Kerry's Chicken Tikka Pizza pleased palates with a natural - if slightly Americanized - East Indian BBQ flavor profile.
|
Flavor firstChoco-potle Chicken Thigh Strips from Kerry Savory Ingredients, part of Kerry Ingredients (
www.kerrygroup.com), Beloit, Wis., incorporate new Battinade marinate/batter technology, which eliminates the marinating step in a frying process, and is also an excellent flavor carrier. This tasty combination of dark chocolate (Hershey's cocoa nibs, according to chef Danny Bruns) and dark chicken meat, spiced up with a bit of chipotle pepper in the molé tradition of southern Mexico, provides great layering of Mexican flavors. It's a time-saving, bottom-line solution for poultry product manufacturers. For an innovative take on pizza, Kerry's Chicken Tikka Pizza with a natural-seasoned East Indian BBQ flavor profile, adapted for the American palate, really hit the spot.I must confess that even with the searing temperatures in New Orleans, I snuck back several times for a bowl of delicious Red Curry Soup with Coconut Foam, developed by chef Daniel Coffin at National Starch Food Innovation (
www.nstarch.com), Bridgewater, N.J. Its exceptional texture and clean label are possible because of National's Performance flour. National Starch highlighted its Wholesome/Clean Label, Health/Wellness, Texture and Targeted Delivery Innovation springboards with the soup and high-fiber multigrain artisanal bread made with Hi-maize, the 5-in-1 fiber, a tasty and healthy accompaniment to the soup.Sargento Foods Inc. (
www.sargentofoodingredients.com), Plymouth, Wis., introduced its new corporate chef Guy Beardsmore. Most recently with Whitbread PLC Restaurants, the UK's leading hospitality company, Beardsmore fed us scrumptious Panini sandwiches containing red pepper, aioli and Sargento's Bistro Blends cheeses. He also shares an exclusive culinary tip. Add Sargento's new Bistro Blends to tomato soup for a souper supper. Incidentally, Sargento also offers convenient new Crumbled Blue Cheese portion-control packets perfect for bagged salads and foodservice providers.Kraft Food Ingredients (
www.kraftfoodingredients.com), Memphis, Tenn., introduced its line of Kosher-certified Pan Drippings Flavors: beef and chicken. Chicken Pan Drippings were incorporated in a nifty taste combination: Holiday-Style Turkey Cranberry Rangoon appetizers. The Kraft team spent six to eight weeks brainstorming to come up with prototypes for IFT. Among them was Carmelized Apple Cream Tart with Grape-Nuts Streusel, a neat combination of cream cheese, Grape Nuts Cereal and Nilla Wafer Crumbs (all Kraft brands).
Fiber fortificationIn an effort to maintain their health, Empty Nest Baby Boomers (ages 50-59) are increasingly in the market for high-fiber foods and calcium, according to proprietary research compiled by Minneapolis-based Cargill (
www.cargillhft.com) and the Natural Marketing Institute. Cargill's Café served high-soluble fiber prototypes containing Oliggo-Fiber inulin, including instant chocolate pudding and iDeserve water for joint and bone health. Aside from increasing soluble dietary fiber and having prebiotic benefits, Oliggo-Fiber inulin also is a fat mimetic and it can replace carbs, modulate flavor, extend shelf-life and enhance calcium absorption. Cargill didn't forget tweens (ages 8-12). Based on insights from a national study with tweens conducted by Just Kid Inc., it developed Lagoon Lime-ation Reduced Calorie Fruit Drink, with Special FX natural nutritive sweetener, a beverage sure to appeal to tweens and teens watching calories and Chocolate Soy Milk with Oliggo-fiber inulin, for developers of healthier products for school cafeterias.Colloides Naturels Inc. (
www.cniworld.com), Bridgewater, N.J., showcased Healthy Temptations, a soft cookie that provides 3 g of dietary fiber made from Fibregum, a prebiotic fiber that reduces the total glycemic Index of food products.
Short takesPhiladelphia's David Michael and Co. (
www.dmflavors.com) served up Philly Style Cheesesteak made from chicken – yes chicken-- but flavored with its beef, steak and cheese flavors, a twist on Philadelphia's favorite sandwich. One could cool down with one of several exotic tropical prototype drinks including "Hot" Mamey Orange (mamey is related to the mangosteen) and Lulo Lime (Lulo's taste has been compared to pineapple-lemon). ConAgra Foods Inc. (
www.conagrafoods.com) Omaha, Neb., spent at least eight years and several million dollars developing its Ultragrain White Whole Wheat, and it's now in a number of retail products hitting the shelvesLocal hero McIlhenny Co. (
www.tabasco.com), Avery Island, La., kicked up chocolate ice cream with bits of chocolate-coated peanuts, chocolate-coated marshmallows, chocolate-covered raisins … and a dash of Tabasco Habanero Sauce. D.D. Williamson LLC (
www.caramel.com), Louisville, Ky., purchased the natural color division of Artemis International Inc., and celebrated by serving Berry Bites, made with elderberry natural color. Comax Flavors (
www.comaxflavors.com), Melville, N.Y., cooled attendees with a refreshing, semi-frozen Chocolate Fudge Caramel beverage delight. Celebrity chef Wylie Du Fresne of famed restaurant WD-50 uses gellan gum, provided by Atlanta-based C.P. Kelco (
www.cpkelco.com), in his fried mayonnaise and eggless lemon curd.