Once again this year we were thrilled to attend the 36th Winter Fancy Food Show www.FancyFoodShows.com at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The mood at the show was upbeat as Specialty Food sales are on the rebound from the previous two years. There were 1,300 companies from 35 countries showcasing over 80,000 specialty food and beverage items. The attendance was up as well with more than 17,000 attendees. We particularly enjoy this show as we get to seek out new and interesting foods from around the world as well as sample new items from companies that we know. There is no way to taste everything even if you attend all three days but here are a few of the items we tasted or enjoy currently at home.

Aaron Baum

Laxmi Hiremath

We enjoyed the gourmet spreads including a luscious Caramelized Onion Confit from Hand to Mouth www.Hand2mouth.com. Laxmi’s Delights www.laxmisdelights.com featured delicious Flaxseed spreads. We love the Briannas Home Style Dressing’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette www.briannassaladdressing.com and were glad to see that they have some new dressings. We enjoyed premium organic breads and loved the corn cakes from Pastry Smart www.pastrysmart.com and met Chef Mark Ainsworth who was formerly Pastry Chef at the Ritz Carlton. The Petit Fours from Divine Delights www.divinedelights.com were amazing. Tasty almond rice pops with blueberries from 180 snacks www.180snacks.com are gluten free, vegan, trans fat free, kosher and still they were delicious. Mareblu Naturals www.mbnaturals.com featured oven roasted natural snacks. We also enjoyed the Chocolate Cranberry Bog Frogs from Cape Cod Provisions www.capecodprovisions.com . We enjoyed the Asian Curry Instant Miso Soup from Sushi Now www.sushinow.com . Wild Planet www.wildplanetfoods.com offered great tasting sustainable seafood from the Pacific Northwest and they are proud to utilize local fleets and fisheries. One of our favorite seasonings that we use for a Cajun smack on chicken and fish is Slap Ya Mama Cajun Products www.slapyamama.com from Ville Platte, Louisiana. Food as Art was on display as well with a Mona Lisa portrait created with 12,000 Jelly Belly www.jellybelly.com jelly beans by California artist Kristen Cumings.

Mona Lisa

   

The Summer Fancy Food Show will be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. July 10-12, 2011

By Joe & Carol Davis,  Dining Detectives