Overheard at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show '07

Choice Eavesdroppings & Future Food Trends

Dreamy: Hot Chick on a Jelly Belly Bike at the Fancy Food Show
Five hours fly by when you are having fun stuffing your face with chocolate and cheese at the 2007 Winter Fancy Food Show. Whilst we were chomping others were talking and we kept notes...

Everbody in UTAH puts these in their gift baskets. If she wasn't married we could go out tonight. Ach, that was disgusting, I can't believe I put it in my mouth. [After trying a Harry Potter 'vomit' flavoured jelly belly], it tastes like the cheese you just ate. [In Australian Section] I like the English things better. I hate to say it but that earthworm tastes exactly like how you expect an earthworm to taste. There are lots of blocks of cheese with stuff on it. They all look too serious for me!

Most Memorable New Discoveries

Meeting Becks & Posh reader, the lovely Yumna from Mystipies, a product I look forward to trying soon - she'll be at the San Francisco Farmers' Market from February 3rd under the banner of La Cocina.

Meeting the exquisitely dressed Carolina from cmb.sweets who will be launching at the farmers market with Yumna and La Cocina. A sneak preview of her adorable new jam jars which I guarantee will become collectables.

The Italian wine producers Cantine Silvestri who poured me a taste of a bubbly sweet red wine that made we swoon. The wine in question is not listed on their site and they haven't found a stockist for it yet. I am hoping a San Francisco based wine merchant took note so that I'll have somewhere to buy it soon. It's like Brachetto but better. I'll have to email them to find out what it was called.

A soft, haunting, dreamy marinated feta from 34 degrees - foods with latitude which is apparently available from Wholefoods. Great fruit pastes too.

Unusual and unheard of fruits are two-a-penny at the the Fancy Food Show. Just one of them caught my undivided attention, the Chilean Carica from Tamaya. Sweet and delicate to taste, this fruit is firm in texture despite being preserved. You can drink the juice too - a great base for an exotic cocktail perhaps?

Fit-for-a-princess petit fours made locally here in the Bay Area. It's hard to choose between Divine Delights in Petaluma and Dragonfly Cakes in Sausalito - they are all so sweet and prettily turned out.

Unfortunately not listed on their website, The Devon Cream Company have a wonderful, English, yellow, salty butter that I hope they manage to persuade Cow Girl Creamery to stock. Good luck guys, you've got your first customer in me, guaranteed.

My first taste of Vignette Wine Country Soda made me sparkle with joy. Why you wonder? Because they actually sell this product in my work canteen. How lucky I am I? I liked this product and I am now kicking myself for not trying it sooner. As well as being a smart change from soda in the office, it will make a great and sophisticated alternative to wine for designated drivers on summer picnics or at parties. I hope they come up with larger sharing-size bottles soon.

Last but certainly not least, the tip I don't really want to share, the prize information I want to keep all to myself. Based in the misty mountains of North Carolina, Real WasabiTM are now growing enough of this spicy root vegetable to be able to sell it by the half pound, mail order. Horseradish, the pretender, may finally have had its day.

Were you at the Fancy Food Show too? I'd love to hear what caught your eye.

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Food | Fancy Food Show | San Francisco | Winter

Overheard at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show '07