Once I woke and and realized what it was, I quickly jumped on the event. In terms of food and wine events, it is reasonable at $50 per day. The schedule looks fairly interesting with cooking demonstrations, cocktail courses, wine tastings and a main stage event– Sort of a Lollapalooza of food and wine.

Some great chefs and mixologists will be there to show off their flare, but I’m thinking I will be hanging out in the wine tasting pavilion most of the time, seeking out 1 or 2 cooking demos (Aquavit and Le Bernadin).

Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. 24.7.365. starts tomorrow, Friday, October 26 and runs until Saturday, October 27. Tickets are available on their website.

The downfall I find with the Greek salad is it leaves me wanting more. The cucumbers fail to fill me and there are only so many tomatoes I can eat before the acid hits my stomach and turns me the wrong way. I realize many folks have their own versions of this clasic salad, but this is my simple take on it (rather, one of many simple takes on it).

I made this a few weeks ago when I was alone. D often objects to eating salad as a mid-day meal, complaining the energy doesn’t last. I was so captivated by this salad I decided to try it out on D the following day. I knew he would love it, but would it fill him for a day running around?
The result… You bet so. Not only was D satiated until dinner, he even made several exclamations about the flavor combinations (which are really nothing so unique).

The trick is in the bread. Homemade croutons are a must. For this salad I used old sourdough bread cut into “fingers,” brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper and toasted until golden. They are great to pick up and munch on between bites, or used to scoop up leftover cheese and olive oil. They work in any salad and act as a tasty filler.

This salad might sadly be the last viewing of fresh local tomatoes. If you hurry, your local market might still have some end-of-season tomatoes left, but they are fading fast.

Greek Adaptation Salad
Serving Size= 2 persons. Prep time= 10 min. Cook time=3 minutes.
2 slices old sourdough bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup green beans, picked and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ripe tomato, sliced into 8 wedges
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Kalamata olives
Salt/ Pepper
Parsley

1) Brush sourdough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice into 1 inch thick strips and toast until golden.
2) Blanch green beans in boiling water, 30 second to 1 minute, until darkened. Dredge in ice water.
3) Gently toss green beans with sliced tomato, chopped red pepper, crumbled feta, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper.
4) Sprinkle with parsley and top with Kalamata olives. Arrange croutons around salad or sprinkled over top.
NOTE: Want to make this even more of a meal? Add 1 can washed and drained butter beans!

Sure, read all you want. It will help you understand the history of regions, what grows best where, and how we got the delicious Cabernet Sauvignon grape (a cross of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc). But tell me Burgundy’s reds (read: Pinot) have an earthier, more leathery and downright “merde-y” (horse droppings) nose compared with their U.S. west coast sisters, which tend to lean towards cranberries and strawberries, and I’ll have little idea what you’re talking about. More likely, I’ll never taste a Burgundian red for fear of merde.

But head to a wine event and you will be more than pleasantly surprised.

When I go searching for a bottle of Pinot at the liquor store, I know to tell the merchant I prefer Burgundian-style Pinots, not the New World style. Meaning what? I can more often find a bottle of reasonably priced wine I will enjoy– even if do not know the producer.

My Pinot lessons came to me in a great flood of red at a wine event called Pinot Days. For two days I subjected myself to drinking copious amounts of delicious Pinot Noir, speaking with wine makers, and sitting through tasting flights to compare regions head-to-head. It was true torture swallowing all that wine, but I survived. I even have a few new favorite vineyards from the experience.

The lessons I picked up at this event and others, have stayed with me more than any book. It is when you drink wine, with someone knowledgeable to guide you, that you can truly retain information (at least that’s how my brain works). After all, it’s in the experience.

If you have the opportunity, and enjoy wine, I implore you to visit an upcoming wine event. Most are open to the public and offer tastings of some fabulous wines you would never pay for on your own. Better still, you will probably walk away with a new favorite style or producer.

Some upcoming wine events in 2007 around the country include:

• Wine Spectator Magazine hosts their New York Wine Experience, October 25-27.
• Head to Kohler, WI for the Kohler Food & Wine Experience, October 26-28.
• The Denver International Wine Festival is November 1-4.
• The next Pinot Days will take place November 9-10 in Chicago, IL.
• Heading to Yosemite, CA November 4-December 6? Check out The Vitner’s Holiday.
• The Food Network hosts their Wine and Food Festival November 16 in NYC.
• Local Wine Events carries smaller listings by cities of upcoming wine functions. Also check local event websites for more area happenings.

This  post was also published on Associated Content.