FANCY FOOD page 69

boom. Even the coffee giant Star-
bucks now offers a selection of
gourmet teas. Look for both reg-
ular and herbal blends. Ex-
hibitors like Eastern Shore Tea
Co. and Alaska Herb Tea Co.
were testimony to tea's genteel
appeal.
Salsa. Everywhere I turned
there were bowls of salsa vying
for my taste buds' attention. With
the vast number on the market,
we should all have fire in our bel-
lies. Winner for the hottest could
be Insanity Sauce from Jump up
and Kiss Me Hot Sauces.
Chocolate. This is a little ob-
vious — after all, what would a
fancy food and confection show
be without chocolate?
However, amid all the candies,
cookies and other sweeties, choco-
late merited a category all its own
at the show. For those who want-
ed to combine a trend, there was
Taste Teasers' Jalapeno Jam-
Filled Chocolates. Try serving
that on your next hot date.
Biscotti. What could go bet-
ter with all that coffee and tea
than these elegant, twice-baked
Italian clipping cookies. You could
gnaw on them in their hard-as-
a-rock state, but dipping them in
a hot beverage softens their tex-
ture and releases the flavor.
Chocolate, hazelnut and espres-
so-bean varieties are the most
nouveau.
Mustard. Plain old Grey
Poupon just doesn't cut the mus-
tard anymore. Now cooks can
find mustard blended with a host
of flavors, from raspberry to sun-
dried tomato.
Low-fat foods. Not everyone
was offering sinful caloric aban-
don. Companies like Splurge! Inc.
were touting reduced-fat treats
like all-natural chocolate-covered
pretzels and cookies. And there
were oven-baked tortilla chips to
enjoy with all that low-fat salsa.
Infused oils. Olive oil is every
chef's best friend, and oil flavored
with basil, oregano, rosemary,
garlic, pepper, porcini and even
citrus is available from Consorzio
Flavored Oils from Napa Valley
Kitchens and other manufactur-
ers.
Ethnic condiments. Pesto
sauces, Thai-style marinades
and spice rubs boasting the fla-
vors of Asia, Latin America and
the Mediterranean make it easy
for home chefs to perk up an oth-
erwise plain dish. Companies
like Instant India and Bombay
Brand offer instant curry pastes
and chutneys that add zip to any-
thing from rice and chicken to
potato salad. ❑
Alison Ashton is a writer with
Copley- News Service.

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