The Honey Festival

Going back to last week in terms of our lives, Mason did two cooking demos at the Honey Festival in Woodland, this is one of our favorites events. My mom has a fondness for bees and I have a fondness for honey. The promotion for the Honey Festival did a phone interview with Mason and I thought it would be fun share.

How do you utilize honey in your dishes?

I love honey! So many people think of it as a dessert ingredient when in fact, it adds so much depth of flavor to savory dishes and is excellent for texture. It thickens sauces, the sweetness can be tempered with bold garlic and onion flavors, it also compliments spicy, and of course, it adds sweetness without adding processed sugar.

Are you particular about the different types of honey when cooking? Do they have noticeably different flavor profiles?

I'm not super particular unless it's an infused honey, then the infused flavor comes into play. If it's infused with lavender and the flowery flavor is not desired in my curry, then I will want to use something purer. Local is always preferred. 

Have you tasted or used local honey in your dishes? If so, what is your favorite and why?

Okay, this is not necessarily the answer with the most technique behind it, but I love Miller's whipped honey. It is like honey butter, but it's just honey and it is AMAZING on a hot bagel. It stays put and doesn't melt and drip as fast as raw honey does.

What’s your favorite thing to taste/see/experience at the Honey Festival? Why?

I think it is completely unfair to ask a chef and foodie to pick a favorite food! It's like asking a parent which child is their favorite and even though they may have one, they would never admit it out loud! I do love Fire Brothers 911 Sauce! For real, Kevin got that stuff right!

Mason Partak, 15

Chopped Junior Champion

Instagram - Mason Partak

www.MasonPartak.com

On a completely different topic, I got this early in life, and I get it every day. I want to just be with you, I want to know where you like to grocery shop, what you love to eat. I want to watch TV with you all day, or go swing at the park. Let's bake a cake and eat it all! I hope you are so comfortable with me, you snore when you fall asleep on the couch. Let’s sit in silence together, comfortably. I want to laugh with you, laugh at the silliest thing! Want to? I want to have tough talks if it brings you peace. I love you and I love this life WITH YOU. If more people could find the ordinary the actual good stuff, they would realize that it's not about shiny or expensive, it's about who you are with - the people.