Another Fancy Food Show has come and gone -- three days full of more than 2,000 food exhibitors from the U.S. and all over the world, hawking everything from gluten-free cake mixes, buffalo sausages, wasabi-flavored cheese and organic teas to bacon chocolate chip pancakes, Turkish olive oil and hotter-than-hot hot sauce. Here are some of my intital impressions of the trends I spotted:
-Lots of convenient, individually-portioned versions of items: margarita mix in a bag (just add alcohol and water, shake, and drink); peanut butter and almond butter in small to-go foil packets, flavored applesauce in squeezable pouches
-Chips made of of stuff other than potatoes, like cassava and durian
-Lots of freeze-dried or microwave-dried fruits and veggies -- strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, apples, green beans
-The organic, all-natural trend is still going strong; plenty of gluten-free products out there too, from the previously mentioned cake mixes to pastas and cookies
-Coconut water being marketed as a sports drink, which I haven't really noticed before. Apparently it has more potassium than a banana, is full of electrolytes and is less calories than your typical sports drink.
-Buffalo wing-flavored stuff seemed to be popular -- I tasted a couple of cheeses and a hummus with the flavor of hot wings. Is this the hot new flavor? Also, there was a ton of hummus in general.
-The appearance of sriracha peas! Not available for purchase yet, but will be soon.
-The appearance of Hello Kitty-branded Jelly Belly jelly beans! Not available for purchase yet, but will be soon.
That's all I can think of right now. I'll be posting about my show favorites and highlights soon, so stay tuned!
--Maggie
logo courtesy of specialtyfood.com
If you're itching to get out of town, Jane and Michael Stern's new book, 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late, will give you the perfect excuse. It's chock-full of delicious-sounding and mouthwatering-looking eats from all across the country, many of them regional specialities: Head to Oklahoma for a perfect "pig sandwich," hunt down lobster rolls in Maine, indulge in cheese crisps in Arizona, or dig into world-class barbecue ribs in Tennessee, Alabama or Texas. You'll learn about foods you've never heard of before (Dutch lettuce salad in central Iowa or Cornell chicken in New York?) and read about must-visit cafes, diners and shacks.
The book is organized by region, so just close your eyes, pick a page at random, and hop into your car...anybody want to meet me at the Maine Diner in Wells for some lobster pie this weekend?
--Maggie
photo: bn.com
Planning a picnic or barbecue for Independence Day? We've rounded up a few things that'll make your holiday festive:
Pommery Pop American Champagne, NV ($14.95)
What better way to celebrate than with your own mini-bottle of champagne, all dressed up in stars and stripes? Serve this slightly sweet sparkler with straws for extra sipping fun; you can even use them as patriotic decorations for your table.
Patriotic Tablecloth Weights ($9.95)
These cute little weights clip right on to your tablecloth, ensuring the corners stay down during summer breezes. The flag, hat, star and rocket will give your table an extra dose of July Fourth flair.
Hanging Lanterns ($4 each)
Need to illumniate your night before and after the fireworks? These elegant hanging lanterns in red, blue and clear will create a soft glow.
Stars & Stripes Cocktail Plates ($5)
Bright and festive without being cheesy, bold cocktail plates make a patriotic statement while holding all your July Fourth treats.
Have a happy holiday!
--Maggie
photos: pommery champagne, bayvillagestore.com pier1.com, plumparty.com
Summer is here and for most parts of the country, that means it's strawberry season. Fresh fruit is one of my favorite parts of the summer, and ripe, sweet strawberries are probably the most popular berry around. There are countless ways to eat them and incorporate them into your favorite dishes. Thanks to this community thread on GardenWeb, I've discovered some new, interesting recipes, including strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, strawberry mint jam and a dip that combines sour cream and brown sugar for a sweet, zero prep-time snack. One of my favorites is a recipe for a strawberry roll (see the mouthwatering photo!) -- a delicious alternative to strawberry shortcake.
Of course, you can always serve strawberries with champagne (Prosecco, an inexpensive Italian sparkling wine, is a great alternative) or dipped in chocolate. Simple, classic and sure to be crowd-pleasers!
--Kate Torsiello
photo courtesy of member ann_t
It's summer. It's hot out. Jamba Juice to the rescue! Here's their latest deal for tough times: Buy one smoothie, get one free with this Jamba Juice coupon. The coupon is good until July 12, so stop in with a friend and share the fruity, thirst-quenching goodness. Or just drink them both yourself if you're super thirsty. But maybe not in front of your friend -- after all, you don't want to pull a Kate Gosselin.
--Maggie
photo: summerblissisback.com
You may have thought it was safe to eat pistachios, but think again -- two brands should be avoided because they may have been part of the original batch recalled in March. Apparently, these California-produced pistachios, which may be tainted with salmonella, may have been repackaged and then sold in airports and hotels. The two brands are California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards.
You probably don't have these brands hanging out in your pantry, unless you do your grocery shopping at airports or hotels, so there's no need to panic. There's also no reason to avoid products made with pistachios -- those are safe, too. But I thought I'd give you a heads-up just in case. Obviously, toss them if you have them lying around, and stick to other brands if you're making, say, rice pilaf with toasted pistachios or pistachio-crusted salmon.
--Maggie
photo: s. trigg/getty photos
Here's something I wish I had thought of myself -- WomansDay.com put together a roundup of the wackiest hot dogs they could find on the web. Some look completely nasty (hot dogs punctured with spaghetti noodles, corn on the cob wrapped in bacon, cheese, hot dog slices and ground beef), while others look delicious (hello, mac-and-cheese-topped hot dog on a grilled bun!). I went ahead and found a few crazy hot dogs of my own that didn't make it on their list:
This lovely concoction is called Le Super Hot Dog and consists of hot dogs covered in spicy mustard, ketchup, hot peppers and melted gruyere cheese in a baguette. My verdict? Yum!
photo: toomanychefs.com
These cute/disturbing octopi are made out of, you guessed it, hot dogs (specifically a mini cocktail sausage, a Ball Park Frank, and a Japanese arabiki pork sausage, whatever that is). Apparently, these "octodogs" are common in bento box lunches for kids in Japan. Who knew?
My verdict: Sort of cute but ultimately mostly creepy. Yuck!
photo: lunchinabox.net
This hot dog comes from New York Hotdog & Coffee, a Korean chain that opened not long ago in the West Village. It's topped with bulgogi (Korean-style marinated barbecued beef), along with lettuce and pickles. I love bulgogi on its own, so added as a topping for hot dogs? Yum!
photo: stella y. via yelp.com
What do you think of all these wacky hot dogs? Which ones are yucky, and which ones look yummy?
--Maggie
A couple weeks ago on a spectacular summer evening, Rockefeller Center was transformed into a gourmet street fair for the Citymeals-on-Wheels event. Legendary chefs from around the nation gathered and were directed to draw inspiration from the dishes they enjoyed most in outdoor markets and street fairs.
I have been a longtime supporter of Citymeals-on-Wheels, a program that delivers hot food to the homes of thousands of elderly people throughout the five boroughs of New York. Even in these difficult economic times I never worry about being unable to afford to eat, and you would think that our neighbors don't either -- but many do. Hunger is right around the corner for many people. In my Italian heritage, the elderly are revered; grandparents live with their children and are cared for. I often find this structure is not the same in other homes, but thankfully, there are programs like Citymeals-on-Wheels that can provide for the less fortunate. Citymeals-on-Wheels is so special, not only for bringing food to the elderly, but also because of the companionship they provide to the people they deliver to.
I have known Gael Greene, the founder of Citymeals-on-Wheels, for quite some time and always try to participate any way I know how. Street food done by the top chefs in the country -- what could be better?!
My partner Michael Psilakis (center) with my executive pastry chef Zak Miller (left) and Costa Damianos (executive chef of Anthos)
We served pork shoulder gyro.
Me with band at the event! The event raised about $735,000. I love New York!
--Donatella
photos: donatella arpaia
Looks like Michelle Obama isn't just setting trends in her own country -- she's influencing fans across the pond, too. In fact, she may be part of the reason why Britain's Queen Elizabeth has planted her own royal vegetable garden at Buckingham Palace. Like Michelle's White House garden, the Queen's is organic; unlike Michelle, the Queen is growing beets. There are also carrots, leeks, tomatoes, onions, and several types of beans that the royal kitchen will be cooking up all season long. It's the first time since World War II there's been a vegetable garden at the palace.
Coincidence? We think not.
Want to see what's growing in Michelle's garden? Take a look at this exclusive video tour!
photo: getty images
Looks like everyone's got wine on the brain these days (and hey, we better drink up before alcohol prices soar) -- the James Beard blog asked Tyler Colman, author of the Dr. Vino blog and A Year of Wine, to recommend his top budget picks for this summer. All of them are under $20, and Tyler chose a sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Malbec, and French red to cover all your drinking needs. Interestingly enough, one of his recommendations -- the Yellow + Blue Malbec 2008 -- comes in a box! It's also organic. I'll definitely be looking for this one in my local wine stores.
See the full list of wines he recommends here.
photo: foodcollection/getty images
