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10 EDITORIAL GOURMET NEWS OCTOBER 2013 www.gourmetnews.com GOURMET NEWS ® FROM THE EDITOR WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Ask someone to name their favorite food, and you are likely to get one of two types of answers. Many will immediately cite a dish that is somehow familiar and comforting—cheeseburgers, Thanksgiving turkey, their mom's spaghetti and meatballs. For these people, their favorite food is something they go back to time and again as a dietary staple that nourishes their body and soul. For them, nostalgia and emotion are the main gastronomic pull. When asked the same question, however, there is another group of people that are likely to respond with things that they eat more rarely—lobster, caviar, a particular paella they ordered once at a café in Barcelona. For these individuals, the foods they desire most are the unique delicacies that are saved for special occasions and even once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences. It is the luxurious and singular that beats the best of the everyday. Personally, I think my answer to this question is likely to change daily. However, I do have a particular fondness for dining experiences that are somehow out-of-the-ordinary and leave a lasting impression on me. On a recent Labor Day weekend trip to Las Vegas, I was thrilled to experience a truly memorable meal at José Andres' innovative Spanish tapas restaurant Jaleo. I dined on crispy fried eggplant drizzled with wildflower honey, crusty bread brushed with fresh tomato, Spanish cheeses, olives and preserved vegetables—all washed down with Dark and Stormy cocktails made with ice cubes of dark rum, frozen with liquid nitrogen. Best meal ever? It is definitely in the running. Since then, I have been trying to recreate aspects of this truly special meal at home, searching for the best ginger beer to create a perfect Dark and Stormy, trying out different honeys on a variety of eggplant preparations and scooping up Spanish piquillo peppers and manchego whenever I see them. I know I will never be able to perfectly relive this luxurious dining experience, but I love reminding myself of it by incorporating some of the ingredients and preparations into my daily meals. I think it is likely that many consumers perusing the shelves at their favorite specialty food store are looking for ingredients that similarly give them a feeling of luxury and remind them of a particularly special dish or unique dining experience. For retailers, stocking their shelves with imported delicacies and high end, yet approachable ingredients, is a way to reach out to those customers whose favorite foods are the ones that really surprised them. One such ingredient that is popping up in more and more gourmet foods today is truffles. Check out my cover story on the growing truffle trend to learn about the singular ways that specialty food companies are reaching out to consumers who crave this luxury ingredient. Each time you read through an issue of Gourmet News, you are bound to find dozens of products that will satisfy your customers' craving for something special. From Viola Imports' award-winning extra virgin Olive Oils, to Alef Sausage's authentic Ukrainian delicacies, this issue is certainly no different. Read through it and discover decadence. GN Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jeff Rosano 520.721.1300 jeff_r@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann 520.721.1300 lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Lucas Witman 520.721.1300 editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jazmine Woodberry ASSISTANT EDITOR Hannah Hollins GRAPHIC DESIGNER Yasmine Brown CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal 520.721.1300 – Lucas Witman, Editor 520.721.1300 lucas_w@oser.com tara_n@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road P.O. Box 1056 Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Gourmet News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 MEMBER OF: PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and additional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) is published monthly by Oser Communications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715; 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper. 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