Chef Franco Lania & Houda Mabrouki (Ministry of Industry, Olive Oil Dept. – PACKTEC)

Hello fellow foodies!  I am excited to share with you a wonderful experience that I had working as a chef/spokesperson for Tunisian Olive Oil at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.  Tunisia was the proud country sponsor of this magnificent “foodie” event and they really did a wonderful job.  I wrote an article last year about the great progress Tunisia has made with its olive oils; they’ve become the number 2 producing nation of olive oils in the world.  This is not a small feat and it is something that Tunisia has worked very hard at accomplishing.  Read my Huffington Post article Tunisia’s Liquid Gold Olive Oil Production to learn more about the great strides this country had made with their olive oils.

This year’s Summer Fancy Food Show was a great place to see and taste many of the culinary delights of Tunisia, along with their superb olive oils. The three days I spent working at the Tunisian Olive Oil Pavilion was a very nice way to connect deeper with all the products that they were showcasing, along with their fabulous olive oils.

An assortment of Tunisian cookies.

I also had the distinct pleasure of working at the event with two very talented and highly accredited Tunisian chefs- Rafik Tlatli (Maître cuisinier de Tunisie, Hôtel les Jasmins) and Mounir Le Baroque (Academie Nationale de Cuisine – Delegation Tunisie).  The three of us hit it off immediately and there was never a dull moment.

A press-conference was held on the first morning of the event. I made a delicious pesto pasta salad, a Tuscan-style panzanella salad and my ever-so-popular olive oil cupcakes with a lemon mascarpone frosting.  Outrageously delicious! 

Pesto Pasta Salad and Tuscan-style Panzanella

All these recipes showcased Tunisian Olive Oil in 3 different, yet very delicious ways.

Tunisian Olive Oil Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Chefs Rafik and Mounir made many classic Tunisian dishes with couscous, bulghur, shrimp, mussels and chicken.  They even made the traditional Tunisian shakshuka.  All were absolutely magnifique!

Couscous tossed in a Parmesan wheel and topped with Tunisian Olive Oil. 

The best thing about working with chefs from other cultures beside your own, is the great enthusiasm that can be generated through a mutual admiration toward each other’s cuisine.

Chefs- Rafik Tlatli and Mounir Le Baroque

Tunisian Olive Oil is a fabulous product! And with it there are so many things that can be made. The best thing of all that was made while working this event were the new friendships.   As you’ll be able to see from the 3 videos below.

Press Conference: Tunisian Olive Oil

Here chef Rafik and I quickly invited everyone to pass by the Tunisian pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Where the fun and good food just never stopped!

As I’m sure you can guess, the Tunisian Olive Oil Pavilion was one of the most popular places at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show. Attendees were able to pass by and sample some exquisite tastes while learning from and talking to chefs Rafik, Mounir and me.

The cross kitchen we put together to showcase Tunisian Olive Oils hit all the notes. Watch below as chef Rafik and I “calmly” explain.

I would like to give a big thank you to all those that I worked with at the Tunisian Pavilion for their camaraderie.  I’ve incorporated Tunisian Olive Oil into my cooking and I hope you do too.

Tunisian Olive Oil Pavilion

As far as food shows go – this one had to be one of the very best! The event turned out to be extremely successful for Tunisia. Their olive oils were truly well represented and we were able to reach a greater audience and enlighten them as to why Tunisian Olive Oil is – So Tasty, So Healthy!

Here is a video I made prior to the show with lower Manhattan in the background. Enjoy!