VGM Conference in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Here we are at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, with the famous floating green in the background.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend a VGM business conference in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is about 200 miles northeast of where we live.  The event was so much fun, full of activities and interesting experiences for me to blog about.  One of the many activities was a cruise of the northern part of Lake Coeur d'Alene and then a dinner at the golf course banquet hall.  I am always intrigued by professionally prepared food at this level, where so much has to be ready at the same time.  Most of what was offered at this particular meal had either meat, dairy, oil or otherwise not the type of items we consume now but I enjoyed looking at the presentation.  Tables filled with gorgeous crab, prime rib and beautiful desserts surrounded the north side of the room.  The other attendees were just delightful dinner companions and we both had a wonderful time.
We were able to make enormous salads with their salad bar that included beans, mushrooms and lots of greens and other vegetables.  I topped mine off with a little balsamic vinegar and it was delicious.  I allowed myself dinner rolls all weekend if they didn't appear to be covered in oil and seemed whole grain, (I hope there weren't eggs and milk in the dough).

Another really fun event was the opportunity to go to a cooking class that included wine tasting and touring the wine storage rooms at the resort.

Some of the women in our group at the cooking demonstration.

I knew going into this that the odd's were not good that the chef was only going to prepare plant-based, no added fat dishes but I was really looking forward to learning anything I could that might be applicable to our recipes.  I anxiously awaited the opportunity to "pick his brain", since he is a real chef (I am such a groupie).  His name is Tyler Schwenk, and he runs the resort's premiere restaurant called "Beverly's" when he isn't giving cooking demonstrations.  I don't think I was able to wipe the smile off my face the entire time I sat there watching the demonstration.  He was friendly, informative and extremely knowledgeable.

Eric Cook, the wine steward seemed more intrigued by my diet and how to adapt traditional cooking methods and recipes.  He taught us about how food and wine influence the perceptions we have about how they taste.  Things like how citrus will make dessert wine taste sweeter, and actually any acids in food will alter the taste of wine such as mustard, blue cheese, vinaigrette and citrus.

Eric enthusiastically discussed my attempts to cook plant-based, no added fat and although the chef was polite, he wasn't as thrilled about the discussion of how to cook without animal products.  I have a theory about this.  At first my thought was, well this diet completely conflicts with the dishes he has developed for the restaurant, the same type of foods that any chef working at any resort in America would offer because it is what we consumers have been asking for all our lives.  But I think it might have been in part because of his age.
I have found that when discussing our food choices and why (a plant-based, no added fat diet), people younger than 40 or older than 65 do not seem very interested.  You know, their eyes kind of glaze over but they feign polite interest.  I think younger people still think they are invincible and older people figure it is too late to change now.  While we are in our forties and fifties, we are feeling our age for the first time and wanting to at least prolong what we have instead of continuing any decline in health.  I am at the perfect age to have been completely receptive to the findings published in "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Dr. Esselstyn.

Lunch break is over so this blog has to end but I intend to discuss the great cooking class in more detail in a future entry.  I have a lot more photos to share.
You know, this blog is at least in part notes to my future self (Alzheimer's or not....).  I don't want to forget a single detail of the good time and great people I met last weekend.

One of the many beautiful dishes created by Chef Tyler Schwenk.  I asked what he would use as a substitute for the crunchy leek topping and he thought rosemary sprigs would be a good choice.  That blows me away, I was expecting his answer to be celery or potatoes julienned.