NYC Fancy Food Show 2010

If the term "Fancy Food Show" conjures up images of bow-tie wearing men arrogantly critiquing scores of foie gras and caviar, think again. The NASFT Fancy Food Show is a semi-annual culinary pilgrimage of food purveyors, manufacturers, distributors, importers, exporters, press, authors, and of course, eaters. Where else can you meet 2,500 domestic and international exhibitors of some of the worlds famous foods or witness the annual Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation (sofi) awards? To see a list of this year's Gold winners, click here.

When I walked into this year's show on Sunday, I noticed the passionate and talented Nick Stellino, TV Chef/Cookbook Author, who was signing copies of his new book Nick Stellino Cooking with Friends. This great new work proves that Stellino, in addition to being a culinary Ambassador to Sicily, is also at home in America's trendiest kitchens. The companion book to his latest public television series, Chef Stellino shows us that elegant recipes can be easy to prepare.

In my opinion, the real stars of the day were olives. This year, more than ever, the delicious, ancient Mediterranean symbol of friendship turned up in various guises. In addition to Italian, French, and Spanish companies, many Chilean, North African, Australian, and other nations boasted scores of olives, tapenades, oils, crackers, and more.

My favorite products included:

If all of the olive talk has inspired a sudden craving, whip up an easy batch of my Feta and Dill Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Cucumber, String Bean, and Tapenade Salad from my Mediterannean Diabetes Cookbook. It's a tasty and healthful addition to your 4th of July barbecue! Watch this easy video!

Cucumber, String Bean, and Olive Tapenade Salad
This salad?s combination of fresh and cooked vegetables along with fruity olive flavor make it a great alternative to regular salads. Tapenade is an olive paste which originally hails from Southern France. The name tapenade is said to come from the ancient Provencal word, tapena. In this recipe, the paste replaces traditional dressing for a unique dressing. Jarred olive paste can be substituted for this homemade version. Serve this salad with grilled or roasted fish or chicken.
Servings: 6
Serving Size: About 1 cup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup string beans, trimmed
1 1/4 pounds cucumbers
1/4 cup black olives such as Gaeta or Kalamata, pitted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat and add the string beans.
2. Cook until tender, drain, and place beans in a bowl of cold water.
3. Split the cucumbers lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds using a spoon.
4. Dice the cucumbers and place in a large bowl.
5. Place olives, lemon juice, pepper, and olive oil in food processor and mix to combine.
6. Add string beans to the cucumbers and spoon olive paste over the top. Mix to combine and serve.
Healthy Living Tradition:
Ever wonder why spas place cucumber slices over the eyes during a facial? Cucumber peel contains silica, which is known to prevent wrinkles by plumping the skin through collagen production. Since conventionally grown cucumbers are normally coated with a great deal of wax, opt for organic varieties.