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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 3 9 S u n d a y, M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 5 E. & J. GALLO ACQUIRES CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED PRODUCER J VINEYARDS & WINERY E. & J. Gallo Winery has purchased J Vineyards & Winery, an award-winning Sonoma County producer of sparkling wines, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. "We are very excited to add the J Vineyards & Winery brands to our pre- mium portfolio of wines," said Roger Nabedian, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Gallo's Premium Wine Division. "The brand's contempo- rary elegance has a unique position in the marketplace. J Vineyards & Winery is well known for their award-winning sparkling wines, and we look forward to carrying on the winery's reputation of making elegant, luxurious wines." The acquisition, which includes J Vineyards' Healdsburg winery and more than 300 acres spread over nine vine- yards within the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley AVAs, expands Gallo's presence and properties in California's prestigious North Coast wine country. Gallo already owns nine wineries strategically located in wine regions throughout California and Washington. "Over the last 30 years, I have creat- ed and built J Vineyards & Winery from a small sparkling wine house to an icon- ic luxury brand producing not only sparkling wines but also award-winning Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris," said founder Judy Jordan. She added, "I am proud to announce today that I have found the per- fect fit to take this beautiful company to even greater heights. E. & J. Gallo is also privately owned and shares similar core values; both companies are dedicated to a balance of quality, community, and finan- cial sustainability. I look forward to my new chapter of building a mentorship platform as I honor and salute the out- standing new stewards of J Vineyards & Winery." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. OUTSTANDING COOKBOOKS NAMED The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) unveiled the win- ners of its highly-coveted awards, includ- ing the IACP Cookbook Awards, Bert Greene Awards, Digital Media Awards, First Book: Julia Child Award, and the IACP Special Recognition Awards at its 37th annual conference centered on the theme "Culinary Communications." IACP award recipients are chosen through an intense judging process, with winners being acknowledged as trailblaz- ers in the global culinary community. This year's winners include cook- book authors Christopher Kostow (Cookbook of the Year, presented by Cuisinart) and Sean Brock(First Book: Julia Child Award, presented by KitchenAid) and popular print publica- tions and websites such as Food & Wine Magazine, Fine Cooking Magazine, EatingWell, Bon Appétit, and Food52. The awards were hosted by chef, restau- rateur, New York Times bestselling cookbook author, and television person- ality Curtis Stone. "We're excited to honor and cele- brate our 2015 award winners – they rep- resent the food and culinary community's best in class," said Meredith Deeds, Chief Executive Officer of IACP. "This year's conference has been an over- whelming success with inspiring speak- ers, top-notch sessions, and a constant flow of festive events and activities including multiple toasts for Jacques Pépin's 80th birthday with an '80 Cakes' party. Additionally, acclaimed chef and culinary innovator José Andrés provided a motivating keynote presenta- tion on embracing good causes and mak- ing strides to improve food quality." A highlight for this year's confer- ence was a celebration of Jacques Pépin's 80th birthday. A culinary pioneer and original founder of IACP, Jacques Pépin was honored by IACP with the event, "80 Cakes for Jacques Pépin," which featured 80 birthday cakes contributed by some of the world's leading chefs, tastemakers, and organizations. Cakes were auctioned to support IACP's philanthropic arm, The Culinary Trust. More than $8,000 was raised for the trust, including a gen- erous donation by Chef Andrés. Pastry Chef Jacques Torres prepared and served chef Pépin's favorite "Jacques Torres Oreo Cake" for attendees, and numerous celebrity chefs and culinary luminaries shared toast after toast. The 2015 conference assembled culinary thought leaders to the eclectic food scene of Washington, D.C. Food media, cookbook authors, chefs, dieti- tians, food photographers, food mar- keters, food stylists, bloggers, culinary tourism experts, educators, and farmers gathered to connect, learn, and share their career and personal journeys in their col- lective love for food. This unique meet- ing of the food minds convenes annually providing unmatched educational ses- sions, culinary tours, cooking classes, and networking opportunities. The 2016 IACP conference is planned for Los Angeles from April 1-3, and a call for educational session proposals will be issued in the coming months. GRANT TO REDUCE HUNGER AMONG CHICKASAW NATION CHILDREN The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a grant to the Chickasaw Nation for a demonstration project designed to sharply reduce the incidence of hunger among children. This innovative program will create an experience similar to online grocery shopping, where families visit a website to order nutritious food items which will be delivered directly to their homes. Feed the Children will be delivering the food directly to homes of participants. Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said the Chickasaw Nation is passionate about fighting childhood hunger. "We hope our collaboration with Feed the Children on this innovative new program will be a significant step for- ward in the fight against childhood hunger," he said. "We believe it is vital we continue to develop new strategies and methods to work toward our goal of ending childhood hunger in America. Working together through innovative programs such as this, we can help ensure many more children have the nutrition they need to grow into success- ful adults." Participating families will also receive a benefit check to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at authorized grocery stores within the Chickasaw Nation. "We are very pleased to be working with Feed the Children on this project," said Dr. Judy Goforth Parker, Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Health. "They are great partners because the expertise and economies of scale they bring to the project will enable us to provide even more food to participating families." The total number of eligible students within the demonstration's 18 targeted school districts is estimated at nearly 9,000, and at least half of the students, or approximately 2,600 households, are expected to participate. Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students eligible for free school meals in participating school districts are eligible for the pro- gram. This grant is part of $27 million in funding made possible by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) and announced yesterday. HHFKA requires that at least one project be car- ried out on an Indian reservation serving a rural area with a diabetes incidence rate of 15 percent or more. Other projects will be tested in Kentucky, Nevada, and Virginia, as well as the Navajo Nation. Feed the Children's Domestic Program Team worked with the Chickasaw Nation to develop the propos- al and the underlying project, named the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services Demonstration Project to End Childhood Hunger. "We're excited to partner on this pioneering service and delivery model aimed at increasing food access, food security and diet quality for children pre-K through 12th grade," said Kevin Hagan, President and CEO of Feed the Children. "In the U.S., we have the resources to ensure that every child has the nutritious food they need, but we must better leverage the infrastructure, resources and technology available by working together on the federal and local level to ensure no child goes to bed hungry. SEE THE INNOVATIVE ROTATOR OVEN FROM MARRA FORNI Marra Forni has revolutionized the brick oven by combining New World technolo- gy with traditional Italian craftsmanship. The company offers an array of artisanal ovens in both wood-burning and gas- fired models in a range of sizes to fit into any kitchen. "We have one of the most innovative products on the market. Our multifunc- tional ovens are great for more than just pizza," says National Sales Manager Jeff Calwell. "And it's a versatile product in terms of what we can do for the client. We can build custom sizes with varying options, including the aesthetics of the oven. Our ovens are showpieces – they're meant to be seen." One of Marra Forni's outstanding innovations is The Rotator, which is built in the United States from materials imported in Italy for the most effective and efficient product in the marketplace. The Rotator offers touchscreen technolo- gy, high performance and auto on/off. Its deck is made from authentic Italian refractory brick and will operate either in forward or reverse. The Rotator is avail- able in single- and dual-burner models and offers customizable one-, two- or three-cycle rotations. Marra Forni ovens are built brick by brick in the company's Maryland facil- ity, where a 24,000 square foot warehouse includes a full test kitchen where prospective cus- tomers can try out the oven for them- selves as well as shop for a full comple- mentary range of equipment that includes refrigerated tables, specialty mixers, specialty slicers, curing cabi- nets, and, of course, pizza tools. "It's the whole Marra Forni experience," says Francesco Marra, the company's Founder and CEO. "Whenever you come to our Marra Forni warehouse, you have an experience of our company, which exists to pro- vide a great experience, great ovens and to make sure our customers are successful." "Our Rotator deck oven is an innovation in the oven, and it allows you to customize the rotation, so that by the time it does one rotation, the pizza is ready – you never have to touch it," he adds. "We are the first company in the U.S. to make touch- screen ovens with a back that rotates, which allows you to make 250 pizzas in an hour with consistent high quality and great execution." Visit Marra Forni in booth #4379. After the show, visit www.marraforni.com.