market basket 2011-01-01

edited by Diane Ridge

Tornados filled tortillas from Ruiz Foods offer a unique twist on flavor and texture making them an instant sensation with c-store and Hot-to-Go customers across the country. Tornados are similar to taquitos in that they feature delicious fillings rolled in oven-baked flour tortillas. Then the twist … they are dipped in flavored batters and lightly fried to golden perfection. So every bite of a Tornado is packed with flavor, from the outside of the tortilla to the middle of the filling. In their original 3-ounce size, Tornados are available in 16 different flavors from savory to sweet and a.m. to p.m. Some flavors are also available in an XXL size (4.25-ounce). Visit www.ruizfoodservice.com for more information.

Nestlé Coffee-mate is kicking off 2011 with the “28 Days of Coffee-mate Sweepstakes” which runs February 1-28 and offers product discounts, free merchandise and a chance for one operation to win $10,000! Product rebates will go to the first 28 operators to sign up for the “Deal of the Week.” A different rebate will be featured on CMFeelTheLove.com each week of the month. New registrants receive 250 Foodservice Rewards Bonus Points for signing up, an additional 250 bonus points after their first Coffee-mate purchase and — while supplies last — a special gift. All operators who make an eligible Coffee-mate purchase within the promotion period can receive double Foodservice Rewards Points. For details, visit www.CMFeelTheLove.com.

MARS Foodservices is offering the use of logos for its well-known brands so operator menus can shine. Among the Mars Brand Candies are M&M'S, America's favorite candy brand; the #1 candy bar in America, Snickers; and Twix with the highest overall product rating of its competitors. To learn more about the availability of the MARS Brand Candies logos and to see the usage guidelines, visit www.MARSFoodservices.com and click on “Need a MARS Logo?” or call 800-432-0331.

Enhance your seasonal dessert menu and drive profits with the luscious made-from-scratch flavor of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk from Smucker Foodservice. With delicious menuing ideas such as Bananas Foster Cheesecake Tart, Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk expands your dessert collection with desserts that are sure to keep patrons returning throughout the season. Visit www.smuckerfoodservice.com for more.

For avocado news, updates, and menu ideas visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/Foodservice. CAC has improved and expanded the website to create a comprehensive resource dedicated to sourcing, selecting and optimizing fresh California avocados. Designed for easy navigation and key word access, the site offers the information and tools that FSDs and chefs need in their operations. While on the site, request one or all of the California Avocado Commission recipe collections — the Culinary Companion CD, and The Magic of the California Avocado, the Foodservice Menu Guide and Too Hot Not To Be Cool brochures — or call 800-370-3782.

Cambro is proud to unveil the newest phase in its advancement of complete storage solutions — Camshelving Elements Series. The unit delivers an affordable storage solution without compromise to durability, strength and hygiene. The Elements series features a 78” traverse that holds up to 600 lbs. per shelf and provides 9% more surface storage space than other shelving products. Elements is an easy to clean, rust proof shelving system. Call 800-854-7631 or visit www.cambro.com, for storage details.

Cattlemen's Master's Reserve BBQ Sauces understands the challenges operators face daily and works to help solve those problems through real business solutions, including merchandising kits, training videos, recipes and rebates. Because these challenges are getting tougher, Cattlemen's is giving up to $10 back on every case of Cattlemen's barbecue sauce purchased from January 1 through April 15. Choose from seven regional flavor varieties. To request rebate information and more, call 1-800-442-4733 or visit www.frenchsfoodservice.com.

The Merisant Company is now marketing all four leading zero-calorie sweetener “colors” under the Equal and Pure Via brand names. Equal will now market “yellow” and “pink” offerings that will bear the Equal name — delivering quality and taste patrons expect. The new collection also includes Pure Via all natural zero calorie sweetener, a “green” offering for those operators who want to satisfy patrons' requests for a stevia-based sweetener. For more details and a free sample, call 888-658-1948 or visit www.EqualPureVia.com.

Azteca Foods, Inc. announces a new patented process that makes customizing tortilla shell shapes fast, easy and profitable. Azteca Shape & Bake Tortilla Shells are the only bakeable shells available, meeting the demands of consumers for healthier options. From a normal menu service to large banquets, these shape and bake tortilla shells are easy to stage and hold until you are ready to use them. Perfect for salads, soups, breakfast, lunch or dinner entrées, pizza, desserts, and many other creative uses. Visit www.aztecafoods.com, or call 800-475-7997 for more.

When it comes to cooking equipment, most people think big: ovens, fryers, freezers and the like. But for many chefs, it's the small pieces of equipment that make a difference. RATIONAL knows this and offers more than 15 specially designed accessories that pair with the six models of the company's SelfCooking Center to help its customers cook everything from baked potatoes to whole chickens to pizza. Operators can test drive the SelfCooking Center and its accessories at a TeamCooking Live event near them. Register now at http://www.rational-online.com/US_en/service-support/teamcooking-live/, or call 888-320-7274 for details.

Operators can capitalize on wing lovers' cravings for crispy, juicy, freshly-sauced wings with new Tyson Signature Ready Bone-in chicken wings and Tyson Red Label Boneless chicken wings. Perfect as a shareable appetizer or a cost-effective entrée, the chicken wings are great for a wide range of signature options. For product specifications or merchandising materials visit www.tysonfoodservice.com/wings, or call 800-248-9766.

Lamb Weston Natural Chips and Natural Yukon Chips make menuing freshly cooked potato chips a cinch. They feature a skin-on, thinly-sliced, kitchen-cut look without the labor. Menu as an appetizer, side, second “fry,” or bagged grab-and-go snack. Create signature chips by adding seasonings and dips. Complete your chip program with customizable branded bags featuring sports team or company logos and a warmer. For details and rebate offer, call 800-766-7783 or visit www.lambwestonchippromo.com.

Truitt Bros. All-Natural Chili, available in Vegetarian or Beef, comes ready to heat and serve in convenient shelf-stable packaging. It's an easy, affordable way to get sustainably sourced foods on the menu. Truitt's Food Alliance-certified ingredients include beans raised with responsible farming practices such as “no-till” planning and cultivation and beef raised by Country Natural Beef. The chili is slow-simmered with fresh aromatic Oregon vegetables, spicy California chile peppers, and gourmet herbs and spices, creating a hearty comfort food your customers will feel good about savoring. Visit www.truittbros.com, or call 800-547-8712, for more.

As the fruit solutions partner for today's busy operators, Dole supplies the quality fruit products — Dole Fresh Frozen Fruits, DOLE Chef-Ready Cuts, DOLE Tropical Gold Pineapple, to name a few — that keep these profitable items on the menu year-round. Operators can trust Dole to deliver a wide variety of popular fruits in convenient, labor-saving, waste-free packs. Visit www.dolefoodservice.com, or 800-723-9868 for menu and product ideas.

Imperial's new Open Pot Fryers are designed for easy cleaning and extending oil life. The frypot design is wide, deep and “open” without obstructions to clean around. The frypot shape and the positioning of the infrared burners outside of the frypot create a true cold zone below the frying area. This area collects and traps particles out of fry area to prolong the life of the oil. Call 800-343-7790 or visit www.imperialrange.com, for more information.

RC Fine Foods is introducing a new line of reduced sodium food bases that feature 400mg of sodium (per 8 fl. oz serving) with tremendous flavor. Smart Sodium 400 will be featured in a new “health and wellness” brand called Healthy Foundations and includes chicken, beef, vegetable, and seafood bases. Smart Sodium 400 is available in a variety of sizes and recipes for soups, sauces and gravies have already been developed for customers to use. For a product sample, call (800)526-3953.

Wondering how to increase exposure and drive traffic to your café and retail areas, while improving your health awareness program and supporting your green initiatives? Computrition has your solution! With Web Menus, your staff can review your dining menus online, along with nutrition, ingredient, and allergen information. Data is updated in real-time. Just plug and go. To learn more, view the Web Menus demo at http://www.computrition.com/webmenus-experience.htm, call 800-222-4488 ext. 250, or email - [email protected].

Sure Strip Tamper-Resistant Food Packaging, from Sabert, is designed to enhance the safety and security of packaged food. The security seal is built into each leak-resistant, pop-tight lid and has been added to Sabert's own line of Bowls (square bowls). The patent-pending feature eliminates the need for sealing quipment, shrink bands, heat tunnels, energy, and labor costs. Visit www.sabert.com, or call 1800-Sabert-1 for details.