YumYum Fest debuts, building connections between area chefs

L'Etoile Pastry Chef Melinda Dorn pipes coconut whipped cream onto vegan and gluten-free shortcake. lemon zest is added. The blueberries and raspberries used in the shortcake were supplied by local farms (Collage by Aparna Vidyasagar).

Madison’s newest urban park -- Central Park -- played host to the city’s newest food festival -- YumYum Fest.

The event featured over 30 local chefs mostly from Madison-area restaurants and a sampling of some of their best fare. Though smaller, there are several similarities to Madison’s longstanding food festival, ‘Taste of Madison.’ Attendees enjoyed live music. And just as proceeds from Taste of Madison go to various non-profit organizations  the proceeds from YumYum Fest went to the Madison Parks Foundation. But the parallels between the two events end here. 

At YumYum Fest it isn’t just about the culinary variety available in the city. One of the event’s main goals is to promote the farm-to-table model and to shine a spotlight on the many local producers who supply fresh ingredients to the restaurants.

“It’s most thrilling to showcase the farmers and their passion, in an environment like this,” said Luke Zahm,Chef Jack Yip poses with his team. From left to right: Javier, Corrina, Jack Yip, Francisco and Saren Ouk. Their featured dish was a Wisconsin Lakes Roll made with Great Lakes whitefish supplied by Sea to Table (Collage by Aparna Vidyasagar). the owner of Driftless Cafe.  “I want to bring the ingredients I use and love, to the Madison community and let them shine.”

Zahm’s team made seared semolina gnocchi with braised pork supplied by St. Brigid’s Meadows, one of their many local producers.

YumYum Fest was organized by the Madison Area Chef’s Network, a group that is still in its infancy, not yet a year old.  As the group states in its blog, not only is its focus on the farm-to-table model but also on strengthening relationships with the community.

But the members of the Network have also formed strong relationships amongst themselves.

“It’s been an amazing experience. Everybody (the chefs and owners) is helping each other out and working together to create an awareness of the food scene,” said Kyle Johnson, owner of Johnson Public House, who debuted their own line of roasted beans, Kin Kin. “We all go up with the tide together”.

Tickets for the event went on sale in June and tickets were sold out by 5 p.m. on the day of the event. L’etoileChef Luke Zahm and his team put together a plate of braised pork and seared semolina gnocchi. The pork was supplied by St. Brigid Meadows (Collage by Aparna Vidyasagar). owner Krys Wachowiak estimates about 25,000 people showed up.

The dishes at the Fest were mostly non-vegetarian featuring, pork, beef, chicken and seafood, with a modest mix of vegetarian selections and some desserts.

“Madison is a very pork-centric town,” said Melinda Dorn, the pastry chef at L’etoile. “Those who are vegan or gluten-free can feel left out.”

Dorn’s dessert was both vegan and gluten free; a moist shortcake with a mix of blueberries (Flyte Family Farms) and raspberries (Sutters Ridge Family Farms), topped with airy coconut whipped cream.

Attendees were encouraged to bring picnic blankets and entry was free for children under the age of five (Photo by Aparna Vidyasagar).“I can’t get enough of fresh fruit,” Dorn laughed.

 For some of the chefs, YumYum Fest was one of their first outdoor events.

“Being outdoors is a wildcard,” Zahm said. “Getting the staff ready was a big piece of the pie.”

For others like Jack Yip, chef and owner of Red, a sushi restaurant, the key to tackling the “labor intensive process” (each sushi roll was made to order) was prior preparation; they made their rice ahead of time.

It’s not yet certain if YumYum Fest will become a Madison culinary tradition. But the chefs at least, are excited.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Dorn of L’etoile said.

Orgone performing live at Yum Yum Fest (Photo by Aparna Vidyasagar).