You may have heard that the bi-annual Fancy Food Show is in town, which is the country's largest specialty foods conference, attracting more than 40,000 international visitors. I've been once before and was mesmerized as well as befuddled by the whole thing. The overall experience is pretty amazing, and gets better with each year, as new specialty foods vendors join and showcase some of the most inventive, interesting and ever so unusual products (i.e. even funky food fashion was exhibited - see ice cream pants above)
This year's show had special meaning to me, as I was so proud of our dear Astoria bringin' down the house by having a nice presence at the Cooking Channel Theater on Level 1.
Bear Restaurant Demo:
It was awesome to see Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky of Bear Restaurant today rockin' it out with her bad self, as she showed the curious foodie audience just how to construct a sophisticated and comforting Russian-style feast. Meg joined me for the demo as well, and we enjoyed learning about the way a traditional borscht is constructed, as well as the true meaning of Russian zakuski.
Doing an absolutely tremendous job, we were proud of Chef Natasha's accomplishments, as she presented with confidence and her quintessential easy going style. It was awesome to see a strong female chef representing for our neck of the woods, and I sincerely hope it continues to raise our profile as a culinary neighborhood, as well as to pique people's curiosity about Bear.
More Astoria Action:
If you're still planning on attending the show tomorrow, don't miss another awesome Astoria representation from Chef Youngsun Lee of The Queens Kickshaw. He'll be demoing a signature Kickshaw dish tomorrow at the Cooking Channel demo theater at 11:00 a.m. For a quick find, look for the NY aisle (aka aisle 4,600) on Level 1.
Go Astoria...R-E-P-R-E-S-E-N-T!
Well...ladies and gents, the time has finally come for Koliba to have its time in the spotlight. You may recall that a few months ago, my parents and I visited our favorite Slovak restaurant for the taping of a Cooking Channel show, hosted by Aarti Sequeira. Well...I'm happy to announce that the program is finally going to air tomorrow on the Cooking Channel and it's called Hidden Eats.
Aside from Koliba, the program will also feature an Uzbekian-Korean restaurant in Brighton Beach and a gourmet sandwich shop in Charleston, SC, which both sound really promising. If you remember correctly, my parents and I were interviewed by Aarti herself, so we expect a little cameo. While I won't hold my breath, I remain hopeful. Please tune in if you have time, and let me know what you thought.
Hidden Eats, hosted by Aarti Sequeira
6/24 at 8 p.m. EST
The Cooking Channel
As promised, I wanted to now bring you the second part of my experience during the Food Film Festival. This entry will actually cover two days of the event including the Edible Adventure #001: Smokes, Ears and Ice Cream at Water Taxi Beach in LIC and the World's First Truck Drive-In Movie at the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Both events were a lot of fun and pretty unique in the type of food they featured as well as the films they showcased.
Edible Adventure #001: Smokes, Ears and Ice Cream
Atmosphere:
Just like last year, the event at Water Taxi Beach took place in the evening, right before sunset. The vibe was chill, with most people walking around barefoot in the sand, sitting, chatting with friends, drinking beer and getting excited for the feature food films.
A couple of the foods from the films were previewed before the films actually started, but it was a complete mob scene, as all the food was free. The minute that the food trays left the kitchen, people swarmed at them like vultures and seemed to actually collapse on the tray, gnawing for each, small bite. I tried to engage in this barbarian tactic too but was highly unsuccessful, laughing at myself and my failed efforts. So in the end, I did what all respectable food bloggers would've done...I used my connections to get some grub (no barbarism needed). It totally worked and I scarfed down coriander bacon, a pig's ear sandwich and a smoked meat sandwich from Fatty 'Cue.
Food:
Coriander Bacon - Yum, this was the first item I tasted and it was mighty smoky and delicious. Although it was far from lean (made out of pork belly), it had the most intense flavor with a definite bite at the end from the coriander bits that coated the exterior. I would've loved some bread with it, but the spicy mustard that came on the side was great too.
Smoked Meat Sandwich - Although it didn't look like there was much meat in this baby, the flavor spoke for itself, including the Heritage ground pork, spicy seasoning and mustard on a soft sourdough bun. Each bite left a strong impression on my palate and it certainly piqued my interest for what else Fatty 'Cue has in their meat arsenal.
Pig's Ear Sandwich - I was of course intrigued by this choice, having tasted pig's blood popsicles just the night before. But unlike the pig's blood pops, the flavor and texture here was much more delicate (almost slimy). Although it was pleasant enough and I finished it, I think it's an acquired taste and I wouldn't proclaim it love at first bite.
Max & Mina's Ice Cream - We were mighty excited when the famous Max & Mina's ice cream was served with the feature film, Bruce Becker: Ice Cream Picasso. The first flavor (and my favorite) that I tasted was spicy peanut butter. Wow! I don't even like peanut butter but I LOVED this. It had such a kick from the red pepper flakes that tickled the back of your throat. Another great variety was the chocolate chip pancake, with actual pancake dough in the ice cream. I don't think that one needs much explanation - it was just divine!
Films:
The films that night included the following:
Once again, I've starred my favorites. Check them out on their respective websites or on YouTube.
What's Virgin Mean*
Taste of Amsterdam
Obsessives - Soda Pop* (Audience Choice Award Winner)
Smokes & Ears
Bruce Becker: Ice Cream Picasso
Pork Chop
Etiquette
Fatty Que
Fast Food
The World's First Food Truck Drive-In Movie
Atmosphere:
I can't believe I actually trekked it out in the scorching heat all the way to Dumbo for this, but in the end I was glad I did. After all, how could I refuse an event that showcased the best of the best in mobile eats including Wafels & Dinges, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, The Treats Truck, The Green Pirate Juice Truck, The Krave truck and more!
Located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, The Tobacco Warehouse is a very cool, open space that consists of just the walls of an old warehouse that's now used for large outdoor and tented events, including weddings (I should know, as I considered it for my own wedding). I loved the open air feel but it would've been a lot better if it was about 10 - 15 degrees cooler out. As I took a look around at all the trucks, I think their owners had the same sentiment - it was just too hot for hot food.
But despite the toasty weather, I decided to spare no expense and treated myself to a couple of goodies including a refreshing drink from The Green Pirate Juice Truck, a People's Pop from the Cooking Channel Truck, a Kimchidilla from The Krave Truck and a "tart" from Hot Blondies.
Food:
Raspberry Green Tea - I got this purely out of necessity but it turned out to be a delicious, refreshing drink. You can taste that it was fresh brewed with good quality raspberry tea. I loved the soft, green tea aftertaste after each sip and they used a touch of lime in it too for that refreshing citrus finish.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pop - Having tried a People's Pop before, I knew I was in for a treat. What I love about People's Pops is all that delicious fresh fruit they put into their pops--often times, you'll even get a chunk of something (I got some strawberry) while eating. I like that it's a back-to-the-basics dessert that's not only nostalgic but also fat free and really tasty.
Pork Kimchidilla - It was surely a good sign when I saw a long line in front of this truck. While it was moving slow, I decided to approach it a bit later into the event when people moved on to dessert. I tried the Kimchidilla, a Korean take on the quesadilla with spicy pork, shredded kimchi, silky sour cream sauce and Monterrey jack cheese. It was quite a filler-upper and I loved that it was hearty, but at the same time didn't sink to the bottom of your tummy. I also want to note that the staff at this truck was uber nice and fun to talk to.
The Tart - I was immediately intrigued by the Hot Blondies table that boasted colorful blondie lollipops and cheesecake pops too. About to get one for myself, I stopped to admire something else that looked like an inverted muffin. Being the curious Foodista that I am, I inquired about it to find out that it's a tart (duh!) - buttery, flaky dough filled with chocolate, blondie batter and maple syrup for that extra gooey goodness. I can't do this treat proper justice but does the word "crack" convey my sentiment?
Films:
The films were screened in a tented area that was slightly cooler and provided some fun food samples too. My favorites are starred.
Bread Maverick
VendrTV - Creperie
Eating Right*
In De Keuken*
Cater-Waiter
Flowers, Fruit, Sugar and Spices
A Look Inside LaFrieda Meats
Another highlight of my day was when I got interviewed by the Cooking Channel folks. I might be on their site in the coming weeks, talking about my favorite ingredient to cook with. I'll keep you all posted about that.
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