Gems from the Fancy Food show San Francisco

I was working this trip so I didn't taste the whole show like I managed to do in NY. There could be some wonderful products I missed, but I doubt it. The biggest shame of the show were the Natural and Organic products. More and more small manufacturers are managing to take good ingredients and muck them so that they are creating unhealthy (Organic) junk food. Most of it doesn't even taste good.

The new lie is NO ADDED SUGAR, and all the drinks that taste like syrup proclaim it. Of course when you read the ingredients they have apple, pear, grape, and reduced cane JUICE, which all technically are juice but they add so much sugary sweetness to something that should be a bit tart like lemonade that they render their drinks undrinkable. There were so many painfully sweet juice and soda products in the natural and organic section...it was disgusting. When the makers would ask me what I thought I told them they ought to be ashamed of themselves for making such garbage. Hey, they asked.

Let's get to the good stuff. Slap Yo Mama tops my list for several reasons. One, it does not have another chef's name on it. I can't very well walk into a party with an Emeril or Prudhomme blend of seasoning, even if they were good. Two, these are very good. The White Pepper is my favorite, it passed the chicken, fish and popcorn tests. If I am using a spice blend, I want to taste spice, not just salt. You try the white pepper and you taste the white pepper, the hot is hot, but not burning, just nice.

The name is fun, the seasoning is good. They have great web prices if your local market does not carry it. Visit Slap Ya Mama and you will be making catfish that does your Mama proud.
If any of you are aware of how important Omega 3 is to heart health you know the importance of flax in the diet. Premium Gold is some of the best flax I've had. They cold-mill so the ground flax (flour) contains all the important oil and is finely ground enough for use in smoothies. I made some really good pizza crust with this, some whole grain rye and a touch of whole wheat flour. It was crisp, nutty and very healthy. Ask for it in your local store, but there is always the net, visit Premimum Gold for all of their products.

I have to give another shout out to Club Sauce for their Shiro, Pomegranate, Sake reduction sauce. They are very cautious with the sugar making the sauces good for sweet or savory dishes. This one I used in a Salad dressing for a salad of fruit and lettuces. I am reeling from the goodness of it. These are a great investment for your pantry.