Grand Tasting – Mohegan Sun – Sun, Wine & Food Festival – Uncasville, CT

Chefs – David Rose, Lamar Moore,
Aaron Sanchez, Todd English

We attended the Grand Tasting Preview on Friday, January 28, and the Grand Tasting on Saturday, January 29, 2022, part of the 2022 Mohegan Sun – Sun Wine & Food Festival. Both days offered guests with the opportunity to attend all-day celebrity chef demos, sample a diverse selection of wine, beer, spirits, seltzers, and soda, as well as sample delectable food.

The Culinary Demonstrations

There were chef demonstrations that ran throughout the Grand Tasting followed by book signings. Here are a few of the wonderful demonstrations we attended.

Chef Adam Young

Chef Adam Young, owner and head Pastry Chef, of Sift Bake Shop in Mystic, Connecticut, demoed how to make a souffle, and demystified the technique to obtain an incredibly light and delicious dessert.

Chef David Rose

Chef David Rose demoed how to make his Omaha Steak – Porcini-Crusted Porterhouse with Sun-Dried Tomato Chimichurri. He used the sous-vide method to partially cook his well-seasoned steak, then finished cooking it in a hot skillet with duck fat to sear both sides and create a hard crust. For those who do not have a sous vide, he said that you can do a "reverse sear" by heating your oven to 220-225 degrees Fahrenheit. When the meat reaches 10 degrees Fahrenheit before the level of doneness you desire, sear in a hot skillet to create a hard crust. Do not cut into the steak too quickly. It is important to let the meat rest a bit before cutting into it, or all the juice will run out of it. Another tip is that he blanched the fingerling potatoes in salted, boiling water for 7 minutes then removed, dried them, cut them in half lengthwise, added duck fat to a hot skillet then seared the potatoes until golden brown. He finished them with fresh herbs then tossed them in bowl and grated Manchego cheese over them.

Chef Aarón Sanchez

Chef Aarón Sanchez demoed how to make a Queso Dip using sauteed onions, garlic, roasted poblano peppers, tomatoes, Queso Oaxaca, Mozzarella, and Crema Mexicana. Garnish with green onions. Serve with tortilla chips. Chef Sanchez noted that if you cannot find Queso Oaxaca, you can use 100% mozzarella instead.

Chef Michael Symon

Chef Michael Symon made a cauliflower dish that also included raisins plumped into orange juice, capers, soft herbs (tarragon, parsley), orange zest, and extra virgin olive oil. One of the keys to using a microplane is to only pass it over the citrus once, then move on to the next section. Going back and forth will get into the white pith and make the zest bitter.

Beverage Tasting

Bulleit Bourbon Tasting

There was a diverse selection of products to sample at the Grand Tasting with offerings of wine, beer, seltzers, and spirits. A few of our tastings included Bulleit Bourbon, Maker’s Mark 101 and Maker’s Mark 46, and Aperol.

From Ireland we sampled Bushmills’ (distilling since 1608 and is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world) line of products including their Red Bush – Bourbon Barrel Aged, Black Bush – Sherry Cask Aged, and Bushmills – The Classic Irish; Clonakilty Irish Whiskey; Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin made with Oriental Botanicals and Gunpowder Tea, as well as Guinness Stout.

Irish Whiskey Pop Up Bar

We also tasted a delicious cocktail from Hendrick’s Gin from Scotland, their Hendrick’s Gin – Pomegranate Punch. They graciously shared their recipe with attendees, and Brand Ambassador Erik Andersson was on hand to chat about the product.

Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s Tea – Pomegranate Punch

Ingredients:

Method: Mix all ingredients together and serve over ice.

Other interesting products that we had the opportunity to sample were very new-to-market, Shimmerwood Beverages who brought CBD seltzers. Their delectable flavors included Just Hemp, Razz Lime, Chai Cherry, and Ginger Orange. They also made a Just Hemp Mojito and gave the recipe for making it as a cocktail, or a mocktail, to show its versatility.

Shimmerwood Beverages – Just Hemp Mojito

Ingredients:

Method: Fill glass with ice cubes. Slice and muddle one lime with mint and one teaspoon sugar. Add grapefruit juice. Add white rum (optional), and fill glass with Just Hemp Shimmer Seltzer, stir gently and serve.

Food Tasting and Cooking Products

Giuseppe Miguel’s

We sampled Giuseppe Miguel’s delectable line of pasta sauces, which were very tasty and flavorful, like you would make at home from scratch if you had the time. Their line of sauces includes Fra Diavolo (spicy), Tomato & Basil, Vodka, Marinara, Vodka Flavored with Prosciutto, and Naturally Meat Flavored. A family-owned business, Joseph Koontz, his son, and his father "make the sauces with love."

We also sampled the luscious offerings from the Matunuck Oyster Bar from South Kingston, Rhode Island. They guys were busy shucking oysters and clams, and they also had large shrimp for sampling.

Le Creuset, the gorgeous French brand of luxury cookware brought a sampling of their attractive line of products and gave out recipe cards for Shrimp Quesadillas with Stuffed Avocados, Crispy Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps, and Banana Blueberry Dog Biscuits.

Banana Blueberry Dog Biscuits
Created for Large Sheet Pan
Makes: 16, 3-inch Biscuits
Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place banana, applesauce, egg and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the flour and oats and stir until a soft dough forms. Add the blueberries and parsley and knead until dough comes together in a ball.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll to about 0.25-inch thickness. Cut out dough using a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, smaller bones for little dogs and bigger bones for large dogs. Place biscuits on the parchment-lined sheet pan and place in preheated oven. Bake until golden brown, and very dry and crisp, about 30-35 minutes for 3-inch long, dog bone shaped biscuits.

Remove from the sheet pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Be sure biscuits are completely cool and dry before storing in the Le Creuset Treat Jar. Biscuits can be reheated or frozen.

Until next time…

For more information on Mohegan Sun or one of their upcoming events, please visit the website: www.mohegansun.com.

Read more about the Mohegan Sun in the Hotels and Resorts section, Restaurants section, Gastronomy section, and Liquor Cabinet section.

Mohegan Sun
1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard
Uncasville, CT 06382
United States
General Information: 1-888-226-7711
Hotel Reservations: 1-888-777-7922
Website: www.mohegansun.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/mohegansun
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/mohegansun
#SunWineFood

Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.

Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

© February 2022. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.