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THE FANCY FOOD SHOW – THE UNIQUE, THE BOOZY, AND THE FAMOUS

I just came back from San Francisco, where I have attended The Fancy Food Show’s Winter Event at the Moscone Center. It is a three-day affair and you better be prepared to get callouses on your feet and rumbling in your digestive system if you want to see and taste the most products. I also had some fun at the Summer Event in New York City, so I was attempting to compare the two events.

Some obvious difference hit me nearly immediately following entering the Exhibit Halls:

Exhibitors in this event (SF) appeared to be more generous
The tasting pieces were larger as compared to the bites in the Summer Event
More companies offered to taste their products.
More “boozy” products were presented, so you could get drunk if you so desired.

Talking about alcohol, I must admit I tasted a few things myself, but mainly because of their uniqueness and health promoting qualities (believe that and believe in Santa Clause). My first visit took me to a company named “The Gingerpeople”; I truly like ginger and where else could I find so many products with the main ingredient being ginger. Aside from that I saw that they won the coveted Sofi Award for some of their sauces; not to mention all the other awards they collected over a 10-year period while presenting their innovative products in these events. I was curious to taste these winners. While I have enjoyed myself at their counter, they informed me that at 3 pm they will be conducting a “happy ginger hour”, using their Ginger GizerR and Ginger SootherR as the base. I immediately setup my cell phone to buzz me at 2:45 pm.

Upon arriving to their booth, they started to serve us nearly immediately, despite the fact that there were no other customers. First I tasted the “Gingerita”, which, as its name implies contained Tequila, but based on the taste, not more than a few droplets; then I moved to “Gingerini” (supposedly with Vodka) that had a very similar feel and flavor. To be fair, both drinks were refreshing and quite tasty, not to mention healthy, but I could drive safely following pouring down a couple of these.

They provide all kind of recipes in their handouts, as well as on their website, so I thought to present here a sample mix (a slight variation from the “Gingerpeople’s”)

Meyer GingeritaR (copyright by CAF.com)

Ingredients
3 oz Ginger GizerR (contains: 3 distinctive ginger ingredients)
1 1/2 oz Tequila (preferably Marquez de Valencia Tequila Reposado)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Freshly squeezed Meyer Lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
1/2 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice (about nearly 1 lime)
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground ginger mixed with the zest of one Meyer Lemon (1/2 oz fresh ginger)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Meyer Lemon wedge for garnish

CAF’s Mixing Method

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Tequila, freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Grand Marnier. Shake vigorously for a full 2 minutes. On a separate plate mix the freshly ground ginger, the zest of the Meyer lemon and 1/4 teaspoons salt. Moisten the rim of he margarita glass with the Ginger GizerR and dip the rim of the glass into the ginger/lemon/salt mixture. Pour the Ginger GizerR into the cocktail shaker and stir it (DO NOT SHAKE IT AT THIS TIME). Fill the glass with the drink, garnish it with a Meyer lemon wedge and CHEERS to your health! (Note: you can serve it on ice or straight up, depending on your personal preference).

I was looking forward to tasting as many things as possible during the 2-days I planned to stay, but even with the extension of my stay to 3 days, it was an impossible task. In addition, I made a most unfortunate error by not preparing my press ID and as a result I could not enter with my camera. I will try to be very descriptive in these posts that cover this fabulous event, even dough I know that no writing can replace the “pictures worth a 1000 words”.

Another ginger place I liked, called Fever-Tree, from London. They create refreshing carbonated drinks without any artificial sweeteners; I tasted the Ginger Beer and the Ginger Ale. Both were absolutely delightful and tasted nothing like the Ginger Ale I know from Canada Dry. I think we should all look for them at WholeFoods or the Food Emporium.

The largest crowd was seen at around the booth of the Charm City Cakes (Ace of Cakes show on FoodNetwork), particularly, when Duff Goldman, the owner of the place arrived. Camera, flashlights and hooplas…….People were standing in long lines to get his “chicken scratch” on a piece of paper (or a fondant?); but seriously, he appears to be a personable, friendly guy, just as you see him on his show (if you did) and his employees were trying to answer as many questions as they could in between cutting colorful fondants into all kinds of shapes and sizes for one of their fun cake creations. This is the last season of the show – they will be missed.

Stay tuned for part 2.

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CHOCOLATES YOU MUST KNOW – TOP TEN CHOCOLATIERS

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Recchiuti Chocolate Samples

INTRODUCING THE SEVENTH CHOCOLATIER:

RECCHIUTI, SAN FRANCISCO

The Artisan:

The Bay Area is the epicenter of great artisanal chocolate products. Michael Recchiuti is one of the top masters of the trade and his chocolates are a true works of art. He has a production facility in the southeastern section of San Francisco, and a successful, high profile shop in the Ferry Building.

The Chocolates:

The truffles and bonbons contain a perfectly smooth and silky-textured ganache with intense flavors and elegant presentation. We highly recommend that you do not miss out on this one if and when you are visiting the San Francisco area; however, if you can’t get there personally, you can make your order online and enjoy the entire box upon its arrival to your home. I can’t imagine a more elegant and extravagant gift than these delicate and perfectly balanced chocolate creations.

Michael Recchiuti produces a sublime Champagne Truffle with 2001 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine and a delicate touch of powdered sugar, which is a must – and you will never buy truffles from anyone else. His crunchy sesame nougat is another stunner with its earthy depth, and addictive texture that lingers in one’s mouth for eternity. The Tarragon Grapefruit is a leap of faith into the unknown, but every bite is a reaffirmation of Recchiuti’s extraordinary talent. The Fleur de Sel (salted with French sea salt) contains a pleasantly chewy burnt caramel coated with dark chocolate; the flavors are nicely balanced and the burnt caramel is one of the best we have ever tasted (and we tasted plenty). In fact, we can honestly declare that Michael Recchiuti should be imitated by anyone that wants to create the perfect burnt caramel (not to mention, he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the World’s Best Burnt Caramel Producer)

Lemon Verbena is an extra-bitter, dark chocolate ganache with a bright and clear taste of Lemon Verbena, coated in dark chocolate with a beautiful white leaf pattern adorning the top surface. The chocolate is rich and refreshing at the same time. The Force Noir is made with extra-bitter chocolate ganache infused with whole vanilla bean. It is absolutely out-of-this-world; the extra-bitter chocolate gives a pure, clean, intense chocolate experience and the vanilla bean adds that sweetness you need to balance the bitterness. I cannot complete this review without mentioning the Piedmont Hazelnut chocolate. It is a beautiful piece with silky, buttery texture of the gianduja ganache complemented with the light crunchiness of the Piedmont hazelnut (the best in the world). We also ordered their Dragee Sampler which comes with Burnt Caramel Almonds, Hazelnuts, Peanut Butter Pearls, and Cherries Two Ways – WOW! Talking about indulging.

I own a copy of Michael’s book: “Chocolate Obsession” and I am glad I do. At first, I hesitated to purchase it because, being a chocolate snob, I decided that I had enough training; I do not need another book to tell me how to temper chocolate. I was surprised, however, that despite my resistance, I still learned a few things or two from his book; not to mention the experimentation of creating some his recipes was truly events to remember. Although I do not reproduce his creations in my repertoire (I do not think it would be fair), some of his techniques assisted me in developing my own master pieces.

The book primarily discusses the simple forms of chocolates (i.e. truffles, dipped and moulded chocolates), for the home maker, but I was delighted that he included his signature creation: the s’mores. In general, what I liked most about Michael’s book is the tone of his writing. When you reading the recipes, or the stories attached to it, you feel as if an old friend wants to share his knowledge with you in the most intimate manner possible. Anyone interested to learn and experiment in working with chocolates should own a copy. Moreover, it is a great conversation opener when placed on your coffee table in the family room.

How to Order:

One can always order online: http://www.recchiuti.com. Recchiuti’s elegant signature is also evident on his website. Every box is appealing and every chocolate is described in the most tempting manner. They are listing their gift boxes, as well as their individual bonbons, from which you an create your own personalized candy box. They also sell sauces (see above the writeup about their burnt caramel); and chocolate bars (We will review the bars in another upcoming post).

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