Be kind as I suffer through my Winter Fancy Food Show hangover. The annual NASFT love fest in SF features thousands of gourmet food exhibitors (many of them brand new to the market) hawking something like 250,000 products. It’s my annual pilgrimage to mecca. Here are a few highlights and trends to watch for on your grocery shelves…
1. Zocalo Gourmet Peruvian Alternative Flours: Ancient grains from high in the Peruvian Andes are the inspiration for a line of alternative flours made from lima beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, purple corn, amaranth, lucuma and yacon. All are gluten-free and some contain high amounts of protein and other nutritional goodies. But what’s really interesting…these kinds of alternative flours are at the heart of a growing movement by pastry chefs to incorporate uniquely textured, flavorful flours into their cooking. TREND: Alternative/gluten-free nutrifoods
2. Mia’s Kitchen: Born from the Mia’s Playground line of wines (from Don Sebastiani & Sons), recent college grad Mia Sebastiani has launched a line of wine-based reduction sauces with that kick up weeknight cooking. BiteClub approved (and home tested). Limited availability, but stay tuned to their fan page on Facebook. TREND: Ready-made sauces for your inner Julia. Also: Bubbie Jeanne’s Brisket Magic.
3. Happy Goat Caramels: Comfort confections are hot for 2010, and these goat-milk caramels lead the herd with environmentally sustainable, but more importantly, delicious caramels. TREND: Comfort Confections. More delish sweets: Naia Gelato with St. George Whiskey and Blue Bottle Coffee, Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle
4. Mother In Law’s Kimchi: With mouth-puckering stench that only a kimchi devotee could love, this fermented cabbage isn’t shy about introducing itself. But this spicy, hot, sweet and sour version from a Garden Grove restaurant (near Long Beach) is garnering serious buzz from coast to coast. Consider it a wake up call to your taste buds. TREND: Korean
5. Black Truffle Popcorn: SF-based 479 popcorn is all the race with the glam-set, nestled in gotta-have-it packaging and crave-worthy flavors like Black Truffle and White Cheddar. Check out their PIY Kit with organic heirloom popcorn, salt/sugar blends and cutsey paper cones for a party. TREND: Fancy pants snacks The antithesis: Alaskabits Smoked Salmon “bacon” bits.
6. Black Garlic: Despite its ugly duckling looks (black is always a hard-sell in the food world), black garlic is a hot new culinary add-in making its way from the Far East. A month-long fermenting and drying process results in a chewy black cloves reminiscent of a garlic-flavored prune. Think sweet, soft and earthy. And oddly addictive. TREND: Alternative/gluten-free nutrifoods, Exotic Foods
7. Slow Cow L-Theanine Relaxing Drink: Contrary to the name, it’s not a glass of warm milk. Slow Cow is the anti-energy drink dressed in, well, wolf’s clothing. The tutti-frutti taste, tickle of fizz and skinny silver seem paradoxical when the effect is of calm well-being. Leave it to the Canadians to come up with something so anti-type-A. TREND: Nutrifoods, Hyperfoods backlash
8. Siggi Icelandic Skyr: Think Greek yogurt with hipper Iceland sensibilities and you’ve got skyr. Strained non-fat yogurt with the mind-bending consistency and look of whipped cream. But no fat. Add in pomegranate, orange, ginger and acai and it gets pretty tasty. Available at Whole Foods. TREND: Nutrifoods, Exotic Foods
9. Tyler Florence’s shilling his new West Coast Kitchen Essentials sauces and marinades: Tyler Florence is one of the few Food Network personalities everyone still roots for. The Johnson & Wales-trained chef has so-far steered clear of major commercial disaster (although I still hold him personally responsible for making me try one of his shameful Applebees entrees in 2007) and is on the cusp of several major restaurant openings in the Bay Area (including Napa) this year. In the midst of all the hubbub, the cherub-faced chef has partnered with Napa’s Tulocay and Co. (Made in Napa Valley) to launch a new line of sauces and marinades called West Coast Kitchen Essentials. He shilled the 17-product line at the 2010 Fancy Food Show to the squealing delight of attendees, but the jury’s still out on the line — most of which is still a mystery. Stay tuned.
10. Ohgave: Agave is the new Splenda. The honey-like nectar is totally natch, derived from the agave plant and is being used in everything from coffee to cookies. Garnering a 17 on the glycemic index (cupcakes are about a 73) Ohgave has a line of sweetners including “honey” and maple syrup. TREND: Ready-made sauces for your inner Julia
Local Sightings: Zix Cookies, Sonoma Syrups, Terra Sonoma Verjus, Cowgirl Creamery, Delice de la Vallee, Cypress Grove Chevre (Sofi gold winning Truffle Tremor), Bellwether Farms, Marin French Cheese Company, Achadinha Cheese Company, Jill Nussinow the Veggie Queen, Smoked Olive smoked olive oils, Napa Fudge…
Were you there? What’s your take?
OMG — the Norman Love sipping chocolate (his version of hot chocolate) was an orgasm in a glass. They didn’t offer samples to everyone and they had a crappy location. Their truffles were great, too. And I ordered more than $100 in product for Valentine’s Day gifts from their website. http://www.normanloveconfections.com
Hi: Good list. I also noticed lots of hibiscus flavored teas and drinks; I think it will usurp pomegranate as the flavor du jour. And there were lots of teas with interesting herbals added in like neem and holy basil in Teatulia’s ayurveda influenced line of products. And though I didn’t make it to the smoked olive oil, I did taste some great alternative oils including tea oil and a pistachio oil from La Tourganelle – they were serving samples of pistachio ice cream made my Bi Rite; perhaps that’s why I liked it so much!
THE SMOKED OLIVE smoked olive oil is the all natural stuff, that’s why we love it. They don’t introduce phenols…they just don’t destroy the natural ones. That’s the good stuff!
I think the Salted Caramel or Madras Curry with Cashew popcorn from 479 was WAY better than the Black Truffle popcorn. The Tuffle oil is really overpowering. They sell these (and offer free samples for the Costco crowd) at the Dry Creek General Store.
Me and my two Food Show buddies weren’t crazy about the black truffle popcorn. WAY too much truffle.
Heather, did you try the new Bellwether Whole Milk Jersey Ricotta? It was a major hit with lots of folks.
Ugggh! Missed the Andante cheese.
Iberico ham and the raw milk French fermier (farmer) cheese from Andante Dairy Imports and Fresca Italia.
Sorry, but smoked olive oil is scary. Even if their “patent pending” process uses no heat, introducing volatile phenols is risky.