Fancy Food Show

Sunday was the day for the express trip to NYC for the Fancy Food Show. I met Jeff at the Javits and visited with Olio2go's current vendors and had the chance to meet many prospective producers in the world of fine extra virgin Italian Olive Oil. We had a wonderful tasting of four very nice DOP oils from the in the Tuscany area with Carlo Badaili of the Camera di Commercio of Firenze.

Efisio Farris from Gourmet Sardinia shared with us the galleys of his new book, Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey, to be published in October by Rizzoli. We enjoyed fine tastings of Saba, Mosto d'Uva, a grape must reduction, and honeys. I can't wait to try Saba or Mosto d'Uva in a vinaigrette. We'll add the book to our product line as well.

At Italian Products we tasted the new Merlano DOP from Tenuta di Ferento and placed an order as the 2006 Harvest was a very limited production, with the new certification. We had the pleasure of meeting Natalia Ravida representing her family's extra virgin olive oil from Sicily. We look forward to her new cookbook, Seasons of Sicily.

Camille and Carl Jurgensen, suppliers for many of our organic products, and I shared tips on our favorite books. I recommended The Reluctant Tuscan, and one of their favorites we all shared is Too Much Tuscan Sun. Of course, we all have enjoyed Donna Leon's mysteries set in Venice.

We had a lovely time with the representatives of Domodimonti, and we soon expect to have their Francesco Bellini extra virgin olive oil from Marche in stock. They produce lovely wine as well, but alas, we don't carry wine!

Only bottled water seemed to be in short supply at the show. All of my favorite foods were there. Pecorino, speck, prosciutto, salami, Grada Padano DOP, truffles!

One domestic tidbit....I'm trying to find out the label of the Extra Virgin olive oil served in Google's staff cafeterias. It is a fruttato, first cold press...but that's all I know. Any tipsters in the know?