The (culinary) road less traveled

Today, Crane interacts with Kraft brand managers to integrate their products into foodservice applications, while he develops recipes for customers and provides top-notch culinary advice. He says his culinary style and philosophy are partly due to the mentoring he received by French Master chef Pierre Pollin.

"He taught me to use the highest-quality seasonal ingredients, apply the appropriate method and technique and serve the foods in a simple, uncomplicated manner," Crane says. "His theory was to just do what is required to bring out the natural flavors in ingredients."

Simple but delicious is still his mantra. "We most often work with products that are commercialized," explains Crane. "That includes almost anything we sell in the foodservice channel, which covers much of our retail portfolio. We're a leading coffee company, so we've worked on matching desserts with coffee flavors and developed unique seasonal drinks. Louis Rich Turkey, which is naturally lower in fat, is an excellent ingredient in sandwiches. Most recently, our focus is salads. Many customers want salads with certain characteristics -- low-fat, low-carb or seasonal -- so we incorporate our flavor enhancing products, like A.I. or Grey Poupon, or Kraft BBQ Sauce. Customers interested in health and wellness have asked us to develop many desserts this year. A great solution is to incorporate our Crystal Light Soft Drink Mix or our sugar-free Jell-O Gelatin to add great fruit flavors without added fat or calories."

Crane recently came across some '50s cookbooks and was amused to find that he is developing similar Jell-O recipes -- albeit more contemporary -- today. "Some customers, especially in the business and industry (B&I) segment, want to include healthy snacks and to–go items using fruit. I've been working with Jell-O, and people love those recipes. There is no typical day for Crane, whose work revolves around four areas. “We work with customers and their challenges and requests,” he explains. “Our team also works hand in hand with Kraft Foodservice brand managers to incorporate their products in recipes that are on-trend and appropriate for a variety of foodservice formats. We collaborate closely with our new product developers and help manage some of the market research for our division, as Kraft has an excellent reputation for providing updated trend information and proprietary research to our customers."

He might spend time at a customer location with other corporate chefs to head a workshop, or spend the entire day in the Kraft Kitchens. "Recently, we hosted all the Kraft summer MBA interns," says Crane. "We bring them together each year for an Iron Chef competition. Put into groups and coached by our chefs, the students have to come up with foodservice ideas, a marketing plan and are then judged by a panel.

Teaming up is the way to go

Developing new products is a team effort. "The Kraft category or brand manager responsible for Philadelphia brand cream cheese asks us to develop recipes that focus on the attributes of Philly as an ingredient, rather than a bagel spread,” says Crane. “We collaborate on what needs to be done. One of our team might work on that project. Then, we all get back together to look at the outcome."

Crane's team also develops ideas for customers. "A national chain restaurant might be working on a promotion for seasonal salads," says Crane. "To start, we work as a group, and then someone takes the lead to develop concepts. We all get back together and work on the recipes. We look at their ingredient line, the way they plate food, and their individual needs."

Recipe development for the Kraft Foodservice website (www.kraftfoodservice.com), available to any restaurant customer, is another high priority job for the team. "Having access to a broad range of flavors and cuisines makes it possible for us to post some 1,000 recipes and update the site quarterly," says Crane, adding that it includes "recipes appropriate for any foodservice establishment, from a fine dining restaurant, to a fast-casual establishment, to the corner hot dog stand."

Developing 1,000 recipes is no simple task, so where do those ideas come from, we asked. "I'm a great reader," replies Crane. "I look at the trades (including Food Creation) consumer and overseas magazines to keep up. If you went to culinary school back in '60s and learned to prepare a good filet, a good Béarnaise sauce and a nice potato, you were set. Now, we hear, 'what else have you got?' Our chefs evaluate restaurants, particularly those we've spotted as on-trend or unusual, and write reviews for our sales force -- it's our internal Zagat.”

Crane enjoys traveling to experience different cuisines. “My wife and I visited China, France and South America among others,” he says. “I tell my students that while they’re young and don't have kids with braces, they should take any opportunity to travel. There's nothing better than seeing a cuisine where it's served. You can get Thai in the U.S., but there's nothing like eating it in Thailand."

Low-carb frenzy or fad

"Many people have been counting carbs, but it's only gotten a lot of media attention recently," observes Crane. "I don’t think it’s going away. Remember the low-fat craze a few years ago, when the food industry came out with low-fat and fat-free products? Carb counting is similar. Demand from consumers will continue, but probably at a slower pace so there is certainly an opportunity for companies to develop low-carb products. Kraft introduced a line of CarbWell salad dressings this year. We’re also developing a line of new products with Dr. Agatston of the South Beach Diet. But many of our products already work for cutting carbs -- sugar-free gelatin, bacon, and cheese. Every year, hundreds of products come out and many go by the wayside. At Kraft, developing really good products that meet a need is why we are in business."