Hot Off the Presses
Mondelēz International has once again teamed up with Chef’s Roll to kick off a new recipe contest -- this time to showcase the versatility of Chunky CHIPS AHOY! Cookie Pieces. The contest launches August 9, 2021 and will be open to US-based chefs, professional cooks, restaurant operators and culinary students. The contest requires participants to create an original recipe showcasing Chunky CHIPS AHOY! Cookie pieces. With thousands of dollars worth of cash prizes and high-end custom equipment like a Waring Luna Series Stand Mixer and Custom blades from Meglio Knives up for grabs, participants are encouraged to get creative and demonstrate their personal skills, style and originality with every recipe submitted. The Chef’s Roll contest will be open for recipe submissions between August 9, 2021 and September 5, 2021. The contest will be judged by a panel of qualified judges including Clarice Lam of Food Network’s Best Baker in America and winner of the Chef’s Roll OREO Cookie Pieces Recipe Contest! Recipes will be judged on originality (40%), use of Chunky CHIPS AHOY! Cookie Pieces (40%) and image appeal (20%). Finalists will be announced in mid-April. To enter the Chef’s Roll Chunky CHIPS AHOY! Recipe Contest, click here.
Better Business, a project created by America’s key restaurant industry players to understand what resources chefs need to create stronger models of operation for the future, has launched. Behind the project are The Culinary Institute of America, James Beard Foundation, Black Food Folks, S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy and Fine Dining Lovers. This is one of the first cross-collaborative projects of its kind undertaken in the restaurant industry with the above organizations coming together to understand what resources chefs need to improve their business skills. The project launched this week initiating three stages of activity to run until the end of 2021. These stages are: Analysis (launching in August via a US-wide survey), Observation (launching in October via publishing of data), Solution (launching in November with a range of video masterclasses focusing on the key areas of interest identified by the survey). The project will focus solely on the US and is presented in both English and Spanish language.
The Better Business survey launches with a call to action to all chefs across America to use the survey to make their voices heard, to ask for the guidance they need, and to help shape the future of the industry. The survey was designed by some of the industry’s most prominent names and each partner has also provided their own questions in key areas of their expertise. The survey was curated, edited, and administered by Vaughn Tan, a London-based strategy consultant, author, and professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at University College London's School of Management, and who previously worked for Google in California. The results will provide invaluable data and lead the creation of tailored video resources to help enhance the skill set of chefs. The survey is open to chefs from all kitchens across the spectrum of the industry: hotels, bistros, independents, fine dining, casual, and all sectors in between. The survey can be accessed from 11th August- 3rd September via Survey Monkey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBSurvey1).
Bel Brands Craveable Comfort Contest is a chef focused contest. Using one of three Bel Brands foodservice products - Boursin® Professional Gournay Cheese, Price*s®Pimiento Cheese, Merkts® Cheese – chefs will create a craveable comfort recipe.
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When: March 1 — September 30, 2021
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Who: Professional chefs currently employed in a foodservice operation or who were employed within the last 12 months.
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Prizes: Grand Prize – $5,000 and opportunity to be featured in a 2022 Bel Brands advertisement with the winning recipe; tThree (3) Recipe Brand prizes – $1000 each; one (1) for each participating product.
The 2021 Great American Seafood Cook-Off competitors are:
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Chef Scott Simpson; The Depot, Auburn, AL
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Chef Wes Choy; Alyseka Resort Kitchens; Girdwood, AK
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Chef Edgar Teran; Someburros Restaurant; Phoenix, AZ
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Chef Jordan Scott; Perdido Key Breakfast Club; Pensacola, FL
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Chef Peter Duenas; Meskla Chamoru Fusion Bistro; Hagatna, Guam
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Chef Robert Vasquez; Forks & Corks; Covington, LA
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Chef Leon Vuong; Seven Seas Food & Company; Portland, ME
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Chef Denise Herrera; Red Heat Tavern; Boston, MA
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Chef Austin Sumrall; White Pillars Restaurant; Biloxi, MS
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Chef Tory McPhail; Revelry Plate + Pour; Bozeman, MT
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Chef Jackie Paige; Love Rocks Café; McKees Rocks, PA
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Chef Nicholas Huckabee; A Difference in Dining; Myrtle Beach, SC
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Chef Jesse Cavazos; Nick's Fish Dive + Oyster Bar; The Woodlands, TX
Products on the Market
Foodservice is helping operations serve a flavorful twist on a menu favorite with the new Garlic Cheddar Biscuits from Pillsbury.™ The freezer-to-oven, pre-portioned biscuits offer a low-prep way to elevate everyday menu staples and add warmth and flavor to any plate. The new, larger biscuits are a great alternative to traditional breads as they feature an Easy Split™ center that works well for a variety of sandwich or stuffed applications. The biscuits are also available in a mini, 1.2-ounce size that is ideal for bread baskets or bite-size appetizers. For recipes and inspiration, visit www.generalmillscf.com/biscuitrecipes. For more information about Pillsbury Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, foodservice operations can contact their General Mills Convenience sales representative, call 1-800-243-5687 or visit https://www.generalmillscf.com/products/category/biscuits/frozen-dough/garlic-cheddar-biscuit
Tractor Beverage Company, one of North America's fastest-growing beverage brands, is happy to announce that its beverages are now available at many locations operated by culinary management company Elior North America. Elior North America's Cura Hospitality, Aladdin Campus Dining, Lexington Independents, and Corporate Chefs companies are now offering Tractor's Certified Organic, Non-GMO and All-Natural beverages. As a new Tractor "pouring partner," Elior will be able to offer their customers an alternative to traditional sodas, or a delicious flavored option to water within its cafes. The mission of Elior North America's family of companies is to provide healthy, delicious meals every day to every customer so they can feel their best, and in turn, help their business partners be their best. Their teams share an appetite for growth that drives them to continually reimagine their customers' experience. As a brand exclusive to the restaurant and foodservice industry, Tractor remains true to its core mission to bring better quality drinks to people around the country through the meal experience.
Herzog Wine Cellars celebrates the new Jewish year with its first release of the Herzog Limited Edition Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2020 (MSRP: $60). This rich and complex white wine is the result of careful harvest planning and skillful winemaking, led by Head Winemaker Joe Hurliman. The 2020 harvest in California was marked by some of the worst wildfires the Golden State has ever known. However, thanks to Divine Providence the harvest for the Chalk Hill Chardonnay took place before the fires, and yielded fruit of the highest quality. Herzog has also released its Special Reserve Méthode Champenoise Russian River NV (MSRP $60), its first-ever high-end Champagne method sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in Sonoma’s Russian River area. Additionally, Herzog has released Château Malartic Lagravière Blanc 2019 (MSRP $100), the first kosher cuvée release by the Bordeaux estate. Malartic received elite Grand Cru Classé status for both its red and white wines in the 1959 Classification of Vins de Graves. Now owned by the Bonnie family, Malartic has produced several kosher cuvées of its red Grand Vin in collaboration with Royal Wine since 2003. Its sister property, Château Gazin Rocquencourt, started making kosher runs in 2015.
