…and I (along with many others) keep on takin’ it. So when invited to the annual Brooklyn Eats, Brooklyn’s largest food and beverage trade show, I had to taste what the borough is kicking out these days.
Brooklyn Eats was created for local and regional buyers, distributors, chefs, restaurants and consumers to increase visibility and sales for Brooklyn-made products. It is presented by the Brooklyn Chamber with the support of sponsors, both houses of the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council.
I arrived on the later side of things, but that did not stop me from getting to the bottom of all I could from the more than100 exhibitors. There were some favorites I was happy to see again, such as @BrooklynWhatevr’s line of Shpickles. Pickled stringbeans, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrots and many others are all wonderful, but those sweet tiny beets were like candy. Love.
Happy to see @SteveAndAndys there again, this time with their new gluten-free and organic cookie line (yours truly, the package copywriter!). I am excited to see what else is coming down the pipeline, such as their gluten free flour.
Of course, I am always happy to see new players in the mix at Brooklyn Eats. I am noticing a new food trend in the wittily named Swig+Swallow. They are a small batch premade cocktail mixer company. I went straight for their Moscow mule, which was bright with every ingredient accounted for on my taste buds. Founder April Wachtel tells me their mixers are sold in half filled individual bottles so customers can add their spirit brand of choice easily and on the go.
@LgllyAddictive’s Crack Cookies certainly reeled me in and that taste has captured me. Salty, sweet, savory and crunchy in one thin cracker covered with dark chocolate, sea salt and toffee. Similarly, @MatzoProject takes the beloved favorite and coats it with different flavors—always kosher.
@BlynCookieCo makes the most delicately flavored merengue cookies. I swooned over the chocolate chip, the raspberry and their “mushroom” with dark chocolate. Another sweet came in the form of Korean-style ice cream from @NoonasIceCream. Formerly of Harlem’s Hot Bread Kitchen incubator, this sweet delight blew my mind with flavors such as Sweet As Bae, cinnamon-ginger ice cream with Anjou pear sauce. Nom, nom!
Finally, I leave you with the product that forced me to head straight to Sahadi’s to purchase a jar. Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen’s lime leaf sambal had me at first taste. A non-spicy green pepper based condiment made extra awesome with kefir lime leaf. One taste on a chip had me imagining all I could do.
Another great showcase Brooklyn Eats! Until next year.
Happy eating and thanks for reading!
Kysha Harris is a food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for more than 15 years. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @SCHOPgirl, on Facebook, /SCHOPnyc, and her blog, www.talkingSCHOP.wordpress.com. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Invitations! Email AmNewsFOOD at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD and tag us with #SoAmNewsFOOD
with your food finds!