Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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4 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com CONTRIBUTORS MEET THE CONTRIBUTOR JAMES MELLGREN J ames Mellgren is an author, food writer, and former retailer. He is currently finishing his newest book, "Foreign Correspondence: Mostly True Tales from a Life in Food". He lives in Berkeley, Calif. What is one of the favorite articles you've written recently? I had the opportunity to go to Italy last year, to Verona, Modena, and Bologna. I wrote extensively about the journey upon my return, but I particularly liked a small piece I wrote in which I extolled the perfect marriage of balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano. In a coun- try famous for outstanding food products, these two are arguably the greatest, certainly the best known, and as fate would have it, they go exceedingly well together. What's your fondest food memory? I traveled to Ireland many years ago. We drove directly from Shannon Airport out to the furthest point on the Connemara peninsula. It seemed like the end of the earth. We stayed at an old hunting lodge that had been converted to a B&B. My companion and I were very tired and hungry, but our hostess apologized that it was between meals and all she could offer us was some smoked salmon and soda bread. She came out with light, delicate sand- wiches containing some of the best smoked salmon I've ever had and two small glasses of whiskey. It was incredibly satis- fying and we had a laugh that she should apologize for such deliciousness. What's your favorite food city? It might seem cliché but I'd have to say Paris. It's not impossible to get a bad meal in Paris but you have to be trying. ere are so many talented young chefs there right now, not all of them French by the way, and they're running some very innovative restaurants. On my most recent trip my wife and I rented an apartment and so we got to take advantage of all the marvelous food stores. We had big lunches out but got cozy with a pique nique in the evenings. What was the strangest food you've had recently and how did you like it? Percebes, or goose barnacles, in Vigo, Spain. e coast of Galicia is renowned for having some of the best seafood on earth, and these little creatures would have to rate as one of the strangest. ey look like a little alien claw attached to a tube sheathed in a rough skin that could have come from an elephant. You twist and pull the skin to reveal the soft, delicious meat inside. ey are treacherous to harvest and therefore very expensive but they were worth every penny my host paid. AMANDA BALTAZAR Bay Area Bites Freelance writer based in Anacortes, Wash. JULIE BESONEN Leadership Award Winners Writer for The New York Times and restaurant columnist for nycgo.com DAVID DONNAN Opinion: Dining Out While Staying at Home Senior partner at A.T. Kearney JANET FLETCHER Cheese Focus Writer of email newsletter "Planet Cheese" and the author of Cheese & Wine and Cheese & Beer MARK HAMSTRA 2019 Outlook, Bay Area Bites, Category Education Regular contributor to Specialty Food Magazine and Specialty Food News JAMES MELLGREN Bay Area Bites Berkeley, Calif.-based freelancer NICOLE POTENZA DENIS Buyers' Picks, Category Spotlight, Maker Section: The Quick on Convenience Contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine SUSAN SEGREST Producer Profile Contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine DENISE SHOUKAS Trends & Happenings Contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine RON TANNER Food Safety Update Vice president, philanthropy, government, and industry relations for the Specialty Food Association ? What is your favorite comfort food Specialty Food Magazine is pleased to publish insightful and actionable articles from leading journalists and retail practitioners. Toad in the Hole, a British dish spaghetti and meatballs