It is early Wednesday morning, and I am standing in a kitchen area in the Miami-Beach Convention Center, watching some 50 FIU students getting to work on food prep for Friday nights' Perrier-Jouët BubbleQ event at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I am not the only one looking on -- FIU chef-instructor Michael Moran, chef and culinary coordinator of the Festival, is keeping a close eye on things. He is, at the same time, on the phone going over innumerable details with a host of people, directing students on what to do, checking off items on pieces of paper on a table in front of him, and answering my questions -- the first of which regards numbers. "We'll prepare about 1,800 pounds of pork, 1,500 pounds of beef filet, 1,200 pounds of fish, 1,000 pounds of chicken, 800 pounds of cabbage, and several hundred pounds of 'nouveau' potato salad and other side dishes" he replies. The 3,000 guests expected at Friday nights' Champagne BBQ will not go hungry.

This coming Monday morning, January 12th, a second block of tickets for previously sold out events will go on sale. So if you were bummed at being shut out of Rachael Ray's Burger Bash or The Best of the Best at the new Fontainebleau, you've been given a second shot. You can get your tix  at www.sobewineandfoodfest.com or by telephone at 877-762-3933. The Festival takes place February 19th through the 22nd.

--Lee Klein

Starting this morning at 9:00 a.m., the South Beach Wine & Food Festival  is offering a week-long 10% discount on all ticket orders (before tax and service fees). The deal closes Friday, December 19, at 5:00 p.m., and all orders placed by this time are guaranteed delivery before Christmas Day -- hint hint.

To make it easier to give the gift that keeps on fattening, the festival is offering Sobe Bucks in denominations of $250, $500 or $1,000. Lucky recipients of these certificates will be able to redeem them for tickets to events already sold out, such as Food & Wine's The Food Network Amstel Light Allen Brothers Rachel Ray Burger Bash (my phrasing -- but mockery aside, a cool event).    

You can purchase tickets here, but Sobe Bucks can only be bought through emailing the Festival's ticketing manager or by phone: 305-627-1646.

--Lee Klein

We know that the South Beach Food & Wine Festival isn't until next year -- February 19 thru 22 to be exact -- but tickets for the event go quicker than cake at fat camp. So be aware that tickets for all the Food & Wine events goes on sale October 27, and yes, we suggest you purchase tickets then if you really want to go.

You can already start planning out your Food & Wine week because the festival already has some of the events listed. Everyone from Tyler Florence, Michelle Bernstein, Eric Ripert, Emeril Lagasse, Michael Schwartz and more will be on hand for cooking demos, wine tasting and everything in between. Unfortunately, chronic abbreviator and overall annoyance Rachel Ray isn't staying home.

Again, tickets go on sale October 27 and can be purchase online at www.sobewineandfoodfest.com or by calling 1-877-762-3933.

-- Jose D. Duran