New interactive 'Foodamental Studio' planned for NRA Show

Attendees at this year's 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will have an opportunity to explore culinary trends hands-on at the new Foodamental Studio, an interactive educational workshop area located in North Hall, Level One of Chicago's McCormick Place.

According to a news release, throughout the 4-day show, there will be more than 20 classes scheduled. Each class, limited to 50 attendees, will explore techniques from fermentation to dessert design to adopting trending cuisine flavor notes such as Filipino and Malaysian. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts and then try the techniques out for themselves.

"Foodamental Studio is a completely unique Show floor area that combines traditional education sessions with product demonstrations and hands-on experimentation," said Sam Facchini, 2014 Convention Chair and co-founder/co-owner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. "Our mission in developing education at NRA Show is all about demystifying hot-button topics and trends for attendees."

The line-up of Foodamental Studio sessions includes topics such as:

• Learning the basics of pickling and brining and how to apply them;
• Food photography;
• Learning cheese pairings with beverages, olives, meats, fruits and breads;
• Learning the spices and aromatics of Malaysian cuisine;
• Learning ancient fermenting techniques;
• Nose-to-tail butchery;
• Using traditional and modern techniques to prepare a variety of charcuterie items including terrines, savory mousses, pâtés, sausages, cured meats and smoked meats;
• Creating housemade sodas at the carbonation station;
• Showcasing the versatility of tea for everything from cupcakes and sorbets to dry rubs for meat;
• A "make-your-own" dessert program;
• Learning how to pair beer with everything from appetizers to desserts;
• Studying the Filipino cuisine;
• Procuring, preparing and working with specialty and ancient grains such as amaranth, barley, farro, freekeh, groats, millet, oats, rye, quinoa, wheat berries and more;
• Exploring new cuts of meat such as pig feet Cubanos and beef tongue soup;
• Learning about new breads from ciabatta to challah to pretzel buns;
• Exploring the flavor profiles of mustards, citrus, vinegars and more to add acidity.