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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2016 n GOURMET NEWS 1 2 2 Mr. Espresso Brings to America the Tradition of Wood Roasted Coffee Carlo Di Ruocco founded Mr. Espresso with the simple goal of bridging the Italian espresso experience with local dining cus- toms. For 37 years, Di Ruocco has differen- tiated himself within the specialty coffee landscape by promoting Italian espresso and continuing the craft of roasting coffee in an oak wood-fired roaster. The result has far ex- ceeded his goal and firmly established Di Ruocco's place in West Coast espresso his- tory. Di Ruocco developed a passion for coffee as a teenager when he served a two-year ap- prenticeship with a local roaster. He went on to pursue a career as an electrician and ele- vator technician. In 1967, Di Ruocco, his wife, Marie-Francoise, and their young fam- ily immigrated to the United States, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area where he con- tinued working in the elevator industry. A few years later, when Di Ruocco had a chance to import a few used espresso ma- chines to the U. S., he saw an opportunity to leverage his technical skills and longtime love of coffee into a future for his family in America. In 1978, Mr. Espresso was born. At that time in the United States, very lit- tle was known about espresso. However, restaurant and café owners found in Mr. Espresso a trustworthy source for espresso machines and business grew. His company was meeting equipment needs for countless small business owners and continued to grow, over time adding customers such as Peet's Coffee, Il Fornaio, Java City and scores more. In 1981, Di Ruocco expanded the business, introducing the art of oak wood roasting as he was trained in Italy. Di Ruocco wanted others to be able make an espresso that could be enjoyed on its own – smooth with a delicious aftertaste. He quickly gained a following in the restaurant community with chefs like Alice Waters and others who wanted to offer an authen- tic espresso. Mr. Espresso became the first full-service company in the San Francisco Bay Area and among the first in the country to offer superb coffee, premium equipment, comprehensive training and reliable main- tenance. As a result, legions of coffee fans experience the enjoyment that a well-pre- pared, high-quality espresso can bring. And it has become a critical element of West Coast coffee culture. Di Ruocco's passion for Italy and its cuisine extends beyond his award-winning coffee to most aspects of his life. The Cabernet Sauvignon produced by his Napa Valley winery, Ardente (Italian for passion- ate), has repeatedly medaled, gold and sil- ver, in The SF Chronicle Wine Competition. He is a member of Accade- mia Italiana Della Cucina, the world organization dedi- cated to preserving traditions and ad- vancing the food culture of Italy. For his promotion of its culture, the Italian government be- stowed upon Di Ruocco an hon- orary Knighthood. Today, at its Oakland facility, you can find two generations of Di Ruoccos work- ing together – maintaining old world prac- tices that Carlo carried, while his children keep pace with changing trends with the same determination and passion as their fa- ther, securing Mr. Espresso's enduring legacy in the coffee industry. For more information, go to www. mrespresso.com or visit booth #3420. Just Jan's Introduces New Product By Kris Mason, Director of Brand Innovation I'm really excited to be introducing Just Jan's newest product, our Original Tangerine Sriracha. Part of the reason for my excite- ment about this product is that we weren't sure when it would happen. What we thought would be a relatively straightforward process was anything but. Ingredients for this sauce were difficult to source, and we seemed to hit a number of roadblocks along the way. In the end, it was worth the effort and the wait and I could not be happier with the results. This is a really exciting flavor and product for Just Jan's on a number of levels. For one, it is the first non-spread condiment that we have created. Original Tangerine Sriracha represents growth for the company and the brand in terms of our offerings and the cre- ativity and quality consumers and retailers alike can expect from Just Jan's. This sauce was like a bolt of lightning. With my busi- ness partner and kitchen collaborator, I had the idea to combine our Just Jan's Tangerine Marmalade with Sriracha. It was delicious as it was, but we didn't stop there; I made my own sriracha from scratch to really comple- ment and bring out the tangerine. The result is a sauce that is simply amazing; it has the tangy sweetness of tangerine, matched with brightness of vinegar, the savory flavor of garlic, the heat of red chilies and a smooth finish with a hint of coriander. Don't say we didn't warn you — one taste and you'll be hooked. Try it for your- self at booth #362. For more information, visit www.justjans. com or stop by booth #362. Brent & Sam's Cookies A True Gourmet Bakery Treat Brent & Sam's premium gourmet cookies deliver a delicious taste excursion. Extrava- gantly indulgent, these slow-baked cookies feature the highest quality ingredients, with no added preservatives. Brent & Sam's pre- mium gourmet cookies offer the highest turning indulgent flavors and are available in Original Crisp (bite-size), Large Crisp, Soft Baked and new Organic flavors. The Brent & Sam's philosophy is simple. Brent & Sam's bakes every batch of pre- mium cookies using only the highest quality ingredients. Many food companies claim to use only the finest ingredients, but Brent & Sam's really does. For uncompromising taste and quality, real butter and margarine, sugars and vanilla extract are combined and baked into flavorful cookies. Brent & Sam's uses top of the line nuts, purchasing the 'fancy' grade for its delicious cookies. Large choco- late chips, although they are more expensive, are mixed in. Most importantly, Brent & Sam's has a higher ratio of inclusions than found in other cookies: more chocolate chips per cookie, more pecans, macadamia nuts and raisins. It has ingredients consumers love with absolutely no trans fats or preser- vatives. Brent & Sam's slow bake process provides ingredients the chance to caramelize and bake into an extremely fla- vorful, gourmet cookie. Brent & Sam's come in a vari- ety of flavors and sizes. It now has a new Organic line that includes both Thin & Crispy and Soft Baked flavors made with ancient grains that provide a great solu- tion for consumers looking for de- licious tasting cookies made with oats and quinoa and sweetened with organic evapo- rated cane syrup, real butter and other or- ganic ingredients. Chocolate Chip Pecan, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Key Lime White Chocolate and Caribbean Crunch are among Brent & Sam's classic recipes. Thin & Crispy Cranberry Oatmeal Quinoa and Chocolate Chip along with Soft Baked Wild Blueberry Oatmeal Quinoa and Chocolate Chunk will be introduced in the new Organic Line. Brent & Sam's Cookies are available in regular and bite sized crispy cookies, in a smaller 2.5 ounce pack and multi-serve sizes of seven and 7.2 ounces. Soft Baked varieties of classic home- made recipes are individually wrapped and available in 1.075 ounce and 8.6 ounce packages. These smaller size packages and individually wrapped soft baked varieties are great for gift baskets! All premium cookies are baked to order, ensuring the freshest cookies for you and your customers. For more information on Brent & Sam's gourmet cookies, visit www.shearers.com or stop by booth #1369 at the Fancy Food Show. Monte Pollino Offers Customers Every Day Gourmet The Monte Pollino brand has a full line of Italian inspired specialty foods, including extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, tapenades, tomato sauces, grains and olives. The brand was created to offer authentic-style Italian foods at an excellent value. 'We want people to be able to experience the tastes of Italy without breaking the bank,' noted Francesco Lettieri, Chief Executive Officer at Lettieri & Co. Monte Pollino was established in 1993 and has been offered at grocers and specialty food stores in the San Francisco Bay Area ever since. In 2015, Lettieri and his market- ing team worked with world renowned de- signer Primo Angeli to completely redesign the entire line. "We wanted to streamline the brand and give it a look that better reflects the high-quality products that are behind the label," said Zach Wise, Sales and Marketing Manager at Lettieri & Co. The team at Lettieri & Co. worked hard to find the right products to fit into the Monte Pollino brand. "You can't just slap your label on anything," said Lettieri while discussing Monte Pollino's future. "I have to know exactly what is going into each and every product that has our name on it." Let- tieri travels the world in search of the best products to include in the Monte Pollino brand. Monte Pollino includes several organic offerings along with the full line of quality products. Organic extra virgin olive oil, or- ganic balsamic vinegar and recently added organic farro and barley help round out the brand. The company is always looking to expand and add unique and delicious prod- ucts to this great line. The full Monte Pollino line will be available to sample at the Let- tieri & Co. booth #4015 along with over 75 other specialty food brands from around the world. For more information, visit www.lettieri. com, call 415.657.3392, email lettieri@ lettieri.com or stop by booth #4015.