Greetings from another winter food and wine event, in glorious Aspen, Colorado! Yesterday it was demonstrations in Agra-Agra, the vegetarian red ocean algae made into a gelatin used in making liquid-dessert molds.

Tonight I cooked dinner for 16 private diners, my fifth year doing so, and tomorrow I am teaching a class in making flatbread and chutney.

This evening, I lugged a case of Walla Walla wines with me to show off at dinner. At this all wine and food officials' appetizer-dinner, I was particularly happy to hear an exceptional response to Joel Waite's Cavu '08 Petit Verdot. I paired this...