Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/510124
R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s S a t u r d a y, M a y 1 6 , 2 0 1 5 8 6 users to order a free custom sample in three minutes with three simple steps via smart phone, tablet or PC. Just choose a pick. Upload a logo. Submit. It's fast and easy! RDN: Is it true you have no minimums on orders and fast turnaround times? AM: Yes it's true, no minimums. For order quantities of 100 to 2,000 picks turnaround time is ten days or less. RDN: What kind of response are you getting? AM: Honestly, we are surprised at the remarkable response. We have already received hundreds of requests for sam- ples. Many people are calling and email- ing to say how much they love their cus- tom pick. RDN: We hear you have invested in a laser printer so that you can produce cus- tom picks in house. What gave you the idea to start this service? AM: We installed the laser printer in response to numerous requests from cus- tomers for smaller quantity custom print- ing runs and shorter lead times. Also, we Pick On Us (Cont'd. from p. 1) wanted to use it as a tool for allowing customers to see a three-dimensional proof of their custom pick before large quantity jobs are printed overseas. (Larger orders can range anywhere from 20,000 to over 100,000 pieces.) RDN: Tell us about your company. AM: We are an eco-friendly wholesale company that has been serving chefs and caterers and other food industry clientele all over the United States and neighboring countries for 27 years. We carry a full line of bamboo party picks and skewers as well as bamboo and palm leaf serveware. RDN: What would you say is your num- ber one goal? AM: That's easy, customer satisfaction. RDN: Anything else to add? AM: Whether you're a chef at a five-star hotel or a mom making cupcakes for a birthday party, go to www.customized- picks.com and: "Customize it!" For more information, visit www.cus- tomizedpicks.com, call 760.597.0276, email pickshop@pickonus.com or stop by booth #9634. John Koppel, Senior Vice President at Otis McAllister, has spent over 30 years traveling the world sourcing grains, and heads up the divi- sion. The company provides authentic rice and grains, including Thai Hom Mali jasmine; Vietnamese jasmine; Indian Basmati; Italian Arborio; Peruvian Quinoa; Black Chinese Rice; and other items to all segments of the food industry. The origin of the rice seed, climate and soil all contribute to the attributes of the rice when sourced from its' native country. "The differences in aroma, fla- vor and texture are amazing," said Nancy Bieraugel, Director of Foodservice Sales for the company. Otis McAllister takes great pride in the products they source, and has an excellent QA program to guarantee the quality and highest level of safety stan- Otis McAllister (Cont'd. from p. 1) dards in the industry. Sustainable program initiatives to improve the quality of life for farmers in Thailand and India are exciting ventures as Otis McAllister partners with local communities to increase yields and incomes. Otis McAllister has become one of the largest importers of quinoa in recent years. Healthy eating and lifestyles have brought about greater consumer interest in quinoa, and other ancient grains such as freekeh and farro. Otis McAllister offers these nutrition grains under its retail brand "Village Harvest" and is now expanding them into foodservice applica- tions. In addition to dry rice and grains, the company offers fully cooked frozen products, supplying both foodservice and industrial needs. For more information, stop by booth #5454. LUNA LAUNCHES GLUTEN-FREE PORTFOLIO WITH NEW FLAVOR: CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE LUNA®, the maker of whole nutrition bars for women, recently announced it is taking the entire LUNA family gluten- free and introducing a new flavor, Chocolate Cupcake, to the portfolio. The new bars will still provide women the same great taste and nutritional benefits they have come to know and love, but they are now gluten-free. In 2010, LUNA introduced its first gluten-free option, LUNA Protein, which was immediately embraced by the gluten-free community. Since then, LUNA has been on a two-year jour- ney to make the transi- tion to an entirely gluten-free portfolio, taking care to preserve the bar's taste, quality and nutrition. LUNA's newest flavor, Chocolate Cupcake, satisfies cravings with deli- cious dark chocolate pieces and a silky frosting. Like all LUNA bars, it is gluten- free, low glycemic, and made with 70 percent organic ingredients. As LUNA transitions its bars to gluten- free, be sure to look for the bright pink gluten-free "burst" on wrappers and boxes. The entire LUNA portfolio is now available at grocery stores and retailers nationwide. Products can also be found online at www.lunabar.com with a sug- gested retail price at $1.39. STONEWALL KITCHEN'S NEW BLOODY MARY MIXERS By Richard Thompson Summer is right around the corner and Stonewall Kitchen™ is geared up to cool off and refresh summer goers with two new choices added to their selection of Bloody Mary Mixers. The Peppadew ® Sriracha Bloody Mary Mixer combines a zesty combination of spicy Sriracha, lime juice and other spices, making a brisk addi- tion for relaxing poolside during the warm weather. Those looking for a Bloody Mary mix with a kick will keep people out of the pool and waiting to refill their glass. The Cucumber Dill Bloody Mary Mixer is for beverage connoisseurs who desire a garden fresh escape from the heat. The cucumber sensation on taste buds followed by a dash of horseradish, tomato and spices ensures that this robust beverage will bring a crisp freshness to any patio. If a fresh cut cucumber is added, the refill requests will never end. The well-established original Bloody Mary Mixer that has the perfect level of lemon flavor seasonings makes no brunch complete without one. Stonewall Kitchen's original Bloody Mary Mixer can be purchased at the retail price of $6.95, making the Bloody Mary Mixer, the Peppadew Sriracha Bloody Mary Mixer and the Cucumber Dill Bloody Mary Mixer the only beverage choices for summer. For more information, visit www.stonewallkitchen.com or call 888.326.5678. GOAT CHEESE BECOMES A CHEF'S STAPLE WHILE GAINING SPACE ON THE SNACK PLATE By David Bernard Once a cheese of last resort for those intolerant or allergic to cow dairy prod- ucts, goat cheese has grown in popularity in the last 15 years to achieve mainstream status. With many chefs preferring the bright, tangy flavor of fresh chèvre over creamier cow's milk cheese varieties, goat cheese is "here to stay," according to Lynne Devereux, Marketing Manager at Laura Chenel's Chevre. The rise of goat cheese involves a confluence of factors, from consumer hunger for more healthful foods to the desire for local and artisan products, a taste-adventurous Millennial-generation consumer group along with increasingly knowledgeable and flavor-seeking con- sumers in all categories, to the goat dairy industry's dedication of more resources to education. Goat cheese's increasing popularity among American consumers is attributed to pioneering chef Alice Waters, who co- founded the Farm to Table movement of the 1980s and, working with Laura Chenel, intoduced diners at her Chez Panisse restaurant to goat cheese- inspired dishes. The news about goat cheese spread from there. "A lot of famous chefs worked at her restaurant first, and they went on to open restau- rants across the country," explained Jennifer Lynn Bice, CEO and President of Sebastopol, California's Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery. "Diners would enjoy these wonderful goat cheese dishes, and then go into stores looking for the cheese; and from there it just mushroomed all around the country." While consumers came for the flavor and bright white, clean appearance of goat cheese, they stayed for the health benefits. Goat dairy products often work for those with lactose intolerance, and they contain a different saturated fat composition from that found incow's milk. And it's also higher in calcium, vitamin A and often protein. Some vari- eties contain just a third of the fat and calories of cow's milk cheese. goat cheese got a hoof in the door, and to grow the category. While the cream cheese-like fresh chèvre, popular in baking and cooking, leads the category, an increasing number of small and some large producers have developed more and varied, quality cheeses, with producers like Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery offering unique varieties like Roasted Chile, Three Peppercorn and Garlic Chive chevres. Producers have also developed hard- er, aged cheeses more conducive to snacking, sandwich topping and other uses. Cypress Grove Chevre of Arcata, California, partners with a Dutch cheese- maker to produce the dense and chewy Midnight Moon, a Gouda-type cheese boasting a brown buttery flavor with caramel undertones. Laura Chenel's Chevre's rich and nutty Tome is a pale ivory, firm cheese that slices and grates easily; and Redwood Hill Farm's offer- ings include Aged Cheddar and Smoked Cheddar. "When I first started here 15 years ago, we were trying to convince people that goats gave milk," said Lynne Devereux. "So the trajectory in the last 15 years has been fantastic."