Floored! NRA Show 2008 News

Healthy options win big with 'Biggest Losers'

Normally, consumers don't see new food and flavor trends available to restaurateurs at the NRA Show until they're on the menu.

But we invited a few special restaurant guests to join us Sunday on the NRA Show floor: Bernie Salazar and Maggie King.

You probably remember Bernie and Maggie from the fifth season of The Biggest Loser, which concluded in April. Bernie, a Chicagoan who owns a production company, took home $100,000 for losing the most weight at home after being voted off the show. As of today, he's lost 130 pounds. Maggie, a server at Chili's in New Jersey, has lost 70 pounds to date.

Like so many other restaurant guests, they're interested in what the restaurant industry is doing to add healthful options to menus. So we showed them what healthful options are available from restaurant suppliers at the NRA Show.

Our first stop was at NORPAC, where Alice Root Montero shared nutrition facts about the company's low-fat soup line and vegetables. While Montero, a product manager, was talking, Biggest Loser fans repeatedly stopped to congratulate Bernie and Maggie.

We also visited Tribe Mediterranean Foods because Bernie is self-described "hummus junkie." The Taunton, Mass., company offers several hummus flavors (including the new Mediterranean spice) in various sizes. In addition to the snack-packs Bernie loved, Tribe supplies large buckets of hummus so restaurants can sell their own "grab-and-go" packs, owner Bruce Rubin says.

In addition to suppliers of fresh and frozen produce, veggie burgers and low-calorie tart yogurt, we also introduced Bernie and Maggie to exhibitors who offer tilapia, bison and soymilk.

Our final stop on the tour was a special request from Bernie and Maggie: Honest Tea of Bethesda, Md. Other than water, Honest Tea was the only beverage Biggest Loser contestants could drink on the ranch.

"It keeps you honest," Maggie says.

Get your own Anti-Griddle

Are you inspired to push culinary boundaries like Chef Grant Achatz of Chicago's Alinea Restaurant? Well, now's your opportunity to follow in his footsteps — and step up your own creativity.

PolyScience, one of the NRA Show's award-winning kitchen equipment exhibitors, is auctioning its Anti-Griddle flash-freeze devic for charity. PolyScience, a 2006 Kitchen Innovations award recipient, developed the Anti-Griddle with Achatz and introduced it at the NRA Show 2007. The device features a griddle-style top attached to a special refrigeration unit. The "griddle" reaches 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in about 10 minutes.

Achatz, who uses the Anti-Griddle to flash-freeze glazes, sauces and purees into fun shapes, demonstrated the item at last year's NRA Show.

PolyScience will auction the product on its Web site. Proceeds will benefit the University of Chicago’s Head and Neck Cancer Research Center. Bids will be accepted through June 30.

Check out the signed griddle at Booth 9445. Get more information about PolyScience and other innovative NRA Show exhibitors here.

Stars of the cooking stage and screen

When your feet get tired from walking the eight miles of NRA Show exhibit space, it's sometimes hard to find a place to rest.

One of our favorite places to take a break is the Culinary Scene. It's like being in the audience on a TV cooking show, but better.

A regular "Who's Who?" of innovative chefs demonstrate a few tasty dishes, take questions from the audience — and best yet — let you taste. You can't get that from your TV.

But you can get up close and personal with plenty of cooking from the culinary stars of (demo) stage and (TV) screen, as well as the winner of our YouTube Hot Chef Challenge.

Some of us are particularly interested in attending the Fernando Navas session, now that the new "Sex and the City" movie is coming out. Navas is chef de cuisine at SUSHISAMBA park, New York. Fans of the HBO series know SUSHISAMBA as one the hot dining-out spots for Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

Get a taste of Navas' cooking at 4 p.m. May 17 or check out other innovative culinary artists throughout the NRA Show at Booth 2493 in the South Hall, Level 3.

Presidential hopeful McCain among NRA Show-stoppers

Just when you thought you finalized your game plan for NRA Show 2008, we add another big item to your agenda.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee and longtime Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will address what certainly will be a standing-room-only crowd starting at 10:15 a.m. Monday, May 19, in the Grand Ballroom.

NRA also extended invitations to Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Unfortunately, because of a little situation we here at Blog Central call "Can't You Voters Make Up Your Minds Already?!!!!!" the Democratic hopefuls are still campaigning.

In other words, they won't be swinging by McCormick Place for the NRA Show.

You don't need advance tickets for McCain's speech, but you need to get in line early if you want a seat.

Get more details here. And don't forget to print out your NRA Show 2008 schedule.

In sausage scarf and Crocs, Batali style compliments NRA Show

There will be many great celebrity chefs and authors stopping by McCormick Place's Grand Concourse at this year's Show, but one you definitely don't want to miss is Renaissance man Mario Batali.

The master of Italian cuisine not only knows his way around a kitchen (and sausages apparently!), but he also operates several of his own restaurant enterprises in New York City, penned several award-winning books and remains ubiquitous in the television and online mediascapes.

And yes, he loves Crocs.

Batali will be signing his latest book, Italian Grill, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17. He definitely will be the man of the hour, with or without his favorite footwear. Maybe he'll even put in an appearance at the Crocs booth.

Get more details here about Batali and other big names appearing at the NRA Show!

What you love about Mario?

Live… from Top Chef Chicago…

If you didn’t get enough of Chef Art Smith on last week’s episode of Top Chef, check him out at the NRA Show. Smith, the personal chef to Oprah and contributing editor to O, the Oprah Magazine, and Oprah.com, is one of 16 restaurateurs who will be signing their books at the NRA Show.

 

Last year, food fans and culinary enthusiasts lined up for hours to meet some of the chefs participating in the Celebrity Book Signings and NRA Show Bookstore. Cameras flashed repeatedly as friends and spouses tried to capture on “film” their culinary heroes signing books for loved ones.

 

Smith will sign two books: “Back to the Family: Food Tastes Better Shared with the Ones You Love” and “Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family." Maybe he’ll share his thoughts on healthy, family-friendly cooking while he signs. Or, maybe he’ll dish on why peanut butter and tomato isn’t a good choice for a Top Chef competition — or any meal for that matter.

 

What you want to know from Smith or any of the other Celebrity Book Signing stars?

Two for one: Book signings feature dynamic chef duo

The couple that bakes together stays together.

At least that's the case for Tony and Cathy Mantuano. The co-chefs of Chicago's Spiaggia are among the well known chefs- and restaurateurs-turned auteurs at this year's Celebrity Book Signings.

Find out more about the Mantuanos and other chef-slash-authors on tap to sign their books at the NRA Show. Check out the full Celebrity Book Signings lineup!