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Condiments and Sauces THE PANTRY KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n APRIL 2017 n www.kitchenwarenews.com 1 6 Little Acre Offers a Gourmet Take on Condiments BY LORRIE BAUMANN Little Acre Gourmet Foods produces the More Spicy Three Pepper Ketchup that just won an award at the 2017 Zest Fest's Fiery Foods Challenge, as well a line of other small-batch premium condiments. But it all started out as a hot dog cart owned by Bill Ahrens and his wife Trina, who are also the Co-Owners of Little Acre Gourmet Foods. This suggests that Trina's an expert witness with absolute, unquestionable credibility on the question of whether it's acceptable to eat ketchup on a hot dog. She says it is. Granted, her argument isn't exactly that just any ketchup is fine atop a wiener. "Everything we make is very different, very unusual," she says. "It's not like ordinary ketchup." But, she points out, "Lots of people like ketchup on their hot dogs." And with that, the defense rests. Objection by the gentleman f rom Chicago overruled. Sit down, sir. Bill's hot dog cart business got started when he was working in a previous career in which his place of business was served by a lunch wagon. Bill got to know the guy behind the counter and started thinking that the lunch wagon seemed like a fun business, and a hot dog cart seemed like the most feasible way to get into it. "It just seemed like a fun thing to do," Trina says. "He's a vegetarian. He doesn't even eat hot dogs.... We were just doing it for amusement, pretty much, hoping we'd make a few dollars." It didn't take the couple long to figure out that if you're going to serve hot dogs, including the veggie dogs that Bill does eat, you're going to need to serve a relish, and hot dog sales might go better if you offered a really good relish. "We started with three different kinds of relish," Trina says. " W hen we were ser ving the condiments, people asked if they could take it home with them to make burgers or hot dogs." Then if you're making your condiments in sufficient quantity to supply the customers who want to take some home, you need a commercial kitchen. Thus does the snowball roll down the mountain to become an avalanche. " This whole thing is not something we planned out ahead of time. We basically fell into this," Trina says. Today, Little Acre's gourmet condiments are gathering a following in New England. Trina makes the products in small batches in the Genuine Local shared-space kitchen facility in Meredith, New Hampshire, and they 're being sold in Eataly 's Boston location and in the local W hole Foods stores as well as through the company's website. The product line includes the company's original Three Pepper Ketchup, which has flavor that's more about the red peppers than the crushed tomatoes that are also part of the recipe. There are also a couple of spicier versions, including the More Spicy Three Pepper Ketchup that was just recognized at Zest Fest. "The first reaction to the ketchup when people try it for the first time is usually, ' Wow '," Trina says. "It works well as a cocktail sauce or a pizza sauce. You can use it as a salsa for nachos. I make a black bean hummus with it – it's very versatile." And since this whole line started at a hot dog cart, of course it includes mustards – Trina makes hers with whole seeds – lots of them – that pop in the mouth like caviar. The varieties include Original and Balsamic & Fig. "It's more like a pickled mustard seed. There's one that 's yellow, and the other one is made with balsamic vinegar," Trina says. " They 're really nice with charcuterie plates. They're great glazes for meats. The balsamic is nice with salmon.... or to take your hors d'oeuvres to the next level. We're adding bold taste sensations to ordinary, everyday foods. It's very unique stuff." For more information, visit www.littleacregourmet.com. KN ITALIAN FOODS CORP. INTRODUCES LA PIANA ROMANTICA HAPPY APPLE CONDIMENT Italian Foods Corporation launched La Piana ® Romantica Happy Apple Condiment, a versatile apple cider vinegar-based product imported from the Emilia-Romagna region near Modena, Italy, at the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show. The new Happy Apple Condiment melds sweet and tart notes with a combination of apple cider vinegar and concentrated apple juice for a range of culinary applications, according to General Manager Francesca Lapiana-Krause. Packaged in tall, slender 8.4-ounce glass bottles, Happy Apple Condiment has a suggested retail price of $14.99. The new condiment may be used traditionally as a dressing for fruit or lettuce salads and slaws as well as a base for apple or stone fruit sauces or compotes for pork, and when slightly reduced, makes a savory glaze for poultry. The versatile Happy Apple Condiment also can be used as a sweet and savory topping for pancakes. In addition to the new condiment, Italian Foods' Romantica line includes Gran Reserva Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Rosé Condiment. The La Piana line also includes Bronze, Silver and Gold Balsamic Vinegars of Modena. Italian Foods Corporation 888.516.7262 www.ItalianFoods.com www.Facebook.com/LaPianaItalianFoods NEW ORGANIC OFFERINGS FROM STONEWALL KITCHEN Specialty food creator Stonewall Kitchen is continuing to grow its successful organic line with the launch of six new products. The new Spicy Corn & Tomato Relish is a fresh and zesty combination of crunchy corn, bell peppers, tomatoes and more that really dazzles with a flavorful kick of spice. Stonewall Kitchen's new Miso Ginger Dressing is made with mellow white miso, tart rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and candied ginger, which combine nicely for a light, well-rounded flavor. The Peach Raspberry Jam is a fantastic pairing of two mouthwatering summertime flavors that taste simply amazing together. Lastly, there's the thick and rich Organic Smoky Maple Barbecue Sauce – a taste- tempting smoky delight made with sweet maple syrup, molasses, garlic, Dijon mustard and bits of onion. Bottom line, a superb mix of organic products that are sure to be a hit with customers everywhere. Stonewall Kitchen 1.800.826.1752 www.stonewallkitchen.com THE NEW MARDONA STUFFED OLIVE COLLECTION MarDona has produced a gourmet olive snack to meet anyone's palate: quality fresh olives stuffed with the finest gourmet treats. The Savory Blue cheese is a perfect balance of the olive and cheese. The Turkish Red Hot Pepper is just what the label says – very hot! The Garlic stuffed olive is offered two ways; the Natural Garlic insert and the Italian Style with spices in the brine that make the garlic stand out a little more. Let's not forget the Jalapeno Stuffed Olive with a good balance of heat and olive. These five great products join the other MarDona favorites: Mild or Hot Muffuletta, Olive Antipasto, the Mild or Hot Giardiniera, Sweet and Spicy Garlic Cloves and Spicy Brussels Sprouts. No matter what your mood is, these items are great as snacks, salad additions, sandwich toppers and more. MarDona Specialty Foods 855.Oil Spray (645.7772) info@mardonaspecialtyfoods.com www.truffleoilsandmore.com KARENAL CANE SYRUP Karenal brand Cane Syrup will be an exciting new addition to the syrup section in every gro- cery store. It is attractively packaged, with unparalleled taste and a deliciously unique flavor. The syrup has a long shelf life and is incredibly versatile as a baking ingredient, sweetener, topping and more. Cane syrup is a fit for the culinary traditions of many ethnic groups, and it will please the health-conscious consumer because it's a natural non-GMO alternative to high fructose corn syrup. In addition, it's an economical replacement for maple syrup. Pricing is competitive and offers great profit margins. Periodic promotions are sure to in- crease consumer interest and excitement. Tested and proven, there simply is nothing to compare with the taste and quality of Karenal pure cane sugar syrup! Karenal LLC 402.709.4603 www.karenalliquidgold.com The Pantry

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