Good Food Awards

It was a wonderful breakfast when this year's Good Food Awards Finalists were announced and they kindly and generously presented their products at the Il Buco's New Alimentari in Noho. I didn't have the stomach to taste everything - 71 in total!- but I did pretty well tasting at least one third of those amazing food creations. Even better, I tried the entire list of finalists in the Preserves "section", something that brought memories from my childhood. My favorite, the American Spoon Heirloom Tomato Preserve and Wild Thimbleberry Jam, perfectly balanced in sugars and fruit, reminded of my grandmother, a master in marmalade and preserve making. One bite was just for exploring, the second stayed in the mouth for a few minutes, enough to make me nostalgic, nearly a Proustian experience, this time without Madeleines.

Here is the entire list of the finalists, the winner will be announced in January 2012 in San Francisco!