I'm at the Fancy Foods Show for the next 3 days. Wow - 2500 exhibitors packing a convention center, with everything you can imagine from popcorn tins to olive oil to frozen Japanese meals.
I have tasted more antipasti and olives, exotic cheeses, gelato, brioche, chocolate, potstickers, etc etc etc...oh, my, god...good food is amazing.
But the most surprising thing today was dinner. I met with several other industry colleagues at America Eats Tavern, a pop-up restaurant by 2011 James Beard Foundation Oustanding Chef Jose Andres, in conjunction with the National Archives exhibit of the same name. The restaurant was decorated with items on loan from the archives, and the entire menu featured new takes on dishes of Americana history from different parts of the country (SD even made an appearance featuring Lewis and Clark's bison tomahawk steak with cheddar mashed potatoes and catsup and pickles).
Wow - between 5 women we ordered at LOT of food and shared everything. I have never had a more interesting meal...and by interesting I do mean delicious as well. It was soooo cool to read about the origin of the recipes and how they came to be part of American cooking. If you are in DC between now and the end of December - you HAVE to go here.
The highlights from our meal (we ate a LOT):
1st course
Grilled Butter Oysters - Thomas Downing, NYC 1825
Shrimp 'N Anson Mills Grits - Jamestown 1607
Buffalo Wings - Frank and Teressa's, Buffalo 1964
Shrimp Remoulade & Fried Green Tomatoes - Francois Tanty, French Cooking for Every Home Adapted to American Requirements, 1893
Vermicelli Prepared like Pudding - Philadelphia 1802
2nd course
She Crab Soup - William Deas, Charleston 1909
Clinton's Gazpacho - traditional
Harvard Beet Salad - Fannie Farmer, The Boston Cooking School Cook Book 1906
Shrimp in Grapefruit Cocktail - Irma Rombauer, Joy of Cooking 1931
Maine Lobster Roll - John D. Rockefeller, Mount Desert Island, Maine 1910
Main course
BBQ Beef Short Ribs with 'Cold Slaw' - Lettice Bryan, The Kentucky Housewife 1839
Eisenhower's Stew - Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954
Lobster Newberg - Delmonico's 1876
Chesapeake Crabcakes with Pickled Watermelon Salad - Lord Baltimore Hotel 1932
Dessert
Strawberry Shortcake
Vermont Sugar on Snow
Key Lime Pie
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