Summer Fancy Food: Back to Its Glory, Full of Surprises
By A.J. Flick
Senior Editor
As one of my journalist colleagues said on the first day of the Summer Fancy Food Show, the best advice to a first-timer is to wear comfortable shoes and get as much done as you can in the morning, when the crowds are lighter because by noon, the crowds build and it’s shoulder-to-shoulder in the halls at the Javits Center. Yes, by all looks of it, the vestiges of the pandemic are over and the exhibitors and buyers are back in full strength, looking for the next food fad.
Morocco is the official partner country with the Specialty Food Association for this year’s show, but it was the Italians who did a superb job of reaching out to drive attention to their booths. On Sunday, Lioni Latticini invited friends to its booth for Una Spahettata Per Onorificare on the occasion of Guiseppe and Salvatore Di Lioni Latticini being inducted to the SFA Hall of Fame featuring Chef Riccardo Orfino, executive chef of the West Village restaurants Alice and Osteria 57.
I’ve never been to a “spaghetti” event, but I was pretty sure food was involved (haha). Boy, was it! Chef Orfino and his sous chef made delicious ravioli along with other Italian specialties including gluten-free pizza.
Over at the Carbone booth, the celebration was for the upcoming launch of its Spicy Vodka pasta sauce line. The sauce answers demand from consumers for the vaunted Spicy Rigatoni served at the West Village restaurant. Wow, it’s great! (I was offered a second helping and took it.) The sauce was designed so that it tastes great right out of the jar, but for foodies, they can add their own cream and butter to make it like the Spicy Ravioli from the restaurant.
There will be much more Italian food to come!
One of the best things I tasted on the first day was the new dark maple syrup from the good folks at Runamok. Again, this was in response to consumer demand. Scrumptious. I also tasted the new limited release Vermont Saffron Infused American Honey. Yes, who knew saffron could grow in Vermont? Wow, I never would have put the two together but I’m glad Runamok did.
Runamok is building on its mocktail/cocktail mixer line with Maple Tonic and Maple Grenadine. Unlike your parents’/grandparents’ grenadine, Runamok’s is made with Vermont maple syrup (of course), pomegranate and lime juices and no artificial ingredients. There’s also a new Sparkle Tonic that’s refreshing and fun.
I also got to taste the surprisingly delightful Pineapple Upside Down maple syrup, the result of Runamok’s popular consumers’ choice flavor. They weren’t sure about it either at first, but it’s delicious.
For those who love the taste of red wine but who can’t tolerate the tannins or want a no-alcohol version (big trend, as we know), startup Seraphim debuted its “wellness tonic” Seraphim social beverage made with botanical ingredients.
Nearby in the Rutgers Food Innovation Center was one of my surprise finds: Five Star Montauk and its first two products, Scotch Chipotle Glazing Butter and Mezcal Habanero Glazing Butter. Founder Jeff Kudrick served them on shrimp and wow, are they good! It’s so exciting to see new creations like these in the booming sauce and condiments market.
Kudrick also has a book coming out this fall. Keep reading Gourmet News to find out more! Hint: We may need a bigger boat.
One of the most popular stops (for media folks, that is) is Olivia’s Croutons‘ booth. Francie Caccavo proudly shared samples of the new Gluten Free Sea Salted croutons. I could eat a box just by itself! That’s what makes Olivia’s Croutons so good. They’re made in small batches from hand-sized loaves made by the company so the croutons have just the right crunch. The croutons are seasoned just enough to carry the flavor through.
I was happy to see a big crowd around The Gracious Gourmet booth. I exchanged greetings with Nancy, the owner/founder, and will circle back to talk to her when she’s not so busy.
While I was visiting Natalie’s Orchard Juice Company‘s booth, a couple walked up who said they were big fans and had some Natalie’s orange juice that morning at home.
“Once you’ve tasted Natalie’s, you won’t go back,” the man proclaimed.
New this year is Tangerine Pineapple with sweet basil, Orange Juice and Aloe. So delicious. And there’s a new Tomato Juice that’s great on its own but also would made a great Bloody Mary.
I heard about Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew, a non-alcoholic carbonated ginger beer with a Scotch Bonnet bite, so I stopped by and met award-winning mixologist and founder Karl Franz Williams. The brew is named after Williams’ grandfather and father, both named Waithley, but the recipe is all Williams’ creation, inspired by the flavors of the Caribbean. It’s gingery as expected but the Scotch Bonnet flavor makes it stand out as a ginger beer.
I found calm in the storm that is the Summer Fancy Food Show at the AyurSome Foods booth. Founder Divya introduced me to the products, all made (as the name implies) Ayervida tradition) including stress-me-not tea, calm-in-a-teacup, deconges tea, cup-it-cool tea, ccf (cumin, coriander, fennel) tea and the sofi Award-winning control sugar delete (don’t you love the names?) tea.
Divya told me that before she mixes each blend, she meditates, which I’m convinced helps infuse the teas with calm. It can’t hurt, for sure! I told her I might have to stop in more for some calm.
Here are some more surprises, booths that I visited spontaneously:
Chocolatea, a novel way to brew cacoa as you would tea. None of the blends are sweetened, though consumers may choose to add their own sweetener. The double dark chocolate dream is so good.
Mule Sauce hot sauce: No mules were harmed in the making of this vibrant hot sauce but yes, it does have a kick (get it?).
Savor Patisserie French macarons: They’re gluten free, made with almond powder and oh, so good. The actual product is the standard macaron size, but they were serving these teeny versions that were so cute (and delicious). I tasted the Salted Caramel. Tres bien.
In the Incubation Village, I was compelled to stop by the Hidden Foods Co., whose motto is “Hiding Healthy in Great Taste.” Mom and founder Kendra was making cute little pancakes from her mix, which you can make just by adding water. They’re so good, your kids won’t know they’re eating VEGETABLES for breakfast! (Parents will love them, too.)
The family who owns and runs Enzo’s of Arthur Avenue in the Bronx has also come out with its line of sauces for those who want to recreate the restaurant’s popular dishes at home. Made from all-natural ingredients, there are three flavors: Marinara, Vodka Sauce and Tomato Sauce. I loved the Marinara!
For more coverage of the Summer Fancy Food Show, keep reading Gourmet News.
San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition Entries Being Accepted
Entries are being accepted for the eighth annual San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition; Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavored Olive Oil entries from commercial producers in the State of California are eligible and olive oil must be made from producers’ most recent olive harvest. Deadline for entries is May 12.
“This competition continues to draw in the best olive oil producers from throughout California and grows a little each year. We are honored to shine a light on this craft – especially our local olive oil producers with the ‘Best of the Valley’ category,” said Lauri L. King, CEO of The Big Fresno Fair.
Participating producers must enter their harvest into one of two different classes: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavored Olive Oil. Competition categories in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil class include: Spanish Blends (arbequina, arbosana, etc.); Spanish Singles; Italian Blends (ascolano, etc.); Italian Singles; Other Blends (picholine, barouni, etc.); Other Singles. Competition categories in the Flavored Olive Oil class include: Citrus; Herbal (rosemary; basil, etc.); Pepper (chile, jalapeno, habanero, etc.); and Other Flavors (garlic, truffle etc.).
Awards will be given out for Gold and Silver medals in each category, as well as one overall “Best of Show” in both the Extra Virgin Olive Oil category, Flavored Oil category and the “Best of the Valley” award. Judging will be evaluated and scored as follows:
- Gold Medal: Awarded to an olive oil that demonstrates its type and/or varietal character, balance, structure and complexities to the highest standards. Gold Medals will be awarded to those oils receiving scores between 86 – 100 points.
- Silver Medal: Awarded to an olive oil reflecting the correct distribution of balance and character of its type or variety; an oil deemed to be well crafted and of excellent quality. Silver Medals will be awarded to those oils receiving scores between 76- 85.99 points.
- Best of Show: Awarded to an olive oil recognized to possess special characteristics of the highest quality overall. All Gold Medal winners are eligible to compete for Best of Show in their division.
- Best of the Valley: Awarded to the oil that scored the highest with the ranch or office located in the San Joaquin Valley. Medals will be awarded for both EVOO and flavored oils. (Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties eligible)
Producers may submit multiple entries under one category but may not submit a particular entry to more than one category. All entries must be available for commercial sale at the time of entry. Entries are due by May 12. Judging will be held on May 24 and winners will be announced on June 6 by 5 p.m.
Gold Medal, Best of the Valley and Best of Show winners will all have the opportunity to have a booth in the Agricultural Building on one day during the 2023 Big Fresno Fair where they can taste, display and sell their award-winning product. Additionally, educational information will be set up so that Fairgoers can learn more about the art of making olive oil, its health benefits and more.
Each submission must include an entry form, at least two 250 ml bottles of the olive oil with retail labels attached and a $60 non-refundable fee per entry. Each entry must also contain a third-party chemical analysis in order to verify extra virgin status. Entries can be dropped off at The Big Fresno Fair Administration Office or can be shipped to SJVOOC – The Big Fresno Fair, 1121 S. Chance Ave. Fresno, CA 93702 no later than 4:30 p.m. on May 12. Any entry delivered by mail, freight or express must be prepaid. The Administration Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for drop offs.
Last year, 69 entries from all throughout California were received. Below is a list of the Gold Medal and Best of Show winners. For a complete 2022 winners list, go to: www.FresnoFair.com/SJVOOC.
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Spud Art: Try a New Easter Activity, Painting Easter Potatoes
Families love their tried-and-true Easter traditions, but sometimes, you just need to scramble things up. This year, due in part to skyrocketing food prices, Potatoes USA reports that families are hopping on the newest trend and painting Easter potatoes.
You heard that right: 2023 is the year of the Easter potato.
As it turns out, there are lots of upsides to brushing up on your spud art. In addition to being an affordable, nutritious pantry staple, potatoes are an excellent canvas for family activities.
“As a mom of two kids, I’m constantly looking for new activities. The idea of painting potatoes made me laugh, but honestly, it’s really fun,” said Marisa Stein, director of marketing at Potatoes USA. “My kids loved experimenting with different designs. It was silly and a great way to spend time with my family.”
Across the internet, families are giving their best tips for family-friendly crafting, featuring everyone’s favorite vegetable. Some use edible paint and water-based food coloring to dye their potatoes and eat them, too. Artists can give potatoes a food coloring bath for a lighter color or paint the food coloring directly on the spud for a vibrant alternative.
Other families are using traditional paint from their local craft store or dollar store to paint fun decorative potatoes to showcase their artistic accomplishments. Like with carving pumpkins at Halloween, the potato’s long shelf-life makes it an excellent opportunity to display fun showpieces in a friendly painting contest.
For the best results, here are a few tips for your Picasso potato:
Cover your workspace with newspapers or plastic tablecloths so you can embrace the painting process without worrying about the cleanup.
Gloves are a great way to keep little hands clean from food dye or paint.
If you’re using food coloring, painting the food coloring on will result in the most vibrant color. If you don’t want the color to rub off, and you’re fine keeping the potatoes purely decorative, a coat of hairspray can seal the color and keep the dye from bleeding.
If you use regular paint, a white primer coat will make the colors pop!
Make sure the painted potatoes have fully dried before you move them.
For an extra activity, parents can cut the potatoes in half and carve them to make Easter stamps! Once the adults have carved the pattern, kids can paint the potato stamps and use their creations to make fun Easter-themed paintings on paper.
As an added bonus, potatoes are a great option for scavenger hunts in the backyard. The Easter Bunny doesn’t have to worry about hiding their spuds a little too well, since anything the tater hunters miss is biodegradable. (Just be sure to keep dogs away, as raw potatoes can make them sick.)
Parents are loving potatoes for their Easter activities this year due to their affordable price points and lack of prep work. Potatoes work best as an artistic medium in their natural state, so no boiling or set-up is needed to make them canvas ready. Plus, they’re tough against falls and drops for younger (and mess-prone) artists.
“I’m thrilled to see so many families hopping aboard this new trend,” said Bonnie Johnson, R.D., director of nutrition and industry relations, Potatoes USA. “As a dietitian, I love seeing families embrace vegetables in creative ways. Making potatoes a fun part of your holiday will help children learn to love the spud – and all its incredible nutritional benefits.”
In addition to their more creative side, potatoes also shine as a nutritious pantry staple. Research published in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that potatoes have the highest score per dollar on eight important nutrients including potassium, fiber, protein, vitamins C and E, calcium, iron and magnesium. Potatoes also have a longer shelf life than many fresh vegetables.
Be sure to visit PotatoGoodness.com to learn more about the many health benefits of potatoes and find some delicious spring recipes.
If your Easter bunny hops on the #easterpotatoes trend this year, send us your photos! Tag @PotatoGoodness on Facebook or Instagram.
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