Something Cool at Bay Harbor’s Ice and Spice Festival

Jan. 11, 2015

The Ice and Spice Festival is returning to Bay Harbor and, with it, some ice-cold competitors plus a gourmet treat that’s full of heat.

We got the scoop from Bay Harbor Marketing Director Michelle Denise who thinks the fest is a perfect mix.

- That’s a lotta ice ice

10,000 pounds of ice are brought to Bay Harbor for the event. The carvers, who Denise calls "artists in every sense of the word," travel to Michigan from around the country and Canada to carve their designs from 300-pound blocks of ice with chainsaws, picks and carving tools.

- These carvers really know their stuff

Ice and Spice is an official stop on the Tour of Champions sponsored by the National Ice Carving Association. This is a pretty big deal; NICA ice carvers are considered some of the best in the world and there are only nine official events planned between now and March. "We are so proud to be a stop on this tour," Denise said.

- You too can be an ice carver

While the pros train extensively for these competitions and many carve ice professionally year round, the amateur division, which ranges from artists to hospitality majors, are a "great bunch," Denise confirmed, even if some of them don’t really plan ahead. "I’ve talked to a few who totally signed up on a whim," she said. "Some have never carved a 300-pound ice sculpture in their lives, but they brought a chain saw and created something fun."

- The rewards are "¦ yes, we’re saying it"¦ cool

Medals and a whopping $12,000 in cash prizes are awarded between the two ice-carving divisions that battle a time crunch in addition to the challenges of skill, tools and, of course, temperature. "The pros get 12 hours to carve. The amateurs get 3," Denise confirmed.

- The chili arrives both from local kitchens"¦

The spice of the Ice and Spice fest comes in their famed Chili Cook-Off, the proceeds of which go to the Manna Food Project. For the past three years, the same amateur chef has held down the title with her white chicken chili, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have some stiff competition. "Every year there are some very interesting recipes," Denise pointed out, "from pork chili to five-pepper chili to, yes, chocolate chili!"

- "¦ and from some of your favorite restaurants

In the Pro-Am Chili Challenge division, the competitors – including local faves like The Inn at Bay Harbor – mean business. "This is very important to them," Denise said. "It’s a true, gritty competition when you get right down to it. They want to be known as having the best chili." And, for a small fee, you can sample them all and then vote for your favorites.

- Few things smell better on a cold day than hot chili

"The best part is when the competitors arrive at 9am and start cutting up their ingredients and cooking their meats and beans and sauces," Denise enthused. "The aroma that drifts around that tent is amazing. It’s like you can smell the spice and peppers drifting in the air."

- Even marketing directors have designs on ice

While Denise hasn’t competed, she told us that her secret ingredients are a full bottle of mango salsa in her red chili and cilantro in her white chicken chili. She’s got a plan for the other half of the competition too. Well, she would, if she knew how to carve ice. "I would carve a 10-foot diamond ring with a huge diamond," she laughed. "I think that would look absolutely stunning in ice!"

The 2015 Bay Harbor Ice and Spice Festival takes place Jan. 16 and 17 in Bay Harbor Village. For more information, visit www.bayharbor.com

Executive Chef Eric Basta of Bay Harbor’s Seventeen Restaurant has participated in the Chili Cook-Off for several years. Basta and his partner Don Vidosh have decided to really push the chili envelope this year. "This chili is going to be nothing short of incredible," Basta said. "Pork butt smoked at low heat for hours will give it a fl avor that’s truly one of a kind – the perfect match for a cold and snowy afternoon." Basta is sharing his recipe with Express readers. He does add a few secret ingredients ("one of them is Sriracha, but I can’t divulge the rest!"), but that just gives you the opportunity to spice it up your own way.

CHEF ERIC BASTA’S BEAN CHILI WITH SMOKED PULLED PORK

3 cups dry Navy Beans

2 slices bacon diced

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 cups chicken broth

2- (4 oz.) cans diced green chilis

1 T. ground cumin

1 t. oregano pinch of chipotle pepper

2 cups cooked pulled pork diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings: sour cream, cheddar, diced jalapeno and chopped cilantro

Rinse and sort beans. Place them in large pot, cover with water and do the quick soak method: (Cover with water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour covered). Set aside. heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute onion, diced bacon, and garlic until onion is tender. Drain the beans and add to the pot with broth, diced chilies, pulled pork, cumin, oregano, and chipotle pepper. Bring to boiling and simmer until the beans are soft. Mash beans slightly to thicken soup. Check seasonlngs. Top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese and jalapeno.