Gotham Gal: fancy food show

This is my second year attending the fancy food show. It is some show. There are booths of food from all over the world. Chile, Scotland, Thailand, Italy, France, Canada, Greece and more. In the US section, they break the areas down by state. Ricks Picks was in New York.

What is overwhelming is all the food. Large companies that represent a variety of options. Smaller companies that are just starting out. Companies that carry only one cheese and others that carry 20. Companies that are geared towards the high end of the market and ones that are geared towards the lower end of the market. It is the place to figure out your inventory.

Rick is introducing the Spicy Pickle called Hotties, sure to be a winner, at the show. The booth was seriously packed and the response was fantastic.

I only stayed a few hours this year after hanging in the booth and then walking the show. A few hours wiped me out. There was nothing that screamed out trend but the one thing that was clear is how the industry is changing and growing.

These are a few products I liked that are starting to break out. Ricks Picks, of course. There is also Effie's which I have written about before. New packaging that looked great and a new cracker. Each cracker is so good and a little cheese on top goes a long way.

I also liked Castleton Crackers. Really nice, tasty and a good crunch. The owner is the woman with her eyes shut. Sorry about that picture.

Also I really liked the products from Maya Kaimal. They were honestly as good as home made and the spicy ketchup is a must for the refrigerator. Heat one of the curry's up and serve over rice and dinner is ready.

The last one was Fat Toad Farm which sold delicious caramel sauces that would be quite tasty over ice cream.

I will be back next year. It is really quite the event.

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books of the moment

Rachel Kushner: The Flamethrowers: A Novel
A beautiful intelligently written book that threads together NYC and Rome in the 1970's. The prose is just amazing. There is an underlying theme about lies and trust. The main character, Reno, whose eyes the book is written through is like a sponge taking in a world and essentially educating herself. I admit I did not love the ending and the book bounces around a bit although an interesting look at a time that bounced around too so the story defines those times.
Peggy Riley: Amity & Sorrow: A Novel
A mother drives for days with her daughters and ends up in a random Oklahoma town after crashing the car. They come from a polygamous community where there were 50 wives. The mother had grown up knowing life outside that community. Over time, after leaving, she almost becomes deprogrammed. The realization of what she did to her daughters who no nothing outside the world they came from including how to read. Then there is the family that brought them in. It is a fascinating story. Well written. Worthy read.
Charles Graeber: The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
An amazing true story of a male nurse who was arrested in 2002. I actually remember the story as I followed it in the papers. This nurse was a serial killer who had probably murdered over 400 patients that were under his care. A seriously well researched book. Great read.
Meg Wolitzer: The Interestings: A Novel
Wolitzer writes about a group of camp friends who all come from different walks of life (some on scholarship) as their friendships continue through their mid-50s. At the beginning the story seems trite but as you continue to read there is a lot of be said. The story is sticking with me. She makes the case that everything that happens to you from your childhood makes an impact on who you become or don't become. Worthy read.
Elizabeth Strout: The Burgess Boys: A Novel
Strouts last book won a Pulitzer. She focuses on family issues. I enjoyed this book much more than Olive Ketteredge which I found utterly depressing. This book follows two brothers and a sister who live in the shadow of their fathers accidental death. Like most siblings, all have turned out very different yet they are connected. I did not love any of the characters, like her last book, yet as The Burgess Boys moves forward and memories are revealed, it is an interesting perspective on human character.
Tamara Shopsin: Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir
Great book. A witty spare inventive personal diary of Tamara journey from Indian to New York to Scranton. Really really enjoyed the book.
Michael Lavigne: The Wanting: A Novel
An incredible book that tells the human side of the many layered issues in the Middle East. From immigrating to Israel from Moscow, to being a victim of a suicide bomber yet surviving, to being pulled into an Israeli radical group. Each character is connected. Very layered well written book. Powerful
Alessandro Piol: Tech and the City: The Making of New York's Startup Community
A history of the Internet that I lived through. Great job of recording what happened.
Amity Gaige: Schroder: A Novel
Not sure how much I loved this book. A father loses his child in divorce and decides to kidnap his own daughter. He is not a stable person but he obviously loves his daughter. His own childhood has made him a disconnected human being. An interesting journey but not sure I'd recommend.
Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea
Classic.

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