Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/322710
O C G S h o w D a i l y 2 5 Tu e s d a y, J u n e 3 , 2 0 1 4 new products and why you chose these particular flavor combinations? AM: That is an easy question for me. Why AppleWood Smoked Prosciutto? AppleWood is the most popular bacon. Prosciutto is pork, bacon is pork. AppleWood combined with fresh moz- zarella. Boom! That's a winner. OSD: That's incredible! What's inside them? AM: Thank you. We have created stuffed mozzarella with an infused drizzled top- ping with herbs and spices. And what is inside? Delicious creamy cheese filling with Italian meats, with herbs and spices, sundried tomato with basil. All with an infused oil topping. OSD: How would you recommend con- sumers enjoy these products? Why are they convenient? AM: The pre-sliced rolls are created just for the consumer. Being pre-sliced will improve presentation; the slices will be consistent. People can also use it in dish- es, like as stuffing in a chicken cutlet for Formaggio ( Cont'd. from p. 1) a cordon bleu. The Stuffed Mozzarella is great for consumers because it has never existed before. It's taking a creamy cheese filling, flavoring it and stuffing it inside a cheese that people just adore. The No. 1 selling cheese in the country. So instead of going to a restaurant for an expensive appetizer they can buy my stuffed mozzarella at a local supermarket or club store for much less. OSD: What is the inspiration behind these two products? AM: With the pre-slicing, I try to see it from the consumer's point of view and I know sometimes it can be difficult and time consuming slicing the rolls. And the slices often came out in different sizes. So it is for that purpose – to make some- thing easier and more beautiful in the lives of consumers. Regarding the stuffed mozzarella, this is something near and dear to me – 'stuff- ing' food like the crust of a pizza. So stuff- ing mozzarella, a cheese that's in my blood, just seemed like the next natural step. For more information, stop by booth #5154 to meet The Big Cheese personal- ly and find out more about these amazing new products. Directions: 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F and prep ingredients while oven pre-heats. 2. Place frying pan on stove and turn flame to medium heat. Place sliced chicken sausage in pan and fry for 4 min- utes or until sausage is golden brown, turning once. 3. On a medium baking sheet or pizza stone, lay pizza crust flat. Top crust with Buffalo Chicken Sausage and roasted red pepers. Sprinkle shred- ded Buffalo Wing Cheddar and NY Dietz & Watson ( Cont'd. from p. 8) Sharp Cheddar on top of sausage and peppers. Place fresh diced scallions atop cheese. 4. Bake pizza in oven for 5 to 7 min- utes or until cheese has melted. Finally sprinkle crumbled blue cheese atop hot pizza and place back in oven for 2 min- utes. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy. For additional recipes and more informa- tion on Dietz & Watson, visit www.dietzand watson.com or find the company on Facebook (facebook.com/DietzandWatson) and Twitter (twitter.com/DietzandWatson). Be sure to stop by booth #1241 at the show. gluten-free cracker that had been in the works for awhile. "Three years ago, Marian and the Partners family recognized the impor- tance of producing a gluten-free line and we have been diligently working ever since," said Cara. "It took time, but we're proud to say we've developed a delicious, gluten-free alternative that doesn't compromise on taste, nutrition, or quality." The new Free for All Kitchen gluten-free crackers are made from quality, non-GMO ingredients like cas- sava flour and a blend of five ancient grains: amaranth, quinoa, millet, sorghum and teff. They are available in various packaging styles in three of Partners' most popular flavors: Olive Oil & Herb, Roasted Garlic & Rosemary and Olive Oil & Sea Salt. The Partners team wanted to create a quality product that everyone could enjoy, gluten and gluten-free eaters alike, and its efforts have not gone unnoticed. Recognized by The Gourmet Retailer, Free for All Kitchen gluten-free crackers were chosen as a 2013 Editors' Partners ( Cont'd. from p. 1) Pick for Best New Product. According to the judging panel, there were over 940 product submissions and only 50 winners were selected based on their taste/func- tionality, innovation and value. Partners was also honored by Grocery Headquarters with a 2014 Selling Wellness Trailblazer Award in the Gluten-Free Category, awarded to com- panies for their efforts and perseverance with independent, natural retailers and their customers. On a statewide basis, Partners was also recognized for its product innova- tion and awarded with a 2014 Silver award for Food Processor of the Year in Seattle Business magazine's Washington Manufacturing Awards. Out of dozens of nominations for the category, Partners was just one of three finalists for the category. What's in store for 2014? Keep an eye out for some sweet additions to the gluten-free line, Free for All Kitchen, and a continuation of its recipe for success. For more information, visit booth #5519, partnerscrackers.com or contact Cara Figgins at 800-632-7477 or cfiggins@partnerscrackers.com. THE HOLY GRAIL: STUFFED MOZZARELLA By JG Riley It's been said that Anthony Mongiello's company Formaggio and its concerted efforts to create the world's best Fresh Mozzarella products were the driving force behind the ultra-popularization of fresh mozzarella in American pop cul- ture over the last decade or so. Seriously, when is the last time you were at a restaurant and the menu didn't offer a Caprese salad as standard fare? Mongiello has done his job. You can agree with this or not, but what is unde- niable is that Anthony Mongiello, The Big Cheese™ and his company, Formaggio™, is a team that innovates and a force to be reckoned with. How many more ways can you offer fresh mozzarella? Let us count the ways. Firstly, Anthony is the inventor and patent holder for stuffed-crust-pizza, which has become practically a basic food group in pop culture. From there, he and his company, Formaggio, have inno- vated the fresh mozzarella category. Beyond the traditional ball-wraps and balls in water, they've reshaped the meat and cheese rolls, vac-packed scamorza, even sliced the fresh mozz up in trays with fresh produce toppings and dipping oil. Most of these are all award-winners, too. That's a lot of innovation. But the Mongiello thinktank is not stopping there. You may have read my other arti- cle about the 'it's-finally-here' pre-sliced meat and cheese rolls, but get ready to take hold of your hat. If you don't wear a hat, then sit down and hold onto something else. Here it is – Formaggio Brand is making the unthinkable: Stuffed Mozzarella. Might sound similar, but it's not burrata (a fresh mozzarella bag packed with strings of mozzarella and curd), but a fresh mozzarella pouch drizzled in its award-winning herb and spice infused marinate and stuffed with mouth-watering creamy-cheese- based combinations. There are four kinds: Four Cheese – a smooth, creamy cheese combo. Then there's Italian Meats with Herbs & Spices paired with the creamy cheese filling, and then a sumptuous Tomato & Basil featuring sundried tomatoes in cheese filling, and finally, the amazingly delicious Applewood Smoked Bacon & Tomato. Each one is more delicious than the other. They come in a tray with two same-variety stuffed mozzarella pouches in an herb and spice infused drizzle topping. Simple preparation, too. Heat it up, cut it open and watch the deli- cious creamy cheese stuffing just flow out with the herbs, spices, meats and produce making a delightful centerpiece to any epicurean table or family dinner. It will take your breath away for its beauty, let alone the rich creamy savory flavor profiles. This stuffed mozzarella product will be one of the more gourmet but truly easy-to-prepare items you'll see being served on tables in a long time. That's the Formaggio touch. Stop by booth #5154 to learn more. of the only candy companies that manu- facture all those products." That makes Palmer's Candy Company a one-stop shop for bakery departments that don't have either the labor force or the equipment to make products like peanut brittle themselves, the way they might have done in the old days when the bakers came to work at 4 a.m., and with its complete line, Palmer's provides an easy way to regain those incremental candy sales without cutting into sales for the traditional bakery items. "It's also been a way for them to get bet- ter quality. We can deliver a consistent product that meets the high specifications that today's grocery store market demands. We have a long shelf life and a high margin," Palmer said. "The average bakery department assumes there are going to be some stales. With our shelf life of greater than six months, there are very few stales, which means a very high profit margin." Barks are a hot item in the confec- tionery world this year, and Palmer's is offering new bark items that grocers and bakers aren't going to find anywhere else, including Red Velvet Bark, Birthday Cake Bark and the Creme de Menthe Bark. "It's Palmer's Candy ( Cont'd. from p. 1) fabulous," Palmer said. "And there's the Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel Bark. It's a mouthful of a name, but it's really tasty." "We also will be introducing new items for fall harvest. There'll be Caramel Apple Pretzels and Cinnamon Roll Pretzels," O'Neill added. "We'll be adding new items to our Bakery Delight packaged line, such as Pumpkin Pie Pretzels and Drizzle Caramel Corn." Palmer's will also be talking to folks at Dairy-Deli-Bake about a line of Bakery Delight To-Go Cup Kits that have both the product and the cups all in one box, so the store can fill the cups at store level. "It's a very easy way for the store to get impulse buys. It appears to be a bulk item, but it's already got packaging that contains the nutritional information on it. It's high margin and easy to do. We have counter racks, spinner trees and hanging racks available to make it easy," Palmer said. "This seems kind of goofy, but it's been a huge item. People grab them as they're going out the door and take it with them in the car. It's just a cup full of goodness." Palmer's Candy Company is exhibiting at Dairy-Deli-Bake in booth #1463. After the show, call 800-831-0828 or visit www.palmercandy.com.