Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Sweet Treats on the Street! SF Street Food Festival Part 2


It was so hot out today that I was craving a sweet cold treat. Which meant changing up the posts and sharing the desserts before the main courses that I got the opportunity to try on Saturday at the San Francisco Street Food Festival put together by La Cocina. Because looking at a glorious scoop of ice cream is almost as good as the real thing... almost....

Three Twins Ice Cream was serving up two of their popular flavors on Saturday and I was able to try a cup of the lemon cookie flavor. With giant chunks of lemon cookies that reminded me of snack time in elementary school, this ice cream brought back whimsical memories with a refined flavor and fabulous texture. I can still taste it when I close my eyes!


If you live in the area or maybe will be visiting this year, Three Twins has a fabulous package that they are auctioning off to support La Cocina. You should bid on it, win it, and then invite your favorite Uncovering Food blogger, okay? The auction closes on August 26 so get those bids in!


There were lots of beverages available during the festival and unfortunately by the time I was ready to start trying some of them, the lines were growing. I secretly wished there was a beverage express line! However, I did manage to snag a drink that I had never heard of before. Bissap, served up by Purple Hibiscus, is the national drink of Senegal and is a hibiscus vanilla drink that is sweet without being overly sugary. A light and refreshing cleanser, I need to find a way to make this at home! A business that is working with La Cocina, Purple Hibiscus made their first public appearance at the festival, and I am certain they are on a path to success!


I love ice cream, so when I saw a balsamic-strawberry ice cream sandwich on homemade sugar cookies being sold by Bi-Rite Creamery, I just had to try it. My coworker who loves balsamic would be jealous to learn how the balance of flavors allowed the celebration of balsamic to merge with the sweet strawberries in an ice cream that wasn't overly sweet. The cookies brought the sweetness to this portable street dessert.

When one of the women in my photography group came up and showed me what she had found, I was confused... was there an art show somewhere near the food festival?


Then she flipped the floral dome face down, popped off the lid and scooped up a flavorful gelatin for me to try. We marveled at the beauty but also at the layering of flavors in this edible art made by Sweets Collection.


I thought that perhaps the flower was a real flower or made out of fondant or some other traditional method but the ladies in the booth told me they were all gelatin! Amazing! Their Web site says they use "ingredients that have no preservatives, no cholesterol, fresh fruit, juices, (and) vegetarian products."

There was one last dessert I had an opportunity to try but that will get it's own post. Can you guess what kind of dessert might be?

4 comments:

Carolyn Jung said...

Wow! That puts your average Jell-O mold to shame! Those flower ones are amazing looking. Reminds me of those Numi teas that unfurl into a giant blossom when you pour hot water over them in a pot.

Brad said...

What a great festival, food that is art how beautiful!

Mo Diva said...

that is amazing! i am dying to try the balsamic strawbs ice cream!

Anonymous said...

Wow, incredible desserts! Those jello flowers are amazing!

Disclaimer:

I get asked by readers if I am being paid to push products. The simple answer is no. In fact, most of the products I write about are ones I have found and purchased during my trips to the grocery store or on the road. Occasionally, a company will send a sample my way and if I believe the product will serve a need for my readers and I would buy the product myself, then I will share it with you. Sometimes I will write to a company after reading about it, if I believe it will help us lead healthier lifestyles. But even then, if the product doesn't pass my scrutiny, it won't make the screen of Uncovering Food. You can trust that every product or recipe posted here has passed through my lips, and that I wouldn't blog about it if it wasn't worthy of you... my favorite readers.