Sunday, January 21, 2007

Overheard at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show '07

Choice Eavesdroppings & Future Food Trends

hot chick amanda berne on a jelly belly bike
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.
Chilean Carica from Tamaya
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.




Archives
2006 | The Hungry Hedonist
2005 | Who then knew it would soon be my local: Moshi Moshi

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Overheard at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show '07

27 Comments:

  • At 21/1/07 22:09, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Sam - maybe that type of wine is Barbera - popular in the north of Italy here, it's red and bubbly. I'm curious to know.

     
  • At 21/1/07 22:13, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    That carica was really wonderful -- very unique, and quite tasty. The best thing I tasted today, though, was the Icewine Dark Chocolate from Canada True. I'm going to go back to the show on Tuesday, and I will definitely be stopping by their booth again!

     
  • At 21/1/07 22:36, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Sam:

    I've been lurking so long on that I hardly know how to speak! Thanks for continuing to write such an informatively entertaining blog. I also wanted to tell folks that Mission Pie (25th and Mission) sells Yumna's Mystipies as well.

     
  • At 21/1/07 23:10, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Sam,

    I was there most of today too, and I'll be posting about it tomorrow. I hope also to get back there tomorrow afternoon if all works smoothly in my day.

     
  • At 21/1/07 23:24, Blogger Elise said…

    Hi Sam,
    I wandered the floor with Heidi and Garrett this afternoon and ran in to all sorts of wonderful people. On the food side, the best things I had were 1) a lavender ice cream infused with rose water, 2) a passion fruit curd from Hawaii, and 3) a honey wine from Italy. What fun, eh?

     
  • At 22/1/07 04:39, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    That woman is gorgeous. I think I have a crush on her already.

    Also, I love Brachetto, so please share once you find out what the name of that other wine is.

     
  • At 22/1/07 05:53, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Great overview. I'm scheduled to attend the Chicago Fancy Food Show in May. I've been many years in the past, and always enjoy some wonderful foods (as well as some disturbing ones). I'll be on the lookout for these products. Thanks!

     
  • At 22/1/07 06:28, Blogger wheresmymind said…

    I TOTALLY dig that bike!

     
  • At 22/1/07 08:01, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Sam,



    The sticky toffee pudding cheese in the British section was an interesting concept. I tried it and it was more like the pudding than a cheese, maybe they are targeting the kids with this cheese!

     
  • At 22/1/07 08:56, Blogger LeisureGuy said…

    I wasn't there, so I enjoyed your report all the more. And some of that wasabi is on its way to me now. :) Many thanks for the tip. The Son will be especially appreciative.

     
  • At 22/1/07 09:18, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    OMG, I think I *know* that hot chick on the Jelly Belly bike!
    I didn't go this year. Last time I practically had to -- well, knock a hot chick off a Jelly Belly bike... I walked for miles and miles of aisles, got aching joints and blisters on my feet. Such fun!

     
  • At 22/1/07 10:15, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dang! Why don't things like that come to Tampa? It looks like fun. Thanks for posting about it to share with those of us who could't go.

     
  • At 22/1/07 10:29, Blogger xtinehlee said…

    Sam, I second you on the carica! It was just fantastic and beautiful. Did you see the collagen marshmallows though? They are wonderfully trippy--apparently, you can eat them and not have to get collagen and botox injections. :)

    I did my write up on Muffin Top.

     
  • At 22/1/07 12:43, Blogger Unknown said…

    I plan to post my visit later. Sorry I missed you, I was hanging out with Heidi and Elise there for a while.

    I am at work now so I have no info or name but there was this spicy hot cocoa that was like, insane spicy shibby good enough to slap yer mama good. We already ordered some. Oooh! the bangers in the English section were fine, as was some locally produced dukkah.

     
  • At 22/1/07 16:47, Blogger Unknown said…

    I actually saw that very same jar of Chilean Carica at my local supermarket today — yup, right here in the northern outreaches of Wisconsin. Are we getting ritzy here or what?

    My parents used to go to those food shows — always bringing new ideas home.

    Bubbly sweet red wine - oh yes!

     
  • At 22/1/07 17:56, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Oh, poo. The sexy chick on the bike is not my former colleague. Here's her remark after seeing your photo:
    "Funny, tis not I, but it made even me do a
    double-take! Holy doppelganger, Batman!"
    (I know where she lives, Danielle.)
    Also: YES on bubbly, sweet red wine! (Wait. Is Cold Duck "back"?)

     
  • At 22/1/07 18:02, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am so excited to hear about the wasabi! Yippie. I live in New England and trust me there isn't much wasabi fun going on up here.

     
  • At 22/1/07 18:41, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I read about this thing every year and am so jealous every year, too.

    I never expected to be reading a blog written on the other side of the U.S. with a mention about a product grown not far from where I live! Wild.

     
  • At 22/1/07 21:09, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I thought the carica was great too. I'm curious what it's like fresh. The mangosteen juice didn't impress me but I was keen on the calamansi juice I found (but I like calamansi!).

    I'm going to the chocolate seminar first thing in the morning.

    c(h)ristine - I had those collagen marshmallows! I don't know what to think of them, but I did get carded at the Numi party tonight, so maybe they're working!

    I tried to get to the wasabi booth but it was mobbed, I'll try again tomorrow.

    So far from the blogger community I've run into YumSugar.com and Faith from Blog Appetit/Sugar Savvy.

    My favorite thing so far ... all the honey. The Leatherwood Honey from Tasmania was pretty spectacular.

     
  • At 22/1/07 21:10, Blogger Civic Center said…

    About fifteen years ago, I worked a temp job as the Assistant Boy to the Fancy Foods Convention Sheriff at Moscone Center. I've forgotten what the actual titles were, but there was one old law enforcement guy who was the arbitrer when somebody's signage was overhanging somebody else's booth, or somebody's food demonstration had gotten totally out of hand.

    The old coot was totally cool, and so was the convention. Glad it still exists and you had a great time.

     
  • At 22/1/07 22:03, Blogger Jocelyn:McAuliflower said…

    Umm... I'd like a link to a larger version of the bike photo
    :blush:

     
  • At 23/1/07 05:46, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    would have loved to go to such a show. fancy food eh?! :)
    sounds like great fun

     
  • At 23/1/07 10:14, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Sam,

    Dang, we must have just crossed aisles with you.

    I second your carica vote. Very tasty.

     
  • At 24/1/07 00:36, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hiya Sam - The carica also caught my eye (and tastebuds), I would love to taste it fresh. Did you notice all the infused waters and sodas? (although Vignette was definitely my fave as well). I also loved the infused liqeurs from Australia, or maybe I just loved the owner guy who was promoting his product. He was adorable! Also the mob around Paula Deen was hard to miss.

     
  • At 24/1/07 05:10, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Food shows are great. I really enjoy the one's we have in Australia. I always end up with bags and bags of stuff. Heaven just Heaven.

     
  • At 25/1/07 19:01, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I went for 5 hours on Sunday, then during my lunch hour on Monday and Tuesday. There is too much to see. But I loved the O.N.E. coconut water, Alice's Stick Cookies, Suhki Indian food. I would love it if we could exchange links! My food blog is: www.yummysf.com

     
  • At 27/1/07 17:19, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Did you have to pay to get into the FFS? How much is it?

     

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