[Suzanne F]

If anyone will be there on Monday, March 1, between 1 and 5 pm, stop by booth 1575 (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs) and say hello! I believe we'll have cookies or some such.

[Wilfrid]

Ah, I was there today. Pretty busy. I have to admit, the Pat LaFrieda booth was grilling some very good steak.

[TaliesinNYC]

humm

I always miss out on these things

[nuxvomica]

Ah, I was there today. Pretty busy. I have to admit, the Pat LaFrieda booth was grilling some very good steak.

missed my seminar yesterday, huh?

[Wilfrid]

Your seminar or steak?

Actually, I missed all the seminars.

[Wilfrid]

A few photos here.



Expensive meat.

[Suzanne F]

Yes indeed, lots of meat there. Quite good, almost all* that I tasted, and quite a high proportion of the booths, given that the show seemed smaller than in past years. (I made almost three full passes through the whole thing between 10 am and 1 pm.) The usual number of cake and cookie and bread purveyors, none of whose wares I tasted. There was probably somewhat more alcohol than food overall in the Japan area, where I got to listen to Hiroko Shimbo propound on how miso is made, and what the differences are among versions of soy sauce. Very interesting to a nerd like me.

The NYS Dietitic Association had some gluten-free recipes for the taking; PM me if you'd like a copy. Or check Marlisa Brown's site, GlutenFreeEasy. I tasted one manufacturer's gluten-free pizza -- it was okay, if you like a cracker-type crust.

"Green" seems to be the trend for take-out packaging. Actually, some of the items were quite attractive. I did not check prices.

The wine expo was over. And it took a few hours until Manhattan Beer distributors was all set up and pouring. But Blue Point's Rasta Rye was available, so that made the wait bearable.

* The only real dud was some chicken bacon, which tasted like neither chicken nor bacon, and had an unpleasant piece of gristle pressed along with the muscle meat.

[splinky]

curious if joan's gluten free bakery from bellmore, long island was participating. i've been dying to try her stuff but the shipping charges are insane for a place that's a 20 minute drive away from me.

[Wilfrid]

Sounds like it might have been easier to get through the aisles yesterday. Sunday was slammed.

[TaliesinNYC]

well I'll try to attend the international food show thing this summer

though I've heard the ban on photography might be a little difficult to get around

[Suzanne F]

You mean Fancy Food? It certainly has a lot more bizarre stuff than this or the Hotel/Motel-Restaurant Show in the fall. Things like pieces of paper impregnated with spices that you lay your fish or poultry or meat on for a few minutes instead of actually mixing three things together and rubbing them on. Or skewers that supposedly impart flavor to whatever you stick on them. Gourmet-giftee-shoppee kind of stuff.

Although I do miss the Toad Sweat ice cream sauces, in flavors like Habanero-Orange.

[Wilfrid]

I did wonder what the rules on photography were at these shows, but while wondering I went ahead and took photographs.

[Suzanne F]

Considering that booth holders are forever taking pictures of their own, it must not be banned completely. But an attendee can't just go around taking photos, unless s/he is a member of the press (at least, that's the rule at the Fancy Food Show. Fear of stealing trade secrets, I suppose.

[TaliesinNYC]

One of my ex-es used to run a Hungarian spice shop on Second Avenue in the upper 70s/lower 80s.

The fancy food show was the bane of his existence.