This week’s contest is BBQ themed as we’re just days away from the 2^nd Annual Napa Valley BBQ Battle.  If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, here is where you get them:  http://napavalleybbqbattle.eventbrite.com/

Guests attending Napa Valley BBQ Battle will be spoiled with great wine from Judd’s Hill Winery, organic craft beer from Bison Brewing Company, and amazing BBQ from 3 talented Napa Valley BBQ enthusiasts: from the Napa Valley Marriott, Executive Chef Brian Whitmer; from Judd's Hill Winery, Hospitality Director Pat Burke; and from BarbersQ, Chef de Cuisine Joey Ray.  There’s also a great silent auction with dozens of fabulous items.  Tickets are $65 and proceeds go to the Napa Valley Education Foundation’s Music Connection Program. 

On to the contest.  There are hundreds of BBQ sauces out there and most have really creative names.  Our Chef is looking for a name for his sauce.  Click Here to post your suggested name on our Facebook page (1 entry per person).  We’ll pick our favorite and the winner will receive two tickets to this year’s BBQ Battle.  (a $130 value!)  Entries must be posted by 3pm today (9/16/11).  Good luck!

Brian Whitmer, Executive chef at the Napa Valley Marriott’s VINeleven Restaurant and Bar, was the featured Chef at the Napa Downtown Association’s Chef’s Market on Thursday, June 30^th.  He demonstrated his famous Spicy “Knife and Fork” Chorizo Burger and wants you to be able to prepare this delectable dish at home.  Bon Appétit.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 hand-formed chorizo patties, sausage preferably from Caggiano Company* (8 ounces each), firmly pressed to minimize crumbling during cooking

6 Model Bakery Pan de Mie burger buns, sliced in half (or substitute with preferred hamburger bun)

2 bunches watercress, cleaned and dried

6 slices sharp cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

4 ounces sweet butter, room temperature

1 recipe of Chipotle Aioli (recipe follows)

1 recipe of Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

In a heated heavy-bottom skillet, oil lightly and cook the chorizo patties for three minutes on one side. Turn over and place a slice of sharp cheddar on each patty and cook for 4 more minutes or until meat reaches 145 degrees.

Lightly butter the buns and toast until golden brown.

Start cooking sunny-side-up eggs.

In a salad bowl, toss the watercress with about 2 ounces of the Citrus Vinaigrette and set aside.

To assemble:

Spread chipotle aioli on the toasted buns and place on serving plates. Place the patties on the bun’s bottom half and a portion of the dressed watercress on the other half. Place one egg on each chorizo patty and serve.

Citrus vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 small oranges)

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

10 ounces olive oil

Place the first six ingredients in a mixing bowl and gradually pour oil while whisking vigorously.

Chipotle aioli:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

4 Tbsp. minced Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (Embasa brand preferred)

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 scallion (green only, finely chopped)

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients together and mix well.

*Caggiano sausage is available at a number of area markets, including Sunshine Foods.

Brian Whitmer, Executive chef at the Napa Valley Marriott’s VINeleven Restaurant and Bar, shares the recipe for one of the most popular items on the menu.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken stock

1 1/4 cups chickpea flour

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

2 quarts canola oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place first seven ingredients into a heavy-bottom sauce pan, mix well and place over medium heat, constantly stirring, until the mix reaches a pudding-like consistency.  Pour into a shallow dish and chill. When completely cool, fold onto a cutting board and cut sticks of 1/2 inch by 2.5 inches.

Coating:

2 cups all-purpose flour

8 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

6 large eggs, lightly whisked with 2 ounces of milk

Dredge the sticks with flour and then shake off excess. Then pass sticks through the egg mixture and lastly toss them in the panko. At this point they are ready to be fried or stored in the freezer, covered, for up to one month.

Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a deep, heavy- bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350 degrees. Line a large plate with paper towels.

Working in batches, carefully slip the chickpea fries into the oil, and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate, toss with salt and parmesan cheese and enjoy immediately.

Rules:

Post an original wine-themed photo onto our wall.  We will not allow for photos that have been taken from the internet.  Submissions must be posted onto our Facebook page by Friday, April 29, 2011 at 5pm PDT. The photo can be of anything or anyone, as long as it is your photo and is wine-themed.  But make it a good one, because all of our fans will also vote on their favorites. 

Once photos are posted, all of our fans (whether they've posted a photo or not) will have the opportunity to "like" the photos.  The five photos with the most "likes" by Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 5pm PDT will be eligible for our grand prize: a two night stay a the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa.  So be sure to tell all of your friends to "like" the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa and to vote for your submission.  Our esteemed panel of judges will choose their favorite photo from the three finalists.  The winner will receive the Grand Prize, the two runners-up will each receive a $25 Spa certificate.  Participants must be a fan of the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa's official Facebook page to be eligible.

Terms and Conditions:

Participants must be 21 years or over.  No nude, rude or obscene images will be eligible to participate.  Photo submissions must be original photos and owned by the contestant.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  You are providing your information to The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for this contest and will not be divulged to third parties.  The participants must be fans of the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa to be eligible for the prize.  The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges chosen by the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa.  Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa associates or relatives are not eligible to participate.  The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa has the right to remove posts that are deemed offensive, unrelated or not according to contest rules.

Yesterday we posted this contest on our Facebook Wall:

Contest: First person to submit the correct answer wins a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cab. Good luck! Take the number of guest rooms/suites at the hotel as of May 1st, 2011...Add to that number, the number of bottles that fill our bar's wine wall. Divide that result by the number of seats on our new outdoor lobby.
Subtract from the result the number that is part of our new restaurant and bar's name.

Here are the answers, broken down:

Number of guest rooms/suites at the hotel as of May 1st, 2011 – We currently have 274 guest rooms and suites.  We are in the process of building a Hospitality Suite which will become our 275^th suite at the end of this month. 

The number of bottles that fill our bar's wine wall – Our wine wall holds 550 bottles

The number of seats on our new outdoor lobby – The official seating capacity is 75 (though we can add to the stationary seating for several hundred outdoors)

The number that is part of our new restaurant and bar's name – Our new Restaurant and Bar is name VINeleven. 

So here is the equation:  ((275 + 550) / 75) – 11 = 0

First to answer correctly:  Jared Williams

Congratulations Jared!  You win a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This is the first in a 10 part series about Marriott International.  Take a journey through the decades and learn how Marriott developed and changed as a company while maintaining its commitment to the core values established by its founders.

1920's - Big Dreams

The year was 1927. Jazz legend Duke Ellington debuted at New York City's Cotton Club. Pilot Charles Lindbergh thrilled the world with a record-breaking solo flight across the Atlantic. Baseball great Babe Ruth hit sixty home runs. And in Washington, D.C., a pair of newlyweds fresh from Utah opened a nine-stool A&W root beer franchise on busy 14th Street, charging thirsty patrons "five cents for a frosty mug." The future Marriott International, Inc. was born.

Soon dubbed the "Hot Shoppe," J. Willard and Alice Marriott's tiny soda fountain quickly became one of the capital city's most popular eateries. (See photo)  Customers could count on quick service, low prices and good food dished up in a clean and friendly atmosphere. Each night, while J. Willard locked up, Alice carefully tallied the cash drawer and logged the day's take in her accounting book. Piles of nickels soon turned into dollars, fueling the young couple's dreams of expansion.

Taking to heart the real estate proverb, "location, location, location," the Marriotts studied the capital's busiest streets, scouting for additional restaurant sites. Within a year, the pair opened two new locations, including the East's first drive-in restaurant, which was located on Georgia Avenue at Gallatin Street.

More restaurants soon followed.

Hot Shoppes parking lots stayed full from dawn to well past dusk as families, students, businessmen, tourists and others dropped by to eat in or take out from the restaurants' ever expanding menu.

Tireless workers, J. Willard and Alice poured their energy into every aspect of their growing business. New employees quickly learned that no detail was too small to merit the Marriotts' personal attention. Squeaky-clean windows, spotless floors and polished silver were no less important than a friendly smile and fast service. The couple's high standards and willingness to put in long hours set a daily example that encouraged Hot Shoppes staff to take real pride in their jobs and workplace.

"The price of success," said J. Willard, "is hard work - not just eight hours five days a week, but nearly all our waking hours."

Next Week:  1930’s – The Sky’s The Limit

On Friday we asked the following trivia question:

Which of the following movies did NOT film in the Napa Valley:

A. Bottle Shock

B. A Walk in the Clouds

C. Sideways

D. Apocalypse Now

The answer to our trivia question is C - Sideways.

All the other movies had at least one scene shot in the Napa Valley. Bottle Shock filmed parts of the movie at the Chateau Montelena site, A Walk in the Clouds had scenes in Napa and St. Helena, and Apocalypse Now shot a scene on the Napa River.

Many people assume Sideways was filmed in the Napa Valley (and I think we all agree that it should have) but it was actually filmed in the Santa Ynez Valley. (i.e. Santa Barbara)

One of our commenters (thanks Ramon) is also correct that an all-Japanese cast re-made Sideways and the entire movie was shot in the Napa Valley. Click Here for a link to the story in the New York Times.

Speaking of movies...did you know that the Napa Valley now has its own Film Festival?  That’s right.  The Napa Valley Film Festival showcases the best in new independent filmmaking and world cinema. Their vision is to build community around the art of visual story-telling, with the viewing of films and discussions with filmmakers fueling lively conversation amongst old and new friends … and those conversations being enriched with the world-class food and wine of the legendary Napa Valley.  This year’s event will be held November 9-13, 2011 at various venues throughout the Napa Valley. 

What do you think?  Can the Napa Valley become the next Sundance or Cannes?