Food finds from the Sundance Film Festival
Food finds » From cricket flour to free veggie burgers to savory waffles — here are some festival gems.
By Kathy Stephenson | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Jan 22 2013 11:01 pm • Last Updated May 05 2013 11:33 pm
Park City » Sundance may be about movies, but there’s plenty of eating that goes on, too. Here are five of our favorite food finds from the first weekend of the festival.
Cricket Bars » Pat Crowley, founder of the Utah-based Chapul Cricket Bars, was in the Utah Independent Filmakers Lounge offering samples of his new energy bar made with cricket flour. The Utah entrepreneur bakes crickets and then grinds them into a fine flour. The powder is a small — and tasteless — portion of the recipe that also includes dates, nuts, agave and ginger. But it packs a powerful punch as it has more protein per ounce than other protein powder products. Utah resident Tom Woodbury, a culinary expert on ShopNBC, was there helping to promote the bars. "It’s an experience to watch people try the bar for the first time," said Woodbury. " At first they’re skeptical, but once they start to eat, they realize how good crickets taste!"
A platter of biscuits and cornbread sit on the tables for the dinner prepared by celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, that kicks off the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, prepares food for the kick off to the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Members of the kitchen crew of celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, prepare bread pudding for the kick off to the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, prepares food for the kick off to the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, prepares food for the kick off to the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Celebrity chef Whitney Miller, winner of Masterchef Season 1, prepares food for the kick off to the 10th anniversary of ChefDance, where top chefs from around the country cook for the casts and crews of Sundance Films, in Park City on January 18, 2013.
Free veggie burgers » Hundreds waited in line to get free vegetarian burgers, chili and more at the Morning Star Farms Burger Bar. The meatless burger and sausage producer took over The Eating Establishment restaurant at 317 Main Street for the 10-day run of the festival to introduce people to its vegetarian offerings. On the first day alone, more than 1,000 film festival enthusiasts enjoyed the veggie burgers, according to the company’s Facebook page. The free food and drinks continue everyday from 10 a.m. to midnight, through Saturday, Jan. 26. But plan some time: You’ll probably have to wait in line.
Stuffed shrimp sandwich » Whitney Miller, winner of the first season of "Masterchef," kicked off the 10th-anniversary edition of ChefDance on Friday, Jan. 18. Miller brought her unique style of Southern cooking to the event, preparing a four-course meal that included a kind of French dip sandwich with southern ingredients. She stuffed French bread, sent in from New Orleans, with barbecue shrimp and sausage and placed it in a bowl with au jus. "You usually receive the French bread on the side," Miller said. "But the best part of the dish is dipping up the juice, so I just did the work for people and put it all together." The Southern meal also includes cornbread with Mississippi honey, braised beef and white chocolate bread pudding.
Waffles with sausage and gravy » Off the Grid, a Salt Lake City food truck, was parked at the New Frontier at the Yard, 1251 Kearns Blvd., serving its sweet and savory waffle creations. While there are many options, for a meal that will stick to your ribs through an entire movie and a shuttle ride, order the Parmesan and herb waffle topped with an over-easy egg (or scrambled if you must), tomatoes, sausage and country gravy.
Angry eggs » Spicy deviled eggs with homemade green sriracha, called "Angry eggs," are just one of the appetizers that will be served Wednesday night during an exclusive cocktail party for 175 Sundance filmmakers. Award-winning Los Angeles chef Susan Feniger, the owner of Street and Border Grill restaurants, is creating the food for the event in the Cuisine Unlimited catering kitchens in Salt Lake City using recipes from her recent cookbook Susan Feniger’s Street Food. Besides the eggs, filmmakers will also be served Feniger’s Japanese fried chicken with yuzu kosho dipping sauce and spiced lamb meatballs. "Those are three dishes that people are crazy about," she said.