There were many new things to write about at this year’s show, as well as lots of those tried-and-true features which I look for from years past.
A View of the Exhibit Floor
I once again found myself spending lots of time in the Italian pavilion. It’s the most passionately food-obsessed country at the show, and many of the exhibitors are delighted to share that enthusiasm. There were several chefs cooking on the floor, including at the booth of the Italian Trade Agency,
Italians on Film
La Gramigna products’ chefs cooking their excellent Ragu Bolognese,
Graphic Ragu
a chef from Pastificio Bacchini extolling his product,
The Chef Through the Hole
And Discoursing to His Audience
and the famous Italian chef Rosanna Di Michele at La Pasta di Camerino’s booth.
Rosanna Cooks
Assisted by Frederico Maccari
She had a very attractive assistant to help her serve, but I’m afraid he still couldn’t beat that Italian fox who comes every year to represent San Nicola Prosciutto.
The Fox of San Nicola
And so much more in the Italian Pavilion! Espresso machines,
Espresso Machine
Many wheels of Parmesan, many more haunches of ham, and some lovely gelato in the Buon Italia distributors pavilion.
Gelato!
There was chocolate there too, and so many other good things to try! But maybe the most eye-catching exhibit was the creche carved in the center of a Fiasconaro panettone.
The Creche in the Cake
So hard to extract myself from those food-loving hedonists! I performed a gradual Ital-ectomy by finding the Italian-adjacent booth of Rao’s Homemade. Frank Pellegrino Jr. proved just as ebullient as anyone from the old country. He signed a copy of his cookbook, Rao’s Classics, for me and offered me some samples from their cooking demo. The book is a history and collection of recipes from the legendary restaurant.
Rao’s Frank Pellegrino, Jr.
The German chefs were there, affable as ever, cooking up their specialties.
Jolly German Chefs
And at the Peru pavilion, a chef was being filmed as he cooked. Who was this handsome devil? He’s Emmanuel Piqueras, host and co-producer of “Sabor y Fusion,” a popular Peruvian cooking show on Latin America’s largest international cable network. No wonder he was so used to being on camera!
Chef Emmanuel Piqueras
Closer to home, the Oregon booth was hosting Janie Hibler, author of The Berry Bible. It’s full of excellent information about every variety of berry you can think of, and many you have never heard of. Really: blue honeysuckle berry, buffalo berry, jostaberry? Most of these obscure berries are not raised commercially, but used locally where they grow. There are some terrific recipes as well, savory as well as sweet.
She’s the Berries!
From Brooklyn (where else?) comes the Matzo Project, two millennials who have a modern take on an old staple. They have actually made the old, dry cracker tasty by reinventing it with new flavors (everything! chocolate buttercrunch!) and graphics that manage to just barely not upstage the product. Their mascot reminds me of my Aunt Shirley.
Ashley and Kevin. Kinahera!
And here’s a mini-trend: stroopwafels. These caramel-filled wafers, long imported from Europe, are now produced in Lancaster, PA, providing employment to new, resettling refugees. Tom Daly, the Daelmans rep, was not worried about the competition. I think the edge in taste went to the Stroopies product, but only because they were hot off the griddle.
The European Original
The New World Upstart
I can’t close without mentioning two moving attractions. The Moose, promoting Moose Munch, and his attractive female companion (lumberjackette?), and the SOFI Man, who looked a little uncomfortable covered in gilt, but was gamely posing next to the monumental version of himself.
The Moose Is In the House
SOFI Man
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Parties
