Upper Crust Food And Wine Show 2013

It's December,not exactly winter but definitely time for the Upper Crust Food and Wine Show.I make it a point to attend every year,looking out for new products and food concepts.

This year the dish of the event for me was the lipsmacking Barley Slaw (with barley,cabbage,capsicum with a dressing of olive oil,lime,honey and mustard) at the Sushi and More stall.The Japanese call barley Oomugi.I have had it in Scotch Broth and loved it.Barley is a rich source of insoluble fibre and can be cooked with rice or aata (wheat flour).It is a whole grain and reduces blood sugar levels by slowing down absorption of sugar from food,has beneficial effects on cholesterol and blood pressure.

There were no nonveg items at the stall.There was a dish called Okonomiyaki which is a Japanese Savoury Pancake.

At a neighbouring stall,I had the Pasta...made with tomato,basil and garlic paste.Was delightful.Hard to tell the sauce wasn't freshly made.No doubt that one made from stratch is the best but with hectic work timings these days,one looks for convenience.One must also check what cooking oil is used for the product and in this case they use canola.When cooking or eating out,tomato based sauces should be preferred to cheese loaded ones and pasta should be whole wheat preferably.

There was a astounding selection of Oriental food....sesame oil,soy sauce,sushi ginger,you name it!
Options like miso soup,clear soups,wanton soup are healthier than having fried starters.Do check salt content of each brand.Seafood steamed or grilled,teriyaki and yakitori are better than tempura and other fried dishes

Dates from the Middle East with fillings were available at the Ambrosia Delicatessen.Dates are rich in iron,potassium,Vitamins B and A and fibre.This stall had Faradh from Oman,Safwi and Sufri from Saudi and Mariam from Iran

Spotted Canola oil from Canada.Canola oil can be organic or genetically modified

Rice Bran Oil from India

Flaxseed Oil from India....a source of the much needed omega 3 fat for vegetarians.It comes in a dark bottle as flaxseed oil is sensitive to light and heat.It cannot be used for cooking but instead can be added to salads or  curds or over rice and chapati.It is to be stored in the fridge and used in a month once opened.

There was Olive Oil from Italy...Extra Virgin Olive Oil (high quality,made by cold pressing, low smoke point) which is to be used for salads and pure Olive Oil (mixture of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil) to be used for cooking.

Another star item was the cooking  spray...olive oil and rice bran oil....cutting down the amount of oil one uses for cooking

There were masala pastes made in olive oil

I am happier when I receive food or books as gifts rather than clothes and jewelry.So I couldn't help smiling at the options available....food hampers at the Gourmet Company and the Food Hall stall

Tried and loved the Baked Nacho Chips and the Sesame Lavash with the Olive Tapenade,Basil and Walnut Pesto and the Olio Aglio Dip at the Foodhall stall

Pears,apples and prunes were there this year too

Tried the Desi Tadka  which had cumin,tomato powder,curry leaves,red chill powder,garlic and asafoetida and can be mixed with paratha or added to dal.

and there were Green tea concoctions...Green Tea revs up metabolism

Had had the Passion Fruit juice by Good Juicery of Pune earlier so was happy to meet the person behind it.She sources the passion fruit from Europe and guava from Pune.At the stall you will also meet Waylon,her humorous assistant.You can read more about Michelle Bauer at  the Bombay Jules blog

There was lassi,dahi,milk and ghee at the Krushna Dairy stall and I was pleased to see that there were many takers.With calcium and vitamin D problems occurring in people, one must ensure an adequate dairy intake

The Electric Tandoor invited many enquiries..

The Turkish Ceramics stall looked lovely.

Farmers Market had a stall too....

Many of the items at the show focussed on health.Rightfully so.With 60 million persons in India having  Diabetes and many with Hypertension,Lipid Disorders and Obesity,we must!
As I bid adieu to 2013,I am going to miss one person dearly and I dedicate this post to him......Marzban Bilimoria...one of the most gentle,soft-spoken and cheerful people I have ever met.