Top Chef Winner Ilan Hall - How He Got on the Show

Ilan Hall at Great Grapes in Annapolis Maryland explains the interview process that got him on Top Chef. Click on the title to see the video.

Summer International Fancy Food Show

After 2 days working at the Fancy Food Show and limited time to walk the floor I have come up with a couple of picks. Chocolate with Bacon...my booth mate and president of Tsp Spices mentioned it as well as Deann Bayliss of Frontera Grill...I made a beeline to Vosges Chocolate to taste it. It was good but after munching so much I really couldn't determine the bacon flavor. I will get more information.

Okay, the next item is soy salt which used aged soy sauce (3 years) and freeze dried it and you sprinkle it on your food. Also white soy sauce which is used in food dishes where you don't want the deep soy color. This is a combination of wheat and soy.

I had a great lunch with the bad boy of baking, Nick Malgieri at the Great New York Noodle Company (we dined there last year). Beef Mai Fun, Shrimp with Eggs, Roasted Pork, Millionaire's Chicken, Soft Shell Crabs - we were quite full. Nick was off to the butchers as we went and got some sorbet. More to tell later on. So those were my Fancy Food Show picks as nifty new items.

There was a proponderance of energy drinks and waters, organics (a whole new section adding about another 100 booths to the show). Wellness is what it is all about.

I will hope to have a newsletter out in the next two weeks.

Stay tuned.