Photo by stu_spivack — Some Rights Reserved

Not only is SXSW the place to be for music, film and interactive action, it’s also a great place to learn about the intersection between food and technology. Panels include “Hacking Food & Health Research”, “The Grocery Store: Going Tech Fresh to Survive”, and “Eating to Live Online: Virtual Food & Real Life”.

If all this seems a bit heavy, enjoy the company at the Food & Tech Cocktail Party and then go home and try this recipe for Amaya’s Migas. It’s a delicious yet simple concoction of tortillas and eggs, and as the chef notes, it is “Lent-compliant” with no meat.

- Ana Maria Harkins

Photo by Jolaina Nasseri — Some Rights Reserved

Adelaide Festival of the Arts provides a bountiful dose of culture, but did you know that Adelaide is also a cornucopia of food as well? Surrounded by nine different growing regions, there is no shortage of fresh and seasonal food. The best place to see all that this region has to offer is the Adelaide Central Market with eighty stalls, shops and cafes.

Explore the market with your ingredient list for Compote of Dried Farmers Market Fruit and you’ll end the day with a delicious offering for dessert. Heed the suggestion to pair this compote with fresh fruit and you’ll be all set.

- Ana Maria Harkins

Photo by cyclonebill — Some Rights Reserved

This year, the Al Bustan Festival pays tribute to Verdi and Wagner on the occasion of the bicentenary of their births. For people seeking a bit of exotica, Wagner’s rarely performed early comic opera, Das Liebesverbot, is on the menu. In a more solemn vein, Verdi’s Requiem will also be performed during the festival.

As a prelude to either composer, we would suggest drawing upon the rich traditions of Levantine cuisine for your meals. This recipe for fresh, minty tabbouleh will nourish you and keep you energized for festival activities through the day and night.

Photo by Food Stories — Some Rights Reserved

Festival Montréal en Lumière has curated a culinary program that rivals the performing arts offerings. Just check out the daily activities listed under Gastronomy (and keep scrolling and scrolling…). As this year Argentina is the featured country, the festival has enlisted prestigious Argentinean chef Francis Mallmann to oversee all things food-related. You can choose the Buenos Aires Convivial Meal, with Darío Gualtieri, head chef at Casa Umare restaurant, or decide to take a crack at concocting a home cooked meal.

If you choose the latter, we suggest you start first with a sauce — Chimichurri Sauce has some real zing and goes with steak just as well as salmon. Make the sauce, let it sit a good while and then start building a menu around it. Whatever you decide, don’t forget to pair the excellent Argentinean wines that are now widely available.

- Ana Maria Harkins

Photo by Indiana Public Media — Some Rights Reserved

Vancouver is rich with First Nation heritage. From the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games’ focus on Aboriginal culture at the opening ceremonies, to the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Art, and of course Talking Stick Festival, you are sure to encounter visual and performing arts celebrating many different tribes.

For the Ojibwa as well as several other tribes wild rice was a staple food for generations. It’s technically a grass and harvesting it is a labor intensive multi-step process. Once you’ve tried it, you may never go back to converted white rice. This hearty Wild Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque is a lovely way to pass an afternoon. As noted in the recipe, this soup improves with age, becoming even more flavorful when you eat the leftovers the next day.

- Ana Maria Harkins