29 July 2011

2011 FOOD SHOW AUCKLAND

I loved the Food Show this year. The big trend I noted for this year is definitely the arrival of ethnic ready-to-eat meals and accompanying products, all made here. Indian, Samoan, Azerbijani, Malaysian, Mexican, Lebanese, Russian, Korean, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Dutch, Lebanese, Visitors from Hawkes’ Bay and many, many more. Very diverse and very exciting!

I was kept really busy cooking. My big gig was this afternoon; a cooking demonstration in the Electrolux Celebrity Chef Theatre and I was really pleased to see so many friends and long-time readers attend. I love you all!

I also cooked on two exhibitors’ stands;

• I made some great salmon canapés with Regal Salmon cold smoked salmon, by spreading a little Mustardmakers’ Horseradish Mustard on each slice of salmon, and then rolling the slice around a sprig of watercress and a perfectly knife-peeled orange segment, secured with a toothpick. (As pictured above)

• On the Electrolux stand I demonstrated the induction cooktop. Brilliant. I have gas at home but this cooktop is way better! I want one. More heat faster, and lower heat than any gas ring or electric element. Safer and easier to clean.

And thanks to the many exhibitors who gave me the chance to showcase their products on the stage: the recipes and pics will be on the Foodshow website, soon. (LOOK OUT FOR THE MOST AMAZING BANANA TART EVER!)

• Sabato’s Salvagno olives
• All Good bananas
• Panetone’s wonderful flaky puff pastry
• Heilala vanilla syrup
• Collective Dairy’s Straight Up yogurt
• Eggs with the SPCA Blue Tick
• Village Press olive oil
• Freedom Farms’ pork fillet
• Regal Salmon hot smoked salmon
• Regal salmon caviar
• Mustardmakers chef’s mustard
• Mustardmakers organic honey
• Essential chicken stock
• Perfect Produce's sweet baby cos lettuces
• My Škoda Superb wagon (they don’t sponsor me but they should) which allowed me to get there safely, economically and on time)
• And the team backstage, esp Tim and Jim.

And my real finds of the show:

• Quina Fina tonic water * Lighthouse Gin to go with the tonic • Addmore elderflower soft drink • Ti Point Syrah wine • An extraordinary fig preserve from Taihiki Orchards in Waiuku.