40th Annual Winter Specialty Food Show – Laura’s Favorite Finds*

01/26/2015 by Laura 1 Comment

It was another fabulous show in San Francisco. With over 80,000 products from 1,300 exhibitors representing the latest in specialty foods and beverages from across the U.S. and 35 countries, what more could a foodie ask for? My head was in a different place this year as I walked the aisles. While I visited old friends to see what was new, I had my eye out for all things sugar, grain, dairy, and gluten free. With the new year, I am trying to eat a Paleo diet to both improve my “numbers” and drop a few pounds. Are you as amazed as I am that EVERYTHING has sugar in it? Though my focus was Paleo friendly, I also found many amazing things that I cannot wait to try, in a few months, in moderation!

I am so proud of my friend Isela. Look at her on the cover of the show guide! Isela launched HERNÁN products in 2007. Today HERNÁN products continue to encompass a respect for Mexican traditional design with a functional and contemporary sensibility. Their goal is to open up new markets for artisans and producers that would normally not have an audience outside of Mexico. To address issues on both sides of the border closer to home, a percentage of profits will be invested in the HERNÁN foundation in Del Rio, Texas. HERNÁN is headquartered in Del Rio, Texas

I first tried her amazing Mole Poblano at the Summer Fancy Food show in 2013. Isela is preparing to launch a Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) Mole Sauce this Spring. It is delicious and will be amazing with grilled fish. Be sure and check out the beautiful Mexican cookware and hot chocolate on her website!

It’s so wonderful to see all the successful women in the Specialty Food industry continue to grow. Chef Lena Kwak launched Cup4Cup gluten free flour and baking blends just a few years ago and has already been honored as one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Innovators” (2012), one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30″ and as an “American Made” award recipient from Martha Stewart. Way to go Chef! We cannot wait to see what is next.

I was walking down the aisle and saw my favorite, home town Boat Street Pickles. I looked up and Chef Rene Erickson was in the booth. On the heels on a very successful launch of her book: A Boat, A Whale and a Walrus, I was really surprised, and thrilled, to see her there! She is one of the hardest working women in the food biz today! If you eat oysters anywhere other than Rene’s the Walrus and the Carpenter, well then….I’m not really sure you had a fresh oyster!

The team was sampling the new Pickled Cherries. As with all the pickled products, they were amazing and would be a delightful addition to a cheese plate or roasted meats.

Speaking of Chef’s and cooking and baking and all those pots and pans and clean ups….I hope you all are using parchment parper! Have you tried The PaperChef’s Parchment? It is the only one you can dampen with water and form to your baking pan! Amazing!

Check out this Smoked Brown Sugar and Smoked Olive Oil from Darkhorse Specialty Foods

I took a sniff of the Whiskey Smoked Brown Sugar and my mind started racing. Caramels, pork roast, apple pie, ice cream….the possibilities are endless. Same goes for the Olive Oils. Perfect for adding a soft, smoky flavor to sautéed vegetables, fish, and marinades. Their website has awesome recipes. Brenda and Al have a big hit on their hands with a crowded booth and celebrity chef endorsements, I am looking forward to a whole lot of smoky goodness from these folks!

Sometimes there are amazing things in your own back yard and you don’t even know it. This pure, simple, elegant bottled water is from Oregon. Cascade Mountain Spring Water was fortunate to gain access to Ginger Springs, which is a product of one of the world’s finest natural water resources. The spring is located at the base of Mt. McLoughlin in the Southern Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. This pristine mountain spring is well known for its high quality water, which begins life as rain and snowmelt that penetrates into the Earth’s surface. The water is then naturally filtered by volcanic rock absorbing high quality minerals resulting in a clean refreshing taste that is a perfect balanced pH (pHerfect).

There must have been 30 or more booths showing jerky. Jerky is definitely an awesome, portable on-trend snack and comes in any flavor and protein source you can imagine. However, jerky without sugar; in one form or another, is hard to find and I had almost given up, until I came upon the EPIC booth. The makers of the Paleo friendly EPIC Bar definitely have another hit on their hands! Awesome products!

This is hard to admit but I HATED Brussels sprouts until a few years ago. Dave has always like them, and insisted on them with his Christmas roast. I dutifully prepared them and discreetly choked them down every year. Once I finally slow roasted them with olive oil, life changed. Now one my favorite vegetables, we even put them in salads, raw! Here’s one more great way to enjoy this cruciferous bulb of glory from Wonderfully Raw: new packaging and a brand new flavor of Brussel Bytes!

Like many of you, I have tried a lot of gluten free products over the years. The Paleo diet has further restrictions making any kind of palatable mixes or prepared foods even more difficult to find. I was thrilled to come across Simple Mills. Created by a mom who needed allergy free food for her family, the products are delicious and Paleo friendly!

On trend and perfect for snacking are Real Sticks from Vermont. RealSticks are gluten free and contain 50% less fat and 40% less salt than the leading snack sticks, and at least 80% less sugars than the leading sports bars. RealSticks are low (0-2) carb, dairy free, no MSG, and no artificial anything. No preservatives. Just 2 WW points in each 1-oz stick.These are delicious, portable, convenient. As someone who travels frequently, I can tell you I have a few of these in my back pack at all times! In case you don’t know, Sofi Awards are the food equivalent of an Oscar!

The beautiful packaging of this canned seafood from Geomar caught my eye. The story, the taste and the quality made me very happy I stopped to check it out! Sustainably harvested seafood from very deep waters off the coast of Chilie, produced in a state of the art facility and exported around the world.

Smoky was an apparent emerging flavor and theme this year so this brand new, pure liquid smoke was a pretty cool find! That is all that is in the bottle – concentrated smoke! Amazing….and a little goes a very long way! Check out Lazy Kettle Brand Liquid Smoke!

If you follow my blog, you’ve heard me rave about the amazing American made cured meats from La Quercia. I put the Speck (smoked prociutto) in all sorts of things! I wasn’t the only one who stopped by their booth to tell them how much I love their products! All the pork is humanely raised without the use of antibiotics, on family farms around the mid-west. They were sampling their new Spicy Prociutto Spread….it was delicious!

From my ever inventive friends at Peanut Butter and Company come two new product lines: Powdered Peanut Butter and their spin on Dulche De Leche – Yum Bunny. Oh my goodness….YUMM! The powdered peanut butter has 85% less calories than traditional peanut butter, yet retains all the protein, fiber and delicious peanut flavor! Perfect for your morning smoothie, peanut sauce, or baking! Congratulations Lee and Team! You definitely have another hit on your hands.

I was drawn to the Lafaza booth by the delightful smell of fresh vanilla! I am so happy I stopped in as I ended up learning a lot. Like many of the companies exhibiting at the specialty food show, Lafaza has a unique story to tell. Lafaza was founded by a couple of Peace Corp pals. They spent a combined 20 years working side by side with the farmers who grow LAFAZA vanillas. These former Peace Corps Volunteers, are certified food managers, researchers, and business people – and lovers of the people, places, and wonderful products of Madagascar. Many of their partners have been growing and curing vanilla beans in environmentally sustainable ways for over four generations. Lafaza is bringing us beautiful products from a beautiful environment with a business model to sustain healthy longevity for all. Well done Lafaza!

Our favorite Bob’s Red Mill has new packaging as well as some new sugars! Look at the 28 ounce bag of Sparkly Sugar – perfect for those of us get a little cookie crazy at the holidays!

I’ll just leave you with a few more candid shots of some of my favorite people and products. Enjoy!

Have a great evening,

Laura

*These reviews and opinions are entirely my own. My blog is my personal hobby and is not affiliated, endorsed, or associated in any way with my employment. I am not being compensated in any way for these comments, endorsements or photographs. Thank you, Laura.

IFBC, Seattle, WA September 19-21, 2014 – My First Food Bloggers Conference!

10/01/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

It’s taking a lot of time to “digest” my wonderful experience at the International Food Bloggers Conference. My mind is still racing with ideas and my “to do” list continues to grow. That list includes everything from improvements to my website, recipes I cannot wait to create, new friends to email and numerous thank you notes to write to the very generous sponsors. As an IFBC rookie, I made a few mistakes and I will definitely do some things differently next year! First off, I chose not to lug my DSLR camera around and I missed a lot of great photo ops*. Second, I did not pace myself and split up the style of seminars I attended. I definitely will balance out the creative and tech seminars a little better next year! I learned so much about SEO, Branding, and Google+, I thought my head was going to blow up. Thank goodness the presenters notes were all shared, as cramming in so much “new information” was a lot for someone who did not leave the hospital texting the other babies they met in the nursery. Next year, you ask? Yup, I have already registered and you should too. Just click here!

*There are great photos of all the food and fun on Instagram #IFBC.

For many of us, the conference began with a field trip to the new Sur La Table test kitchen located in the Seattle Design Center. This event was sponsored by Sur la Table and Kitchenaid, and was an opportunity to see what was new in all things cooking! The first 50 of us to sign up for this event, jumped into the buses and our weekend of foodvolity began! We received a very warm welcome from the CEO of Sur La Table, Jack Schwefel. The success of the culinary program is clearly due to his passion and commitment to food and cooking. His wife is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate! Nikki Lockett from Kitchenaid introduced us to a few of the newest appliances in the Kitchenaid Proline. When she announced that we would all be going home with the new Kichenaid Food Processor Attachment for our stand mixers – THE CROWD WENT WILD! Culinary Directors Sephi Coyle and Culinary Program Contnet Manager Kristina Miscallef, moved us forward by preparing three recipes demonstrating Kitchenaid appliances and recipes from the fall cooking class line up: Homemade Pasta Dough, with Kale, Walnut and Lemon Pesto, and Warm Cranberry Crumble Tarts. After learning about the fabulous holiday items Sur la Table would be offering, we enjoyed a meal of the Pasta with Pesto and the Cranberry Tarts. Back in our seats for a brief moment, 10 lucky winners of the Kitchenaid Proline Electric Tea Kettle were announced! WOW! Last but not least, we also all received a Sur La Table reusable shopping bag stuffed to the brim with goodies from Sur la Table, Aquasana, Berarad, California Olive Ranch, Chilewich, Kerrygold, King Arthur Flour, Le Cruset, LeKue and TCHO Chocolates. I’d have to say, the first four hours of IFBC were pretty darn amazing.

Back at the Westin, it was time to prepare for Friday nights opening reception, sponsored by Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crips, Bristol Bay Sustainable Alaska Salmon, and Accolade Wines. The food was delicious. Lesley had all of her lovely crisps there for us to sample with a wide array of amazing dips. Bristol Bay was serving salmon 4 different ways and Accolade Wines were pouring many varieties of Geyser Peak wines. Lesley’s Cranberry Hazelnut Crisp have been a long time favourite of mine. I used to bring them home from Canada before I could buy them in the States! Theo Chocolate and Cupcake Royale provided sweets to finish off the night and Rainier Fruit Company sent us all home with a big, juicy Yakima Valley peach.

Did I mention the Friday night Gift Suite? Oh my goodness!!! More samples and goodies and coupons and gifts from the fabulous manufacturers, vendors, and service providers! I have previously mentioned some of these products here at More Savory Less Sweet as I work with many of these folks in my “day job”. It was great to see them in the fun and relaxed environment at IFBC!

All of the samples and gifts were generous and amazing but one vendor really surprised us bloggers! Aneto had aprons embroidered with the name of our blogs for each and every one of us. (I believe that is about 400!) They came all the way from Spain to share their all natural Valencian Paella cooking base with us. I cannot wait to make paella this weekend. Thank you Aneto!

Noosa was one of the Grand Sponsors, and I did not need an introduction! I eat Noosa yogurt almost everyday, either for breakfast or in the afternoon to prevent the late afternoon “hangrys”! We got to try the new Pumpkin flavor. Since it is a seasonal flavor, I will be stock piling it for the next few months! To add extra protein, fiber and omega 3’s to my yogurt, I have been adding in Nature’s Path Qi’a. The cereal is great on it’s own but also as a great ad in to salads, cookie dough, smoothies, and yogurt!

That gives you a peek into the first days activities and a few of the sponsors. There’s so much more! Please come back to find out about additional seminars, Keynote speakers and Saturday evenings Gourmet Fair! I’ll also be sharing recipes created with many of the samples we were given by the sponsors.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Laura’s Highlights* – 39th Winter Fancy Food Show, San Francisco, California

01/25/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I’ve been fortunate to spend my entire career in the food industry. As a foodie, the highlights of my year are always the Winter and Summer Fancy Food shows. This Winters show did not disappoint! There were so many new items to see, taste and talk about. The themes and trends became apparent, on the very first day after walking only a dozen aisles. There were lots, and I do mean lots, of new items using Siracha. Hummus, popcorn, chocolate, candy canes, mayonnaise, popcorn, chips and even (yikes) lip balm!

I have to say, my favorite new use of Siracha as an ingredient (their own, homemade Siracha) was presented by Hope Hummus, with their NEW Siracha Hummus. This is destined to become their number one item! http://hopehummus.com/products/

fancy food show hope siracha hummus

You are going to need a “scoop” for that yummy hummus! I recommend the new Sprouted Grain Pita Chips from the folks at Way Better Snacks. Not only are they delicious, sprouting delivers many incredible benefits including: increased vitamins and minerals, increased antioxidants, increased digestibility and increased nutrient absorption. For a detailed explanation of the benefits of sprouted grains, seed, and beans – head over tho their website. http://gowaybetter.com/sprouting/.

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My personal highlight this past week was meeting Chef Thomas Keller! Chef Lena Kwak is the formulator of Cup4Cup and the former Research and Development Chef for Chef Keller at The French Laundry. I first met Chef Kwak when she was introducing Cup4Cup. When I stopped to say hello, I was thrilled to see Chef Keller in the booth! What an honor to meet him in person. If you have not yet done so, check out the Cup4Cup Gluten Free product line, which now includes, Pancake and Waffle Mix, Brownie Mix, and Pizza Crust Mix. http://www.cup4cup.com/.

Chef Keller and Chef Kwak Fancy Food Show

The folks at Lotus Foods were featuring their new Rice Ramen Noodles. I don’t know about where you live, but Ramen is HUGE in Seattle. I personally cannot wait to try the Black Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles in a big bowl of steamy broth with lots of colorful vegetables. Find recipes and other products on their website at http://www.lotusfoods.com/.

Lotus Food Rice Ramen Noodles

It is always fun to visit with Chef Sharone Hackman. You know him from Season 1 of Master Chef. Master Chef judge, Gordon Ramsey, called his sauce, “the best BBQ sauce ever made.” I was happy to see he had a new addition to his line of all natural, all sumptuous Chef Hak’s BBQ Sauces. Just like the first 3 sauces, Chipotle Bourbon, Habanero Pineapple, and Thai Chile Tamarind, the new Smoked Maple Mustard sauce is amazing! http://www.haksbbq.com/sauce.html That’s Ellie with the new Smoked Maple Mustard Sauce!

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Chef Eduardo Garcia, Emperor of Flavor, introduced a trio of Montana Mex Brand Seasoning Salts. The products are all natural and contain the highest quality ingredients. Whether you choose Chile, Sweet or Picante, you will find 100’s of uses for these wonderful salts. Check out the details and recipes at their website! https://www.montanamex.com/things-to-eat/salt/ .

Montana Mex Spice Salts

Hernan Mole Poblano, is a product I first tried last summer in New York. The product is a mole concentrate and you simply add stock and simmer. It is absolutely delicious, and as someone who has made mole a few times, it is very economical both from a time and cost perspective! http://hernanllc.com/ Isela, we did not “face the jar” in the photo…I am sorry for my “rookie” mistake!

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Many products evolve from family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation, or from food and drink items people grew up with, that are not readily available. Phancy Soda Chanh is just such an item. Often found in Vietnamese restaurants, this is the first packaged Chanh on the market. It is available in two flavors, the traditional Lime flavor, and the newly created and innovative Strawberry & Lychee. They are all natural, made with real fruit juice and sweetened with pure cane sugar. They are so light, refreshing and delicious. http://www.getphancy.com/

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Also inspired by something they grew up eating and making with their family, is Heidi’s Salsa. Heidi entered her salsa in The 30th Anniversary of Los Angeles Farmers Markets salsa contest in 2009. After the careful consideration of 10 judges, “The Loco Local by Luko” took 1st place among the 12 salsas present that day. What I loved about this salsa was the fresh taste the lemon and lime juice provided. Founders and college friends, Heidi and Nikki are well on their way to a successful career in the condiment business! http://heidissalsa.com/

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The packaging of A&B Small Batch, All Natural Pepper Sauces drew me in to their booth. I was than totally impressed by the flavor of their 3 sauces, Original, More Heat and With Garlic. Great guys from Brooklyn on a mission! Check out their take on the Bloody Mary: The March Hare. Head to their site for the recipe. http://www.abamerican.com/

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After all that heat, it was time to cool off! Lucky for me, the next booth was filled with fabulous Gelato and Sorbetto from Brunswick, Maine’s own Gelato Fiasco. They were featuring their 6 bestselling flavors including Maine Wild Blueberry. My friends and I were secretly wishing they had brought all 24! YUMM! http://www.gelatofiasco.com/our-story/

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Scott, Cathy and Daniel launched a line of 6 innovative spice blends, under the brand name Just Cook. Just Cook is a creative San Francisco based food company specializing in blends for meat, poultry and fish. Their story is as inspiring as their spice blends. http://www.justcookfoods.com/about/.

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New from Bandar Monkey Foods, Lentil Crisps Poppadums in a smart and familiar package. This company is another collaboration of college chums who decided to make cross-cultural food they were both familiar with. The sauces are amazing and their future, with unbroken poppadums, looks very bright! http://www.bandarfoods.com/

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Not a new vendor, by any means, the always innovative Numi Tea Company launched a line of Indulgent Teas with chocolate as a key ingredient in each of the four blends. What a great way to satisfy those chocolate cravings without the calories! http://www.numitea.com/

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Have you ever had a margarita at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill? If so, you may have been lucky enough to have had the Prickly Pear Cactus margarita! I had my first Prickly Pear Cactus margarita at Chef Flay’s restaurant in Las Vegas. It was the best margarita I ever had. Check out the recipe here: http://www.bobbyflay.com/recipe.php?id=48. Now, head on over to Cheri’s Desert Harvest web site or your favorite specialty store for the starring ingredient! http://www.cherisdesertharvest.com/

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Other items that caught my eye, imagination and taste buds:

From American Roland Foods, http://www.rolandfood.com/, Truffle Mac & Cheese!

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From Victoria’s Kitchen, beautiful package and extremely unique and refreshing, Almond Water. http://www.victoriaskitchenrecipes.com/

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New Zatar Falafel Chips from my friend Sam at Flamous Brands! http://www.flamousbrands.com/index.html

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New Chocolate Spread from the Healthy Fat Company, Melt Organic. http://www.meltorganic.com/

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Convenient sustainable, wild caught Seafood Meals ready to heat and eat from Sea Fare Pacific. http://seafarepacific.com/

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New Mustard sauces from the folks at Fischer&Weiser. http://fischer-wieser.com/?p=2739

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Have you tried Ubons BBQ Bloody Mary Mix? It’s the best! http://ubons.net/ubbmm/.

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Delicious, unusual and innovative chocolate bars with totally unexpected ingredients (like Potato Chip!), Chao Chocolates. http://chuaochocolatier.com/

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Now, are you ready to start thinking about 4th quarter holidays? These items are sure to be a hit!

Cheese, Tofu and Butter Making Kits from Roaring Brook Dairy. http://www.roaringbrookdairy.com/

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Inspired brittles from Annette’s Chocolate. http://anettes.com/index.html

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Belgium’s Chocolate Source – Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Bars and Chocolate Sticks to enhance both Tea and Coffee! http://www.belgiumschocolatesource.com/

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Heat and Serve Noodle Kugel from Locker Family Recipes, formerly The Kugel Co. http://kugelcompany.com/

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What a cute gift idea from The Mason Jar Cookie Company! http://www.masonjarcookiecompany.com/

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Chocolate covered marzipan bars, with a twist from Nuttiness. https://nuttyness.com/

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The most wonderful appetizer, and a new flavor from Elegant Brie! http://www.elegantbrie.com/

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Last, but in no means least, ready to decorate Christmas Cut Out Cookies from Stonegate Foods. http://www.stonegate-foods.com/complete-recipe.html

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Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you all in New York in June!

*This is my personal blog. All opinions are my own and are not in any way associated with the company I work for. I have not received any form of compensation from any of the companies I have included in this recap. It is my sincere pleasure to share these products with you, as I personally believe they are awesome!