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The Top Ten Don't Miss Events at Aspen's FOOD & WINE 2014

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Get ready, ski world, there are only two weeks before everyone who's anyone descends on Aspen for the ultimate in food and drink indulgence: the FOOD & WINE Classic. Tickets for the weekend seminar and trade events have been sold out for a while now, but don't let that deter you from making the gourmet pilgrimage to Colorado. You can still score passes to a few evening parties, including the epic pork feast of Grand Cochon. Without further adieu, we break down the top ten events at this year's Classic, from eggs, to special occasion wines, and everything in between.

Here it is, the ten events of the FOOD & WINE Classic that we can't wait to attend, in no particular order:

· FOOD & Wine Classic 5K Charity Race: Start off the weekend right with a (very) early morning run aside your favorite celebrity chefs. This 5K charity race raises money for Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit that aims to increase access to and affordability of fresh, locally grown food. Registration costs $30. Go here for more info.

· The World of Eggs*: This food seminar will explore the versatility and deliciousness of eggs. It doesn't hurt that it's taught by the world-renowned chef Jacques Pépin and his daughter, Claudine Pépin. Color us starstruck.

· Mountain Wines, Mountain Cheeses*: This afternoon seminar brings together cheese expert Laura Werlin and the senior wine editor at FOOD & Wine, Megan Krigbaum to discuss how to pair wines and cheese from mountainous regions. Maybe it's our ski town bias, but we think this class is going to be awesome.

· Last Bite, hosted by Gail Simmons and featuring desserts by Johnny Iuzzini: Nothing says excess quite like dessert, so shell out $125 for this late-night dessert party held at one of our 38 Essential Ski Hotels, the Hotel Jerome. Guests will enjoy loads of sweet treats, plenty of cocktails, and late-night snacks to try and help the hangover. More details here.

· Omakase OMG! Sensational Sips for Sushi*: Break out of your food-induced coma and taste something different in this session on how to pair wine with everyone's favorite cold fish dish: sushi. Hosted by Joshua Wesson.

· In Hot Water, A Dive into Dumplings and More*: In this seminar, James Beard Award-winning chef Ming Tsai will demonstrate a variety of recipes for hot water-based doughs, including dumplings, scallion pancakes (uh, yes please!), and more.

· Wines for IPO Millionaires, Special Occasion Wines*: Wine expert Mark Oldman will bust out the big guns for this session on special occasion wines. It's a don't miss.

· Tapas Technology*: Explore Spanish cooking with the best in the business, the James Beard award-winning chef José Andrés. In this class Andrés introduces festival goers to tapas and covers ten easy dishes for your next party.

· The Classic Cookoff*: A perennial favorite of festival fans for years, the Classic Cookoff pits big-time chefs against each other in a race against the clock. Expect surprise pantry ingredients and a solid dose of humor.

· Grand Chochon: Curbed Ski had the pleasure of attending the Denver Cochon 555 event, and we can't wait to see all the pork-centric madness go down in Aspen on Sunday. Ten top chefs from around the country will compete for bragging rights as the 2014 King or Queen of Pork, and believe us when we say you won't leave hungry. Grand Cochon is our top pick for anyone who wants to experience FOOD & WINE indulgence but didn't score a ticket; passes are still available and cost $200 for VIP or $150 for GA. More info here.

*For a full list of seminar schedules, head over to the FOOD & WINE Classic Website.

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