Winter Fancy Food Show update 1/19

It was another busy day at the show today!

I stopped in at Torn Ranch (www.tornranch.com) (booth 737) to see what Rich had going on, and he showed me the newly reintroduced Mashuga Nuts line, with its brand new packaging. Right now the hot item at Torn Ranch is the Dark Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt.

I passed Bella Vita Bags (www.bellavitabags.com) (booth 559) and spotted this great little wine caddy (no pun intended), which would be perfect for a Father's Day gift of dad's favorite wine. Company owner Marisa China was also displaying a purse bag, a bag that would fit the bottle horizontally, with a cut-out handle for a fashionable way to give the gift of wine to a favorite diva.

I was making my way through the booths in the South Hall, and who should I see at the Magic Seasoning Blends (www.chefpaul.com) booth (3007) but Chef Paul Prudhomme himself. He was gracious enough to have his picture taken for a celebrity-studded Have We Caught Your Fancy edition. Look for his new Magic Shrimp Seasoning blend in our February issue's Made for the Grill feature. The other new Magic Seasoning Blend in the company's extensive lineup includes Magic Sweetie Blend, which is a blend of sugar and spices created to enhance anything from cereal to coffee or tea.


I stopped by the Gia Russa (www.giarussa.com) booth (4312) to see if I could sample the new sauces they were offering in conjunction with Mario Batali, and found a crowd clustered around the booth. Mario Batali was sitting there, in the booth! He was in the middle of a business discussion, so I decided I could be patient and meet him later this evening at the post-show event Gia Russa was sponsoring. My patience was rewarded because not only did I get to try the excellent new sauces, I also got to meet Mario himself! He was also kind enough to pose for a Have We Caught Your Fancy shot. Thanks, Mario!



Stay tuned, readers, I've got more to share with you!
Stephanie

Winter Fancy Food Show update 1/18

After a long, busy day at the Winter Fancy Food Show, I'm finally sitting, shoes off, feet up, reflecting on the day. Outside my hotel room window a budding street musician is playing a very soulful rendition of (I kid you not) the Godfather theme on his sax. My senses are still reeling from the shock of leaving behind a cold gray city with dangerously cold windchills of -30 and arriving in vivid, lively San Francisco, where the temperature is a steady, slightly cool mid-60s and people are outside to enjoy themselves -- not to hurry off to their next destination, hiding behind scarves and hats, head down, not caring when they bump into people as they bustle by.

The show itself had, according to many of the exhibitors I talked to, a surprisingly busy first day. While Joanne and I were getting ready in our booth, the pre-show buzz filled the air. The buzz raised to a tense peak when the voice over the loud speaker announced that it was 15 minutes till the show floor opened.

Once I was able to explore the floor, I came across a lot of new products and some companies I hadn't had the opportunity to talk with before. Here is a small sample of the things I found at the show today:

I stopped by the Stubb's (www.stubbsbbq.com) trailer (booth 529) to find artist Jason Baalman painting away inside -- with barbecue sauce! In celebration of the company's 40th year in business, they've decided to have a little fun with their products, creating artistic imagery of C.B. "Stubb" Stubblefield, the man behind the brand. Stop by for an autographed poster and to taste their two new sauces, Honey Pecan Bar-B-Q Sauce and Hickory Bourbon Bar-B-Q Sauce.

Saucy Mama Susie Barhyte, the culinary mind behind the Barhyte sauces (www.barhyte.com), mustards and other products, was in her booth (booth 272) with chef Paul Sturkey, and the duo was firing it up behind their counter, sampling the new lines of Saucy Mama products and Sturkey dressings. Dressings, sauces, marinades and mustards make up the line of products that bear labels depicting the saucy mama herself, and Sturkey dressings include a bottled version of the chef's house dressing and house dressing light, as well as an Herb Ranch and a Caesar.

For our first WFF show "Have We Caught Your Fancy," I found Molly Anderson and Amy Anderson-Rasmussen, owner and national sales director (respectively) of Blue Cattle Truck Trading Co. (www.bluecattletruck.com) (booth 273). I'm not going to lie -- the thing that caught my eye was how charming their booth was. Their products, displays and literature all depict a rustic, country brand, and the samples they offer of their baking mixes (cooked to a finished product, of course) only enhanced the brand experience. (In other words, they were tasty!)

I will be posting more later, so check back in for more updates! And if you're at the show, stop by and say hello! We're at booth 2408.

-Stephanie