Mann Packing Company Inc., of Salinas, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Broccolini line, promoting it at food festivals, trade shows and other venues.
The company is a sponsor of the Pebble Beach Food and Wine , March 27-30 and plans to promote the broccoli hybrid at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, Oct. 24-27 in Orlando, Fla., said Lorri Koster, vice president of marketing.
Broccolini has become the cornerstone of the company’s current success in the foodservice industry, she said.
The Pebble Beach event gives Mann an entry into what Koster called the “white tablecloth” arena, with 52 acclaimed U.S. chefs expected to attend.Read the full story here.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Chef Tony Baker At Montrio
November 2006
Executive Chef Tony Baker of downtown Monterey’s famed Montrio Bistro loves combining the local bounty with fresh seafood and meat to create rustic meals with an American-European flair.
You sense when you walk into the front door of Montrio Bistro in downtown Monterey that this is not your ordinary restaurant. From the sweeping staircase that recalls the fire pole and spiral stairway of its origins to intriguing cloud-shaped ceiling hangings, the décor and the ambiance combine to create a special kind of reception.
That Montrio Bistro uniqueness carries over to the menu, which features intriguing dishes you’re not likely to encounter anywhere else. From such tantalizing appetizers as Fire-Roasted Artichoke with apple-balsamic vinaigrette and Mediterranean relish to the sassy Braised Veal Cheeks with mustard-whipped potatoes and braised red cabbage on the main-dish portion of the menu, very few of Montrio’s offerings can be characterized as ordinary or expected.
Executive Chef, Tony Baker, who has served in his position for more than nine of the 11 years the restaurant has been open for business, brings his penchant for slow-cooked “comfort food” to the fore in choosing not only the daily menu, but also the special dishes he adds every day as well.Read the full story here.
Executive Chef Tony Baker of downtown Monterey’s famed Montrio Bistro loves combining the local bounty with fresh seafood and meat to create rustic meals with an American-European flair.
You sense when you walk into the front door of Montrio Bistro in downtown Monterey that this is not your ordinary restaurant. From the sweeping staircase that recalls the fire pole and spiral stairway of its origins to intriguing cloud-shaped ceiling hangings, the décor and the ambiance combine to create a special kind of reception.
That Montrio Bistro uniqueness carries over to the menu, which features intriguing dishes you’re not likely to encounter anywhere else. From such tantalizing appetizers as Fire-Roasted Artichoke with apple-balsamic vinaigrette and Mediterranean relish to the sassy Braised Veal Cheeks with mustard-whipped potatoes and braised red cabbage on the main-dish portion of the menu, very few of Montrio’s offerings can be characterized as ordinary or expected.
Executive Chef, Tony Baker, who has served in his position for more than nine of the 11 years the restaurant has been open for business, brings his penchant for slow-cooked “comfort food” to the fore in choosing not only the daily menu, but also the special dishes he adds every day as well.Read the full story here.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Flour Facts 3/7/08
• Nearby spring wheat futures continue to decline, while winter wheat futures are finding support.
• Substitution where possible of winter wheat for spring has eased the tight situation at least temporarily.
• Sky-high wheat futures and basis levels have worked to draw wheat to market, maybe too much, as now that prices are moving lower, mills do not have immediate needs.
• Export offers are resurfacing, one of the factors in our recent price run up, something to watch.
• World spring wheat stocks continue to dwindle, an explosive factor the market cannot ignore.
Flour Quality
Quality of flour is defined by its ability to consistently perform in the production of a finished baked good. The ultimate quality test is completed when the baker uses the flour.
Because there are a limitless number of baked goods that can be derived from a single flour, it is an impossible task for the miller to test every application. Millers, therefore, rely on a few standardized baking applications. Tests are completed based on the application that best suits the particular flour.
Patent bread flours will be tested in pan breads, high gluten flours in hearth breads, cake flour in high ratio cakes, etc. The test methodology, formula and conditions are all controlled and kept constant. The only thing that changes is the flour that is used.
The miller will record such measurements as loaf volume, crust color, crumb color, texture, etc. This way the miller is able to determine the effect of the flour on the performance of the finished baked good and make any necessary adjustment to maintain consistency.
Other tests that assist the miller in determining flour quality will be discussed over the next several weeks.
• Substitution where possible of winter wheat for spring has eased the tight situation at least temporarily.
• Sky-high wheat futures and basis levels have worked to draw wheat to market, maybe too much, as now that prices are moving lower, mills do not have immediate needs.
• Export offers are resurfacing, one of the factors in our recent price run up, something to watch.
• World spring wheat stocks continue to dwindle, an explosive factor the market cannot ignore.
Flour Quality
Quality of flour is defined by its ability to consistently perform in the production of a finished baked good. The ultimate quality test is completed when the baker uses the flour.
Because there are a limitless number of baked goods that can be derived from a single flour, it is an impossible task for the miller to test every application. Millers, therefore, rely on a few standardized baking applications. Tests are completed based on the application that best suits the particular flour.
Patent bread flours will be tested in pan breads, high gluten flours in hearth breads, cake flour in high ratio cakes, etc. The test methodology, formula and conditions are all controlled and kept constant. The only thing that changes is the flour that is used.
The miller will record such measurements as loaf volume, crust color, crumb color, texture, etc. This way the miller is able to determine the effect of the flour on the performance of the finished baked good and make any necessary adjustment to maintain consistency.
Other tests that assist the miller in determining flour quality will be discussed over the next several weeks.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Control Of The Meat Industry Shrinks
National Beef Packing Co., the nation's fourth-largest beef processor, said Tuesday it is being acquired by Brazilian giant JBS SA in a cash and stock deal worth $560 million. JBS also said it plans to buy Smithfield Food Inc.'s beef business to form the largest meat processor in the U.S..
Kansas City-based National Beef said JBS, the world's largest beef processor, will pay National Beef members about $465 million in cash and $95 million in JBS shares. Under the deal, which still requires regulatory approval, JBS will assume an undisclosed amount of National Beef's debt.
Read the full story here.
This is another chapter in the meat industry as important as the decline of Omaha Stockyards and the rise of IBP back in the 1960's. What started as an anti-trust regulations in the 1920's had reduced the reach of the near monopoly of the "Big Four" in the 1950's.
For more info about the big four click here.
Kansas City-based National Beef said JBS, the world's largest beef processor, will pay National Beef members about $465 million in cash and $95 million in JBS shares. Under the deal, which still requires regulatory approval, JBS will assume an undisclosed amount of National Beef's debt.
Read the full story here.
This is another chapter in the meat industry as important as the decline of Omaha Stockyards and the rise of IBP back in the 1960's. What started as an anti-trust regulations in the 1920's had reduced the reach of the near monopoly of the "Big Four" in the 1950's.
For more info about the big four click here.
American's Seeking High End Beef
Mar. 03, 2008) Premium beef, most prominently Japanese Kobe and its American counterpart, is gaining popularity among chefs, who have taken to using the highly marbled, flavorful protein for everything from simply prepared steaks to burgers and pasta. The Full Article Is Here.
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