Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/983621
Restaurant Daily News Tuesday, May 22, 2018 4 6 A Lobster of a Shrimp from the Waters of Argentina By Lorrie Baumann Pier 33 Gourmet is bringing some excit- ing new seafood products to the American market. Pier 33 Gourmet is the retail brand owned by Chilean seafood produc- er Camanchaca, and the company promis- es that the new items, an Ocean Raised® Blackened Salmon, a Bourbon Glazed Salmon and Wild Argentine Red Shrimp, will persuade consumers that their pur- chase from your freezer or seafood cases will provide them with restaurant-quality meals at home. The Ocean Raised Blackened Salmon and Ocean Raised Bourbon Glazed Salmon can go from freezer to plate in minutes. They're an extension of Pier 33 Gourmet's product line that already includes Ocean Raised Atlantic Salmon, Wild Caught Langostino Lobster Tails, and Mussel varieties, all seasoned, ready to cook and frozen at the peak of freshness. The Wild Argentine Red Shrimp is a species that will be new to most Americans, but it's a familiar product in Japan, where it's used in sushi preparations, and in Argentina, where it's often used in ceviche or grilled quickly for a sim- ple gourmet meal, said Cesar Lago, President of Camanchaca, Inc. "The beauty of these shrimp is that they cook easily and quick- ly," he said. "They have a sweet aroma and a beautiful, natural red color, so whether you throw them on the grill or sauté them, you're guaranteed to have a delicious gourmet meal in minutes." The Wild Argentine Red Shrimp are being fished and packaged through a joint venture between Camanchaca and Krustagroup. The shrimp are caught in Argentina's national waters off the provinces of Santa Cruz and Chubut, where fishing is closely controlled by INIDEP, the Argentinian authority that governs fishing under the umbrella of the Argentine Ministry of Agricultural Industries. The INIDEP authority's regu- lation of the fishery is guided by scientists who are solely concerned with the sus- tainability of the fishery, said Pablo Mugica, General Manager of Krustagroup. "What the INIDEP says, goes, and our fishery is committed 100 percent to the sustainable practices that they mandate," he said. "This has allowed us to grow sustainably and maintain a healthy fishery." He noted that the Wild Argentine Red Shrimp are also free of any taint from the slavery practices that are occasionally identified with imports from other regions of the world. "We have never had any labor issues in our fishery," said Mugica. We are regulated by the Ministry of Labor, well managed, and committed to following the rules to ensure the safety of our workforce and the quality of our product." The shrimp itself is naturally red – a characteristic of the species that remains even after the shrimp is cooked. These flavorful shrimp have the tender texture and succu- lent flavor of lobster rather than the firmer texture of shrimp varieties fished from tropical waters, Mugica said. "It's the number one-selling shrimp in countries like Spain and Italy, so Mediterranean dishes are ideal for this. The shrimp are large: 15 pieces per pound up to 30 to 40 pieces per pound at a max- imum," he said. "These shrimp are perfect for Mediterranean dishes. They are wild shrimp, very different from those found in the US. The cold water gives the meat a different texture and a lot of flavor, espe- cially when compared to the warm-water shrimp generally sold in the States." Camanchaca's processing facilities are safety-certified under the guidance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the salmon and mussels are independ- ently third-party certified by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP). The Langostino Lobster Tails are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified. Pier 33 Gourmet retail market avail- ability includes the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and West. Products are currently available in major retailers across the country including Publix, Winn Dixie, ShopRite, Harris Teeter, Price Chopper and Giant Eagle among others. The Pier 33 Gourmet Wild Argentine Red Shrimp is available year- round. For more information, visit www.pier33gourmet.com. Lake Champlain Chocolates: Inspiration from Belgium, Ingredients from Vermont By Lorrie Baumann Lake Champlain Chocolates was built around the ideas of creativity and quality, and the company continues that family tradition today. The company won three sofi Awards in 2017; a bronze award for It's Hot, Honey Chocolate, a spicy organ- ic 57 percent dark chocolate bar that fea- tures a rich caramel center infused with Vermont honey and habanero chile pep- per, and a bronze award and best new product award for Moka Fleck Chocolate, a tantalizing blend of organic 43 percent dark-milk chocolate, fine-ground Dominican coffee, and crunchy flecks of house-roasted cacao nibs. Lake Champlain Chocolates was founded in 1983 by Jim and Anne Lampman, who owned the Icehouse restaurant in Burlington, Vermont, at the time. "They decided to get out of the restaurant business and dived into choco- late with hand-rolled chocolate truffles and the Chocolates of Vermont line that's still made today," said their son Eric Lampman, who is the current President of Lake Champlain Chocolates. He runs the company along with his sister, Ellen Reed, who is Vice President. Together, they're keeping alive their father's dream of using Vermont-sourced ingredients to make chocolates so good that they could compete with Belgian chocolates, and they're updating that dream to emphasize fair trade and organic ingredients that appeal to an evolving marketplace. "We've always liked to do things in bal- ance. We certainly are not turning our backs on the tradition of European fla- vors, tradition and technique, the evolu- tion of consumer demands and the mar- ket," said Eric Lampman. "The world isn't the same. Truffles used to be sold in department stores in cases behind glass, but it's not done that way much any more. Chocolate bars have taken over. We're trying to move with that evolution and not be stuck in the past." As the company moves forward, it's also not turning its back on the Vermont values of quality and craftsmanship, Lampman said. "Vermonters appreciate quality, simplicity, things done well," he said. "Vermont is a strong area for craft makers, whether it's cheese, beer, or our- selves with chocolate. Those are the peo- ple we're surrounded by, who value that type of craftsmanship and quality. Lake Champlain Chocolates' product range now includes chocolate bars, including the best-selling Five Star Bars – a chunky filled bar – as well as the Chocolates of Vermont line inaugurated by his parents. That's a suite of four pieces of chocolate: Evergreen Mint, Honey Caramel, Maple Crunch and Green Mountain, which is a melange of fruit and nuts in a mountain shape. The four confection pieces were designed by a Vermont jeweler and intended to express the various moods of the state. The over- all product range also includes truffles, caramels, gift assortments and gourmet hot chocolate. They're available online, nationwide at specialty food stores, and at three company-owned stores in Vermont: one at the factory in Burlington, Vermont, where factory tours are offered to visiting tourists; one in downtown Burlington and the third near Stowe. "We have always really prided our- selves on our sourcing," Eric Lampman said. Maple syrup, honey and heavy cream used in the chocolates are all local products. Butter comes from Vermont Creamery. Lake Champlain Chocolates worked with a local hard cider brand to use apples from their orchard in an apple syrup that's intrinsic to its Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramel, which was a 2016 sofi Award finalist and a finalist for a Good Food Award in 2015. The company was awarded its SQF certification two years ago, and Lampman's focus today is on continuing to improve production practices in the fac- tory as well as continuing to adapt many of its recipes to fair trade and organic ingredients to make confections for what has been a growth area for the business. Lampman expects that growth to continue as consumers gain understanding and appreciation for the practices that go into the products they use and continue to sup- port products that align with their values around environmental sustainability, social justice and fair trade. New for 2018, the company is intro- ducing a brand-new line of organic bar in a bigger size, with a new wrapper design and more than 20 different flavors. Adapting the company's recipes to the new organic and fair trade ingredients has taken a fair bit of creativity, since those ingredients don't always share the proper- ties of their conventional counterparts, but creativity is an ingredient that's never been in short supply at Lake Champlain Chocolates, Lampman said. "We feel very strong in our positioning as a cre- ative maker of confections that are fully traceable, fair trade and organic," he said. "The creativity has definitely always been there. That's what started the business – trying to bring European tastes and fla- vors to Vermont by making them utilizing local ingredients. We continue today, in pursuit of extraordinary chocolate moments."