We tasted many fine products at the European Imports booth -- they included two delectable smoked salmons from MacKnight Food Group. They offer Norwegian Dawn, an Atlantic salmon cured following a traditional Norwegian recipe wherein the fish is dry-cured with a natural blend of salt and sugar, cold-smoked over smoldering beechwood chips, and then hand trimmed and vacuum packed for freshness. Their Scottish King is made from salmon caught in the waters of Scotland's Hebrides Islands. Each fillet is cleaned, deboned, and immersed for 24 hours in fresh herbs, sea salt, and brown sugar. Then, it is smoked, hand trimmed, thinly sliced, and vacuum packed. For more information, call 888-572-5666, or visit www.macknight.com.
Molinari and Sons of San Francisco, makers of traditional Italian meat specialties, were also at European Imports, where they sampled out their luscious Finocchiana Salame, a Lucca-style salame tinged with fennel. They also were pleased to show their Toscano salame that they recommended pairing with a ripe Piave cheese. For more information, call 415-822-5555.
Nearby was Raisin River with more meat, this time in the form of an Applewood Smoked Bacon with maple syrup. They make it by first brining the meat in maple syrup and some secret spices, then smoking it over applewood fires. A European press is used on all their bacon cuts to ensure the bacon slices are consistent, resulting also in "well-behaved" bacon that doesn't curl up as much or shrink away when cooked. For more information, call 800-323-3464.
Downstairs at the All Things Organic venue was a surprising amount of meat purveyors, such as those offering Dakota beef, Wyoming beef, and others. Two companies that particularly caught our eye were Blackwing Meats who were sampling their delicious ostrich meat and bison (what we call buffalo) meat. The bison meat tastes a lot like beef but with less fat, cholesterol, or calories than even chicken. For more information, call 800-326-7874, or visit www.blackwing.com.
Next to them a small company called Nature's Premium Organic Chicken was offering fully cooked, ready-to-eat chickens in all sorts of variations packed in individual servings for lunches or the office. They come Hickory Smoked, Spicy B-B-Q, and All Natural (plain). All are available in party packs, chunks, and wings with a six-week shelf life in refrigeration. For more information, call 989-652-9840, or visit www.naturespremier.com.
Alexian Pates had a new Pheasant Duck Rosemary pate that was a rich, dark, country-style terrine with lots of flavor. We also got to try their Eastern European- and Russian-style salame called Estonska. It had a hint of smoke, is made from beef and pork, and was delicious. For more information, call 800-927-9473, or visit www.alexianpate.com.
A stop at Nueske's revealed their new Boneless Smoked Turkey Breast that is smoked over applewood, fully cooked, and ready to eat with no added water. They already had a smoked turkey breast, but this one is the whole breast butterflied out for a more natural look. It was juicy, tender, and delicious. For more information, call them at 800-382-2266, or go to www.nueskemeats.com.
