Day three of the Fancy Food Show was just as big and bold as Sunday and Monday, with some extra swag to take home. Even after spending three days there, we still feel like we missed a bunch of things.
As Slashfood staffers strolled the aisles on Tueday afternoon, we discovered Key Lime Graham Cracker Gelato, stuffed our faces full of Lobster Mac and Cheese and topped our day off with cultured butter with sea salt crystals.
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Tuesday's walk through the show.
Why yes that flower does taste like a battery. Photo: Sara Bonisteel
Day Two of the Fancy Food Show didn't disappoint. With hundreds of thousands of products on display, you're bound to miss a few items on your first walk through of the show at the Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side.
As Slashfood strolled the aisles on Monday afternoon, we discovered a better bacon candy bar, pondered the correct way to grow a shallot and finally tried a pepquiño (and another edible oddity, the above pictured Sechuan button).
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Monday's walk through the show. Sundays's favorutes can be found here.
One person's haul from Food Fête. Photo: craigemorsels/Flickr
If New York City's annual Fancy Food Show is a hurricane of food-related items, occupying three vast floors of the sprawling Javits Center, then the tiny, cramped Food Fête is its spin-off tornado.
Hosted in a smaller space and likewise designed to get food writers and editors interested in new and interesting culinary products, the Fête was an interesting and slightly chaotic affair. High-end eats were hawked right up alongside lower-end food, from a very tasty slice of grass-fed steak to a Kikkoman "umami" demonstration in which we were subjected to a taste-off between a regular chocolate and one containing soy sauce -- a rather palate-numbing experience, that.
Former Top Cheffer Stephanie Izard was there with Lucini, the spicy olive oil she endorses, which she had drizzled on a very tasty panzanella. She told us she hadn't had a chance to roam the halls yet. But we had, and our faves are after the jump.
As a matter of fact, yes. That is pizza in a cone. Thanks for asking. Photo: Kat Kinsman
"Pleasant and acceptable taste and smell"
If that's the best your copywriters can cook up for a brochure blurb, take that as a sign that your microwavable pizza cones might not be a standout at the Fancy Food Show. At least not in the way you'd hoped.
Luckily for our increasingly overtaxed palates, there were more than a few swoon-inducing nibbles amongst the 250,000 edible products available for sampling at the Javits Center from June 28-30.
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Sunday's stroll through the aisles.Mondays's favorites can be found here.
Perhaps you couldn't get to NYC for the 55th Summer Fancy Food Show or maybe you're plotting the most delicious path through the 250,000 edible products on display at the Javits Center. Consider Slashfood your eyes, ears and mouth on the scene.
We'll be Twittering our most fabulous finds as @slashfood from the moment doors open on Sunday, until they roll us on out Tuesday night. Just sit back and watch Slashfood's real time reactions via the widget below and after the jump, see Twitters from folks all over the food world.
Vegemite -- the yeast-based savory spread that is a distant cousin of Marmite, and beloved by Kiwis and Aussies -- is getting a makeover for the first time in 85 years, the Times Online reports.
Kraft Foods surveyed hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders and Australians to find out how they took their morning dose of Vegemite, and found that many wished it was more easily spreadable, or paired it with cream cheese on toast. Thus, the new incarnation incorporates cream cheese and one other secret ingredient.
Snack maker Hunter Yerger has taken a cue from fellow Mississippian Elvis Presley in fusing two wildly disparate Southern traditions. Just as Elvis miraculously blended country pickin' with soul rhythms, Yeager is simultaneously feeding his region's collective sweet tooth and -- sacrilege alert -- cheese straw cravings.
Cheese straws are revered south of the Mason-Dixon line, so we had to investigate. "We introduced the concept of the sweet straw," Yerger, owner of The Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory in Yazoo City. "We call it the 'cookie straw.'" The latest addition to the 18-year old company's line of pioneering sugary straws is the Elvis Peanut Butter Banana variety shown at right, a recipe commissioned by the official management team of the Elvis Presley Trust.
"They wanted to do a food product in a tin," Yerger explains. "And peanut butter banana just sounded like a natural for Elvis."
These measuring spoons from Beehive Kitchenware are undeniably lovely: their silvery sheen and restrained floral imprint make them the kind of kitchen utensil that belongs on a wall, not in a crowded drawer. And because they're pewter, they've got real heft: these are spoons whose style matches their substance.
But. There are those who would argue that the winsome charms of these spoons are rendered all but irrelevant by the thin copper ring that holds them all together. It's a small detail, yes, but to many measuring spoon users, a polarizing one.
Plenty would argue that the ring is an unnecessary annoyance that makes it all but impossible to keep all of the spoons clean, even when you're only using one. Other, pro-ring users would counter that a couple extra dirty spoons is a small price to pay for the convenience of knowing where all of your spoons are, all the time -- whether they're jammed in that overcrowded drawer or displayed on the wall as proudly as a Picasso. So vote, and hit the comments to defend your pick:
Perhaps the coolest result of an influx of design nerds storming New York City last weekend for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair is this new demo interview with the man (no, genius) behind the Unified Dining Table. Anyone who has ever lived in a cramped space -- or, heck, eaten alone -- may fall in love with this simple, clean-looking little number with pop-off dining accessories, which we wrote about a couple months ago but whose glory shines best in video form.
Note the plucking off of candelabra and bowls, the lifting of the tray straight out of the table, and the fact that you can just pop this sucker on the floor in front of the tube. Check out its "cousin," too, which involves a champagne bucket flippy-top. Are we the only ones beside ourselves, or would you ever buy this thing?
T-shirt season has arrived at last, and with it the eagerness to trade belly-warming barleywines for more sprightly sippers: namely hoppy India pale ales, whose floral flavors and aromas recall lush spring blooms. Sure, burly, nap-inducing IPAs like Dogfish Head's 120 Minute or Russian River's Pliny the Elder garner megawatt attention, but IPAs need not be monstrously potent to be monstrously delicious.
This principle is fully understood by Bend, Oregon's decades-old Deschutes Brewery. Its newest spring-summer seasonal, the Red Chair IPA (available in draft or 22-ounce bottles), demonstrates the flavorful results of restraint. Named after a favorite lift at Oregon ski resort Mount Bachelor, the Red Chair pours radiant copper, releasing a heady perfume of citrus, black tea and fresh baked biscuits.
Just in time for your next Saturday night pasta party, a new jarred sauce that's worth a first taste and second helping has appeared on store shelves. Mezzetta, the company famous for such glass-jarred wonders as snappy peperoncini and an addictive giardiniera, has launched Napa Valley Bistro, a line of pasta sauces prepared with Napa Valley wines. We were glad to cook up a sample sent our way and toss it with some noodles. Hey, anything for our readers – especially if it involves eating spaghetti.
We tried two versions: basic marinara and the creamy version. The saucy results are after the jump.
The national launch for the new McDonald's coffee line, McCafé, commenced today in their biggest marketing campaign ever. Espresso-based drinks like iced lattes and mochas can now be ordered custom-made with whole or nonfat milk, syrups and whipped cream.
Sound familiar? Yeah, us, too. We were more than curious to see how Mickey D's would stack up against Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.
One sip, though, and we were hooked. A nonfat iced mocha loaded up with whipped cream was quite potent, with a strong aroma of Arabica coffee beans. To be honest, if we had been blindfolded, we wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the Starbucks rendition and these eye-openers.
They don't escape without some criticism: decaf is not an option at this stage of the game. But at only 270 calories, we think these will probably find some fans out there.
Note:Slashfood does not accept compensation of any sort in exchange for reviews.
When it comes to food and travel guides, some are known for their frugality, others for their edginess and still others for their humor. Frommer's could perhaps best be described as "Old Reliable," with picks that rarely stray far from the well-trodden path and are somewhat on the pricey side. Instead of budget-friendly options and spontaneity, Frommer's devotees could bet on an authentic, safe and somewhat luxe travel experience.
That's why it's surprising that the hot-off-the-press new book "Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers" offers an incredibly wide array of options for every budget. Sure, it tips its hat to the traditional institutions that one would expect from the venerable publisher, but it also offers some down-market choices that should give adventurous gourmands a run for their money. Within its pages we spied Coney Island's Totonno's Pizzeria, with some of New York's most-buzzed-about pies in spite of its location on a scuzzy stretch of Neptune Avenue, and old-school Frank Pepe's pizzeria in New Haven, Conn.
Barbie, as you may know, turned 50 earlier this year. If this slightly belated bit of promotional whimsy is any indication, plenty of you still want a piece of her.
To celebrate the doll's 50th, Dylan's Candy Bar created "Barbie Loves Dylan's," a line of chocolate and candy outfitted in colorful graphics befitting the belle's pop-art and pop-cultural legacy. We love the way these chocolates are packaged, with through-the-years pix inspiring affectionate memories of both "The Brady Bunch" and yearbook photos of days (and unfortunate hairstyles) gone by.
It's rare to come across chocolate whose packaging wouldn't look out of place next to a Warhol, and we applaud whatever graphic design genius was behind this. But if Barbie taught us anything, it's that beauty is skin deep, and that lesson unfortunately applies to the chocolate bearing her name. It tastes as plastic as Barbie herself or, in the words of one judge, "like drugstore Easter candy." Like Barbie herself, this chocolate could last 50 years ... in the back of a pantry.
For $14, a better move might be to pop the candies into a frame on the bedroom wall. 'Cause Barbie also taught us that when substance fails, style triumphs.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are embarking upon a Bento Boom. The prettily packaged (often very elaborate) box lunch has been around in Japan since the 1600s, has its share of obsessives stateside, and now boasts an upscale San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur as its, uh, bentoperson. Meet Peko-Peko (Japanese for "hungry").
How can a simple, typically cheap boxed lunch go upscale? Well, owner Sylvan Brackett's restaurant background is at Alice Waters' famed local eatery Chez Panisse. His tribute to the food of his childhood -- his mother is Japanese -- do not come cheap. When they're so gorgeously presented in beautiful "to go" boxes, or on traditional servingware when catered, we'd be inclined to shell out the $25 minimum. (Full disclosure: We sampled Brackett's incredible potstickers as college acquaintances). Seasonal, organic ingredients might include Marin Sun Pork Kakuni (soy and sake-simmered pork belly) with chrysanthemum greens or a layered box of Dungeness crab, pork cutlet, local pickled ginger and Brackett's house-brined umeboshi (pickles).
Though gourmet bento has not yet charmed all of America, Brackett studied the cuisine in Japan and declares, "Beautifully laid out food is common there." How does Mom feel about him taking the casual food she served him as a tot and bringing it to the Alice Waters crowd? "She thinks it's amusing."
T-shirt season has arrived at last, and with it the eagerness to trade belly-warming barleywines for more sprightly sippers: namely hoppy India pale ales, whose floral flavors and aromas recall lush spring blooms. Sure, burly, nap-inducing IPAs like Dogfish Head's 
Just in time for your next Saturday night pasta party, a new jarred sauce that's worth a first taste and second helping has appeared on store shelves. 
The national launch for the new 
Second Helping of Slashfood - June 19
Competitive-Eating Contest to Pit Humans Against Elephants
The Backyard Boom - The Hungry Bride
