Foodbuzz Fest Day 2 ~ Eat, Eat, Eat.

The second day of the Foodbuzz Fest began with a Gingerbread Latte for my drive into San Francisco, the second drive into the city over two days. I was running late and the latte was going to have to hold me over until lunch.  My destination, Foodbuzz Central at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square.  

First up on the agenda, one of the breakout sessions I signed up for.  Three 45 minute sessions in total. One of the sessions, "Great Catch"  was presented by Alaska Seafood and Chef Mary Sue Milliken, owner of Border Grill in L.A. and Las Vegas hosted a demo of Alaska salmon and Alaska halibut fish tacos.

Food Bloggers doing their 'thing'.

Mary Sue, showed us how to skillfully skin a salmon in about 30 seconds.  Impressive.

Another of the breakout sessions I sat in on was a hands on photography workshop where we learned tips on lighting and composition.

Food Blogging Guide to Success was the third session I sat in on.  Three successful food bloggers shared with the audience different perspectives on how to produce a successful food blog.
Bloggers who sat on the panel included:   Carrots N Cake {a blog I've been following since day one of my blogging experience}, Kitchen Corners and Lick My Spoon. 

The sessions ended at noon.  My friend, Devi met me outside the hotel so we could head on over to the Metreon for the long awaited Taste Pavilion where over 50 producers, brands, wineries, breweries and chefs awaited our hungry arrival. 

Ready.  Set.  EAT!

Devi and I made a bee line for those fish tacos that I could NOT get off my mind since earlier in the day!  They definitely lived up to my expectations.  I can't wait to try these at home!  And I have BOTH recipes, salmon and halibut, to share with you below!

The taco bar rocked!  Almost anything you could imagine to tickle your taste buds.




Celebrity Chef, Mary Sue served up the tacos herself.

The salmon wasn't ready yet, which was fine because I normally prefer a nice, firm halibut over salmon.

More Mission Mini Cupcakes to be had.  My favorite of this day was the coconut cream topped with what tasted like a nice whipped butter frosting....not too sweet and SO good.  I'm a coconut lover.

Smore's made with Ghirardelli chocolate.

Look who was here and sponsoring a smoothie bar.  Blogger winners of the smoothie competition presented their smoothie recipes made with Lactaid, lactose-free milk ~  Avocado-Vanilla Bean, Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Caramel Peanut Smoothie.

Devi and I enjoyed a glass of wine.

This was one of my favorite bites at the pavilion.  Pop Candy butter crunch treats out of Santa Monica.  They had many flavors but the Chai Tea won me over with its combination of sweet and spice.....just like a chai tea latte.

Jalapeno Pepper Jam from Inna.  I'm a big fan of pepper jam with cream cheese and this did not disappoint.

Okay, okay, better eat some greens.

Oh I'm a fan of olive oil tasting.  At the store locations of WeOlive.com, they offer refills.  You can bring in your empty bottle or bring in a empty wine bottle to fill up and they charge you by the ounce....pretty neat!

More wine.

My favorite was this 22 Black Cab by Jaqk Cellars.  Gonna have to purchase some for home consumption.

I was getting a bit full but I had to try this Prather Ranch sausage and sauerkraut bite.  I loved it.  The sauerkraut was sweet like a relish.  I guess I've never tried sauerkraut before so I'm not sure if that's the typical flavor but if it is, I would like to find some for home.  Anyone have a good recipe for it??

Another cocktail, but this time in the shrimp variety.

Watched a presentation by Kath of Kath Eats Real Food cooking up her Figgy Wild Rice, Mushroom and Sourdough Dressing recipe.  She was such a pro up there.  She was one of three bloggers who won the chance to present her dish for Electrolux.

Food Network still hanging around, filming the Mission Minis family.  I think this was their last day of filming for their reality show.

At around 3:45, Devi and I rolled out of the Taste Pavilion.  We needed a walk in the worst way. 

As promised, the fish taco recipe from Mary Sue of Border Grill:

Grilled Alaska Halibut Tacos

1 1/2 lbs halibut filet
olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
6 lettuce leaves
12 4-6 inch corn tortillas, warmed
2 avocados, halved, and thinly sliced
radish slices for serving
lime wedges for serving

Cucumber Citrus Salsa

1/2 orange
1/2 grapefruit
1 lime
1 english cucumber, julienne cut
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 serrano chilies, stemmed & sliced in thin rounds
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions Tacos:

Preheat a medium hot grill, broiler oven, or pan on the stovetop - medium high heat.
Drizzle fish with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, cook until barely done, for 2-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Remove the fish from the grill or pan, let cool slightly, and then pull apart into large flakes.

Place tortillas on a work surface.  Line each with a piece of lettuce and top with chunks of fish.  Top each with a generous spoonful of Cucumber Citrus Salsa and drizzle olive oil.  Serve with avocado, radish and lime.

Cucumber Citrus Salsa

Slice ends off orange, grapefruit & lime and stand upright on counter.  Cut away peel and membrane, exposing fruit.  Working over a bowl to catch the juices, separate the citrus sections by slicing with knife between membranes.  Remove and discard seeds.  Cut the citrus segments into small dice and add to the bowl with all the juices.  Stir in remaining ingredients thoroughly, cover, and let sit in fridge at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine.

I'll have the Salmon Taco recipe for you tomorrow!