illy MonoArabica Coffee Package Giveaway

IACPNYC was a whirlwind of meeting new and old friends; of eating as many calories as possible in one day; of running up and down 8 flights of stairs because sometimes the elevators were full or just didn't come in time. Other than the fact that I LOVED my job at IACPNYC, the one thing that kept me going, walking, running, tweeting....was sipping illy coffee throughout the day.

On the 8th floor of the Millennium Hotel, the Hospitality Suite catered to recharging our batteries, both literally and physically. A station of illy coffee was set up and ready to serve us as many espressos as we needed during the day, with no judgement (I did excuse myself on the day I had 7 espressos....just because it was getting to be a little TOO much!)

So it brings me great pleasure to be able to share my addiction passion for illy coffees. Thanks to the generous folks at illy, we're giving away their MonoArabica Whole Bean Coffee Package which includes three (3), 8.8oz single origin, whole bean cans: Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil.

From Top Left: Amanda Hesser enjoying illy coffee; the illy coffee cans; our ever so nice barista; and yes, I sweetened my espresso with @ScharffenBerger Milk Chocolate!

Single-Origin Arabica Coffees Found in the illy Blend:

Brazil. Guatemala. Ethiopia.  Escape to far off places that spark the imagination with each sip of new illy MONOARABICA™ coffee. Explore the individual taste and distinct aroma of each single origin Arabica coffee, found in the legendary illy blend, each highlighting the singular style, culture and flavor of these distinctive geographic regions. These sustainably-grown coffees, hand selected and expertly roasted by illy, awaken the senses and satisfy your curiosity while offering you a pleasant escape from the ordinary.

Click on the giveaway link, like illy on Facebook, and win this fabulous set of illy coffee!

illy Giveaway
Details & Disclaimer: One entry per person, must have valid Facebook account to participate. The "Facebook like" is the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by illy USA. The contest ends Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 16th via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. I was not compensated for this post, and am sharing it because I love illy!


Click on this link to enter (To keep track of entries, please leave a comment below!)
Enter to win the illy MonoArabica Coffee Package!

Connect with illy!

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/illy
Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/#!/illyusa 

Website: http://www.illy.com/

#IACPNYC Round-up!

"If you saw the tweets, that was me!" - was my tiny elevator speech that would then develop into "food blogger, professional baker, living on Martha's Vineyard..." and so on. Because when at a food conference, people want to know what you do, what you do WELL, and how that can help them connect with you. 

IACPNYC - an almost week long event, with demonstrations, talks, sessions, networking breaks, festivals and so much more. Hosted by the ever rushing city of New York, it was a fantastic conference that brought together some of the best authors, bloggers, chefs, bakers, and social media personality in the food & beverage industry.

How I wish I could definitely and fully share with you all of what the conference was, but being that it was SO intense and awesome, I will leave with you a few highlights below:

Sessions included everything from pitching your cookbook proposal to publishers, to one on one coaching with industry professionals; topics ranged from local ranges to the digital media, and so much more.

The Food. During the networking breaks and a special cocktail party, we had food from our fabulous sponsors including Voss Water, Driscoll's Berries, Kerrygold USA, and Illy. Oh Illy! I must've drank 8 espressos a day, which definitely helped me keep running and sliding in and out of sessions! (Since I did all the tweets for the conference, I was lucky enough to go in and out of sessions to capture pictures and great messages from each and every one of the sessions!)

The Opening Party. The best restaurants in NYC, the most fabulous people in the industry, and some fantastic drinks made this night a foodie heaven! Who was there? Well, here's the Twitter list: @BaohausNYC, @ediandthewolf, @FANofLAMB, @WholeFoods, @USApears, @BlueSmokeNYC, @PUBLIC_NYC, @USADPLC, @SeamusMullen, @Tertulia_NYC, @LaEsquinaNY, @OsteriaMorini, @DinosaurBarBQue, @DeliNYC, @MaharlikaNYC , @jimmypotsandpan , @ChefMedinaNYC , @PeanutButterCo, @CabotCoop. 

  

What was served? Here are just SOME of the delicious dishes:

• Warm Pork Belly with Corn Crème, Pickled Ramp and Crispy Pork Skin by @ediandthewolf
• Spring Onion Biscuit with Spicy Lamb Gravy by Commerce using @FANofLAMB
• Diver Scallop Crudo, Pineapple, Pickled Ramps, Chili & Lime by Market Table
• Cod Poached in Carrot Butter w/ Chickpeas by The Beagle
• Beef Ribs with Sesame Coleslaw by @BlueSmokeNYC 
• Soft Boiled Eggs with Roe and Goat Butter @JimmysNo43 
• Lentil Salad Summer Roll w/  Pomegranate Molasses Dressing by @PUBLIC_NYC
•  Raw Tasmanian Sea Trout w/ Piccalilli & Shichimi by @PUBLIC_NYC
• Grilled Lamb Breast, Creamy Lentils & Cauliflower by @SeamusMullen of @Tertulia_NYC
• Long Island Black Bass Crudo, Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon & Rosemary by Marco Canora
• Pasticcio di Coniglio - Rabbit Crostini w/ Parmigiano & Juniper Oil  by @OsteriaMorini
• Brisket with Jalapeños by @DinosaurBarBQue
• Sticky Toffee Cake, Dried Mango Biscotti, Dark Rum Crème Anglaise by @DeliNYC  
• Pulled Pork Slider by Back Forty West #IACPNYC
• Filipino Surf & Turf - Chicharron Manok w/ Kilawin & Paddlefish Roe by @MaharlikaNYC
• Tacos de Puerco:  Mexican Chocolate Braised Pork, Chipotle Cabbage Slaw by @ChefMedinaNYC

The Book & Blog Festival. More than 100 authors came together to meet everyone, sign books, and talk shop! Oh, and most of the were serving some amazing treats as well! As you can see below, a few of the incredible authors I met: @LizWeiss @marisachurchill @andyhusbands and @edibleliving.

The Culinary Expo. Food Companies, Brands, Kitchen Tools, and so much more, all under one roof! It was amazing to experience all this amazing food at once, and it was great to see everyone come together for the love of food. Displays were creative, treats were delicious! This, as well as the Book and Blog Festival, was open to the NYC public, so it was packed and everyone seemed to have a fantastic time!

Hoping that this short but intense post helped you take a peek inside this years IACPNYC conference! In summary, I think this is a fantastic opportunity to not only meet your virtual friends, but also meet your favorite authors and really connect with them on a personal level. As a food blogger, you'll also be able to connect with like-minded brands, and as a professional in the industry, you'll be inspired to create more and more in your kitchen.

Stay connected with IACP via Twitter, Facebook, and the website. Next year, it's in San Francisco and I want to see YOU there!

#IACPNYC Bound!

For the next week, we're headed to New York City to attend the IACP conference, as well as spend a day at the CIA, eating our way through restaurants and visiting my former chefs. I'm so excited to get off island and travel to NY with my husband, and we're ready to meet friends and eat some delicious foods!

I've worked with Jackie of The Diva That Ate NY, in the Social Media Committee, and it's been such a great experience connecting with Twitter friends. Looking forward to meeting both her and Judith, our fearless leader, at the conference! Other friends that will be there are Michelle of Sweet & Simple, Elizabeth of Asian in American, and SO many more!

Screen Shot of the IACP website

Looking forward to attending some sessions, as well as the Book and Blog Festival! You can follow the conference tweets by checking out the Twitter hashtag #IACPNYC. I'll be live tweeting and possibly blogging during the conference, so watch my tweets for updates! See you in New York!

Below I'm adding some of the events open to the public during the conference, so if you're in the area, make sure to stop by and say hello! (Excerpted from IACP Press Release)

IACP Book + Blog Festival – The country’s largest gathering of leading food writers, cookbook authors
and bloggers takes place Sunday, April 1, 1:30 – 4:30 pm at 82 Mercer St. Meet leading authors
including Karen Page & Andrew Dornenberg, Melissa Clark and Alice Medrich, or discover dozens of new
ones at this festive afternoon of books, music, and freebies. Tickets, $10, available at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4891

White House Chefs Move to Schools Culinary Workshops – Michelle Obama’s initiative to end
childhood obesity by pairing chefs with schools joins the weekend lineup with Food Network star Ellie
Krieger and White House pastry chef and cookbook author Bill Yosses hosting half day workshops on
Sunday, April 1, at 82 Mercer St. Topics range from running a school cooking class on a shoe string, to
food policy on kids, to funding healthy eating from garden to table to classroom. Tickets, $40, available
for morning and afternoon sessions, at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4984

“School” Lunch with Chef Bill Telepan - Chef Bill Telepan infuses culinary magic to whip up a luncheon
feast, using nutrition and budgetary guidelines, to show how good public school lunch can be. The
fundraiser on Sunday, April 1 at 12:15 pm, at the French Culinary Institute, benefits The Culinary Trust,
Wellness in the Schools and Future Cooks Initiative. Guests will dine at communal tables. Tickets, $35,
may be purchased at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4984

Today's Special - One Night Only - The Culinary Trust hosts a pop up restaurant based on Aasif Mandvi's
feel-good foodie film Today's Special. The menu is planned by cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, who
stars with Aasif Mandvi in the film, and will make welcoming remarks. Sunday, April 1 at L'Ecole, 462
Broadway. Tickets, $150, for seatings at 5:30 and 8:30 pm, may be purchased at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4984