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In this issue of Chef's Stirrings:
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BelGioioso Burrata wins Gold at United States Championship Cheese ContestTaking the extra steps toward quality is what BelGioioso Cheese is known for and you will recognize that quality after one taste of their award-winning Burrata. The Master Cheesemakers at BelGioioso were awarded a total of six medals at the United States Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay, Wisconsin last month, with Edoardo La Torre receiving a first for his fresh Burrata cheese.
With its delicate texture and fresh, creamy flavor, this specialty Fresh Mozzarella is becoming a popular cheese among consumers looking to expand and embrace the current trends of freshness. And freshness is the key to Burrata. Cheesemakers at BelGioioso specialize in the skills to create this cheese on a made-to-order basis. Burrata is hand-crafted, by filling balls of Fresh Mozzarella with pieces of cheese and fresh cream. The ball is then pinched, sealing it with the delicate filling inside. This award-winning cheese is consistently fresh, and both chefs and consumers have embraced its unique flavor and creamy goodness.
Burrata is best served fresh with tomatoes, antipasto meats, fresh basil and olives on small plates or as part of an antipasto platter. This cheese deserves to be the center of attention on any cheese plate.
In addition to the first place Burrata award, BelGioioso Cheesemakers also won a First Place for their Sharp Provolone, Romano and Mascarpone, and third place for their CrescenzaStracchino and Parmesan.
As part of the 30-day, 21-city Cutting Edge Tour, Chauhan will appear at the NRAEF's 12th Annual National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, Md., from April 19-21. Chauhan will interact with 350 students from 43 states at the country's premier high school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts as they demonstrate their mastery of restaurant leadership skills in a fast-paced contest to earn a share of $1.4 million in scholarships.
"We are thrilled to partner with renowned celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan on her Cutting Edge Tour and are honored to have her as our special guest at this year's National ProStart Invitational," said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of philanthropic initiatives for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "This competition is the culmination of months of hard work for our ProStart students; having Chef Chauhan present to provide insight and guidance is invaluable - truly a world-class opportunity."
Throughout the tour, Chauhan will also host competitions for ProStart students around the country. In each city, three ProStart students will compete in a classic cooking competition where they will have 40 minutes to create an entrée that represents contemporary American cuisine. Students will be competing for the chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. where they will spend the day cooking with one of the featured chefs of the White House Chef TourTM.
Flavors of My World pairs Maneet Chauhan's love of global cuisine with evocative anecdotes as she details 50 delicious food and beverage recipes from around the globe. The Cutting Edge Tour kicks off in New York City on April 18 and will make stops in cities across the country leading up to the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago May 18-21 at McCormick Place. The tour will stop in Baltimore, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, before wrapping up in Chicago on May 16.
Blueberry Council Launches New Foodservice Blog, Dynamo Digest The Blueberry Council has launched Dynamo Digest, a blog component to their website. The new blog, found at HERE, aims to offer an extensive range of information, tips and advice from chefs and foodservice professionals. In association with 'Little Blue Dynamos,' the blog's name also reflects the dynamic communications needed to match the ever-changing conditions of the foodservice industry.
Mark Villata, Executive Director of the USHBC, is excited about the initiative and what it has to offer. "There is a constant influx of information with which people in foodservice need to be kept up to speed. Dynamo Digest will be a valuable resource for creative ways to use blueberries, and will go beyond that." In addition to introducing ways to use various forms of blueberries like fresh, dried, frozen and liquid, the blog will also divulge insights from dietitians, chefs and foodservice professionals on topics such as produce news, school programs, menu trends and dining experiences.
While Dynamo Digest is intended for foodservice professionals, the blog also offers plenty to consumers fascinated with food and chefs, who are increasingly exploring new ingredients, looking to discover unique flavor combinations, and who are taking a growing interest in the latest food and lifestyle trends.
The USHBC consists of growers and packers in North and South America who market their blueberries in the United States. The members of the USHBC work together to promote the growth and wellbeing of the entire industry. The blueberry industry is committed to providing blueberries that are grown, harvested, packed and shipped in clean, safe environments.
EuroChef USA Announces The New ILVE® 36" Porfessional Gas Cook TopEuroChef USA has announced the introduction of its newILVE 36" Professional Gas Cook Top. EuroChef USA is the exclusive US Distributor of ILVE Italian-crafted cooking appliances. The ILVE brand, well known for attention to detail, elegant design and cutting edge technology, continues its tradition of quality-engineered appliances with the all-new 36" Professional Gas Cook Top. ILVE is a preferred brand worldwide and now here in the U.S., for people with a passion for cooking and design.
"ILVE innovation and functionality never ceases to amaze the industry. In an effort to meet the great rise in demand and need for high-performance cook tops in the kitchen, EuroChef is introducing theILVE 36" Professional Gas Cook Top," states Melissa Haber, EuroChef's Director of Sales and Marketing. "This professional style cook top satisfies the needs of the at-home chef in a way not found with any other cook top in the market. Along with its high-power brass burners and large cooking surface, the ILVE 36" Gas Cook Top offers flexibility and convenience with an incredible Nine Ways to Cook. This appliance meets and exceeds the need for a professional 'drop in' cook top." See the YouTube video: Nine Ways to Cook with ILVE®.
Available in Summer 2013, the new ILVE cook top offers the same distinct Italian craftsmanship and functionality found in the entire ILVE Collection of professional grade cooking appliances. The cook top features a convenient layout of five high efficiency brass burners that burn up to 15.5K BTU, as well as an oblong center burner that evenly heats the stainless steel griddle that is included with the cook top. Precision burner controls each come with position accurate control and "one touch" automatic electronic ignition. Other features include a flame sensor safety device and easy to clean, removable cast iron grates and burner caps. Plus, enjoy an unprecedented Nine Ways to Cook with optional accessories such as center grates, barbeque grill top, steam and warming basins, steak pans and more!
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Phillips New Culinary Crab Say Goodbye to Broken LumpsPhillips Foods is proud to introduce a new, innovative product line Culinary Crab™. Culinary Crab™ features a patented process that utilizes 100% natural blue swimming crab, shaping it into Jumbo and Super Lump sizes. These large, uniform lumps truly deliver the flavor of fresh crab and are produced without any artificial binders. The Culinary Crab™ line currently offers two items: Culinary Jumbo and Culinary Super Lump.
Phillips Culinary Crab™ was recently recognized at the International Boston Seafood Show for Best New Product in Foodservice 2013. "We are delighted to be honored for our hard work developing Culinary Crab™ and I am proud of our organization's dedication to providing customers with new, innovative products that truly add value", noted CEO and President Steve Phillips.
As America's #1 seller of crab meat, Phillips is committed to supplying chefs with exceptional and consistent quality products. Phillips Culinary Crab™ is proof that "exceptional crab" and "cost-savings" belong in the same sentence. Culinary Crab™ prices below average market pricing for like grades, allowing more operators to feature crab on their menu. Another key features of Culinary Crab™ is the products' holding properties; maintaining form when used in all cooking applications. No more broken lumps; just premium, eye-catching, mouthwatering crab dishes.
Phillips Culinary Crab™ is covered under the company's sustainability initiatives and directly contributes to the NFI Crab Council program.
Culinary Crab™ is available year round and features an 18-month shelf life when stored below 38° F. The product is packed twelve (12) one pound cans to a case.
Cruise Line Cocktails Go World Class Diageo Global Travel and Middle East today announced a new 2013 partnership with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line to deliver an on-board cocktail training program, as part of one of world's most prestigious mixology competitions - DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS.
Over 400 cruise line bartenders will be trained in progressive cocktail trends and pitted against each other, in a series of heats. A cruise line finalist will then go forward to take part in the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year final, competing alongside bar tenders from the four corners of the globe.
Bartenders will be trained in cutting edge cocktail-making trends such as 'Retro Chic,' 'Tropical Journey,' and 'Hollywood Bollywood Hong Kong,' balancing a spirit of old school glamour with concoctions such as the 'Casino Royale.' They will also be coached to develop creativity and showmanship in DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS, the drinks industry's largest and most credible investment in luxury drinking experiences.
Launched in 2009, DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS operates in 50 countries and has inspired and educated over 15,000 bartenders from all over the world, using the finest spirits from the Diageo Reserve collection. This year's global final will also be held aboard a boutique cruise liner in the Mediterranean Sea – highlighting the increasing importance of the cruise channel in cocktail culture.
Following a successful pioneering partnership with Princess Cruises last year, Norwegian Cruise Lines is welcomed to the program for 2013, placing both at the forefront of mixology trends.
Philip Duff, expert mixologist at Liquid Solutions is leading the training: "We are thrilled to be working with Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line to immerse their bartenders in cutting edge cocktail trends. By equipping the ships' bartenders with these progressive skills we are all helping to bring a unique fine drinking environment to cruise passengers the world over."
Louise Higgins, Marketing Director, GTME Americas, said: "We are delighted to be investing in and expanding the program this year to welcome Norwegian Cruise Line on-board. Last year Princess Cruises was our first partner in WORLD CLASS. Both are renowned for their best-in-class bartenders. By participating in what is one of the world's most credible cocktail competitions, these bartenders will take their cocktail making skills to new levels and hone their excellent customer service skills – all to the benefit of guests who will enjoy their innovative creations in the luxury setting of the cruise liners."
Peter Tobler, Vice President, Food and Beverage Operations, Princess Cruises said: "Based on the huge success of WORLD CLASS last year, we are delighted to be back for a second year. One of our bartenders reached the global final last year in Rio de Janeiro and we are hoping to recreate this success in 2013. We believe this partnership with Diageo GTME will further excite our cruise passengers and make their fine drinking experience on-board our ships even more memorable. WORLD CLASS is not only about showcasing the world's best bartenders, it's about inspiring them to be pioneers in the innovative and ever-changing cocktail arena. We are delighted that we will be able to treat our passengers to a winning combination of the world's finest luxury spirits and the latest trends in mixology."
Wesley Cort, Director of Restaurant & Beverage Development and Operations for Norwegian Cruise Line, said: "Introducing our bartending talent to DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS will take the quality of our guest service to new levels of excellence. Our guests are seeking luxury experiences and the finest spirits while on vacation. This program will help our bar team to enhance those experiences with expanded knowledge of premium spirits, fresh ideas for cocktails and an ability to entertain our guests."
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Sweet Basil Takes Home Top Honors at the 9th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook-Off at Taste of Vail The 9th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook-Off & Après Ski Tasting sponsored by the American Lamb Board took place recently as part of the 23rd Annual Taste of Vail. Executive Chef Paul Anders from Sweet Basil won top honors for his slow roasted leg of American Lamb with preserved lemon labneh, dried olives, lamb cracklings and pickled ramps. Second place went to La Tour and third place went to Bol. The People's Choice winner was Lord Gore Restaurant at Manor Vail Lodge.
"The inspiration for my dish is a traditional North African leg of lamb," said Chef Anders. "It started traditional but we did not leave it that way. We added pickled radishes, an herb sauce, lamb cracklings and using molecular gastronomy even made a lamb powder."
The event, held throughout the streets of Vail Village, showcased more than two dozen of the area's finest chefs preparing an array of lamb dishes. From traditional preparation of lamb to creative recipes Vail chefs presented innovative selections showcasing Colorado lamb. Each tasting was complimented by participating wineries presenting varietals such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Zinfandel.
"We were thrilled to see the diverse and delicious ways American Lamb was prepared by these Vail Valley chefs," said Megan Wortman, executive director of the Denver-based American Lamb Board.
