Cheers to the Chopin Vodka Booth (All Photos By Gail)

For Foodies and Food Writers alike, the change of seasons brings on excitement for holiday foods and ideas for entertaining! It also means that it’s time for Fall Food Fete, a great event to sample new products and get in the mood to celebrate. Here are few of our favorite products from the show, which took place on October 27th!

One of the first things we always do once we check in for the show is grab a cocktail from the bar! In this case, it was a refreshing and delicious Chocolate Martini, made with Dorda Double Chocolate Liqueur and Chopin Vodka, a featured exhibitor at the show. Made with artisanal small-batch craftsmanship, the award winning Chopin — named after the famous Polish romantic composer Frederic Chopin (“Sho-Pan”) — is family owned and crafted from the most traditional vodka ingredients. In a word: Smooth!

Show attendees received miniature sample bottles of Chopin’s Potato, Rye and Wheat Vodkas to take home and enjoy! Find out more at Chopin Vodka Dot Com!

Other featured spirits included luxury wines from Paul Mas, Rutini and Vina Zaco. Remember: for those who indulge, alcohol makes a great gift!

Coney Island Brewing Company was also a bar sponsor for the event. Friendly representatives provided generous tastings of some of the brand’s unique craft beers including their Mermaid Pilsner, Overpass IPA, Coney Island Lager, 1609 Amber Ale and their most recently launched Hard Root Beer — which is amazing!

It is too bad that summer is already behind us, because Hard Root Beer is the summer-vibe beverage of the year! Find out more about Coney Island Brewing Company and their fine beverages at This Link!

At their busy booth, the National Potato Board partnered with popular Caterer and Event Planner Mary Giuliani to showcase cocktail party food ideas featuring the fabulous Potato!

Food Fete attendees were treated to a Hash Browns bar with their choice of toppings — an easy and fun party dish!

A lidded mason jar made it easy to add the toppings of your choice to the potatoes and then shake it all up to mix the flavors!

Mary, who is lovely, signed copies of her exciting new book The Cocktail Party (Love, Mary) — a must-have guide to all facets of holiday entertaining! This book would   make fantastic Holiday gift for the food lover and party planner in your life! Access and download recipes, entertaining ideas and nutritional information from the Potato Board’s Wow! You Can Do That With Potatoes?! at Potato Goodness Dot Com!

Mangalitsa by Mosefund (the nations’ largest Mangalitsa pig breeder and processor) has launched Mangalitsa by Mosefund Salumi; a new, 11 product line of All-Natural Dry Cured Meats (charcuterie and salami)!

Often referred to as the Kobe of pork, Mangalitsa  boasts the highest level of unsaturated fat of any domesticated animal species. The meat is succulent, delicate in texture and richly flavored, making it one of the most delicious, nutritious and healthy choices of any meat option. Likewise, Mangalitsa meat is considerably higher in the monounsaturated, or ‘good,’ fatty acids and lower in undesirable saturated fats! Seriously, you can see the high quality from the photos above.

Along with these delicious meat products that you will surely want on your holiday party table,  Mangalitsa by Mosefund showcased its four flavor Better than Butter, which is a  whipped, seasoned lard (back fat) that can be enjoyed as a spread on crackers or bread, and used in cooking. Flavors include Orange Fennell, Rosemary/Garlic, Monti Nebrodi, and Hot Pepper. Find out more about Magalitsa by Mosefund, and its many fine meat products, at This Link!

Home baking is a big part of the Holiday season, and Zema’s Madhouse Foods makes cookie, muffin, pancake and brownie mixes that are all about balancing healthy cooking, baking and finding the right on-the-go snacks! Created by a Mom of five active kids, Zemas Baking Mixes are gluten-free, ancient grain based products that are also non-GMO and free of the top 8 allergens. And they taste amazing!

Zemas will be launching a ready-to-eat cookie line in March of 2016, which will make snacking healthy even more convenient! Get more information and shop for Zemas Madhouse products online at Zemas Foods Dot Com!

Quality and convenience combine for winning results with seafood products by Fishpeople. With Fishpeople, seafood lovers can enjoy hassle-free indulgence in gourmet quality creamy bisques and hearty chowders, Entrée Starters containing wild caught salmon or tuna in a savory sauce (simply heat and combine with your favorite vegetable, pasta or rice), and the Comfort Seafood collection of ready-to-eat meals!

As a certified B Corporation, Fishpeople only harvest ten sustainable species, helping to ensure those fish will be around for generations to come. Learn more about Fishpeople Seafood at This Link.

There are those who experience discomfort and digestive issues when consuming milk, and easily assume  that they are lactose intolerant. However, A2 Milk Company believes that may not always be true:  in many cases, Post-Dairy Digestive Discomfort (PD3) may actually caused by the A1 Protein found in cow’s milk.

Milk is made up of different proteins, including the A1 and A2  proteins. Studies show that these two proteins digest quite differently from each other and, for some people, the presence of the A1 protein can  result in the discomfort after drinking milk which may be mistaken for lactose intolerance. At the A2 Milk Company, cows are specially selected and produce fresh milk containing only the A2 protein, and no A1 protein.

As a result, many more people can enjoy the nutritional benefits, and delicious taste, of fresh real milk. At Food Fete, A2 Milk Company not not only gave away cute little cows, but also sample bottles of their delicious milk, which tastes like absolutely nothing is missing! This is great news, just in time for cookies and milk season! Find out more about A2 Milk Company at This Link!

 Mars Chocolate is introducing the latest in tasty frozen novelty treats: Dove Sorbet Bars in two delicious varieties! Dove has always been known as a true innovator in frozen desserts, and for these new bars fruity sorbet is dipped in silky smooth Dove Chocolate for a refreshing and delicious taste. At only 150 calories per bar you can indulge in Raspberry Sorbet dipped in Dark Chocolate, or Strawberry Sorbet dipped in luscious Milk Chocolate (my personal favorite).

Dove Strawberry Sorbet Bar: Doesn’t that look Yummy?

Dove Sorbet Bars will be available in boxes of six at your favorite grocer beginning in the Spring of 2016. Find out more about Mars Chocolate and Dove brand treats at This Link!

You know those light and crispy little wafer cookies that everyone loves? Loacker has been baking those for 90 years! And they certainly were generous at Food Fete — handing out sample bags of their Quadratini  bite-size wafer cookies in special flavors like Tiramisu, Hazelnut, and Raspberry Yoghurt  (Heaven!) that are all so scrumptious, but so light you could eat the entire bag without  feeling guilt.  Loacker wafer cookies are the go-to holiday treat for sharing at gatherings, and also for gifting, and there are so many varieties to choose from! Loacker belongs on everyone’s gift giving list. It’s just a no brainer!

Be sure to also pick up a box of their Rose of the Dolomites Hazelnut and Chocolate fine candies! Everyone will thank you! Plan your Holiday Shopping early by visiting Loacker USA Dot Com!

We last saw Family-owned Stemilt Growers over the summer, promoting their awesome Skylar Rae Cherries  — our favorite summer fruit! At October’s showcase,  Stemelt introduced to their orchard’s  newest sensation: the Piñata Apple;  an exclusive apple variety. The Piñata’s heirloom parentage (it’s a cross between Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and the  Duchess of Oldenburg  varieties) gives the Apple its unique color, shape, and flavor. Piñata apples are crisp and juicy for the tropical is sure to surprise your taste buds. They are excellent for eating out of hand, in salads and for baking.

Now it its fifth generation of family operation, Stemilt continues the company’s legacy of innovation, sustainability and production of the best-tasting fruits. Learn more about Stemilt World Famous Fruit at Stemilt Dot Com!

And last but not least, Wusthof, maker of top-of-the-line Knives and Cutlery, was in the house to show off their fancy kitchen stuff that is world-renowned for its awesomeness and deserving of the name Cadillac of Cutlery (we just coined that). Forged with high-carbon, stainless steel, Wusthof Knives will not only perform beautifully in your kitchen – but in your children’s and grandchildren’s kitchens, as well. Quality has no expiration date! Plus, everyone got a Grand Prix II  knife (which retails for $125, wow!) to take home! Wusthof is the best!

Thanks to Jeff Davis for another excellent show! See you in the Winter!