Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/517305
O C G S h o w D a i l y 3 5 Tu e s d a y, J u n e 9 , 2 0 1 5 that still provide that indulgence we all want in our sweet baked goods. We expect this will energize both our brand and the category with engaging packag- ing, clean ingredients, and most impor- tantly outstanding taste consumers expect from Sugar Bowl Bakery. OSD: Sounds delicious, how is it differ- ent from other thin cookies? PT: They are made from a cake batter, which gives the product a different tex- ture and taste. Basically they are like that batter that spilled over the edge of the pan and turned into a little crispy snack for the baker. They remind me of licking the spoon or whisk after my mom would make a cake, but as thin, melty buttery crisps. We felt the catego- ry could use a way to get cakes out of just special occasions; Batter Crisps will allow cake lovers to enjoy their favorite flavors in their snacking occa- sions. OSD: Why is this the right time to be introducing Batter Crisps? PT: Ultimately this is the best place to demonstrate our brand pillars of clean ingredients, category innovation and car- Sugar Bowl Bakery (Cont'd. from p. 1) ing for the community. Batter Crisps not only align with these pillars but have given us the confidence as an organiza- tion to take responsibility for driving cat- egory sales through innovation. Expect more exciting products from us in the future. I have tasted some early versions of really cool products that are unlike anything in the category today. OSD: Who can retail partners expect to attract with this product? PT: Of course I will say everyone, but really we see moms looking for all nat- ural solutions for their kids snacking needs. With four great flavors, Devils Food, French Vanilla, Lemon Snow and Carrot Cake, we know we have covered most of the consumer's preference. What's fun is listening to the chefs talk about the flavors we will make in the future. These guys are really creative and love their jobs! Bakers are really the engine that drives our industry, and I am proud to get to bring their inventions to the market. I encourage everyone to stop by the booth and enjoy one of life's sim- ple pleasures in the form of Batter Crisps. For more information, stop by booth #3848 or email Pete Thomsen at pete_thomsen@sugarbowlbakery.com. and it is the only cheese that can be called Gruyère AOP Switzerland. It's made from the raw milk of cows sustained in the same local fields, hand-made in 170 small batches with the same recipe since 1115 AD, then slow-aged in local cellars and caves. The uniquely smooth, savory true flavor you will find only in Le Gruyère AOP is 100 percent natural, 100 percent additive free, and naturally free of lactose and gluten. Gruyère AOP is the perfect complement to your cuisine. For a smooth and mild yet extreme- ly satisfying taste, Le Gruyère AOP Classic is aged a minimum of five months. Le Gruyère AOP Reserve, which has been aged for 10 months or more, has a smooth but more robust flavor. Some wheels will be matured up to 18, or even Gruyere AOP (Cont'd. from p. 1) 24, months for lovers of strong sensa- tions. Gruyère d'Alpage AOP is also a denomination protected by the AOP specifications. It is only made in the sum- mer, from mid-May to around mid- October. Cows go up to mountain pasture and graze on lush and varied grass. The milk they produce is rich in flavor, which is passed on to the cheese. Gruyère d'Alpage AOP is exclusively pressed in cloth. At the beginning of autumn, the Alpine herdsmen and their herds come back down from the mountains. All varieties are great in recipes, or sliced as a snack. Whatever the age of the Gruyère AOP you are savoring, its quali- ties remain the same. For more information about the history, the process, great recipes and more, visit www.gruyere.com. RESPECT FOR TRADITION EXEMPLIFIES WEST LOOP SALUMI By Micah Cheek Like most new things in Chicago, Greg Laketek is on his way up. In the two years since Laketek's West Loop Salumi opened, his client list has ballooned with the names of heavy hitting businesses. "There were always dreams of serving the customers we have," says Laketek, "We never expected them to seek us out." Among those seekers are famed restaurants such as Alinea and Nomi, as well as high profile market retailers, including Eataly NYC. Fueled by the stunning endorsements of traveling chefs, West Loop meats are find- ing their way into culinary hot spots from San Diego to Boca Raton. Laketek, 29, opened West Loop Salumi in 2013 after spending four years training under master salumiere Massimo Spigaroli. At Spigaroli's Antica Corte Pollavicina in Polesine Parmense, he learned the craft of curing and preserving meats with an eye for quality ingredients and Old World techniques. Laketek even took part in the processing of the British royal family's prized Berkshire hogs. When he returned to his home town of Chicago, he saw that these traditional Italian salamis were in nowhere to be found. "I noticed in Chicago, not many people are doing salumi and charcuterie; it seemed like a good mar- ket to get into." he says. West Loop Salumi began with a small crew and no safety net. Laketek recalls, "Last year we had a flood because we had a frozen pipe. We ended up losing about $140,000 in product. That was our first eight months, we only had three employees, and our products weren't cov- ered in the insurance. It was a big hit to us." The flooded shop could not stop the flood of praise, however, and West Loop rebounded to even more critical success. Zagat has since included Laketek in its "30 under 30 2014" list, as well as "11 Chicago Food Artisans to Watch." West Loop Salumi takes its name from the neighborhood it occupies, a formerly industrial area that is now a dining and art hot spot. The neighborhood's rebirth as a fine food and leisure hub, though beneficial to the city, is not without its consequences. Greg says, "West Loop was the butchering and packing area of Chicago. It's really dying though, now this area is called Restaurant Row, there are only a few butch- er shops left here. It's really a shame. Hotels and restaurants are coming in and raising the rent." A particular loss, Greg says, is the redevelopment of the Fulton Cold Storage building, which had operated for over 90 years. "They took all the old signage down. Google is using the build- ing. The insulation was all horse hair; it took four months to defrost the place." From the start, buyers could tell something was different about West Loop's wares. Laketek believes the con- trast lies in how other American proces- sors make charcuterie, compared to how he was trained in Italy. "Producers out here don't understand how to make the salumi we're making," he says. The dif- ference can be seen especially well in meats like culatello, a whole muscle ham cured in wine, salt and pepper for more than 12 months, which West Loop makes in the Italian style. "The thing about culatello is you can't import it, it's not available in the US. We're now doing the culatello the way they did, but not many others can," Laketek says. He found that he could avoid using nitrite, a commonly used preservative for cured meat prod- ucts, in his culatello by aging it even longer, up to 16 months. This keen knowledge of the curing process sets his products apart from his competitors. "They're cutting corners they don't even know they're cutting. It's about attention to detail," he says. Attention to detail goes hand in hand with the extremely high quality ingredi- ents that West Loop starts with. Berkshire and Iberian pork are heavily used, as are fresh Calabrian peppers. Laketek takes special pride in his braseola, which he formerly made with pasture-raised, grass-fed beef. "We've switched to just using wagyu now. We are the only pro- ducer in the US that's allowed to make bresaola without spraying any bleach on it. We use the acidity of white wine vine- gar to make it stable." While the lowlands of Parma are ideal for the dry curing of specialty pork, the environment of Chicago doesn't lend itself to the process. The chill and humid- ity of the Midwest would make tradition- al open air curing impossible if not for West Loop's state of the art curing cham- bers. A constantly operating computer carefully balances the humidity and heat needed to promote the right bacterial cul- tures and drying times. The texture of its product is notably soft, even delicate. The casing must be gently removed to avoid taking bits of pork with it. Portions are cut in a thick wedge, similar to a serving of cheese. The thin slices are all pieces of whole muscles, cut against the grain. BRED WITH A BROOKLYN ACCENT! Is it any surprise that one of the hottest baby names for this year is "Brooklyn"? Yes, these days Brooklyn is the name to be, the place to be and, for those with guts, the way to be. Damascus Bakeries is all of the above. Since 1930, this third generation fam- ily-owned bakery has planted its roots in Brooklyn and baked award-winning Middle Eastern pitas and flatbreads, first for its own community and now for many others. Like many proud parents, Damascus Bakeries has chosen the name "Brooklyn" as its newest baby, Brooklyn Bred[R] Bistro Breads. This line of inno- vative and highest quality baked bread will soon be introduced to the market. "We've been 'Bred in Brooklyn Since 1930,' so the new brand name Brooklyn Bred was a nat- ural for us," said David Mafoud, Co- Owner and third-generation Baker. First to hit the stores come both styles of Brooklyn Bred Pizza Crusts: tra- ditional and made with specialty "00" pizza flour, which contains ancient grains and is made with organic khorasan flour. Both varieties, as will be the case for all Brooklyn Bred products, are processed with extended fermentation time for an authentic texture and more pronounced flavor. "Pizza is all about the bite, and in Brooklyn, that could be the difference between life and death. Okay, I'm exaggerating – a bit! But, without exception, in Brooklyn, the success of every great pizza starts and finishes with its crust," Mafoud said. Under the same Brooklyn Bred label, Damascus has recently introduced its Olive Oil & Sea Salt Bistro Sticks that are a savory cornucopia of culinary and entertaining options. At just 100 deli- cious calories, the Country Potato Bistro Buns may become a favorite in many household bread boxes. In months to come, Damascus will be introducing some additional varieties to its lines of sticks and buns, as well as a line of Bistro Flats, "The Not So Flat Flatbread," which boasts "more body, less calories." "It's time to 'roll up our sleeves, go back to the very basics and start creating fresh, outspoken and edgy Bistro Bread that will speak out to all – preferably with a Brooklyn accent!" Mafoud said. For more information, visit booth #2942, go online to www.damascusbakery.com, call 718.855.1456 or contact David Mafoud at 917.709.3736 or dmafoud@damascusbakery.com.