Flavors in Love

Despite my intense love of food, I would never consider myself a “glutton,”.  However there are 3 days a year when I truly allow myself to behave like one.  Those are the daysof the annual  ”Fancy Food Show” at the Jacob Javitz Center in  New York City. This year it was…June 28, 29^th and 30^th.

Holy mackerel-snapper-chocolate-coffee-cheese…I love the Fancy Food show!

I love the Fancy Food show not only because I get to eat unlimited small tastes of the finest and most delicious variety of foods, all in one building, but also because I love to check out the new trends of the year in food.  What’s hot?  What’s new?  What’s creative? What’s bizarre?  What works, and what missed the mark?

Here is my take:

My Prize for the strangest new product this year….(drum roll please!)

BLACK GARLIC

No additives or preservatives.. it’s aged for a month in a special fermentation process under high heat where it develops its darker color, softer texture and sweeter taste.  It looks bizarre…kind of like tar (that doesn’t sound very appetizing) but I tried it tonight on my roast chicken.  I combined it with olive oil and a Mexican spice mix and rubbed the mixture under the skin of the breast meat.

It had a smoky taste and was aromatic, sweet and delicious.  Apparently black garlic is loaded with twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic; and it contains a compound: S Allycysteine, which is a natural compound proven to be a factor in cancer prevention.  No bad breath either!  Who would have thought?

My Prize for the most Ubiquitous Ingredient of the Year:

CHOCOLATE!!!! (my favorite!)

Chocolate is in everything these days…especially organic chocolate, mixed with sometimes unique, sometimes very bizarre ingredients. There was Red Chili Hot Chocolate, Chili Pepper Chocolate Wafers and Chocolate Strawberry Tea.  The food show hosted chocolates from all over the world and of every origin and for a chocolate lover, it was close to heaven.

One of my favorites was the new Double Dark Chocolate Mate by The Republic of Tea.  South American, organic, roasted Yerba Mate blended with organic dark chocolate.  The tea has distinct chocolate overtones and is very rich and satisfying.

Another chocolate highlight was Anna Shea Chocolates.  These chocolates are so beautiful…works of art even…like jewels to savor. She makes 38 different flavors and all are hand crafted bon bons.

Combining the finest ingredients with the highest quality Swiss Couverture.
www.annasheachocolates.com

My Prize for the New Fad of 2008-2009….

WATER!

Yep!  Water.  But not just any kind of water.  FLAVORED water.  Naturally flavored, sugar free water is a rapidly expanding business these days. Actually, it’s probably one of the more successful businesses in the world at the moment.. Who could have imagined years ago that we would be paying money to drink nature’s most natural and most abundant resource?

The new ones I loved are called Ganic Waters and are enhanced with natural extracts and aromas.  Cranberry, Pearl, Smooth Ginger, Citric Lemongrass and Merry Cherry.. Sugar free. Now that’s the way to stay quenched—all naturally.

My Prize for Biggest Food Word of the Year

BIODYNAMIC

I didn’t even know what this meant until the food show and it was used very often throughout the show.  Biodynamic means “Beyond Organic.”  Wow…who thinks of these things?

For example a Biodynamic Tea would be grown and processed according to the highest sustainable agricultural and environmental canons, exceeding the standards of the U.S. National Organic Program.  Organic on steriods is another way to put it.

Check out Zhena’s Biodynamic Gypsy Tea

www.GypsyTea.com

Other highlights and fads include antioxidants, acai berry, salt, pestos and olives.

Just like chocolate, antioxidants are in everything this year.  And so is Acai Berry.  The Republic of Tea has a whole new line of superberry antioxidant teas for Women’s Health. Flavors are: Wholeberry, pomberry, cocoaberry, acaiberry and cherryberry.

Salt is also huge this year.. a continuing trend of the last few years.

Check out this photo of.. HimalaSalt.. the purest salt on earth.

I loved this display.

www.HimalaSalt.com

The company LeGrand also was a highlight for me. Check them out here at www.maisonlegrand.com.  Their pestos are so fresh and they are a leader in the production of cold-processed sauces all packaged in a plastic pouch.  My favorites were the 4 nuts and cheese pesto, the lemon confit, the pumpkin seed aromatic sauce and the spicy olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade… many different tastes and textures and all so fresh tasting.. especially for a packaged food product.

I would love to have them in my fridge to serve with fish or simply to use for an easy spread for company.

And then of course, let’s not forget the olives.

I adore olives and I have never seen so many kinds in one place.  Although there are so many olive importers, I loved FoodMatch Inc.  They specialize in olives and antipasti from the Mediterranean. www.foodmatch.com

“Except the vine, there is no plant which bears a fruit as great importance as the olive”

-Pliny (AD 12-79).  Still holds true today.  The olive is still considered one of natures most perfect creations and there is nothing quite as satisfying to the soul and senses as a welcoming bowl of olives.

To be honest, there was so much incredible food at this show that I could write forever on it.  However, after a hearty stomach ache…I would go back again tomorrow and do it all over again.. but alas, I have to wait for an entire year to pass before the Fancy Food Show comes back to NYC.

If you are a New Yorker…then you know how long it takes for spring
to REALLY arrive.  Too often on the east coast we get tastes or hints of spring days in late March and early April, only to be followed by more snow, and more cold.  However, this past weekend, I feel that spring REALLY arrived and my New York world started smiling again after a long winter, and many false starts to the much awaited spring.

As we all know, pollen is not the only thing in the spring air…and with the cherry blossoms, spring dresses, muscle tee shirts and crocus comes a rejuvenated spring bloom of aliveness amongst the minds and hearts of all New Yorkers.  AND, for the food lover, that aliveness is coupled by an excitement for Spring Vegetables!

When I don’t know exactly what I want to cook, I use the grocery store for inspiration.  This past Sunday was such an occasion, and although I knew I wanted the meal to have the pinks and greens colors of spring, I wasn’t sure exactly what it would be.  However, as I was perusing the Whole Foods isles I came across some very good looking ”fat leeks” as they are called.  They made me think about one of the best meals I had in Paris last year as we started that meal off with a leeks vinagrette.  I also found some fresh beets and put together a very simple dish of roasted beets and  leeks vinaigrette. I seriously can’t believe I don’t make this more often…it is so good and so so simple.  Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and when you roast them, they get even sweeter.  Add the tartness of the vinaigrette to the leeks which get soft and soak up all the juices, and you have yourself a perfect spring side dish or first course that virtually anybody can make.  Plus, the colors are sensational too

In addition to this perfect first course, I also found some fava beans at Gourmet Garage.  I was excited because fava beans and fresh Pecorino is a typical combination found in Italy in the spring and thus, inspired me to make my first fava bean spread of the season…one of my best recipes. It’s really an appetizer, very similar to pesto as it’s a puree made with basil, mint, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and garlic.  I have been making this fava bean spread for years and I serve it with some toasted or grilled sour dough bread brushed with a little olive oil.  This is always on of the first things that friends and family ask me to make when they visit and with a refreshing  glass of Italian Pinot Grigio, it makes another perfect spring appetizer .  And what a gorgeous spring color!!!

Here are the recipes:

• Hello there!  My name is Pamela Morgan and I am in love with food and just about everything that entails.  Welcome to my blog “flavorsinlove.com.”  If you are like me, then you are always thinking about your next meal.   It could be because you are trying out a new recipe that you created, or maybe one that you found in a new cookbook that you are excited about.  Or, you are trying a brand new restaurant, or an old favorite. Either, way, if you are like me, you are looking forward to whatever tastes and sensations the “joy of eating” as I like to call it, holds in store. 

                          A quick bit about me. I am a NYC based chef, party planner, chocolate distributor and food consultant and I am blessed to live a dream life…filled with adventure, travel and of course,   different kinds of foods from all over the world…I love to entertain friends and family and do all things food related. I began my culinary journey many years ago when I took my first cooking class in a small French restaurant in the Village in NYC. I had moved to NYC to become a dancer/ actress and then after that first cooking class, I changed the whole direction of my life. 

                        After my initial love affair began with food, I worked for Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso for many years at the renowned Silver Palate, and then opened my own catering business, Pamela Morgans’ Flavors. In 1994, I opened Flavors Catering and Carry-out.. the first gourmet organic salad bar in New York. I had my catering kitchen in the back of the store and my clients included names ranging from Martha Stewart to former President Clinton.  I designed events for ten to well over a thousand people and worked with corporations, private individuals and charities.

                       Then I wrote a cookbook, “Pamela Morgan’s Flavors” that was published by Viking in 1998.  This was probably one of the most exciting and challenging things I have ever done in my life. I was working full time with 35 employees and parties every night  testing recipes every week and raising a child.  Life was full and hectic.

• Cooking is one thing, but putting it all on paper so that other people can be successful at it is another. I wanted to help other people fall in love with cooking the way that I had. I felt that if I could successfully convey my love for cooking on paper, then I could help any home cook boost their creativity, their joy, and their interest in the art that is cooking and entertaining!!

•                     And….THAT’s what this blog is all about.  The internet is so amazing…I am still getting used to it and trying to comprehend it’s ability to reach people all over the world in mili-seconds.  With my cookbook, I really wanted to help people in both their ability to appreciate food and cook it themselves.  Now, with this blog, I feel like I have an even better platform to do it with  because it is an ongoing thing.  Needless to say, I’m very excited. 

                    This blog will function as a forum so to speak…for all those like me who love food, want to appreciate and read about food, and want to experiment with my recipes, both new and old as I am always thinking about new ways of doing things.. (…sometimes it works…sometimes it doesn’t)  I will also have a list of “Happenings” as I like to call them:  updates on the food world, reviews of new restaurants, conversations with New York City’s top chefs…and on and on.  Also, be sure to check out the “Chocolate Diaries”where I will be discussing all things chocolate, as well as the health benefits and also the money making possibilities of my favorite new healthy chocolate…(that’s right…healthy chocolate) “Xocai.”  So…let’s dive in shall we?