Market Basket 2011

Edited by Diane Ridge

Front of the House has developed a revolutionary, new, stylish and true green alternative to traditional plastic and melamine dinnerware. Made of natural bamboo — a highly renewable resource — and free of melamine, Platewise is a smart, non-toxic serving solution for all occasions. The dinnerware and serveware will stand up to rigorous commercial washings and easily decompose in a landfill. Platewise offers the perfect combination of style, function, and durability. For information, call 305-757-7940 or visit www.frontofthehouse.com.

Michael Foods has announced that its category leading brand of refrigerated potatoes, Northern Star Potatoes, will transition to the Simply Potatoes brand, effective immediately. Simply Potatoes is a widely recognized brand name in the retail world, being on the shelves of nine out of 10 supermarkets in America. The brand will continue to feature a full line of refrigerated potatoes from mashed to hash browns to cuts. Visit www.michaelfoods.com for more.

Schwan's Food Service, Inc., is proud to introduce its new LiveSmart Schools portfolio of products, all of which are consistent with the newly proposed USDA School Meal Rules and the HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) guidelines. The new products, representing more than 50 SKUs, reflect a 50% expansion in the company's product lineup. The new lines include reformulations of several of the company's most popular school pizzas, a completely new collection of breakfast products, three new Big Daddy's brand flatbread sandwiches, and several new Minh stir fry kits. For details, call 877-302-7426 or visit www.schwansfoodservice.

Breakfast continues to outpace other dayparts in sales and there is no better time than National Breakfast Month, this September, to take advantage of the breakfast category. Celebrate by offering consumer favorite brands known for quality, such as Folgers coffee, available in a variety of flavors and foodservice-friendly packages, and Smucker's portion-control jams, jellies and preserves. For more, visit www.smuckerfoodservice.com.

Stoveshoes allow one person to slide heavy commercial kitchen equipment for cleaning and maintenance. Stoveshoes are sliders or coasters designed specifically for commercial restaurant applications whether your floors have tile or non-slip surfaces. Simply place Stoveshoes on each leg of the equipment you would like to slide out for a more thorough kitchen cleaning. They are guaranteed for the life of the equipment and will not wear out, jam, or break as casters do, saving replacement costs. Visit www.stoveshoes.com for more.

A year-round supply of fresh mango makes it easy to utilize its tropical attraction on breakfast menus. Fresh ripe mango adds beautiful color, silky texture, tropical flavor, and it's a natural source of valuable nutrients. A low calorie food, mango provides an excellent source of vitamins C and A and contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. For recipe ideas and more, visit www.mango.org/foodservice.

Harvest of the Sea, Seafood Medley is an all natural selection of premium quality seafood from around the world, including Prince Edward Island mussels, Premium dry scallops, Prime Select Asian shrimp and calamari. Each component is additive free, hand selected for quality assurance, perfectly cleaned and fresh frozen (IQF). Preparation is quick, easy and versatile — sauté, bake, or steam in minutes. Available in efficient, single portion 12 oz. bags, or custom blends and portion sizes. Visit Ore-Cal.com, or call 800-827-7474 for more.

RC Fine Foods introduces their new line of gluten-free bases under the Healthy Foundations line. Currently, the line features chicken, beef, vegetable and seafood varieties. The Healthy Foundations Gluten-Free Soup Base line also features a “100% Clean” label and is the only line of bases to be certified by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (www.celiaccentral.org). For product details, visit www.rcfinefoods.com or call 800-526-3953.

The California Avocado Commission works with operators in every segment — from fast casual chains to foodservice management to upscale independents — to promote traditional and innovative uses for their popular fruit. For example, Fresh California Avocado fans can enjoy Dungeness Crab, Watermelon and California Avocado Salad, Buffalo Chicken Avocado Sandwiches, California Greek Salad or Shrimp Louie Salad. For more information and chef events, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/Foodservice or call 800-370-3782.

The new Dole School Wellness Program gathers resources and tools that simplify and facilitate creating daily menus that meet USDA guidelines. Accessed through www.dolefoodservice.com/schools, the program offers schools some exclusive downloadable merchandising opportunities including menu solutions using Dole products, customized merchandising materials at www.doleprintondemand.com, the Grow with Dole gardeinig program, and a school wellness contest. Visit www.dolefoodservice.com/schools or call 800-723-9868.

Good Seasons Dressing Mix from Kraft offers so much more than just a convenient way to make delicious salad dressings. The perfectly balanced seasoning mixes are also versatile ingredients operators can use to add unique flavor to dishes across their menus. Consider dips, dressings, sauces, spreads, marinades and more. With a long 12-month dry shelf life, Good Seasons Dressing Mix's compact size saves storage space and minimizes waste-removal fees and landfill contributions. Visit kraftfoodservice.com/dressings for more.

The Complete Heat System from Cambro has been recognized for its value, productivity, and efficiency by the NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and awarded the Kitchen Innovations 2011 Award. The Camduction Complete Heat System is designed to perform consistently under the most demanding conditions of foodservice. To ensure sustainability, Camduction Bases and Pellets are made of a composite material and are water-tight to withstand years of washing and heavy use. Visit www.cambro.com or call 800-854-7631 for details.

Blue Bunny introduces its square ice cream package. The product is stackable to simplify storage. The resealable lid keeps ice cream fresh. Other features include grip handles for easy carrying and use, rounded corners to reduce mess and waste, durable for safety. Available in seven delicious flavors. Visit www.bluebunny.com for more.

The Happy Chef, Inc. announced its new line of CookCool performance apparel for chefs and food service providers. These products, which include a wide array of coats, pants, and headwear, are engineered to keep the body cooler utilizing two advanced heat regulation mechanisms — Hydrophilic Microfiber that wicks sweat away from the skin and CookCool Mesh that augments traditional cotton-based fabric with passive-breathing vents that allow apparel to exchange hot air with cool external air. Visit www.happychefuniforms.com, or call 800-347-0288 for more.

Chicken is a perennial favorite protein on U.S. menus and garlic is one of the top poultry flavor enhancements. Savvy operators make Christopher Ranch their garlic of choice. For over fifty years, Christopher Ranch has cultivated and harvested Monviso varietal garlic, choosing to deliver garlic of exceptional flavor rather than higher yielding, inferior tasting varieties. For product details and recipe ideas, visit www.christopherranch.com or call 800-321-9333.

Sweet, tangy and spicy, Frank's Redhot Sweet Chili Sauce, is an easy and authentic way to add Asian flavor to menus. Made with Thai chili peppers and garlic, this versatile chili sauce can be used to spice up any dish. From dipping sauces to dressings and glazes, it delivers a perfectly balanced kick of sweet and spicy to complement a wide variety of menu items and dishes from base ingredients to finishing glazes. For recipes and menuing ideas, call 800-442-4733 or visit www.frenchsfoodservice.com.

New ready-to-cook premium turkey burgers from Foster Farms are a great way to upgrade your burger offerings and be on-trend in 2011. They are a flavorful and healthier burger alternative with fewer calories, more protein and half the fat of 30% lean ground beef. The turkey burgers are made with premium ground turkey and seasoned with garlic, onion and natural flavorings. Ready-to-cook convenience allows you to grab only what you need and cook from frozen — eliminating waste. Visit fosterfarmsfoodservice.com for more.

Induction cooktop units provide foodservice operators with an easy, clean, safe (no open flames), economical and energy efficient way to cook and maintain food temperatures, especially on buffet lines or catering venues. Features of the Glenray Induction Cooktop from Tomlinson include: temperature ranges between 140°F to 428°F, light weight and easily portable, minute timer up to 120 minutes, 5 power levels, small object detector, material compatibility detector, overheat protection, and more. Visit www.tomlinsonind.com, for details.

Rational has re-launched Cash for Trash, offering foodservice operators rebates of up to $1,000 for the purchase of a SelfCooking Center or up to $2,000 in Rational accessories. The program runs through September 30, 2011. To take advantage of the rebate program, operators must attend a Rational TeamCooking Live event where they can test drive the SelfCooking Center. For details call 888-320-7274. Registration for TeamCooking Live is available online at www.rational-online.com/US_en/events/

Indian Harvest announces the addition of Organic Wild Rice to its family of wild rices. Cultivated in Northern California, Indian Harvest's Oregon Tilth-certified Organic Wild Rice boasts a grassy, herbal note and a pleasing, firm texture. Grains vary in length in this mill-run blend, with colors in a range of rich, dark browns. Besides Organic Wild Rice, Indian Harvest offers quality wild rices in five grades to meet any application and budget for menu and product development. For culinary support and recipes, call 800-346-7032 or visit www.indianharvest.com/recipes.

Giorgio Foods recently debuted their new line of breakfast and lunch products featuring items like Classico Tortes and Caprese Cornettos. The full exciting product line includes Italian, French, American and Caribbean flavors. Visit www.georgiofoods.com for more.

FPI introduces FireRoasters Flame-Seared Seafood. The line features thick-cut fillets of salmon, tilapia and cod that are seasoned and flame-seared to perfection. Bake and in minutes you'll have a profitable entrée that looks freshly made and perfectly slow roasted. Visit www.fisheryproducts.com for more.

In the past Uncle Ben's has focused on creating healthier products that are easy to prepare. Many of their brown rice products provide 100% of the daily whole grain recommendation in just one serving, combining healthy eating, great taste and convenience. This year, MARS Foodservices plans to continue adding even more whole grain options to the portfolio providing operators and consumers with a variety of healthy choices. For easy menuing ideas, visit www.MARSfoodservices.com or call 1-800-432-2331.

Whether your customers are looking for classic comforts or global adventures Kettle Cuisine's two new, on-trend varieties will please the most discerning palettes. Yankee Bean & Bacon Soup and Indian Lentil Stew join Kettle Cuisine's line of premium quality, all natural soups and make great additions to any soup rotation. Call 800-969-SOUP (7687) or visit www.kettlecuisine.com.

Sugar Foods is proud to introduce its new on-trend Fresh Gourmet Artisan Croutons with scratch-made appearance and texture. Made with fresh, hearth-baked artisan breads, premium oils and gourmet seasonings, Artisan Croutons come in three flavors (Tuscan Herb Focaccia, Asiago Cheese Ciabatta and Basil Pesto Panini) and have the ready-made convenience that allows operators to easily add excitement to popular dishes. Visit www.sugarfoods.com for more.

Crab continues to be a very popular center-of-plate choice for stuffing seafood, chicken and vegetables and Phillips Foods Crab Mix Blends provide chefs with a labor saving way to incorporate profit-building crab into a wide range of menu choices. The blends contain premium-quality Phillips crab meat, breadcrumbs, seasonings and sauce. Available in two popular, on-trend flavors: classic Maryland-Style Crab Style Blend and Baja-Style Crab Mix Blend enhanced with chopped red and green peppers. Call 888-234-CRAB or visit www.phillipsfoodservice.com.

Made from top-shelf ingredients, Farmland Gold Medal Smoked Sausage is BIG on flavor. The new sausage is made from only USDA-inspected cuts of pork and beef, which give it a rich taste and delicious, even texture. It's also smoked, offering a delectable, authentic smokehouse flavor. The sausage measures up at a whopping eight inches, so your average bun can barely contain it, making for an eye-catching plate presentation. Visit www.farmlandfoodservice.com for more details.