by Patti Regehr

The second day of the Fancy Food Show brought some amazing products and oh my gosh some bad products too. I will not talk about the omg products because I am confident they won’t be picked up anywhere. Yes they were that bad.

Here are the products that stood out today.

Beverages

Hint, whose motto is “drink water not suguar”  showed off its cucumber water which pleased my palate.  I can imagine using this in a salad dressing or just drinking it.  The difference between this and just putting cucumbers in water is that it is instant and sometimes the cucumbers after a while get a little soggy.  This keeps it free of soggy cucumbers.

Hint flavored waters

Vin Jus is a refreshing non-alcoholic aperitif that really is crisp and tart.  Lately many of my friends are looking for non-alcoholic drinks that aren’t too sweet and that are refreshing. I would say this hits the spot.

Fizzy Lizzy also makes refreshing non-alcoholic beverages but would go in the category of a pop.

My favorite was grapefruit. I also had the grape.  I don’t usually like grape because it is too sweet but my nose first detected the grape and then my taste buds.  The grape wasn’t too sweet like the normal grape drinks.

Spices, gelato and best of show

Yesterday, as I was looking at a colleague’s press kit there was a strong smell of fennel.  It turned out that he stopped at the Pollen Ranch booth so, I went there on Monday.   The Fennel Pollen is so good. I also had the fennel pollen spice blend called Divine Desserts. This would be excellent on top of a salted dark chocolate caramel.  What I also liked about this booth was the enthusiasm of the staff.  I was curious where they got their fennel.  They pick it wild but make sure that it hasn’t been sprayed.

Gelateria Naia makes gelato but they use some of my favorite products.  The Numi (Tea company) Earl Grey gelato is their new product.  It was not over brewed or overpowering.  Naia actually went to Numi and checked out their teas and then came back with gelatos for the Numi staff to taste using their teas.

Naia gelato

Naia’s web page is very charming and informative.  The company name in Greek means flowing and it is also the name of one of the founder’s daughter that was born when the company was forming.    One thing that I have noticed is that I too have searched for a good gelato in California — not understanding why they were such a big deal until I went and had gelato in Italy.  Naia’s gelato has ended my search.  All of the flavors were excellent.

Best of Show so far:  California Caviar.  I tasted the caviar on Sunday and went back on Monday.
We will see what Tuesday brings.

Tags: Fancy Food Show, fizzy lizzy, naia, naia gelato, pollen ranch

by Larry Magid

This story first appeared on CNET News.com

Tcho, a San Fransisco-based chocolate company, gets its cocoa beans from farmers in Peru, Ghana, and other countries. Although many of the families there have been growing cocoa beans for generations, some have never actually tasted chocolate, much less the products made from their own crops. Aside from not being able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, they have no way to directly understand the relationship between their growing techniques and the final product.

Tcho has solved the problem by bringing the factory to the farm. Using what co-founder Louis Rossetto calls “appropriate technology,” the company sets up “flavor labs” on farms in the developing world using about $8,000 worth of equipment consisting of a Macintosh computer, an off-the-shelf-grinder, a roaster that uses a hair dryer as a heat source, and other equipment that enables farmers and technicians to turn raw beans into chocolate. That way the farmers can get a better sense of what their product will taste like to consumers. That process, according to Rossetto, helps the farmer know which beans to pick and how best to process them.

If Louis Rossetto’s name sounds familiar, some may remember him as co-founder of Wired Magazine. Also, Tcho was the subject of a CNET story, slideshow, and video in June 2009.

Larry spoke with Rossetto at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

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by Patti Regehr

Caramels made from goat’s milk

Sunday was the first day of 2010 Fancy Food Show.  What did I like?  I was impressed by Happy Goat which makes caramel out of goats milk and goat butter.  The caramel had a tang that goat’s milk added to the flavor.  If you want to make this yourself, check out Martha Stewart’s recipe for Goat Milk Caramel with Spirits.  I also liked the booth that showcased their truffles on popcorn.

Pressed caviar

Another taste sensation cane from California Caviar. The pressed caviar had the taste of caviar but not the texture –the best of both worlds.  California Caviar also had what they called  Bacon and Eggs. This caviar was infused with bacon — very tasty.

Some of my favorite tea companies weren’t  here this year and others had smaller booths. I will check on Monday to see if there are more vendors or if the economy has made companies just opt for smaller space.I love salads and especially liked samples from Summer Fresh, a Canadian company that makes and ships pre-packed salads, dips and snacks. Having said that, I still prefer to make my own salads or buy them locally.

Summer Fresh offers salads and dips

Tags: California caviar, Fancy Food Show, goats milk caramel, summer salads

by Patti Regehr

What stays true with the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco (January 17th, 18th, 19th) is that it is an epicurean and must I say a Hobbit-like delight.

Every year it is fun to taste new things, see what companies are still around and see new trends.   Two and three years ago, companies weren’t relying on their staff too much to show off their products.  I was a little disappointed that many “staffers” really didn’t know much about the product nor did they seem to care…It was just a job for them.  Last year was better.  Maybe it was the economy, or maybe something else,but more people staffing the booths not only worked for the company but also knew the product.

I am really looking forward to this year.  I will like to see how the economy is affecting the products.  Will being greener, cooking simply, locally, organically, and cheaply be the themes?  How about the Chocolate Bidding Wars that are going on will we see any posturing or melting?

Although, salt should be limited in consumption, the salt booths are an amazing taste bud delight.  This product really does make a difference in cooking if you want to get your taste buds going.  Things really do taste differently depending on what type of salt one uses.

Vinegars?  There aren’t many booths on this product…olive oils yes, vinegars no…but what does a really good vinegar taste like…and how many people know the difference?

Rice Vinegar is there at the show…but how about Apple Cider Vinegar or Balsamic vinegar.  That will be my search this year.

Teas- pretty booths, good presentation…the competition on teas is amazing.

What I want to taste and show my local grocery buyers:

• Non alcoholic beverages that are more savory than sweet
• Fast food:  soup, quick preparation packages that have taste but not as much salt/sugar
• Packaging….I would like to see packaging be less of and more environmentally sound.

Tags: Fancy Food Show

by Katherine Tumminaro
The Food and Exercise Junkie

Marathon Mishap:  The food and Exercise Junkie is humbled and has some advice for you about running so that you can learn from my mistakes!
For the last three months I have been training for a marathon. Because I know my joints are weak, I thought it would be a good idea to cross train 5 times a week on the ellipitcal. I started out huffing and puffing after running 30 minutes but with the help of the elliptical, in one month I was able to run 2 hours with no problems. So then I got overconfident and decided that if I could run 2 hours, only running once a week, then I could do 3 hours the next week, then 4 hours the week after that.  I thought I was a superstar. WRONG! It turns out you can strengthen your joints and if you try to increase your milege too rapidly, guess what…Your body retaliates. Even though I have been a competetive runner for 7 years, it is never too late to learn a valuable lesson. I now have what will become a stress fracture in my ankle if I keep running.
My dreams of running the Walt Disney World Marathon with two of my best friends from elementary school has been postponed. Here are some words of advice for people training for a marathon that don’t want to make the same mistake I did.

1. Buy yourself some appropriate running shoes. If you are a first time runner, you should go to a shop that specializes in running. The people who work in the store will watch your feet as you run to analyze your feet (over pronation, flat footed, narrow or wide feet, etc). The store clerk will then recommend a shoe that fits your foot and your running needs. Keep in mind that different brands are known for different things (trail running, racing, hiking, etc). New Balance offer really great support, for instance.  If you go to a store like Sports Basement, the store employees have to deal with so many different types of sports that they will most likely not be as knowledgeable about running in particular.
2. Replace your shoes about every 6 months. This is another mistake I made. Although I am very diligent about replacing my shoes, I decided to wear my mom’s 2 year old shoes for my 20 mile run. OOPS. Distance runners put a lot of mileage on their shoes and their shoes begin to break down and need to be replaced.
3. Start slow and only increase your mileage no more than 10% each week. This is where I also made a mistake. I decided to run 12 miles, then 16 and then 20. Although I felt fine at first, my bones could not properly adjust to the increased mileage and began to crack. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t be a hero. If you think you can do more, don’t. Maybe your muscles, brain and breathing can handle it, but your bones might not be able to!
4. Bring an iPod, a friend or a dog. This is mainly so that you stay sane and sane people can run longer without quitting.
5. Pace yourself but when you feel good, go for it! A big mistake that I see first time runners do is start running too fast and then quit after one mile. Go slow at first and slowly increase your speed if you feel up for it.
6. Don’t quit if you get tired during the first mile. Our bodies need time to warm up, treat the first mile as a warm up and as you keep running your body will adjust and you will feel the groove!
7. Stretch, stretch and stretch.
8. Drink water and a small meal of carbs and protein. Eat about 30 minutes or more before a run. One time I ate a can of chilly 5 minutes before a run. I was in pain and it wasn’t pretty, ask my running buddy  if you don’t believe me, she was MAD 
9. If you feel anything hurting for more than a couple days, STOP and go see a doctor, it could be something serious that can get worse with added pressure. If this is the case, switch to low-impact sports, such as swimming until you feel better.  I repeat, DON’T TRY TO BE A HERO.

Tags: stress fracture

by Katherine Tumminaro
The Food and Exercise Junkie
I am aware that this is a fitness and nutrition website and that I should really not be recomending french fries and sodium. That being said, I truely believe that the trick to a long-lasting diet is being able to live a balanced life-style and eat foods that really make you smile (but only once in a while). Something I have found to really help me with portion control is finding foods that are rich in flavor. Intensely flavored foods satisify me quickly and so I am less tempted to overeat. One intense seasoning that I have discovered is black truffle. The reason for my new found love is that black truffles leave me with a lingering after taste like a really good wine, olive oil or dark chocolate. There are two truffle flavored foods that have really made me happy.

Like the rest of America, I was really looking forward to a Thanksgiving feast at my in-laws. On the table were homemade gnocchi, turkey, green beans, Italian bacala and of course mash potatoes. However, the star of the show was an amazing truffle salt that created a party in my mouth. I drizzled it on mashed potatoes, on my turkey and on my green beans. The next day I sprinkled it on my salmon. This magic salt instantly turned any dish that I made into a delicacy. I loved this salt so much that I took a picture of it on my iPhone so that I could go home and order it myself. My father in law thought I was crazy, but I couldn’t get enough of this salt!

I later looked at my iPhone picture in order to do some research on where I could buy my own jar of happiness. I discovered that the flavor that I couldn’t get out of my mouth was Black Truffle Infused Sea Salt (Sale con Tatufo Nero). This black truffle infused Atlantic sea salt is from Italy and is sold by the truffle company named Tartuflanghe. A two ounce jar costs $23.99 on Amazon.com but is well worth the price because with a little pinch you can transform any meal and the jar will last for a few months if used sparingly. Now that I know who manufactures this salt, I plan on buying a few jars for myself.

The second truffle experience I had was in a little café called Café Brioche in Palo Alto. I went to Café Brioche with my husband for a romantic French date. We ordered the mussels and the lamb, but once again, I was memorized by the truffle. As a French fry lover (hence why I am also an exercise fanatic), I am always on the quest for the perfect fry. Almost every restaurant attempts to make French fries and thus you have to be especially interesting or unique in order to catch my eye. Café Brioche’s truffle oil French fries were DELICIOUS! They were cooked perfectly and full of flavor. I loved them so much that I had to go back the next week just for the fries. YELP gives Café Brioche 3.5 stars, which I agree with, because for French food you can really find more elegant places elsewhere. However, I give the truffle oil French fries 5 stars and will return to the restaurant just for them.

Until next time, the Food and Exercise Junkie

By Will Magid

There are many Yerba Mate companies to choose from, so why do I drink Guayaki?

I was first introduced to Guyakaki Yerba Mate at the artist hospitality section at the UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival. I was absolutely depleted from hours in the sun and desperately in need of a pick me up. I had never heard of Guayaki but had tried Mate’ and figured this could do the trick. I woke up quick—however it wasn’t the Mate that did it.

Passionate employees

It was rather the enthusiasm of a man named Don Miguel. Miguel is the Guayaki resident yerbe mate evangelist  and  the face of the drink at festivals around the world. He’s also one of the founders of Guakayi.  He eagerly told me not only which flavors I might like but also about the consumer driven reforestation program at Guayaki .

Consumer driven reforestation

It’s really a pretty simple process. Farmers in the Amazon of Paraguay often sell their land to tobacco farmers or lumber mills — the result is trees being cut down. Unlike tobacco, Mate Grows best under a canopy of trees, therefore when Mate sells, trees stay.

Flavors

Not too long ago my family and I were given a tour of the Guayaki headquarters . One of the most fascinating parts was seeing the “labs.” The guy that works in there is like the Willy Wonka of Mate flavors. They don’t carry Shnozberry but, The Pure Passion really tastes pure and excites your mind, the empowermint gives you energy and tastes like mint.. he list goes on.

Commitment

Let me tell you a quick story. A few years back Pepsi wanted to invest in a healthy alternative energy beverage, they gave a generous bid to Guayaki. Guayaki turned them down. Instead Honest Tea grabbed the bid and over night Honest Tea was available everywhere. The fact is, Pepsi might not mess with Honest Teas internal practices, but at the tip of a dime they could, and that’s not a chance the folk at Guayakai were willing to take.

By Patti Regehr

It’s the time of year where I start getting really excited. The Fancy Food Show is two weeks away. The holidays are over.  I have put away all of the lights and ornaments but haven’t put on any weight.

This year I have been preparing myself, not for the holidays that run throughout the months of November and December, but for the Winter Fancy Food Show.  I have been going to the gym, walking, and watching my diet.   I am ready.  I ate only one piece of Thanksgiving pie, 4 latkes during Hanukkah, no Christmas cookies, and only made three different kinds of candies.  Yes, I like my sweets.

If you haven’t gone to the Fancy Food Show…let me begin.

There is something for everyone who enjoys food.

I asked Katherine Tumminaro from Frumpkin Catering what she looks forward to and she said tasting the olive oils.  She, unlike me, doesn’t like sweets. The members of the Pangea Collective said they look forward to seeing new products from around the world and tasting beverages from Guayaki. I looked Guayaki up at the Fancy Food web page and Guayaki will be there again at booth number 1687.

I have tasted some amazing stuff at the Fancy Food Show:  fresh US grown wasabi, herbal snow (herbal sorbet), teas, cheeses and, of course, sweets.

I wonder what will be the new thing…I predict organic will be more mainstream.  Last year, or was the year before (I can’t remember) there was a booth with organic alcoholic beverages.

Organic Vodka and organic gin were offered to taste…and were so good.

As I am getting older I am looking for foods that are not only organic but low salt, low fat, and low price.  Why is it that the less that something has in it the more expensive it usually is?

The Winter Fancy Food Show is in San Francisco at the Moscone Center.

Show Days & Hours

Sunday, January 18: 10am – 5pm

Monday, January 19: 10am – 5pm

Tuesday, January 20: 10am – 4pm

What to bring:

1. Good walking shoes,

2. Good appetite

This year I am also bringing a notebook with a glue stick and a camera person.  I want to record and share with you the Fancy Food Show experience.

Tags: fancy food, gourmet, guayaki, organic

by Larry Magid

Larry at age 23

It’s January 1, 2009 and, like millions of people, I’m coming to grips with the fact that my investment portfolio is getting thinner and I’m getting fatter. Neither my finances nor my waistline are in critical shape but both need a bit of attention.

Actually I think there is a connection between the two. For a variety of reasons – including the economic meltdown –  2008 was a stressful year and when I’m under stress, I tend to eat too much and exercise too little.

This is not the first time I’ve come to this realization. I was chubby as a child and obese as a young man. When I was 24 I got on the scale and realized I was 80 pounds overweight. I lost that 80 pounds and, over the next three and a half decades see-sawed between 155 and 200 pounds several times. The last time I did a big weight loss program was in 2001 when I went from 200 to 150, part of it under the supervision of a dietitian.

I actually don’t know how much I weigh right now — I haven’t been on the scale in weeks and I didn’t want to start the year out with bad news, but I’m guessing it’s about 180 pounds. I’d be happy to be 165 and even happier if I weighed 160. So, this is not an insurmountable goal.

While there’s nothing new about my starting a diet and increasing my exercise routine, this is the first time I’ve joined the crowd by starting on January 1st.

One of the things that complicate my start date is that in four days I fly to Las Vegas where I’ll spend 5 days at the Consumer Electronics Show. This is never a good time or place to watch one’s weight. In addition to the stress of eating on the run, there are nightly parties where wine, beer and exotic drinks flow and plenty of food is served. The finger food one picks up at parties can be especially devastating because it’s easy to lose control of how much you’re eating as you graze from table to another.

The other thing about starting a weight loss plan is that it seems overwhelming. Even 15 to 20 pounds is a long-term goal. Experts say it’s best to lose no more than one or two pounds a week and after an initial weight loss you typically hit a plateau so, on average, it’s likely I’ll lose less than a pound a week. Also, as one ages, weight loss gets harder so I know I’m looking at least three to six months before all the weight is off and of course that’s only if I stick to the program. I have to admit, I’ve been here before and have fallen off the wagon before.

So, here’s a plan. One thing I do know about adapting to a healthy eating and exercise routine is that you feel the results long before you see them in the mirror. Even after only one day of eating lightly, you wake up in the morning feeling less full than you did the day before. After three days, you feel considerably better and you are likely to have lost two or three pounds of “water weight.” I realize that the initial weight loss is not from burning off three or so pounds of fat and I also realize that it can come back as quickly as you lost it, but it feels good and if you let yourself enjoy that feeling it can be a motivating factor. The key is to take in how you feel when you get up those first few mornings and realize that if you stick with the plan you’re going to feel even better as time goes on.

Personally, I do like to step on the scale daily when I’m losing weight but I also know not to take daily variations too seriously. Your weight can change just based on water retention and if you do fluctuate by a pound or more, it’s clear that it is not body fat that’s making the difference (a pound of body fat = 3,500 calories and it’s not likely that you would add or detract nearly that many calories a day from the number of calories you need to stay at your current weight).

OK, enough writing. It’s a gray day in Silicon Valley but it’s not raining so I’m going to go for a hike. Nothing strenuous, just enough to get the year started in a positive way.

Tags: diet, exercise, fitness, weightloss

An article at RealAge.com argues that greens, including broccoli, helps control blood sugar thanks to a compound calls sulforaphane.

The article explains how chornically high blood sugar can damage organs and how “adding sulforaphane to a mix of blood vessel cells and glucose cut oxidation (read damage) by as much as 73 percent.” Of course more research is needed to see if it actually makes humans healthier but — given that we already know that broccoli is good for us, we may as well add it to our diets.

Tags: antioxident, broccoli, sulforaphane