A Taste of Conejo

The “2010 Taste of Conejo” held on Tuesday, October 12th at the Westlake Village Four Seasons Hotel was a tasteful triumph. Nearly 1,000 attendees enjoyed the event sponsored by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce.

At the Westlake Village Four Seasons Hotel
(Photos by Maxx Wolfson)

A total of 92 vendors showcased their food, wine, fashion and service expertise. Arriving guests were greeted by chamber members and given a tasting plate, wine glass, beverage card and program. Vendor’s pristine food and beverage stations lined the hotel interior creating a scrumptious trail to a tent filled with more vendors and ending on the outside patio overlooking the waterfall. The Four Seasons Hotel’s own Hampton’s and Onyx restaurants outdid themselves at their station displaying not only their tasty appetizers but also gorgeous seasonal fall décor.

Wine flowed from the twelve beverage stations sponsored by local wineries and wine shops. Vintners poured as guests gathered, with glasses in hand, to swirl, sniff and sip. And while the wine offerings were wonderful, other beverages including a delightful, refreshing Limoncello from the Ventura Limoncello Company and ale from Ladyface Ale Company of Agoura Hills were also sampled.

The food tastings were countless; fresh fruits, specialty cheeses, salads, soups, sandwiches, entrée bites, fondue, sushi, Italian, Mexican and more. The restaurateurs, caterers and food representatives did a phenomenal job preparing and presenting tempting cuisine. The flavorful macaroni and cheese from Bogart’s Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks tasted like it was right out of the oven; which was quite an accomplishment given the limited space and kitchen access.

Tiers of cupcakes, plates of cake bites, tables of tiramisu were among the many desserts. The Secret Garden in Moorpark wowed many with a crème brule served in a chocolate shell cup. And Mastro’s Steakhouse, known for their steaks and towers of seafood, surprised discerning dessert connoisseurs with their delectable buttercake.

The Secret Garden (Moorpark)

The live entertainment for the evening opened with the California Lutheran University Honors Ensemble and ended with the very talented jazz vocalist, Jeanne Tatum accompanied by keyboardist, Jim Tauver.

The Director of Community Relations and Events for the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, Kelli Lighthizer, MBA said that the chamber was, “thrilled to be able to bring together the local business community to create an unforgettable evening for residents of the Conejo Valley and beyond.” She added, “Hope you’re looking forward to Taste of Conejo 2011.”

Vom Fass (and Bruschetta recipe)

I love to be creative with my cooking, always looking for inspiration from outside sources. The newly opened, sleek and inviting Westlake Village Vom Fass provided such an abundance of culinary inspiration I’ve already gone back twice.

Vom Fass is a marvelous, unique store specializing in quality artisan-produced oils and vinegars as well as exclusive wines and spirits imported from all over the world. Vom Fass has more than 200 locations worldwide, including five in the U.S.
The store’s slogan is “Look, taste, enjoy.”

Local entrepreneurs Eric Alcorn, Michael Romance and Brad Selby have opened the first California Vom Fass shop.

“We always wanted to move local with this concept,” Romance said. “We wanted to bring something exciting and new. Westlake Village is the perfect demographic for it.”

Vom Fass is German for “from the cask,” and nearly everything in the store may be tasted and compared. Knowledgeable staff members are available to pour customers tiny samplings and are happy to introduce specialties.

If you think olive oil is olive oil, think again. The difference between an extra virgin olive oil from Crete, Greece, and an extra virgin olive oil from Sicily can be significant. Of course, the bottom line is preference, and at Vom Fass you can taste and determine for yourself before buying.

Nut, seed and wellness oils are also available, as are fruit and balsamic vinegars.
Each earthenware or wooden cask is labeled with a small index card that tells about the region where the product originated and offers serving suggestions. On the back of the card is a recipe.

What with sampling, reading the recipe and conversing, creative brainstorming peaks. The opportunities to try something new are endless.

At one point, I was offered a sample of hazelnut olive oil topped with a drop of Waldburg balsam grape vinegar and asked if it reminded me of peanut butter and jelly. It did, and it wasn’t just the power of suggestion.

At the time of purchase, oils and vinegars are poured from the casks into glass bottles of varying shapes and sizes, making it easy to buy only the amount that you need. These bottles may be brought back to the store for refills, which is good not only for the environment but also for your pocketbook.

When I made my visits, the wine and spirits section of the shop was not yet serving samples or selling alcoholic beverages. That department was stylishly designed and will operate in a manner similar to the rest of the store. (Ed. note: Vom Fass' liquor sales and tasting room is now open, offering world class scotches, cognacs, wines and liqueurs).

As I was leaving the shop and perusing the gift sets and custom gift baskets, I said, “Well, my bruschetta will never be the same,” which gave me the idea to do my own blind taste test. Quality ingredients have always been essential to my cooking, but this was an opportunity to take those ingredients to a new level.

The following Saturday night, for a small gathering at my home, I prepared half of my bruschetta using a well-known, name-brand, moderately priced olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the other half with olive oil and balsamic vinegar purchased at Vom Fass. I was the only one who knew which was which.

Everyone agreed both were good. But the difference, though not vast, was apparent—one had a little more complexity and depth of flavor. According to four of the five guests, the winner was the bruschetta made with ingredients from Vom Fass.

Vom Fass is located in the North Ranch Mall, 3815-A Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village. Store hours are 10 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 6 pm Saturday and noon to 5 pm Sunday. (805) 495-9999.

Co-owner Mike Romance samples one of Vom Fass's many cooking oils and vinegars.

My "Vom Fass Inspired" Bruschetta

Ingredients: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
5-6 medium heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar of your choice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated ground black pepper
8 slices good Italian, French or sourdough bread from baguette
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Prepare: In a small bowl combine olive oil and garlic; let stand 20 minutes. In medium bowl combine the tomatoes, onion, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil/garlic mixture. Stir well to blend. Let stand at room temperature for another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to broil. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the remaining garlic/oil mixture. Place on baking sheet. Broil 5 inches from heat, turning the slices until each side is lightly toasted. Watch carefully;0 the bread browns quickly.

Spoon the tomato mixture onto each bread slice and top lightly with grated mozzarella cheese. Add a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Return to oven and broil until cheese is melted and tomato mixture is warmed.