Oser Communications Group

Gourmet Goodies The Pantry Condiments Victoria Fine Foods Sauces at Sur La Table Victoria Fine Foods and Sur La Table are launching a new line of artisanal pasta sauces created exclusively for the Sur La Table customer. The line consists of the following five varieties: Organic Pomodoro Sauce Fra Diavolo Sauce Roasted Garlic Sauce Vodka Sauce Chianti Marinara Sauce All sauces come in 24-ounce jars and are available in Sur La Table stories nationwide, as well as on the Sur La Table website and catalog. The suggested retail price is $12–$13. All sauces, except the Vodka variety, are Non-GMO Project verified. Just like Victoria's premium and Organic sauce lines, the Sur La Table artisanal sauces are made with just a handful of ingredients which are featured prominently on the f ront of the label: ripe plum tomatoes, f resh onions, f resh garlic, f resh basil, olive oil and salt. No artificial flavors or colors are ever added. The Sur La Table artisanal pasta sauces owe their rich flavor to the superb quality of the tomatoes and a slow kettle-cooking process. The San Marzano-style plum whole tomatoes are grown in the volcanic soil of coastal Italy, long considered the source of the world's finest tomatoes, and slow cooked them in small batches with f resh, hand picked basil, f resh garlic, and f resh onions. "This is Victoria Fine Foods' first co- branded partnership, and we are thrilled to be launching this venture with Sur La Table," says Tim Shanley, CEO, Victoria Fine Foods. "Our brands and mission are very similar, with a focus on the highest quality, best-tasting ingredients and the desire to help consumers achieve kitchen victories every day." KN From Farm to Flavor with Tres Hermanas In the sunburned heart of southern New Mexico, the Tres Hermanas Mountains rise from the horizon. Nearby, in the town of Deming, family homes, local business and acres and acres of pepper farms sprawl out in their protective shadow. It is from these mountains that Tres Hermanas takes its name. It is from this community where Tres Hermanas is inspired. Tres Hermanas believes that great flavor comes f rom great farms. This is why the company works diligently alongside farmers that have grown peppers for generations. Together, Tres Hermanas and its farmers cultivate the very best seeds and ideal growing conditions to raise delicious, uniquely New Mexican peppers. All jalapenos, green chiles and tomatillos are grown within a 30-mile radius of the company's headquarters to ensure maximum farm-to-flavor freshness. Each fall, these peppers are harvested by hand, with each one carefully considered to ensure that only the best New Mexican peppers make it to your shelves — and your shoppers' tables. The farmers and their families celebrate this pepper harvest by making a whirlwind of sauces and salsas, bringing age-old family recipes to life with flavorful fresh ingredients. Tres Hermanas brings these traditional recipes to you with a full line of peppers and sauces. These peppers fill dishes with raw desert spices. Sauces run from sunset red to verdant green. All are imbued with a touch of something special that sparks the senses, something that transports anyone who enjoys their flavor from their dining room to a sun-soaked plain outside Deming, where three gentle peaks rise to kiss the turquoise sky. Inspired by the vivid flavors this community has enjoyed for generations, these cooking sauces make it easy to create truly authentic Mexican meals in only a few simple steps. So whether your shoppers enjoy spicy peppers, authentic sauces or both, everyone will love the dips, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, burritos and even pizzas they can make with the bold, farm-raised flavor of Tres Hermanas. KN THE PANTRY 2 0 KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n JULY 2016 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Consumers Seeking the Healthy Condiment BY GREG GONZALES Not all condiments were created equal. Consumers increasingly seek alternatives to condiment cornerstones high in sodium or high-fructose corn syrup, or that fail to meet their specific health and diet needs. Producers have responded directly by releasing products that meet individual consumer needs, and some naturally healthy condiments need no alteration. Of course, a healthy condiment isn't necessarily the same item for everyone. "It's more complex than most people think," said Chrissy Weiss, a nutrition expert who serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at Culinary Collective. "We all are following different diets. Some have health issues, some are athletes, so it depends on someone's needs individually. ... Make sure the product falls in line with your own health goals." Those goals might include non-GMO products, gluten-free, no high- fructose corn syrup, low sugar, low sodium or vegan. There's a condiment for every consumer need. Annie's, Portland and Sir Kensington's ketchups do away with fillers like corn syrup and artificial colors, and the organic tomatoes they use contain more nutrients and antioxidants than their non-organic counterparts. The Not Ketchup brand adds a paleo-friendly option to the mix with its fruit ketchups, available in specialty flavors like Blueberry White Pepper and Tangerine Hatch Chile. The winner of the free-from badge contest might have to go to Primal Kitchen for its take on mayonnaise, made with avocado oil. This gluten-free, dairy- f ree, sugar-f ree, canola-f ree, non-GMO spread made with cage-free eggs is packed with healthy fats and is paleo-f riendly. Hampton Creek's spread, Just Mayo, is also Non-GMO Project Verified, but brings mayo back to the vegan crowd by taking the eggs out entirely — in four specialty flavors, too. And consumers who want flavorful ribs without the sugar rush might try Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce. It's a gluten-free and all-natural take on the tangy-sweet stuff, with only 154mg of sodium and 5 grams of sugar per serving. It's not alone on the shelf, either. Tessemae's All Natural BBQ Sauce contains only 2 grams of sugar and 125mg of sodium. It's also gluten-f ree, dairy-f ree, vegan and paleo- friendly. "People are reading more ingredient labels these days to see if it's just simple," said Weiss. "Used to be a long time ago, we wanted everything fat free." But these days, consumers know good fats are essential to a healthy diet, and can even lower cholesterol. Culinary Collective's gluten-f ree Matiz Catalan All I Oli Garlic Spread, made from sunflower oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt, is high in good fats but dairy-f ree, low in sodium and sugar. Salsas, guacamole, hot sauces and low-sugar chutneys also make nutritious additions to healthy meals. "A lot of people believe traditional foods made from scratch, made from high-quality ingredients, can be helpful," said Weiss, adding that this attitude has been a given in the specialty food industry from the get-go. "We'll be part of the solution, not the problem.… There's a lot of products out there that are, honestly, just junk. They don't add anything to consumers' diets, and producers are starting to wake up to that. We'll definitely see this continue." KN

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