What's Hot at the 95th Annual NRA Show 2010, McCormick Place, Chicago

The 95th annual National Restaurant Expo, the Midwest's largest restaurant event, opened today in Chicago's McCormick Place. The four-day event, planned to run from May 22-25, 2010, is hosting 1,700 exhibitors from 120 countries and is projected to attract over 50,000 visitors to the Windy City. Here are some of the highlights of the 2010 NRA Show.

Lamb is the new beef. Winner of the Australian Lamb Burger competition, Kristina Vanni, cooked her delectable "Tunisian lamb burgers with harissa mayonnaise and orange olive date relish." At the Australian Lamb exhibit booth, the crowds flocked for the chance to sample her award-winning creation. After taking one bite of the burger, I was in love that I had to return to the expo the next day just for that. The tangy and juicy dates perfectly complemented the rich, exotic seasoning of the lamb burger patty. This recipe is sure to make anyone a lamb-lover. You can view Kristina's award-winning recipe here: http://kristinathebudgetdiva.blogspot.com/

Thought you would never eat a boring old potato at the NRA Show? Guess again. The company at TwistedChips.com put a new spin to an old classic, the french fry. They created a machine that spirals an entire potato into what they call the "tornado potato." After spiraling the potato, you place it on a stick and then deep fry it to get a fun and eye-catching treat. Looking for a healthier alternative? How about spiraling bananas and creating "tornado plantain bananas on a stick?" Planning a potluck and need an appealing veggie tray? The machine can be used to spiral your favorite veggies such as zucchinis, carrots, and whatever your heart desires. With this machine, kids might actually want to eat their veggies that resemble the popular 1980s toy, the Slinky.

Need something to wash down those "Tornado Potatoes?" Choose from over one-hundred customized drinks at the show-stopping Coca-cola Freestyle vending machine. In the new age of the pull economy where customers decide on what they want, this futuristic touch-screen "fountain of the future" delivers just about any combination of Coca-Cola products. Intrigued by the concept? The engineers who created this fountain mimicked the process of micro-dosing from the medical industry and adapted it here. They use highly concentrated cartridges that are equipped with RFID technology which ultimately saves time and space compared to their classic beverage fountains.

Want to add a new twist to your thirsty palate? The popular Japanese Brand, Mita Beverage Company, let us sample some of their refreshingly new asian-inspired flavors. Known for their fruit concentrates and cocktail mixes, Mita Beverage concocted bubbly mixtures including green apple, kyoho grape, lycee, grated white peach, and mango. The company has been in the business for 80 years and currently holds 80% of the cocktail mix market in Japan. They pride themselves on quality and live by the philosophy that their ingredients in their products should be as safe "as if feeding your children."

If you loved the sound of the ice-cream truck passing by when you were a kid, then pay attention to the new wave of food mobiles. Ludo Lefebvre and his crew from Ludo Bites rolled in their giant food mobiles to give people tours of the fully-equipped kitchen-in-a-moving-truck concept. Started in the West Coast, the idea of the "pop-up restaurant" is quickly spreading to a major town near you. From the fried chicken of Ludo Bites, to the cupcakes at Flirty Cupcakes, to the Korean BBQ at Kogi, no longer will people have to settle for just ice cream on a moving truck. The question on everyone's minds is how do their customer's find them if they are always on the move? Well, with the explosion of social media websites such as twitter and facebook, loyal fans will tune in to discover just where their truck is headed next.

Want to burn off all the calories you ate at the NRA food show? No problem -- you just had to jump in with the Flash Mob that occurred on Tuesday, May 25,2010, at the show. Christina Chen choreographed the Foodie Flash Mob to the popular hit of "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga. The crowds jumped up and down in true hip-hop style and made a successful tribute to the closing day of the NRA show 2010. Until then, join me for some more fabulous finds in the next NRA show in 2011.