Hi folks! I’m at IFBC, the International Food Bloggers Conference, in Sacramento. We’re closing out the conference with something really new for me, a Live Blogging Session. Feel free to follow along as I try to describe each product in 5 minutes.
Product 1 is from Fish People Seafood, @fishpeople on social media. They’re a sustainable seafood company based in Oregon. All the fish is caught in the left coast of the U.S., and it stays in the country. They are passionate about keeping those jobs in the American coastal towns that do the fishing. They buy their fish from independent fisheries, which are paid a fair wage. We could go to Tracethisfish.com, type in the code, PWS101 and learn more about the fisherman who caught the fish we ate today.
https://fishpeopleseafood.com/pages/track-your-pouch-PWS101
Fish People’s fish meal kits provide you with everything you need to produce a beautiful, chef quality meal.
Product 2 is a two-fer, olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Capay Valley Ranches, @cvranches.
Their Arbosana EV Olive Oil won silver at the New York International Olive Oil Competition this year. We also sampled the cranberry white balsamic vinegar.
Product 3 is Classy Hippie Tea Company, @ClassyHippieTea. We tried a tea called Beautiful People, which is a green sencha with strawberry and orange, blended with a little bit of champagne. It’s light, fruity, and refreshing. The second tea we tried was a Puerh Chai, which is a tea that is naturally fermented. There’s more spice on the nose than in the taste, but it really does smell lovely and spicy.
Product 4 is a 2016 3 Graces Blanc from Bella Grace Vineyards. It’s a blend of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino and Roussanne. It’s a very light straw color. It has pear and kiwi on the nose, with more pear at first taste. It’s a little tart on the back-end. I’m not a wine expert, but I’d definitely drink this as a summer wine.
Product 5 is Naples Drizzle, “The Italian Hot Sauce that Goes with Everything.” It’s all natural, with no sugar and no vinegar. It’s made with 100% EV olive oil. We tried it on a Margherita pizza, and it’s got the kind of kick you want from that little shaker of pepper flakes that sits on the table at every pizza spot, but as a drizzle. I think it would be a great addition to Asian inspired sauces, as well. It can be purchased on Amazon.com.
Product 6 is kind of a surprise… Almond Butter from Lindsay Olives. This new product comes in Classic Creamy, Classic Crunchy, and a Honey Cinnamon. All three spread well, and that Honey Cinnamon flavor was so yummy on apple slices! There’s no added sugar, just the honey to add a touch of sweetness.
Product 7 is another wine, Obsession Symphony from Ironstone Vineyards. It’s a blend of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache grapes. It’s super floral on the nose, with some fruit and a little grass (I think, because I don’t know much) on first sip. It goes really nicely with spicy food, and meatier dishes, like the pork with jalapeno we tried.
Product 8 is a beautiful citrus drink, a Chilean Clementine Cooler, from @FruitsfromChile. Chilean Clementine, Lime Juice, Club Soda, and a little simple syrup make up this yummy mocktail, but they recommend vodka or gin if you want to spike it. It’s Citrus season right now, so take advantage of the lingering warm weather before the fall chill takes over and we all start switching to ciders and hot cocoa.
Product 9 is a flash brewed coffee on nitro from Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters. They heat the water, and a concentrate is brewed over ice, which melts the ice, which Chocolate Fish says brings out more of the natural sweetness in the coffee. They just won 2nd overall in the largest coffee competition in North America, competing against over 800 other coffees.
Product 10 is California Strawberries. They recommend that strawberries be stored in the fridge, but should be served at room temperature for maximum sweetness and flavor. Eight strawberries make a perfect snack, weighing in at just 45 calories, packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
That’s the end of our live blogging. That was a wild ride, you guys! Thanks for tagging along.