Food is Food

If I had to make a shopping list based on what I tried at the Winter 2015 Fancy Food Show, here is what I would recommend buying.


I thought I knew something about maple syrup, but now after talking to Dori Ross of Tonewood Maple I know so much more. Tonewood Maple has gotten some serious attention for their solid maple cube that you can shave to create maple sugar, but it was their single estate varietals of maple syrup that blew my mind. When processed separately (something that doesn’t happen everywhere) you get amazing differences in the flavor. Each bottle is labeled with the actual sugarbush it came from. Some are sweeter, others earthier or even a little spicy. They also make a maple cream, which is something I discovered in Canada. On the East Coast it’s fairly common, but I’ve never seen it out here. It’s a creamy spread made only from maple that you would swear has butter in it. It’s great on toast, pancakes or waffles. They also have a maple tree adoption program that gives you an opportunity to support small maple producers and sustainable farming practices, and bottles of four grades of syrup.

Blackberry Patch is now offering fruit ketchups. I tried the raspberry chipotle, blackberry and blueberry. These can also be used just like regular ketchup, but have a much more sophisticated flavor. They are tangy and you really taste the fruit. I would use them as a glaze on lamb, pork or even chicken. The company is owned and operated by two farmers and everything is made in small batches.

I’ve been a fan of Sonoma Syrup for ages. I particularly love the lavender simple syrup with sparkling wine. They also make my favorite vanilla extract and "crush", a combination of Tahitian and Madagascar beans. Their latest product is a mixer, the Olive Mary Mix, which is basically a bloody mary mix but with olive juice, from a dirty martini. It’s briny and spicy and combines the best of two great cocktails in one! 

Glossops is new simple syrup company and I particularly liked two of their flavors. One was Hibiscus Ginger and other was Smoked Sugar. These both scream to be used in cocktails. They are unusual and a bit exotic, but easy to love. 

I sang the praises of Mother In Law’s kimchi from them moment I tried their wares at the Fancy Food Show a few years ago. This year they are introducing gochujang which is a fermented chile sauce used in lots of Korean dishes. I have some in the refrigerator but I’ve never been a big fan. Until now. Mother In Law’s gochujang varieties in tangy, sesame, and garlic are out of this world! I could eat these "everything sauces" with a spoon. They aren’t sticky but smooth, luscious and robust. These will become your go-to Korean sauces. 

I’ve tried a lot of flavored hummus but none that impressed me as much as the organic ones from Hope Foods. They use high pressure processing which allows for 2-4 times the shelf life of other products and they use no preservatives. My favorite is their Thai Coconut Curry hummus, but I also really like the spicy avocado, kale pesto and jalapeño cilantro varieties. Each had just the right amount of kick. They also make some very good black lentil dips. I will be trying to recreate those at home.  

I tend to prefer plain Greek yogurt so I can add my own flavorings. But Fage does make some really good flavors. This year I tried their split cup with blood orange and also their fruyo blackberry lime which comes premixed. They were not too sweet and really bright. I really do like a bit of sour with something sweet.

Frutta Rustica is a brand of citrus preserves. There is orange, clementine and citrus medley (oranges, clementines and lemons). The orange is good, but the clementine and citrus medley are outstanding. These preserves are thicker with much more fruit than marmalade, up to 82% fruit, all gathered from within nine miles of the facility where it’s processed. All the preserves are made with only fruit and sugar, made within 24 hours of the fruit being picked from the trees in Calabria. The freshness  really shines through. Use it on toast or with cheese. 

I also discovered some very high quality and luscious French preserves from Lucien Georgelin imported by KL Foodways. The apricot is 65% fruit and the orange, lemon and grapefruit preserves is 55% fruit, both were outstanding. I cannot begin to tell you how fresh and bright these jams are. They come from Lot-et-Garonne, in Aquitaine and are made very traditionally in copper pots, in small batches. You can find them at Market Hall Foods. 

And another thing—KL Foodways is also bringing honest to goodness mustard oil into the US that is specifically for culinary use (it's also available at Market Hall Foods). If you’ve looked for it in the past you may know it has been nearly impossible to find. It’s a key ingredients in mostarda and also some Indian recipes. 

There are lots of different kinds of fermented food and drinks. One is kombucha, which is a fermented tea, usually combined with fresh fruit juice to make a healthful and tangy beverage. I noticed at least three exhibitors offering kombucha to enthusiastic crowds perhaps because a couple swigs of it is particularly refreshing after lots of sampling and tasting of rich food. Kombucha is a natural product and the flavor can vary greatly from one brand and one flavor to another. I like a balance of sweet and tangy. One brand I particularly liked was Health Ade. All their products are organic and made with local seasonal farmers market fruit. The flavors vary seasonally. I tried several flavors liked the pink lady apple and the pomegranate. 

Something new this year in addition to the kimchi and kraut, were some fantastic spicy pickles and sauces both of which I’d recommend. The pickles I liked were from Dan Fruin’s company Genuine Grub. Dan was born in Korea, but adopted by Irish and Irish German parents. He makes spicy crunchy pickled cabbage, radishes and cucumbers without a vinegar brine. They have a better crunch and fresher flavor than other pickles. While I love spicy flavors, he also has a mint and dill cucumber pickle that had plenty of flavor without any heat. 

I also enjoyed Cultured & Saucy products. They make raw fermented salsas, sauces and condiments that are juicy and fresh. Created by a sisters in Santa Barbara. I particularly liked the lemon, garlic, dill condiment. It had a pleasing sour tang and would be great as a base for a salad dressing or on fish. They also make their unique products in flavors like citrus ginger curry  and lime chile cilantro. Some of the products are called salsas, some chutney and another just “topper.” The names can be a bit confusing, these are all raw, fresh, fermented sauces that can be used in a variety of ways. Right now they are only available in Southern California. 

I wasn’t aware of the turmeric tea trend until I attended the show and saw it at practically every tea booth. Some tea companies have had a turmeric tea for a while and others were just introducing it. A top supplement, it has anti inflammatory properties and a mild somewhat earthy flavor. There are probably tons more out there, but these are the ones I noticed at the show. 

Numi introduced four all organic turmeric teas, Amber Sun with rooibos, honeybush, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla, Fields of Gold with chamomile and lemon myrtle, Golden Tonic with lemon verbena and lime and another Three Roots with ginger and licorice. The turmeric plays more of a background note, so the tea you like best will depend on the flavors. 

Choice Organic Teas makes Easy Digest, a tea with organic ginger, organic licorice root, organic lemongrass leaf, organic turmeric. 

Stash makes Gold Cup Chai which is an herbal tea with organic cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, orange peel, cardamom and clove. The main flavor here is really ginger. It’s nice as a ginger tea, but I didn’t get much of the other spices. 

Spicely Organics makes Sweet Turmeric with organic turmeric, organic ginger, organic pure vanilla powder, organic cinnamon true and organic stevia leaf. I particularly liked this drink, the warm ginger, vanilla and cinnamon were enhanced with a bit of sweet stevia. Sorry I don't have a photo of it.

The Republic of Tea has has turmeric teas in their line since 2010. They sell a biodynamic organic turmeric cinnamon tea, organic turmeric ginger green tea an a herbal blend called “Get Limber.”

Those are the ones I saw but it's possible there were even more...

Blame it on the low carb and paleo diets. Beef jerky is not just something you find at gas stations anymore! I couldn’t believe how many companies were exhibiting beef jerky. I also couldn’t believe how much of it was positively dreadful. Some was too chewy and tough, some was not chewy but dry and mealy like sawdust. But there were a few notable exceptions. The ones I found most tasty were the following three.

Epic is specifically geared towards the Paleo diet and uses grass fed and organic beef in mixes that include things like nuts, coconut, dried berries or apples. They also make savory bars that are combinations of meat, nuts and berries. They come in flavors including beef, habanero and cherry, turkey with almond and cranberry and lamb with currant and mint. These were surprisingly good, tender with good texture and a savory and sweet flavor that was odd but tasty. 

Field Trip makes classic beef jerky, but it’s the perfect texture and the flavors are bold but not overwhelming. It’s lower in sugar and sodium than a lot of other brands. It's all gluten free and was created by three partners who wanted a better quality product without msg, corn syrup, preservatives, nitrates or artificial ingredients. The quality shines through. 

Uncle Andy’s Jerky has the most unusual flavors including Bandito Loco’s Spicy Coffee Beef, Lumberjack Maple Bourbon Beef and Southern Gent Lemon Mint Beef. All the flavors were a big hit at the show and created a lot of buzz. Andy wants to keep the price affordable and is looking into different means of distribution. For now you can check out the location finder or purchase it online.