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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2016 n GOURMET NEWS 5 4 The Asaro Family from Sicily: 100 Years of Olive Oil Excellence The Asaro family started harvesting and crushing olives in 1916 in Partanna, Sicily in the province of Trapani, just outside the city of Castelvetrano, famous for the bright green olives bearing this city's name. This beauti- ful area, formed by the Belice River (the Valle del Belice) produces delicious, fruity extra virgin oil and the region's famous table olives. Today, the fourth generation of the Asaro family is continuing its commitment to bringing its customers the highest quality natural and organic Sicilian olive oil, olives and other specialty foods. Antonino Asaro leads his sons and daugh- ter in their several labels. The products are based solely on the Monocultivar olive No- cellara del Belice, better known as Castelve- trano Olives. Of the various olive oils the family produces, the top of the line is Par- tanna and Paesanol Organic, both being gold medal awarded extra virgin olive oils at the NYIOCC competitions. The family also cures Castelvetrano olives harvested at its own farm. New York-based company United Olive Oil Import Corp. was born as an exclusive importer and distribu- tor for the Asaro Family brands. The strong passion for the Mediterranean diet with an in- creasing market demand for nat- ural and organic foods have brought the company to expand its line of imported products, be- coming the perfect partner for small and medium Italian spe- cialty food producers. In 2015, the Asaro family launched a brand new line of or- ganic Sicilian food specialties under the Asaro Organic Farm brand. This line gives the opportunity to the consumers in the United States to try the most delicious Sicil- ian gourmet specialties like arti- choke cream, roasted artichoke hearts, oven roasted cherry toma- toes, marinated olives, Castelve- trano olives spread and olives salad, raw honey from orange blossom and natural Sicilian sodas. Thanks to the company's deep knowledge in the specialty foods production, United Olive Oil Im- port Corp. can satisfy the needs of both its customers and farmers. For more information, call 212.346.0942, email info@unitedoliveoil.com, visit www.unitedoliveoil.com or stop by booth #2874. Girard's New Chef Inspired Dressings The Girard's ® brand had its beginning in 1939 with a recipe for Girard's Original French Dressing created by Chef Pierre Gi- rard at his San Francisco restaurant. The restaurant was located on the third floor above the historic John's Grill (established 1908) located at 63 Ellis Street in San Fran- cisco. This was the first three story restau- rant in San Francisco. Over the years, the brand evolved into a retail dressing line, and added many unique chef-inspired vari- eties. In addition to the distinctive flavors, the brand is also known for its exclusive triangular bottle. Girard's premium dressings inspire the 'home chef' to create delicious salads and more. Some of the delicious varieties in ad- dition to the Original French include the ever popular Champagne and Light Cham- pagne, Olde Venice Italian, Greek Feta Vinaigrette, Caesar, Spinach Salad Dress- ing and Chinese Chicken Salad. Two vari- eties, Raspberry and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, were recently improved by re- ducing the sweetness and removing artifi- cial colors and preservatives. The two new varieties, Vin Rouge (Red Wine) Vinaigrette and White French Dressing, were inspired by French cook- ing, and will take consumers to new heights. The Vin Rouge Red Wine Vinaigrette is rich and flavorful, with a blend of both Cabernet and Merlot wines. Garlic, onions and shallots round out the sa- vory flavor profile. Versatility is the hall- mark of the White French Dressing. It is a unique blend of buttermilk and white wine vinegar, with a touch of mustard and tar- ragon. It is great on leafy greens or pasta salad. Girard's Salad Dressings are part of the T. Marzetti Company, a subsidiary of Lancaster Colony Corpora- tion. Other brands, in both the retail and foodservice markets, include Marzetti ® , New York Bakery ® , Sister Schubert's ® , Reames ® , Car- dini's ® , Chatham Village ® , Romanoff ® , Amish Kitchens ® , Inn Maid ® and Flatout ® . For more information, stop by booth #245 or visit www.marzetti.com. A Cavedoni Balsamic Vinegar for Every Taste Putney House Trading Inc. offers 17 differ- ent premium balsamic vinegars and condi- ments made by the Cavedoni family in Castelvetro, Modena, Italy. At their entry level, the Cavedonis offer their white Bianco and the Sigillo Blu, bal- samics delicious on a salad, soup or sand- wich. At the other end of the scale, there's the 100 year old La Dama D.O.P. to be sa- vored as a digestive or aperitif after a deli- cious meal. New this year is Cavedoni Rose, made ex- clusively from Lambrusco grapes from the Cavedoni vineyards. It is a delicate vinegar with a slightly sweet aroma with a nice bite at the end. Its bright finish pairs very well with many foods and salads. Best-selling Il Caratello is a three-year-old balsamic aged in oak and chestnut barrels for a flavor that layers on the palate with a hint of sweetness, then evolves with a very satis- fying tangy finish. Botte Piccola, aged eight years, is enjoyed as a finishing balsamic that you might use on finer foods and cheeses, and ice cream. Gusto Tartufo is a balsamic infused with black truffles that's been aged for five years in oak barrels. Un- like truffle oil, Gusto Tarfufo will not go ran- cid and is used as a condiment. Fabulous in risotto, steak or drizzled on pan-seared scal- lops. The Saba is the culmination of seven gen- erations of the Cavedoni family's artisanship to produce what is arguably the finest Saba available. Saba is a sweet, smooth, complex balsamic condiment of very high density with 0 percent acidity. It works wonderfully on strawberries and ice cream or as a glaze. Cavedoni balsamics are made exclusively from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes grown in their private vineyards. They prac- tice organic farming techniques, and do not add any artificial coloring, thickeners or preservatives. For more information, email sales@ cavedonibalsamic.com or stop by booth #2742. Himalayan Chef Offers Variety of Organic Salt & Spice Blends Headquartered in Flemington, New Jersey, Himalayan Chef ® , a subsidiary of WBM In- ternational, has established itself as the leader and the largest importer of Himalayan pink salt products in the United States. The brand's unprocessed salt is the purest in the world and its wide collection of products from seasonings, salt grinders and pink cooking plates are available to the restaurant and foodservice industry. The brand was re- cently named the best tasting salt in the world. In business for nearly two decades, the company produces, packages and distributes dozens of food products nationwide and in- ternationally. Its high-quality products are available to wholesale distributors, gourmet food stores, specialty retailers, caterers, restaurant supply firms, chain grocery stores, broad-line food suppliers, caterers and ho- tels. The company offers convenient packag- ing sizes for the foodservice and restaurant industry from 100g grinders to 50 pound Zi- ploc pink salt bags. Over the last several years, there has been an increased interest for Himalayan pink salt for many reasons: it is natural and un- processed; it is hand chipped and packaged exactly the same way it comes out of the ground and may contain up to 84 minerals. Many chefs from top name restaurants around the world are now using it as a spe- cial ingredient, as it transforms their culinary dishes. Himalayan Chef products come directly from an ancient 250 million year old seabed in a 2,300 year old mine. The brand has made its pink salt competitive in price with sea salt. "Common table salt" is overly processed, stripped of minerals, treated with conditioning agents and may promote acidity in the body. According to Tariq Sohail, Director, WBM Interna- tional, "Our pink Himalayan salt is the purest salt in the world and free of preserva- tives and chemical additives. It is delicious tasting and adds a robust of flavor to a myriad of foods." Himalayan Chef offers a variety of inter- esting organic salt and spice blends: steak and chop, chicken, seafood, pizza, lemon pepper and all-purpose in single glass jars and bulk packaging. Certifications Certifications add credibility to any product and ISO certification is one of the most pres- tigious certificates for approving the quality of food for safety, health and wellbeing. Hi- malayan Chef is ISO 9001 and 14001 certi- fied in years 2008 and 2004, respectively. This certification is well established globally to meet the requirements of customers and give consis- tent service from organiza- tions of any size. Additionally, the brand is kosher, vegan, non-GMO and Halal™ certified. Pink Salt Cooking Plate Himalayan Chef also offers the pink salt cooking plate in a variety of sizes – which can be used on the stovetop, grill or the oven. It sears and cooks poultry, fish, meat and veg- etables directly on the salt block and seasons the food as it cooks subtly. The Himalayan salt plates are an easy, healthy and natural way to cook and serve. Each pink salt plate is distinctive in appearance and makes the food presented also special. The plate can also be chilled and creates a beautiful pres- entation for cold shrimp, sushi, gourmet cheeses, fruits and dessert. For more information, stop by booth #5414 or go to www.wbminternational.com.