cognac, the array of tastes spanned countless cuisines from around the world.
Disney chef Damon Lauder (above) layers tender slices of bourbon-induced pork tenderloin and hydro-grown greens atop spelt slider buns.
Disney chef Matt Maslowski (above) prepares nitro-whipped, no sugar added pomegranate ice to serve with CO2-infused vanilla lemonade extracted from a rotovap (below).
The pomegranate ice was the final topper in a futuristic soda float (above) that featured a delicate balance of rich and tangy flavors without tasting overly sweet. For the real sugar rush, I turned to the mascarpone cheesecake with lavender-infused Florida strawberries (below).
With full stomachs and full camera memory cards, we segued into an afternoon of roundtable discussions. I had the pleasure of hosting the Recipe Writing and Development session with Jennie Perillo of In Jennie’s Kitchen, and I was so thankful the sessions gave me the opportunity to meet so many new food bloggers and to have one-on-one chats about all things food. Many thanks to all of the Food Blog Forum attendees and Disney for making this year’s gathering such an all-star event!
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It was so great meeting you Kelly! I wish we had more time to chat :) may be next time!
I really like your photos and recap! FBFOrl seriously was a great time :)
Thanks so much, Julius! It was great meeting you!
Great recap. I had such wonderful experiences at the event. It was also such a pleasure meeting you. Hope our paths cross again in the future. Can’t wait for your book to come out.
(Wrong blog listed in first comment)
Great recap. I had such wonderful experiences at the event. It was also such a pleasure meeting you. Hope our paths cross again in the future. Can’t wait for your book to come out. :)
Your pictures are fabulous and what a great recap! I had so much fun at the conference!
It was SO great to see you last week! I know I’ll see you again soon :)
Your roundtable was EXCELLENT! I cannot wait to read the book and it’s already pre-ordered (just in case Amazon gets their shipments a bit early :)) Thank you again!
Thanks so much, Aly! I’m giving away one book every Monday until April 17, so please feel free to enter!
Great pictures!!! Love them! Thank you again for coming down and speaking. Can’t wait to see you again!
Thank YOU so much for making the entire event possible! Can’t wait to catch up at BlogHer Food!
What a great recap. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to join one of your recipe development sessions. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
You are so welcome, Katie! Don’t hesitate to email if you ever have any questions at all.
Ughh, typos using my phone, sorry :(
Sounds like a fantastic event, I would lived to h
ave been there. You know Disney, they know how to put in a show!!
Take care…
Loved the round table with you and Jennie! I can’t wait for your new book to come out! I know I’ll be getting a copy for myself! It was so wonderful to have gotten a chance to meet you this weekend!
What a great trip, so wish I could have been there for this one. Hopefully we will meet up again this year!
The same goes Kelly.. it was a pleasure to meet you and to pick your brain about book writing…at your round table – you and Jennifer were a treat.
Hoping to have another opportunity to connect in the near future!
It was wonderful meeting you this past Saturday, Kelly. The round table you and Jennie did was one of my favorites. The only negative about your session? It wasn’t long enough!
It was so great to meet you, Jennifer! Emailing you today :)
Great pictures! So glad to finally have met you. I hope you had a good time with the bf & family afterwards. I’m sad that we didn’t get a picture together!! I completely forgot. At least we got to chat :) your round table was awesome, I learned a lot, so thank you! I hope to see you soon, Kelly! xo
Agreed! So great to FINALLY meet in person and I can’t wait for the next event!