market basket 2009-05-01

Edited by Diane Ridge

Master-Bilt, a member of the Standex Food Service Equipment Group offers a complete line of refrigerated coolers and freezers for commercial foodservice applications. Their Energy Saver program helps users to quickly identify Master-Bilt features and options that reduce energy usage. Visit www.master-bilt.com/products/energy_saver.htm for more information or call 800-647-1284, ext. 4236.

Merisant Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Whole Earth Sweetener Company, have just launched “The Next Generation of Sweet” for restaurant and coffeehouse tabletops — pure packets of PureVia Sweetener. The purified power inside PureVia is its active, sweet ingredient, Rebaudioside A (Reb A), an all-natural component of the South American stevia plant (stevia is approximately 200 times as sweet as sugar). The FDA has recognized the ingredient as safe for use in beverages, foods, and tabletop sweeteners. It can be used just like sugar — with one packet of PureVia equal to two tsps. of sugar. Call 888-658-1948 or visit www.purevia.com.

Robot Coupe's new R502 Combination Food Processor comes with two attachments-a stainless steel bowl and an all-metal vegetable prep attachment. Designed for durable, rugged and dependable service, use the all-metal vegetable prep attachment to slice, dice, shred, grate, French fry, and julienne; and prepare 2000-plus servings in 2-½ to 3 hours. Its Stainless Steel Bowl attachment is designed for mixing, chopping, pureeing and blending. Email [email protected] or visit www.robotcoupeusa.com for more.

French Fries are one of the most profitable items on most menus and with Simplot Premium Fries customers will notice the difference in quality. Operators can set themselves apart from the competition by offering unique, irresistible tastes and using creative menu options like a fry appetizer, a breakfast fry or a late-night snack fry with dipping sauces. For information and recipes visit www.simplotfoods.com.

The TWX, a track and field inspired athletic shoe from Shoes for Crews is now available with featherlight technology featuring compressed foam midsole making this shoe almost 4 oz. lighter than before. The exclusive SFC III slip-resistant outsole, comfortable insoles and water resistance are all found in this full grain leather shoe. Call 1-877-NO-SLIPS, or visit www.shoesforcrews.com.

A.1. Thick & Hearty Sauce from Kraft Foodservice gives operators an easy way to build premium-priced signature burgers and sandwiches into the menu. The sauce merges the one-of-a-kind spicy and sweet flavor of A.1. Steak Sauce with an extra-thick texture designed to enhance the taste and presentation of burgers and sandwiches. Available in one-gallon jugs and 18-oz. squeeze bottles. Visit kraftfoodservice.com for more.

Hatco Corporation's new Model TPT-120R Pop-Up Toaster puts a convenient new feature at your fingertips. The commercial UL listed unit features a bagel selector switch that allows you to change from toasting both sides of a slice of bread to toasting one side of a bagel. The unit features four self-centering 1.25" (32 mm) wide slots for fast, easy loading. Call 800-558-0607, or visit www.hatcocorp.com.

To attract today's value-conscious diners, quality ingredients play a key role in menu success. As the first name in fruit quality, the DOLE brand guarantees their pineapple products satisfy culinary and customer standards for taste, texture and appeal time after time. A variety of pineapple and pineapple juice packs are available and ready-to-use year-round, with 24/7 recipe and promotion support at www.dolefoodservice.com. Or call 800-723-9868 for more.

Tyson Food Service now offers Wing Stingers Boneless Wings and Fire Stingers Boneless Wings, available fully cooked or ready-to-cook, and new Tyson Honey Boneless Wings and Ranch Boneless Wings. Boneless wings are tender chunks of breaded all-white-meat chicken, individually frozen so you can prepare only what you need. The wings are marinated to provide uniform flavor and moisture throughout the meat. Visit www.tysonfoodservice.com, or call 800-24-TYSON, for information.

Cambro's High Density Camshelving increases storage capacity up to 40%, making it ideal for operations with limited storage space. Floor track system provides safe and ergonomic access to stored product. Raised track ensures dirt will not get trapped, and is easy to clean. Track connects to the bottom of the shelving unit, so no bolts or drilling into the floor is required. For more information, call 800-854-7631 or visit www.cambro.com.

The Sagewash Sanitizer is a superior cleaning system to the standard mop and bucket system which risks cross contamination. The patented chlorine delivery system requires no rinse afterwards to remove harmful chemical residues. And unlike other hose-end sprayers, Sagewash is precisely calibrated, delivering USDA approved levels of active chlorine in a safe and easy to use manner. The system will also get rid of E.coli, Listeria and MRSA. Visit www.sagesanitizing.com for more information.

Increase impulse candy sales with MARS Foodservices' confectionary racks. Available in a multitude of sizes, the countertop displays are perfect for merchandising America's favorite candy brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Skittles, Starburst, Twix, 3 Musketeers, and Milky Way. For more, call 800-432-2331 or visit www.MARSFoodservices.com.

Chefs considering switching to trans fat free frying know they will also need breadings and coatings that contain zero grams trans fat. The solution is Kikkoman Panko Japanese Style Bread Crumbs, now with zero grams trans fat. Available in both toasted and untoasted options, the light, airy texture and delectable, crunchy crust of Panko Japanese Style Bread Crumbs stay crisper longer than ordinary crumbs. Visit www.kikkomanusa.com for more.

To meet demands of today's busy consumer seeking convenient, flavorful and affordable breakfast and snack solutions, Johnsonville Sausage, introduces hand-held sandwiches featuring link sausage enrobed in a soft, warm roll. The 5-ounce sandwich flavors include: Southwestern Style; Spicy Sunrise with scrambled egg; Sweet & Smokey; Smoked Bratwurst and Smokey Cheddar Sausage. They go from freezer or refrigerator case to the microwave for a hot sandwich in 75 seconds or less. Visit www.johnsonvillefoodservice.com.

High-speed cooking evolves with Amana Commercial's New AXP20 Combination Oven.

Features include radiant, convection directed air, and microwave functions that can be used in combination or independently. Up to 360 items can be pre-programmed for simple operation. Cutting-edge technology eliminates “hot spots” for browning and toasting consistency. While the AXP20 has a smaller outside dimension, its interior is larger than other ovens. And because it's ventless, it's simple to install; an automatic voltage sensor adjusts for 208 or 230 V power source, and a catalytic converter eliminates excess cooking odors and grease. Visit www.amanacommercial.com, or call 800-233-2366.

Chefs love the new Pipeables from Sweet Street Desserts because they make it easy to create gorgeous desserts. Each pre-filled bag comes filled with 1.62 lbs. of rich mousse, ready upon thawing to layer, plate-scape, top or create desserts. Ten flavor profiles from — vanilla bean to mud pie, lemon to raspberry — make it easy to bring out the best in sweet recipes. Visit www.sweetstreet.com, or call 800-793-3897 for more.

Georgia-Pacific Professional introduces EasyNap Jr. designed for operational efficiencies and hygienic, single-serve dispensing. The EasyNap Jr. dispenser has a smaller counter footprint than its predecessors to maximize small spaces. The dispenser is flexible and can feature a vertical application for single source napkin access or horizontal with two sources for napkin access. For details, visit www.gppro.com/easynap.

Decadent chocolate brownies are the newest addition to the line of baked goods from Otis Spunkmeyer. Varieties — now available pre-sliced for convenience — include Double Chocolate with Walnuts, Café Au Lait, Turtle, and Double Chocolate with Snickers. Also, new to the line is sheeted Double Chocolate Iced with Walnuts. Call 888-ASK-OTIS or visit www.spunkmeyer.com for information.

If increasing visibility and revenue are goals for your department, then Computrition's email marketing solution, SuitePoint! Contact, is the tool you need. Whether it's connecting with customers, or sharing promotions to drive additional business, this user-friendly software creates, manages, and tracks all correspondence. Call 800-222-4488 ext. 250, or email: [email protected] for information.

Introduce ethnic dishes to your menus with Phillips Foods, Inc. new Steve Phillips World Cuisines Thai and Indian sauces. Thai selections include: Yellow Curry Sauce, Red Curry Sauce, Green Curry Sauce, and Massaman Sauce. Indian selections include: Makhani Sauce (tomato based with garlic and green chili); Bhuna Sauce flavored with shallots, butter and garam masala spice; Roganjosh Sauce flavored with cashew paste, tomato, and ginger; and Tikka Masla Sauce made with yogurt and spiced with coconut, garlic and ginger. Call 888-234-CRAB (2722) or visit www.phillipsfoodservice.com for more.

The MILKchiller from Frieling offers the convenience of cooling and serving dairy products in one compact unit. The portable unit keeps milk cold at a safe serving temperature, even outdoors in the heat. It holds a standard half-gallon carton or plastic container or a MILKchiller reusable container, keeping the temperature compliant with food safety standards. There is no contact between the unit and the milk inside, so contamination is virtually impossible. For more information, visit [email protected].

Free Healthy Choice Speed Scratch Recipe Book and Video from ConAgra Foodservice make fresh menu ideas easy. A number of recipes are available in each category — chicken, beef and turkey — using Healthy choice entrees as a starting point. All entrees meet or exceed the highest nutritional standards for fat and sodium. Frozen entrees come in convenient steam tray packaging for quick heat and serve preparation or for use as a base. Call 800-357-6543, or visit www.conagrafoodservice.com to get your free booklet.

For recipe and menu developers, 2009 could be the “Year of the Blueberry” as abundant supplies assure availability and exceptional value. Consumer awareness of the healthfulness of blueberries has boosted per capita consumption annually, and record numbers of blueberry products are now entering the market (last year over 1300 blueberry-containing products were introduced). Real blueberries provide product authenticity, luscious color, and real fruit benefits in a range of products and recipes. Visit www.blueberry.org for menu ideas.

The Conduvection Serving Cart from A la Cart offers the ultimate in versatility for food service operations. The patented Conduvection technology (combination of conduction and convection heating) holds bulk foods and/or plated meals chilled, then retherms and holds-hot for service — or holds already heated bulk food/plated meals hot. Call 800-762-2278, or visit www.alacartinc.com.

Everpure, LLC, launches its award-winning filtration system, the Exubera Pro Premium Water System. The system allows the serving of chilled, chilled carbonated and ambient premium water reducing operators dependency on serving prepackaged water. This turnkey solution includes a six-step process, beginning with testing of the operation's water followed by an in-depth analysis resulting in a fully customized, complete filtration system. Visit www.everpure.com for more.

The heat stays in and the lid stays on with New Duo Shield Cups from Solo. With built-in air-pocket insulation for perfect hand-hold temperature, operators can reduce their serving time per drink by using a cup that does not require a Java Jacket or double cupping. Available in a premium stock design called Tuscan Café, the cups will complement even the most premium beverage offering. Combine with Solo's Traveler Lid for a tight fit that reduces dribble and leakage. For more information, call 888-488-7539.