A lot of people write about going to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. But what if you can’t make it to Orlando this fall? I propose you recreate a little bit of the festival in your own home.
First off, I should say that I am little disappointed that I’ve never seen Filipino food featured at the Food and Wine Fest. Granted I’ve only been a couple of times, but a quick Google search reveals no evidence of the presence of a Filipino booth at prior Epcot F&WF’s 🙁 So, can I just say I think they should get some lumpia and adobo up in this joint! Pair it with some San Miguel and you can’t go wrong. For a wine, I like Sherwin Lao’s idea of trying a Chenin Blanc. And for dessert–ooh, halo halo, turon, or lecheflan? But I digress.
As for cuisines I *have* enjoyed at previous F&WF’s, here are a few of my favorite dishes and drinks with links to recipes.
To start, may I suggest:
From Canada
Cheddar cheese soup (Not the most adventurous, but a true Epcot classic)
From England
Scotch Egg (These are a bit pricey at Epcot, but what isn’t, so all the more reason to make them at home!)
For the main course
From Australia
Grilled sweet and spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, peppers, onions, and snap peas (Throw another shrimp on the barbie!)
From South Korea
Barbecue Short Rib with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi
For dessert
From Ireland
Warm chocolate pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
From the Dominican Republic
Caramel flan with rum-roasted pineapple
To drink
From Africa
Indaba Chenin Blanc (Which brings up a great idea. It’s hard not to devour your food and wine while you’re still in the country, but it is a great idea to do a little mixing and matching, if you can hold out.)
From Brazil
Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça
And don’t forget to throw on the Richard Marx playlist.