Posted by Nancy D. Brown

My name is Nancy D. Brown and I am a chocoholic.  My friends will tell you that I have a problem with chocolate; specifically milk chocolate and caramel. Maybe I should broaden my scope to include the entire confectionary category.  However, I am discerning with my refined sugar consumption.  I don't eat peeps, candy corn or jelly beans.  And for those of you on twitter, I don't eat those peeps either.

Why should you care about my sugar addiction? Because I'll be feeding my habit for three sugar filled days, January 18-20, at San Francisco's International Fancy Food and Confection Show at the Moscone Center and report back to you with my findings. 

This trade show is not open to the general public.  It's geared toward food professionals and members of the media who make their living buying, shopping and selling these gourmet products.  This is a show for new product introductions so that you, the all important gourmet, luxury, upscale shopper and decision maker of the household will be excited to try the latest and greatest from the fancy food industry.

Full disclosure, there is everything from barbeque sauce, to olive oil, to pate and wine at this show.  While I have a fondness for Brandini Toffee, Anette's Chocolate Factory and Fran's gray and smoked salt caramels, I do walk the entire floor of both buildings with an open mind and willing mouth.

There's also a  trade event, Food Fete, that's taking place on Monday, January 19 in the evening.  Again, my apologies, this is an invitation-only press event that connects gourmet food and beverage products with food and lifestyle journalists and bloggers.  As I am a blogger and a journalist, I wonder what category I fit into? I'll let you know if I discover any new "must have" products.  Maybe I'll even tweet about it. 

Until then, check out my restaurant reviews on the Uptake Restaurants Blog.

Photo by Nancy D. Brown