Quality Confections from Cowboy Toffee Company

Published June 12, 2014

Cowboy Toffee Company‘s toffees are the kind your grandma would have made, if that’s the kind of thing she did. Fortunately for me, that’s exactly the kind of thing my grandma did, although mostly at Christmas time. Those memories were brought back by the taste of The Mustang, a classic toffee from Cowboy Toffee that’s made from butter, sugar, chocolate and almonds, in that order.

The company also offers its toffee-take on s’mores with a toffee called So Much S’mores, which is made from butter, sugar, milk chocolate and, you guessed it, marshmallows and graham crackers. The So Much S’mores toffee offers is gooey and wonderful, just like campfire s’mores, but it has the advantage of being much neater to eat. With this candy around, serving s’mores to your family doesn’t have to come with the warning to tie the long hair back first, since the traditional version isn’t so much something you eat as something you wear.

The third variety tasted today by the staff of Gourmet News is called Miss Bonnie, a choice for sophisticated tastes that’s flavored with the minty floral taste of lavender buds and white chocolate.

Thanks for sending along the samples, Cowboy Toffee Company. They were so good that we (mostly) don’t even want to take issue with your claim that Oakdale, Calif., where you make these treats, is the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” But that’s because our Gourmet News editorial office is located in Tucson, Ariz., where we have our own western traditions to keep alive, and we certainly don’t begrudge you a share of our wonderful western America heritage, especially if the result is these wonderful confections.

Karoun Dairies, Inc. Creates New Category in the Cream Cheese Section with Launch of Blue Isle Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads

Published June 12, 2014

Karoun Dairies is promising that the new Blue Isle’s Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads will provide a healthy and delicious choice for consumers who love their cream cheese but would prefer a lower-fat and lower-calorie option. America has an obsession with cream cheese. From countless recipes shared on Pinterest to the popular Twitter #foodporn hashtag commonly linked to #creamcheese, there is no doubt that Americans love their schmear. Grocery sales reflect these sentiments. A 2009-2011 Mintel study of US retail sales shows that cream cheese spread is the fastest-growing segment with 8.5 percent growth.

However, America’s growing waistline has driven consumers to choose healthier alternatives to comfort food favorites, which has something to do with why The Wall Street Journal coined “permissible indulgence” as the big food industry buzzword for 2014. Popular examples of this phenomenon include gluten-free, Greek yogurt, kale chips, and quinoa cookies.

Keeping up with the demand and offering a healthy solution for cream cheese lovers with the added benefit of probiotics, Blue Isle’s Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads is the latest innovation to hit the dairy aisle this summer. Samples will be available at booth #566 during the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.

“We use hand-crafted traditional methods of blending, aging, and fermenting all of our probiotic rich yogurt spreads,” states Rostom Baghdassarian, COO for Karoun Dairies. “This year, we are delighted to introduce Blue Isle Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads, as we’ve seen a major demand for healthier, Mediterranean-style spreads. Blue Isle is a fresh, tasty, and health conscious alternative to traditional cream cheeses.”

Blue Isle’s Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads offer nutritional balance and taste. Today’s cream cheese category is limited in both selection and brands and the goal of Blue Isle’s Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads is to raise the bar in the retail cream cheese category with superior flavors, functionality and nutrition.

Blue Isle Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads are made from the healthy goodness of yogurt, including live cultures, probiotics, and calcium but with no added sugar. With only 60 calories and 6g of fat per 2 tbsp serving, Blue Isle has nearly 40 percent fewer calories and total fat than the leading cream cheese. All natural and kosher have both been reported as important factors in consumers’ purchase choices, and Blue Isle is both natural and OU Kosher certified.

While the health benefits of Blue Isle are clear, the delicious flavor and mouth-watering texture are the real factors for this category innovation. Blue Isle is the over-achieving cousin to traditional cream cheese. Creamy, rich, and comforting, Blue Isle is a product that needs to be experienced. The spreads can be used as an alternative to cream cheese spread, a dip, in cooking, or as an exotic “good for you” treat.

Blue Isle is available in the following flavors:

Original
Honey
Blueberry
French Onion
Spicy Vegetable

Blue Isle will be available soon in the following US stores: Harmon’s, Mollie Stone’s, Central Market, Fiesta Mart, The Fresh Market, New Seasons, H-E-B, Lucky, Fred Meyer, QFC, at natural food stores and better supermarkets nationwide. Suggested retail price is $3.29 for an 8-ounce tub.

Blue Isle is distributed by Karoun Dairies, Inc., a second-generation family business with multiple awards for excellence in the cheese and dairy industry. Accolades include World Cheese Awards, World Championship Cheese medals, U.S. Championships, American Cheese Society medals, and California State Fair awards to name a few. Karoun produces some of California’s finest specialty cheeses; using century-old and handmade methods. All 130+ SKUs are made from ultra-premium ingredients, including premium milk from cows that are free of artificial hormones, BGH/rBST, and are Real California Milk certified.

Visit booth #566 at the Summer Fancy Food Show June 29 -July 1 at the Jacob Javits Center, where Karoun Dairies will showcase many delectable cheeses and yogurts as well as offer samples of Blue Isle’s brand new smooth and creamy Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads.

NOURI Bars are a Healthy Snack with a Conscience

Published June 12, 2014

NOURI Bars are not just your average healthy snack bars. The company behind them is working with organizations like Stepping Stone International and Kids Against Hunger to help feed hungry kids. NOURI’s bars are made with the best quality, premium organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and contain no added chemicals or preservatives. They’re non-GMO, gluten free and vegan – 100 percent pure, simple, goodness with no added preservatives or flavorings. There’s also no high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, partially hydrogenated fats or MSG.

NOURI lives and breathes to make a difference in the lives of others: to inspire and to revolutionize by choosing ethical, quality ingredients while giving back to the community.

There are three varieties of NOURI Bars. The SUPER DELICIOUS APPLE CINNAMON SPICE BAR contains organic dates, organic peanut butter, cherries, peanuts, organic pumpkin seeds, hemp protein, organic vanilla extract and sea salt.

BY FAR THE BEST CHOCOLATE AND CREAMY CASHEW BAR contains organic dates, hemp protein, organic cashews, organic cashew butter, organic agave nectar, dark chocolate chips and organic vanilla powder.

YES, THIS IS A PEANUT BUTTER AND WILD CHERRY BAR contains organic dates, organic peanut butter, cherries, peanuts, organic pumpkin seeds, hemp protein, organic vanilla extract and sea salt. The 1.6-ounce bars are sold online at www.NouriBar.com for $29.99 for a box of nine bars, either assorted or in a single flavor per box. Shipping is free for orders over $50.

Company: Nouri
Facebook: Nouri
Twitter: NouriFoods
Instagram:NouriBar
Pinterest: Nouri Bar Inc.

Columbus Foods and Harris Ranch Announce Joint Venture to Expand Deli Meat Production

Published June 11, 2014

Building on last month’s announcement of a $28 million dollar investment in its Bayfront facility, to increase manufacturing capacity for its slow-cured salame, Columbus Foods has expanded its deli meat production capabilities through a new partnership with industry leader Harris Ranch. Family-owned and located in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley, Harris Ranch has been producing superior meats for more than 50 years. To ensure consistency and quality during the transition, the two manufacturers spent more than a year planning, testing and duplicating Columbus’ time-tested consumer favorite deli meat recipes within this new modern facility.

“Like Columbus, Harris Ranch is dedicated to producing the highest quality products with the utmost dedication to food safety,” said David Wood, Chairman and CEO of Harris Ranch Beef Company. “This is a good fit for both of our companies – and the synergies between Harris Ranch and Columbus will ensure a seamless production transition.”

Significant investment between both companies of more than $10 million dollars was made to ensure the implementation of a state of the art deli meat processing facility to support this venture. The current layout was built to produce an initial volume production of 25 million pounds of deli meat cooking and processing, but can be expanded to another 50 million pounds of capacity with minimal disruption to operations.

“Columbus’ deli cooking facility in South San Francisco is landlocked and necessitated we find a solution to provide for capacity expansion on our branded deli meat growth,” said Timothy Fallon, CEO and President at Columbus Foods. “By partnering with Harris Ranch we’re well-positioned to continue to provide the quality and taste that consumers and our retail customers expect from Columbus and meet continued growth in the coming years.”

Stop by and Taste the Caviar at Marky’s During Fancy Food Show

Published June 11, 2014

Marky’s Group, known for having the widest selection of the most exclusive gourmet products and caviar in the U.S., is gearing up for its biggest booth yet at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York June 29-July 1.

“We’re really excited about what we are doing this year,” says Christopher Hlubb, President and COO of Marky’s. “We will have some 22 vendors offering unique product tastings that range from organic pasta from Tuscany to jams from Portugal and, of course, caviar. In fact, this is the first time different caviar farms from around the world are going to be housed in the same booth. We’ll have a caviar bar with sampling throughout the day for visitors.”

Marky’s Corporate Chef Marc Navailles will be hosting cooking demonstrations and sampling events throughout the show at booth #636. Several of Marky’s exclusive, award-winning imports will be featured on the menus, including:

Karat Caviar Russian osetra caviar from an Israeli farm
Kaluga Queen caviar from China
Pasta Panarese organic pasta from Italy
Urbani truffle thrills and fresh truffles
Eugenio Brezzi whole truffles and truffle puré
Delpeyrat duck meat, patés and foie gras
Rougie duck foie gras, parfait and lobster
Casa de Prisca premium condiments, spreads and reductions from Portugal
Esti Greek olives and olive oil
Serrats Bonito de Norte – the most highly appreciated and the rarest white tuna from a fifth generation family-run business in Spain

For additional information visit Marky’s at Booth #636 and be sure to follow Marky’s Gourmet on Facebook to stay up-to-date with the latest news, offers and recipes.

Frontier Soups to Introduce Alphabet Soup Mix at Summer Fancy Food Show

Published June 11, 2014

Frontier Soups™ is introducing Little Schoolhouse Alphabet Soup Mix to make mealtime fun and healthy for an upcoming generation of soup lovers. The new mix is being introduced at the 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show, and samples of the prepared soup will be available at booth #4120.

The Alphabet Soup Mix is in Frontier Soups’ Homemade-In-Minutes™ line of quicker-cooking soups and contains multi-colored, organic letter- and number-shaped pasta, said Trisha Anderson, company Founder. The soup is filled with kid-pleasing vegetables—peas, corn and carrots—and is lightly seasoned to appeal to young palates, although its comforting childhood flavors satisfy adult appetites as well, Anderson said. Home cooks add fresh or prepared chicken to the soup, which is ready in 30 minutes on the stovetop.

The new mix also has shelf appeal in clear cellophane packaging that allow consumers to see the multi-colored organic pasta layered with the vibrant green, yellow and orange of the freeze-dried peas, corn and carrots, she said. The soup will be available for order as part of Frontier Soups’ Summer Fancy Food Show specials.

“We’ve been wanting to create an alphabet soup for some time now and fell in love with the colorful letter and number pasta, which has even greater appeal since more and more parents want to choose organic ingredients for their kids,” Anderson said. “With today’s busy family lifestyles, our goal also was to create a soup that would satisfy adults craving comfort food flavors because who wants to cook a separate meal for the kids?”

Little Schoolhouse Alphabet Soup Mix is available in 4-ounce packages with a suggested retail price of $5.95-$6.49. Frontier Soups 35 varieties are all natural with no added salt, preservatives or MSG. More information is available at www.FrontierSoups.com or by calling 1-800-300-7687.

B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Co. Appoints Diane Schwartz Director of Sales & Marketing

Published June 11, 2014

B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Company has appointed Diane Schwartz as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Sonoma Valley gourmet food products company. Schwartz brings more than 22 years of experience in restaurant and specialty foods marketing, branding, strategic planning, product launches and public relations to the position overseeing and expanding B.R. Cohn’s olive oil, vinegar, and gourmet dessert sauce product lines.

Schwartz graduated with a degree in Foodservice and Hospitality Management from Cornell University and began her career as Assistant Director of Marketing with Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chips, where she was instrumental in building the newly established cookie retailer into a major national brand. A self-proclaimed “born and bred foodie,” she has worked with world renown restaurateurs such as Joachim Splichal, Bradley Ogden, and Alice Waters and also owned and operated four gourmet food shops throughout her career. Prior to joining B.R. Cohn, Schwartz was Director of Marketing and Product Development at Quake Town Brands.

“Diane’s vast and varied experience working in specialty foods and hospitality will bring a valuable perspective to our sales and marketing programs,” noted Dan Cohn, CEO of B.R. Cohn. “We look forward to having her help further our goals at the B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Co.”

B.R. Cohn Winery and Olive Oil Company is located at 15000 Sonoma Highway 12 in Glen Ellen, and its wines and food products are nationally distributed. The Sonoma Valley tasting room is open daily from 10am – 5pm. Additional information is available at www.brcohn.com.

Maille Tours the USA to Spread Mustard Love

Published June 11, 2014

Maille is sending its Maille Mustard Mobile on a national tour to spread the mustard love across the USA. Whether popping up in high-traffic city centers, parking at food-centric events, or partnering with local gourmet stores, supermarkets and restaurants, Maille’s first-of-its-kind mustard-bar-on-wheels will serve up complimentary tastings of signature varietals Dijon Originale, Old Style, Honey Dijon, Horseradish, and Rich Country alongside crunchy Cornichons. The environmentally-friendly vehicle features a custom-designed sampling bar where mustard fans will have the opportunity to compose their own palette of Dijon flavors, compare tastes, and choose their favorites.

With its signature black and gold colors, the chic and contemporary Maille Mustard Mobile will be easy to spot when it rolls into:

Washington, D.C. area (June 14, 15, 18-20): including Union Market, Georgetown, Annapolis, McLean, and Baltimore
Philadelphia area (June 21, 22, 25): including City Center, Ardmore, and King of Prussia
New Jersey (June 26-28): including Paramus, Short Hills, Montclair, and Asbury Park
Boston (July 3): Harvard Square
Cape Cod (July 5-6): Orleans and Dennis
Connecticut (July 9-10): Stamford and Westport
New York City (June 29-July 2, July 11-13): Various locations around Manhattan
West Coast (September dates to be announced): Cities to include Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
Chicago: (October dates to be announced)

Lucky tasters will have the chance to win a three-day culinary and cultural adventure in Paris for two while additional winners will score a year’s supply of Maille mustard.

The Maille Mustard Mobile app – available at mymaille.us – offers a variety of fun ways for mustard lovers to share their Dijon experiences in real time. The mobile app makes it easy to enter the contests, and a tracking feature details the locations, days, and times for all Maille Mustard Mobile stops. Consumers will be encouraged to follow along with Maille (@MailleUS) throughout the tour on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and share their tasting adventures with the Mustard Bar using the hashtag #MyMaille.

AngelBowls Offers Quick Meal Options

Published June 10, 2014

AngelBowls are great tasting vegetarian meals made with:

non-GMO ingredients,
Only 260-290 calories!
low sodium
made-from-scratch sauces that serve up great taste with clean ingredients
exceptional value (Suggested retail price is $4.49.)

The AngelBowl lineup includes Mediterranean Eggplant Parmesan, Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Gratin, Vegetable Bruschetta & Mozzarella, Penne Pasta in Parma Rosa Sauce and Corkscrew Pasta & Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce.

Robert Rothschild Farm Goes Organic

Published June 10, 2014

Robert Rothschild Farm has recently achieved organic certification for its manufacturing facility located in Urbana, Ohio. Robert Rothschild Farm produces sauces, dips, preserves, mustards, spreads and other gourmet products that are all natural, gluten free and kosher.

“We are conscientious of current healthy lifestyles and want to provide the consumer what they desire,” said Jim Gordon, President & CEO of Robert Rothschild Farm. “We felt compelled to provide organic products that tasted great. Taste should not be compromised when seeking organic products using non-GMO ingredients.”

This year celebrates Robert Rothschild Farm’s 30^th anniversary of producing specialty foods. “Creating organic products shows our commitment, not only to high-quality, flavorful products but taking our company to the next level,” said Gordon.

“Organic foods are a growing market in which Robert Rothschild Farm is well positioned to produce and provide these essential products,” said Gordon. “We look forward to leading the specialty food industry and bringing our consumers the finest in organic, open and serve products that they have come to expect from us.”

Robert Rothschild Farm is continually recognized as one of the top gourmet food manufacturers in the United States and has been honored with numerous awards for its branded product line, but the company also produces gourmet products under many private labels. “By obtaining our organic certification, we can expand our current product offering and extend organic production to our private label customers,” said Gordon.

Robert Rothschild Farm will initially introduce a new line of organic products at the upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show, June 29 – July 1, 2014. This new line of organic products will launch the beginning of the Robert Rothschild Farm movement to convert the majority of its current product offering to be organic certified.

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