I have been preparing for the Wine and Dine Destin Charity event www.dcwaf.org coming up this week. I am so stoked about it! The Charity is so awesome. People from all over come to Destin, FL to eat great food and drink amazing wine, then give a bunch of their money away to a worthy cause. The DCWAF has raised nearly $3 million in 4 years.... AMAZING! The foundation supports children in need. If you want to learn more or donate to the foundation go to the website and check it out. My menu is a 5 course dinner that is gonna "Mess with the Palate" hahaha... Maple and Rum I wanted to make a menu that would isolate and articulate individual flavor profiles and really focus the palate to natural sweetness, bitterness, and savory flavors. Red Monkey Ground Cinnamon I am working with Regina Martinelli from Martinelli Winery in Sonoma. She is pairing some awesome wines to my menu. www.martinelliwinery.com Granulated Sugar I wanted to share my dessert with you guys today. Bacon Fried Bananas with Candied Bacon, a Maple-Brown Sugar-Rum Sauce with Vanilla Ice Cream. The mix of sweet, salty, smoky, hot and cold, soft and crunchy... I'm getting excited just writing about it. It is a really neat experience for the palate. Bananas I will take pictures over the weekend and update all of you on the event. Take a minute and check out the DCWAF website www.dcwaf.org this is an excerpt from their website...

"The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s mission is to connect wine enthusiasts and philanthropic-minded citizens for the purpose of raising money for children in need. Through our benefiting charities, the proceeds raised by the Foundation provide financial support and give hope to at-risk children, including those afflicted by health issues and abuse.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

–Margaret Mead"

Later,
Nater