10 Things We Learned At The 2018 Pebble Beach Food & Wine

The 2018 Pebble Beach Food and Wine has come and gone and we are SO sad. We had so much fun tasting and nibbling on all the food and wine sent from heaven under one giant white tent.  If you are a lover of food, or wine, or both like us, we highly recommend attending. It is seriously so amazing! 

We learned so many new things during the weekend, we wanted to put together a list of 10 things we learned at this year's event.

Here they are:

1. The Year of Foie Gras - We are calling this years event "The Year of Foie Gras" because so many of the chefs under the big tent on Saturday and Sunday were serving up delicious bites of foie gras. Eve has always adored Foie gras but Ivy, on the other hand, tends to steer away from these dishes because of the earthy liver taste. This year Ivy couldnt help but fall in love with Foie gras though. This year's chefs foie gras dishes all had such distinct tastes- some were fresh like Hudson Valley's brown butter foie gras crumble & strawberry...or the English pea panna cotta with spring vegetables, Meyer lemon and foie gras by Chef Blom. Foie gras can be made in so many ways it really can be delightful to all pallets!

Hudson Valley's brown butter crumble & strawberry foie gras

English pea panna cotta with spring vegetables, meyer lemon and foie gras by Chef Blom

2. Eat Your Invasives - Chef Lofaro had one of our favorite dishes of the weekend. Why? Because it was delicious, the presentation was beautiful, and the concept behind it was so awesome. Lafaro had made his dish out of kiawe bean flour and strawberry and guava plants which are all invasive plants in his home state of Hawaii. He decided to use these invasives for good - eating! As he removes the plants from the landscape, he uses it to create this delicious dish. No waste for the bettering of the ecosystem. SO COOL!

Eat Your Invasives! kiawe, walawf, and white bread poke by Chef Lofaro

3. Time For Vegas - We were invited to the Venetian Hotel happy hour on Saturday evening. This event was held at the fire pits at the Inn at Spanish Bay. The happy hour included a few signature cocktails that were tasty and unique and Chef Lorena Garcia was serving up delicious tacos! Ivy has only been to Vegas overnight on her way back from college and Eve has NEVER been! From what The Venetian did with this event, we know where we're headed next! Vegas Baby! We're planning to go to Vegas in the next several months to get the FULL Vegas experience!

4. There really is no substitute for bubbles - This year we were lucky to catch up with our "spirit sommelier" Kim Beto and attend his Sunday Bubbles Seminar, which is similar to the Big Bottle Bubbles seminar we attended in 2016. If you love champagne like us, you MUST attend this seminar. At 10 am on a Sunday you are greeted with a tasting flight of 9 different champagnes/sparkling wines to taste along with your new best friends (the five champagne experts on the panel).  

This year our favorite quotes from the seminar were:

• Magnums are the perfect size for two if only one is drinking.

• Drink Champagne right out of the bottle! "great on buses when you don't have glasses" - Kim Beto

• Sabering party "If you haven't had one you're not living" - Kim Beto

• England is the new "up and coming" producer of sparkling wines. Two of the nine wines we tasted were from Jolly Old England and we were shocked at how delicious they were! We honestly didn't think good wine could come from such a wet, mild climate. Boy, were we wrong!

Us with "spirit sommelier" Kim Beto at Sunday Bubbles

5. Good bread and butter is one of life's greatest simple pleasures - We are always down to eat fresh bread and homemade butter, but it's not something you are expecting to eat at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine. A day full of foie gras and delectable cheeses is more the norm. However, this year we stumbled upon the Kerrygold butter booth and were pleasantly surprised and instantly comforted by the simplicity of quality bread and butter. After hours of trying new wines and rich bites, the bread and butter was a welcomed change! Such a simple food really can be delicious.

6. Lanson Champagne is still our favorite! - We are always looking for new champagnes to try but we honestly still adore Lanson Champagne the most. #sorrynotsorry

8.  Berries by themselves - Driscoll always makes an appearance at the PBFW event. The berries are served as is and are always one of our favorite snacks in between the richer bites chefs prepare. The acidity and sweetness wake up our pallet so they are ready to try the next thing! We also loved the tasty berry popsicles they handed out as we all left the tent. 

9. Sake for wellness sake - This year we sampled TYKU sake which has a variety of flavors. Tyku is a clean alternative to wine because it has lower acidity, no sulfites which sometimes irritate people, and has no tannins. You can literally "unwine" with TYKU. Our favorite flavor was the refreshing cucumber. We think it may be time to explore the world of sake soon. 

10. There really is NOTHING like PBFW - We haven't been able to attend any of the other Food and Wine events around the world but we have been told by many who have that the Pebble Beach Food and Wine is the BEST. And jousting by the location, the chef and winemakers who attend, and our experience, we can't see how anywhere else can compare!

Avacado, mint and cucumber shooter topped with créme fraîche and wild flowers

Bone marrow, butterscotch, panna cotta with blueberry and bacon relish by Chef Jin from Paws Up Resort

It was our Mom's birthday on Sunday we were so happy to be able to spend the day sipping and tasting with her!

Kona kampachi tartar with shallots, chives, avacado puree, radish, lemon aioli and honey crumble.

Marinated salt spring mussels

Ivy & Eve Champagne-rita

Last weekend we had a family get-together to watch some Sunday Night Football. We made Mexican food and wanted to try and make a bubbly cocktail to go with the feast. Right then and there, the Ivy & Eve Champagne-rita was born.

At first we were apprehensive about mixing sparkling wine with anything, let alone tequila! We shuddered at the thought of wasting sparkling wine, in the event that the concoction tasted awful. Luckily, we ended up LOVING it so much we are making it a signature Ivy & Eve cocktail from now on (we knew it was good when Ivy, who cringes at the thought of a shot of tequila, sipped on hers rather quickly). We hope you try it out and let us know what you think!

Tip: Sip slowly as this has quite a bit of alcohol (about 1/2 a glass of champers and 1 shot of tequila). 

xxx Ivy & Eve

Makes one drink.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a lime

• 2 tsp agave syrup

• 1 shot (1.5 oz.) tequila

• Ice

• Champagne or other brut sparkling wine

Directions:

1. In a tall glass, juice 1/2 of a lime and add the agave syrup, tequila, and a few ice cubes. Stir until cold. 

2. Pour the mixture into a champagne flute.

3. Top with Champagne of your favorite bottle of bubbles.

4. Garnish with a twist of lime.

5. Enjoy!

Top 5 Sparkling Wines to Toast the New Year

This year, we are hosting a small New Years Eve party for some of our friends and family. We will be snacking on tasty Italian antipasti, making wood-fired pizzas, and sipping tasty drinks throughout the night. The most important task on our party planning list is finding the perfect bubbles to celebrate with! Here is a quick round-up of our favorite affordable sparkling wines that will go well with any dish you serve this NYE. 

1. Domain Chandon Sparkling Wine- $15

2. Gruet Sparkling Wine Brut- $16

3. Nino Franco Prosecco Rustico NV- $20

4. Domain Carneros Sparkling Brut- $30

5. Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne- $40

Check out this fun video from our friends at Winc for some fun sparkling wine trivia that will surely amaze your party guests!

xxx Ivy & Eve

Champagne Lovers Gift Guide

If you haven't heard...we love champagne. No. We ADORE champagne and we love anything related to our favorite bubbly beverage. With holiday shopping in full swing, we have been looking for gifts to buy each other. The list of things to buy each other is so EPIC we decided we must share with all our other bubbly lovers. Here is a list of our favorite gift ideas for all the bubbly babes on your christmas list!

xxx Ivy & Eve

For the Jetsetter

1. The carry on champagne cocktail by W&P Design. Now you can go anywhere and never be without your staple drink! 

For the Fashionista

2. The champagne bottle clutch from Kate Spade. What gets better than carrying all your essentials in a glittery bottle of champagne?

For the Trend Setter

3. Seriously- bring us champagne and we will get up faster then you can pop that bottle! Available here.

For the Gatsby Lover

4. Stackable champagne glasses are the ultimate party trick and perfect for any Great Gatsby themed party! Available at Coupe Stack.

For the Foodie Friend

5. By now, we all know Sugarfina and their delicious champagne gummy bears. Not everyone knows about their bubbly bento box. This is the ultimate collection of Sugarfina's champagne candies including their baby champagne gummy bears, sparkle pops, and bubbly bears. What makes this bento box so special is that it's not only a collaboration with Johnathan Alder and the box is made with 24k gold, but the baby champagne bears and the bubbly bears are infused with Don Pérignon Vintage champagne! Hello YUM! Buy them here.

For the Designer Diva

6. Because who doesn't need a champagne cork side table?! Available here.

For the Beauty Babe

7. Trust Fund Beauty's Champagne Socialite will make your mani go perfectly with your bubbly drink and on-trend velvet party dress. 

For the Stylish Nerd

8. Now you can subtly show off your love for bubbles and science! This necklace is shaped like a molecule of wine. Buy one here!

For the Bookworm

9. This beautiful and informative book about champagne will look perfect on anyone's coffee table! Available here.

For the Life of the Party

10. Chambongs. Why didn't we have these when we were in college?! Now available in plastic - perfect for poolside parties! (We have these and LOVE them!)

Cranberry-Rosemary Champagne Cocktail

The holidays go with champagne like Christmas goes with Santa. So naturally we drink champagne during the holidays...a lot. With all of the festivities surrounding the season, it is one of the busiest times for everyone, so many parties to attend and to host. We decided to create a holiday cocktail that is simple, festive, and almost entirely effortless. This drink combines our favorite drink champagne, festive cranberries, (we recommend making our Sugar Dusted Cranberries, but plain works too), rosemary (basically the tasty version of a Christmas tree), a splash of simple syrup or bitters. Put them together and you get a drink that will simply WOW your guests and leave you time to actually enjoy your party! You're welcome. 

xxx Ivy & Eve

Ingredients:

• Cranberries 2-3 for each cocktail (see how to make these pretty & tasty Sugar Dusted Cranberries HERE)
• Sprigs of rosemary 1 for each cocktail (length depends on champagne glass 3-4" should work)
• 1 bottle of Champagne
• Simple syrup left over from the Sugar Dusted Cranberries (optional)
•  Your favorite bottle of bitters (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove leaves off the bottom half of the rosemary sprigs.
2. Slowly poke the stem through each cranberry one at a time.
3. Pour champagne in glass. (add simple syrup from the Sugar Dusted Cranberries recipe for a touch of sweetness and/or a dash of bitters)
4. Place cranberry-rosemary garnish on each glass.
5. Serve!

Cheers!

Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail

We love sweet things and cotton candy has always been one of our favorite treats to buy at fairs and carnivals as kids. 

We have seen similar cocktail on Pinterest and always wanted to try but we could NEVER seem to find cotton candy in our hometown. So when we happened to find a shop that sold the real deal, we bought some for our carnival themed Halloween party we decided we must take full advantage of the opportunity. 

Our recipe is different to others in that they all let you dip the cotton candy into the glass of champagne, where we pour the champagne on top of the cotton candy. This recipe is much quicker to make then our Autumn Champagne Cocktail recipe since it only has two ingredients. Surprisingly, we found that the cotton candy did not make the cocktail super sweet. If you want it to be sweeter, just keep adding more cotton candy! The cotton candy melts within seconds so be sure to serve it in front of your guests so they can see the magic. We loved the bright color we got from the blue cotton candy but feel free to test out all the different colors! We are definitely planning to make for our next girls night or brunch.

xxx Ivy & Eve

Makes 4 cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of brut champagne
• 1 bag of cotton candy

Directions:

1. Place a small pinch of cotton candy in glass.
2. Pour bubbly in glass over cotton candy
3. Enjoy!

Santa Lucia Highlands Gala

The Santa Lucia Highlands Gala (also called the SLH Gala) is an event put on each year that showcases 40 plus local wines grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA (American Viticultural Area...fancy talk for a grape growing region). On top of premier wines, the event has small bites of some of the best local flavors. This year the event was held at Mer Soleil Winery and Vineyard. Surrounded by vineyards and sunshine, it was the perfect setting for a wine party! This event is really unique because only wineries that produce wines from grapes grown in the SLH are invited. You can taste anything from dry Rieslings to bold Syrahs. Some of our favorite wineries attended such as Morgan Winery, Joyce Vineyards, Boekenoogen, and Scheid Vineyards. We found a few new favorites along the way though. The Odonata winery had a very dry riesling which was fun to try. While we were talking to the winemaker Denis, he mentioned having a sparkling wine down the road at his wine tasting room and winery. So naturally we stopped in for a glass on our way home, and left with two bottles. Oops! Here is a link to their online shop. 

As for the small bites, options ranged from a huge cheese table presented by the local Star Market grocery store, to waffles with fresh sweet corn topped with lobster from Chef Soerke from Basil. Just delicous! If you needed a break from the wine you could stop at the Bar Cart Cocktails Co. table where Katie was serving chilled herbal tea made from ingredients picked on the Apex Vineyard in the SLH. 

On our way home we stopped at Joyce winery to regroup with friends. We caught a glimpse of their new tasting room (scheduled to open this summer) and jumped in a few tanks before heading home. Shout out to our dear friend J for hooking us up with tickets to this event! It was fab!

xxx Ivy & Eve

What a view!!!

YUMM from Chef Todd at Tarpy's

Delicious Noodles from Shiho at Ocean Sushi

Eve used to work at a tasting room so when Morgan needed a helping hand, she gladly stepped in! Photo by: Morgan Winery

Katie from Bar Cart Cocktails Co. pouring some of her tasty tea!

Goofing off at Joyce! :)

Champagne Friday: Champagne Cocktail Edition

First off, Happy Champagne Friday!!! We have all successfully made it through another week and WE think that is grounds for celebration! 

If you want to dress up your Friday bubbles, but still want it to taste like sparkling wine, a classic Champagne Cocktail is the perfect solution. This simple yet chic cocktail is always well received. Our first memory of this classy glass is of post-shopping lunches with our parents in San Francisco's Neiman Marcus Rotunda Restaurant. They would always start off the lunch with this festive drink. We were, of course, too young (darn!) to partake in the toast back then, but the fond memories have stayed with us. The classic way to make this cocktail is to add a few drops of Angostura aromatic bitters to a bought sugar cube, and pour in the bubbles. Our house never has sugar cubes on hand (who's does?) so we decided one day to make our own. On a whim, we tried adding the bitters to the sugar mix and they turned out splendidly! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and create your own fond memories. 

Cheers! 

xxx Ivy & Eve

Aromatic Bitters Sugar Cubes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tablespoon Angostura aromatic bitters (or specialty bitters like Bar Cart Cocktail Co. Summer Bitters)

Silicone sugar cube tray (found here on Amazon)

1.     In a bowl, combine the sugar and 1/2 of the bitters. Mix until the bitters are evenly distributed and all sugar is colored. Add more bitters as needed. You want the sugar to be damp, not wet.

2.     Pack the sugar mixture into the silicone cube tray.

3.     Microwave for 30 second intervals until hot and steamy.  (All microwaves are different but we usually cook ours for two 30-second intervals).

4.     Let cool and dry.

Store your cubes in an airtight tin or baggie.

Champagne Cocktail

Makes 2 cocktials

1 bottle brut sparkling wine chilled (such as Charles Ninot Blanc De Blancs which is a tasty basic, whose flavor is enhanced by the additions below)

2 champagne flutes

2 lemon peel twists

2 or more aromatic bitters sugar cubes

1.     Add 1-2 aromatic bitters sugar cubes to each flute

2.     Slowly fill the flutes with sparkling wine. The sugar cubes will cause the sparkling wine to fizz extra so pour slowly to make sure there are no spillage!

3.     Top with a lemon twist

4.     Cheers!