Disclosure: I was invited to the Famous Idaho Potatoes VIP event and provided with promotional items. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please see my disclosure policy)
I recently had the amazing opportunity to attend a VIP Blogger event -#IdahoPotatoCutsClass at the Epicurean Hotel Autograph Collection in Tampa with Famous Idaho Potatoes and #SundaySupper. I cannot begin to tell you the knowledge that I gained at this event and the royal treatment that we were given as social media influencers was beyond amazing!
One of the first things on the agenda was to learn proper knife cutting techniques from Chef Christopher Koetke. We were given Beautiful Boos Cutting Boards and chef knives from WÜSTHOF to practice with. What better way to learn than with these state-of-the-art items. I have to tell you, proper kitchen tools make all the difference in the world when you are in the kitchen. I have always heard remarkable things about both the Boos and WÜSTHOF brands, but when you use these items in person and see the results that you get while using them, you will be so amazed! AND, we got to keep the items!
When you are using a Cutting Board, make sure to always add a damp paper towel underneath to keep it steady and from slipping. This also ensures that your knife will not get away from you.
Chef Chris then taught us how to correctly dice, chop and slice. You will want to practice correct form when using your chef’s knife so that there are no accidents in the kitchen. One of the key things that I learned, “Remember that your chef’s knife is like an extension of your hand.”
Chef Dave Woolley prepared some amazing dishes for us to try! On the menu was Idaho® Potato Scalloped Au Gratin, Roasted Idaho® Potato Fingerling Salad, Idaho® Potato Risotto, and Buffalo Hasselback Idaho® Potato. If you would like to try these delicious recipes for yourself you can see them HERE. I actually made the Roasted Garlic and Chive Au Gratin Idaho® Potatoes tonight for dinner (pictured below) and they turned out Amazing! These are definitely going on my Thanksgiving Menu this year!
One of my favorite things at the end of the day was the #Hashed Competition. We were able to put to practice all of the knowledge that we learned during the day. We were placed in teams of 3-5 people and had to make a Idaho® Potato Salad Recipe with secret ingredients from the pantry. So much fun! I was teamed up with Wanda from My Sweet Zepol and Christina from Go Epicurista. We opted to make a Sexy Cuban Idaho Potato Salad and it Won First Place! Our prize was tickets to next year’s Food and Wine Conference and $100 Gift card!
I cannot begin to tell you how much fun that this day was for me. I made new friendships and walked away with tons of knowledge that will not only help me in the kitchen but also as a blogger!
(Photo Credit: My Sweet Zepol Instagram)
