Sometimes life is hard, but last weekend wasn't one of those times: Cooking Channel staff ate their way through a sea of local Miami restaurant stalls and sipped on world-class wine during this year's Wine and Food Festival Grand Tasting -- all on the white sands of South Beach, Miami.

Now that we're back to colder weather and cubicles, we're dreaming up ways to continue the "South Beach Diet" at home. Now you can, too!

See what we liked, what we didn't like, and how to cook up South Beach-inspired fare in your own kitchen.

This cool cucumber twist on a margarita is worth cracking at home. The sweet-spicy chili rim on the glass will delight and amaze your friends.

Move over, empanadas! These savory beef pastelillos -- Dominican-style, picadillo-stuffed fried bites -- from Alain Ducasse and his mix on the Beach in Vieques were inspired. Is he really French? Pass a cold malta, please.

Friends warned us about the lines for this one, but it was worth it to get our hands on The Burger & Beer Joint's BBQ Bacon Burger.  Get an up close and personal view of this sweet slider and more:

See all the highlights (and lowlights) from SoBe in our Grand Tasting Gallery!

• Our SoBe Wine & Food Fest Highlight Reel: Savory, Sweet and Star-Studded
• Event Recap: Best Thing I Ever Ate...At The Beach
• Scenes From BubbleQ and Rachael Ray's Burger Bash