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.
While a picture can be worth a thousand words, it's a rare baked good that manages to be equally concise. So this cupcake, baked and photographed by Sarah of milk and honey cafe, is particularly special. It was made for a bridal shower, and is pretty much the edible equivalent of everything matrimonial. The creamy white frosting, the demure smidgen of pastel pink, the celebratory flair of its silver beads; it could almost be wearing a veil. Standing serenely on its white porcelain altar, this is a cupcake that all but says "I do."
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.
Shun's santoku knife on caramelized onion tart. Photo: Alex Van Buren
Knives. Outside of the full-time food dork world, people -- even foodies -- don't tend to talk about them much.
They have a bad association as, um, dull conversational topics: There's the unwelcome knife salesman banging on the door, or that eternal infomercial ("Only $39.95 in three easy installments!"). I owned a sub-par knife for years, until a friend trained at a local culinary institute basically took it away from me.
I've been shopping ever since with an eagle eye for sales. The santoku style caught my attention for its multiuse blade (note the indentations, which purportedly help keep food from sticking) and stylish look. And when I grabbed a Shun in hand at a local shop -- its base has a slight teardrop shape, perfectly suited to that soft nub between thumb and index finger -- I fell in love.
Delicious on a 90-degree day. Photo: 21st Amendment Brewery
With summer spiking thermometers, few frigid beverages satisfy quite like unfiltered wheat beers, mellow and flavorful thirst-quenchers that drink as easy as fresh-squeezed lemonade.
But a great beer style is just a springboard for innovation, a belief held by Nico Freccia. About a decade ago, the founder of San Francisco's 21st Amendment Brewery was fooling around with home-brewed wheats. Since it was summertime, he tossed ripe red watermelon chunks into his fermenting suds. "I didn't think the flavor would come through very well because watermelon is mostly, well, water," Freccia said.
To his surprise, the experiment was a triumph. Within the cloudy wheat beer, the watermelon shone as bright as a klieg light in a foggy night, without mimicking a Jolly Rancher run amok. "It still tasted like beer," marvels Freccia. "I could drink several without feeling like I was drinking a Slurpee."
With Independence Day just around the corner, we turn our attention to all-American wines for the all-American holiday. I combed through the Slashfood archives to find wines from all around our grand ol' country worthy of an American toast. Here are seven perennial favorites:
'Mix Shake Stir' Recipes from Danny Meyer's Acclaimed New York City Restaurants Photos by Jo Franco Little, Brown and Company -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
A great cocktail can transform any gathering; menus can even be formed around them. Danny Meyer, one of the country's most outstanding restaurateurs, has finally released the recipes to his restaurants' most infamous cocktails. According to one of his bartenders from Blue Smoke, "a really great cocktail doesn't need a lot of ingredients, just a combination of tastes that balances the drinks." By the time readers are done flipping through this book, they will be inspired to pick up a shaker and create something they will truly be proud of.
Along with uncomplicated cocktail recipes, Meyer also includes recipes for bar fare such as Dried Cherry, Bacon and Pecan Mix, Thai Trail Mix and Blue Smoke Deviled Eggs; tips for rimming a glass with salt and sugar; and instructions for how to create an elegant garnish.
Cocktails are broken down into several sections: Favorite Classics, New Classics, Inspired Flavors, Elegant Sips and Casual Libations. While the cocktails in these sections are laid out clearly, it might have been easier to separate them by restaurant; fans of Meyer's restaurants would be able to find their favorites a lot more easily.
See what we tested and whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Turkey burgers on the grill. Photo: The Skinny Chef
Turkey burgers can be a great option for a high-protein, low-fat cookout. But what about their flavor, which often gets a bad rap for being overly dry and bland? My turkey burgers 101 guide will make your next barbecue both healthier and more delicious.
Dark or Light?
Not all ground turkey is created equal. Regular ground turkey -- labeled 93 percent lean -- is a combination of white and dark meat and sometimes contains other parts of the turkey, including skin and organ meat. Look for statements like "98 to 99 percent fat free" or check the label for calorie and fat content to make sure you're getting the lean stuff.
Get Jennifer's no-fail turkey burger tips after the jump.
These days, just about everything is DIY -- including homemade tofu! But when time is of the essence, there are places to buy it in Los Angeles. And if you require a little more info, here's all you need to know about the soy-based blocks.
The story behind Circle C Ranch and its co-owner Kim Blain, whose gorgeous fruit and colorful personality made her a legend at the Hollywood Farmers Market.
Restaurants on the rails: A look at how chefs make fine dining work with the small kitchens and delays of train travel.
The non-profit SEE-LA does its part to bring the fresh and delicious world of farmers markets to underserved communities with a Farmer's Kitchen.
Louisiana Best Seafood is pure So-Cal, and might boast the best fried fish in Los Angeles.
The 8 oz. Burger Bar has hit its stride, offering a solid beer list and, of course, notable burgers.
The wine of the week is an "elegant and approachable" 2007 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir JV Estate.
Chez Dolley and James Madison. Photo: Mark F. Levisay
There's no telling how Dolley Madison, celebrated for her exceedingly proper social graces, would have felt about folks sifting through her midden.
But that's just what the archaeologists at Montpelier -- the onetime Virginia home of former President James Madison -- have been doing since 2007, when they first uncovered the (very first) First Lady's trash heap. Their findings, many of which pertain to the Madisons' culinary habits, will likely be supplemented this summer by a new excavation of the estate's North Kitchen. According to spokeswoman Beth Morrill, interpreters at the historic site are planning to use their discoveries about how and what the Madisons ate to engage a new generation of hungry visitors.
"We're teaching children about recycling," Morrill says, pointing to a recently unveiled hands-on exhibit that teaches children about the Madisons' penchant for using every part of an animal (every part except, it seems, for the shell: Dolley Madison's midden was well-stocked with discarded oyster shells, the fruit of which likely paired nicely with the Champagne she served her guests.)
Few fruits burst with the luscious, velvety sweetness of a ripe fig; there's a reason why the ancient Romans regarded them as sacred. To know how it feels to bite through a fig's smooth skin into the plush flesh underneath is to know that luxury is often synonymous with simplicity. This photo, snapped by Hopkinsii at Flickr, captures them at their plump, unassuming best, their cool green skin giving little hint of the earthy delights hidden just beneath the surface.
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.
On Monday night, 75 people piled into a Kansas City, Mo., church to catch a free screening of "Mad City Chickens," a documentary from Tarazod Films that chronicles the resurgence of the urban chicken.
Unfortunately, like many U.S. cities, Kansas City makes it nearly impossible to have even just a few hens in the backyard. Chickens are only considered legal residents if their coop is 100 feet from the nearest home or business; they're certainly not allowed to roam. But the more people focus on eating locally, the more chickens pop up in backyards all over the United States (and Kansas City for that matter), legal or not.
Up until a few years ago, Madison, Wis., ("Mad City") banned urban chickens, forcing more than a few rogue backyard farmers -- known then as "the Chicken Underground" -- to get the law changed ... if they wanted to keep their chickens, that is. Now Madison is a veritable backyard chicken oasis, and serves as the backdrop for "Mad City Chickens."
Read about Big Tiny the rooster and Consuela the hen after the jump.
There's something about pork that makes it the perfect wrapping and stuffing. Sizzling bacon often encircles the likes of scallops, beef, turkey and even French toast, while porcine goodness can occasionally be found in that classic junk food, pigs in a blanket.
Chef Albert Di Meglio of New York City restaurant Olana has taken it one tantalizing step further. In the above video, Di Meglio makes Sausage-Wrapped Pork -- a whole new world for the dedicated pig fan. He grabs a pork tenderloin, wraps it in a sausage filling and finally encases it with caul (a type of fat). He pops the whole thing in the oven and then slices and serves it.
Those who just can't wait till the end of the video to broaden their porcine horizons can click here for the recipe.
We can change the way we make eggs -- scrambled, poached, fried -- but what about changing the eggs themselves? Mix up your scrambling routine with quail eggs.
'Mix Shake Stir'
Second Helping of Slashfood - June 19
Competitive-Eating Contest to Pit Humans Against Elephants
The Backyard Boom - The Hungry Bride
