Food & Food Equipment News

Alto-Shaam Introduces New Line of Heated Shelf Merchandisers

Alto-Shaam’s newest merchandiser product line now includes individually controlled heated shelves that keep food warm for hours at the highest level of quality.

Featuring exclusive Halo Heat® fanless technology for precise, even temperature, these merchandisers hold a variety of grab-and-go products, including rotisserie chickens, pizza, sandwiches, and more.

“The individual shelf control gives operators flexibility over their holding needs,” said Robert Simmelink, corporate chef for Alto-Shaam. “Different food items can be held at different temperatures, allowing operators to merchandise a cross-section of menu items. The merchandisers highlight the best of your food to increased impulse purchases by on-the-go consumers who need meals that work with their busy lifestyle.”

These merchandisers improve store profits with more consumers looking for hot, ready-to-eat meals. Convenient, fresh meals are displayed to sell to customers in the aesthetically pleasing and customizable merchandiser. The customizable banner (available through Alto-Shaam’s third-party supplier) can enhance a company’s brand image while the shelves include LED lights to draw attention to the food.

Other enhancements include:

• Even heat distribution
• Lighted shelves for added visibility
• Convenient power switch located at the front of the unit
• Glass sides for an open view
• Fully skirted to conceal casters
• Simple operation and cleaning

Countertop models are available in 24-inch and 36-inch widths. Floor-standing units are offered in widths of 24, 36 and 48 inches. The merchandisers can be purchased separately or as part of a full system package to cook, hold and merchandise rotisserie chickens, pizzas, sandwiches and more.

“We work with our customers to determine the best solution for their needs based on sales projections, food they are holding, and packaging type,” said Simmelink. “Unique equipment system solutions are tailored with innovative products that exceed their expectations.”

The heated shelf merchandisers will be available to order starting at NAFEM and shipping mid-March.

AAR's Containerized Kitchens Heading to Presidential Inauguration

AAR will be sending two of its Mobility System's containerized kitchens to Washington, D.C., for use by the National Guard to serve meals to the active and reserve soldiers who will be on duty during the 58th Presidential Inauguration.

The Expandable ISU® (EISU) Flex Kitchen and the Containerized Kitchen - Enhanced MECC® (CK-E MECC®) are among AAR Mobility Systems' portfolio of rapidly deployable containers and shelters used by the U.S. military and its allies, and will provide up to 3,000 meals per day.

"We are honored to provide support for the Presidential Inauguration, while at the same time showing how one of our core capabilities can support homeland defense requirements in addition to the standard military applications," said Jeff Jackson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, AAR Mobility Systems.

The newly created CK-E MECC enhances the capabilities of previous containerized kitchens with noted improvements including integrating AirBeam expansion wings into the MECC, eliminating the need for steel poles and providing additional head room for heat to escape. The CK-E MECC also incorporates Babington Technology's kitchen equipment which dramatically reduces heat, noise, fuel consumption and risk of carbon monoxide exposure. This kitchen can feed 800 personnel three hot meals per day.

The EISU Flex Kitchen is the three-in-one expandable version of the ISU Containers that have been used by the military for over 25 years and manufactured by AAR Mobility Systems. This rapidly deployable containerized kitchen occupies only one pallet position, but is expandable to 399 cubic feet and utilizes the same energy, water, and manpower-efficient kitchen equipment. The EISU Flex Kitchen can feed 300 personnel two hot meals per day.

New Diamond and Grill Grate by Rational

Cooking appliance manufacturer, Rational, has developed a grill grate that can create two different patterns. Usable on both sides, the new diamond and grill grate produces either the favorite American steakhouse pattern or the classic parallel grill stripes.

Depending on which side the chef and/or foodservice professional uses, the diamond and grill grate by Rational will produce a different pattern. Thanks to a special alloy, the new diamond and grill grate has excellent heat conductivity and requires no preheating. The additional patented TriLax® non-stick coating supports browning and is ideal for use up to 572°F (300°C). Nothing sticks to the grill, making cleaning quick and effortless.

Together with the SelfCookingCenter® by Rational, the diamond and grill grate is suited for producing large quantities. “Up to 160 steaks medium with a grill pattern can be prepared uniformly in just 15 minutes at the press of a button. The appliance and accessory achieve the same impressive grilling results with fish or vegetables. It does not matter whether the products are fresh or deep-frozen when grilled,” states Billy Buck, National Corporate Chef for Rational USA.

To learn more about Rational, the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, and accessories, you can visit its website at http://www.rational-online.com/en_usa/home/index.php. In addition, Rational CookingLive events are taking place every week throughout the US. Find out when the next event is near you at http://www.rational-online.com/en_usa/events/cooking_live/index.php.

Chocolate Melter from KREA

KREA Swiss launches its new range of products for melting, heating and manually tempering chocolate.

The stylish, high quality chocMELTER heats the chocolate from five sides and measures the actual chocolate rather than the air below the container. When compared to similar products, the chocMELTER heats the chocolate must faster with more accurate temperature readings. They use as little as 20 percent of the energy and have a smaller, lighter, ergonomic and more hygienic design which makes them more easy to carry, store and clean.

CEO Dr. Sean Kendrick talks about the motivation for launching this new range: “During the development of the heated hotCHOC chocolate spray gun we often received feedback from development partners, such as the Barry Callebaut Academy UK, about the limitations of small batch manual tempering / chocolate warmers. After some research we realized that by combining latest technology and Swiss know-how, we could offer a better solution that addressed poor build or temperature control quality, slow melting or hygiene issues. The resulting chocMELTER range offers a stylish, high quality solution that is manufactured in Switzerland but positioned at a similar sale price to those produced in low costs countries which use lesser quality components."

Available in two sizes, the 6kg and 20kg chocMELTER warming units are ideal for pastry chefs or chocolatiers who are looking for a reliable solution for melting, warming or manually tempering small or medium batches of chocolate. Typical applications are dipping, filling molds or to prepare chocolate for producing frozen / velvet or praline speckle coating effects in combination with the KREA Swiss hotCHOC heated chocolate spray gun.

 

IBM Watson and Bon Appetit Team on New App That Transforms How We Cook

America's most technologically advanced sous chef is back.  In collaboration with Bon Appetit, IBM has created an app called "Chef Watson with Bon Appetit." Initially available via a limited beta program, the new app, powered by IBM Watson technology and Bon Appetit's culinary knowledge, allows home cooks to draw onWatson's advanced cognitive capabilities to create entirely new recipes and gastronomic combinations that have previously never been conceived.

The new app is the next step in the evolution of Chef Watson, which was introduced by IBM and the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) earlier this year at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas.  The demonstration brought together Watson's learning and natural language capabilities with top chefs to delight the palates of local attendees. IBM is now launching a beta version of an application built around this technology, tailored to the needs of avid home cooks.  Learn more about Chef Watson here.

"At Bon Appetit, we were curious to see what Watson could discover that was never previously considered, helping unlock a chef's creativity," said Adam Rapoport, Editor-in-Chief, Bon Appetit. "We see the intersection of technology and food sparking new thinking and creativity not only in our own test kitchen, but in our readers' homes as well."

"Chef Watson with Bon Appetit" allows an individual to go beyond the limitations of simple preparation to drive new creations and combinations of ingredients, based on scientific knowledge of cognitive technology. The original Jeopardy! winning Watson system was trained to understand large amount of information and quickly retrieve answers to all kinds of questions. Today, Watson is working to augment and scale expertise by serving as the ultimate assistant to professionals in industries including retail, healthcare and financial services. Chef Watson represents another example of the versatility of the technology and the diverse ways in which Watson will change our lives.

"We're partnering with Bon Appetit to put Watson initially into the hands of a small group of people who have a passion for cooking, a desire to experiment and who want to be a part of something ground breaking," said Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Watson Group. "Our goal is to help people discover the potential of cognitive computing systems. These systems can understand vast amounts of data, compounds, and formulas as well as learn from interactions with people and information, in a far more intuitive way."

Chef Watson will initially be available to a select group of Bon Appetit's readers, building on the success of Chef Watson in the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen. Bon Appetit readers can visit this site for the opportunity to become a beta-tester and read about the experiences of home cooks working with the app here.

To learn more about how Chef Watson was developed, visit: Smarter Planet Blog: Bon Appetit Discovers Culinary Creativity with IBM Watson

To learn more about how Watson caught Bon Appetit's eye, visit: Smarter Planet Blog: Bon Appetit

Rational Salutes Service Partners

In late March, Rational hosted its Service Partner Symposium, which enabled great minds in service to come together for the purpose of developing a higher level of understanding, improve efficiencies, and maximize customer benefits.

At the event, 36 service partner companies were able to experience Rational’s new Culinary Experience Center and Training Center. “Important issues, like maximizing service support for different market segments, the Rational Certified Installation Program, and the implementation of Rational’s Customer Care Center, built the basis of discussion and generated the ultimate goal between all companies present at this event: customer satisfaction in every respect,” states Gene Doerr, Service Director for Rational USA.

One of the highlights of the symposium was recognizing the top three Rational Service Partners for 2013. These awards were presented to the three service partners who continuously demonstrated that they understood the importance of training their service team, maintaining appropriate spare parts inventory, and developing efficiencies that were acutely focused on maximizing customer benefits. Three award winners were recognized: Commercial Appliance Service, Inc. (1st place), Pine Tree Food Equipment, Inc. (2nd place), and Whaley Foodservice, Inc. (3rd place).

Electrolux Builds Mobile Kitchen Showroom

Boxman Studios worked with Electrolux to create a sleek and modern mobile kitchen showroom within a 40-foot shipping container. The container is purpose-built meaning that Boxman Studios used parts from other containers to construct a custom space from the ground up. The Luxkitchen unfolds to reveal nearly 550 square feet of showroom floor, and easily folds back into a 8-foot by 40-foot container for transport.

“Customization is what we do,” says Boxman Studios CEO David Campbell. “And this project exemplifies that concept. From stainless steel countertops to handcrafted framework and cabinetry, not only is the Luxkitchen a chef’s dream, but we’ve made it mobile, and built it within a shipping container.”

The Luxkitchen featured appliances include two microwaves, a dishwasher, two refrigerators, a front load washer and dryer, a double wall oven, two freestanding ovens (electric and gas), two induction cooktops, and a kitchen sink. The cooktop counters sit on tracks which are slid out onto the fold-down doors during use to further open up the space.

Cody Masluk, Senior Director of Trade Marketing, Merchandising, and Training, was ecstatic during the launch of the Luxkitchen, “[We have] the opportunity to get out there with consumers and share our brand and all of our cool appliances. We’ve never had anything like this before.”

The Luxkitchen made its debut at the Electrolux company headquarters and will be appearing again in
downtown Charlotte on December 22 before the Carolina Panthers game.

SkyCity Chef to Present Pacific Northwest Menu at James Beard House

The Space Needle's Executive Chef Jeff Maxfield of SkyCity at the Needle will showcase his culinary skills to a sold-out crowd on Saturday, October 19, at the historic James Beard House in New York City.

Maxfield's "Savoring Seattle" menu is part of the Beard House's guest chef event series in which top chefs throughout the world are invited to present a themed menu. Chef Maxfield will showcase the delicious bounty of the Pacific Northwest through dishes that highlight seasonal fall ingredients, as well as regional delights of land and sea.

Chef Maxfield cultivated his passion for locally sourced, in-season, "Pacific Northwest" gastronomy under the guidance of chef, mentor and author Greg Atkinson at Seattle's Canlis, where at age 19 Maxfield became the youngest Sous Chef in the history of the restaurant.

"When conceptualizing this menu, I kept the flavors of the Pacific Northwest in mind, but also wanted to pay homage to James Beard, his roots, his passion for food, and his dedication to our craft," said Chef Maxfield. "I read that Beard spent summers with his family at the beach in Gearhart, Ore., fishing, gathering shellfish, wild berries and cooking meals with whatever he caught. You will see hints of this throughout the menu I am presenting in New York. He provided a great inspiration for this dinner. It's an honor to have this opportunity."

The menu will include:

Hors d'Oeuvre

• Paired with Domaine Ste. Michelle Space Needle Cuvee
• Shigoku Oysters with Bull Kelp, Crispy Geoduck and Smoked Steelhead Roe
• Pickled Coho Salmon with Cipolline on Bluebird Grain Farms' Emmer Wheat Thins
• Crispy Quinault Razor Clams with Phocas Farms Saffron Aioli
• Sous Vide Muscovy Duck with Salmonberry Preserves and Smoked King Bolete Mushrooms
• Carlton Farms Pork Shank-Spot Prawn Potstickers with Oregon Wasabi-Yuzu Glaze

Dinner

• Skelly's Butter Clams with Red Onion-Bacon Jam, Herbed Pain de Mie and Miner's Lettuce paired with Cristom Pinot Gris 2012
• Yakima Valley Corn Soup with Anderson Ranch Lamb Bacon, Dungeness Crab and Heirloom Tomatoes paired with Sparkman Cellars Lumiere Chardonnay 2012
• Wild Chinook Salmon with Honeycrisp Apples, Pacific Distillery Pacifique Absinthe, Oxbow Farms Lacinato Kale and Holmquist Hazelnut-Crusted Ozette Potatoes paired with Archery Summit Premier Cuvee Pinot Noir 2011
• Cedar Paper-Roasted Anderson Ranch Lamb Loin with Chanterelle and Lobster Mushrooms, Black Garlic and Oregon Truffle, Douglas Fir Jelly paired with Betz Family Winery La Serenne Syrah 2010
• Mocha-Braised Double R Ranch Short Ribs with Sunchokes, Young Crimson Beets, and Theo's Cocoa Nibs paired with Andrew Will Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard Red 2009
• Woodinville Whiskey-Chocolate Pot de Creme with Goat's Milk Caramel and Mountain Huckleberries paired with Sonoris Red Wine Port 2010

Fractured Prune Doughnut Concept Expanding Across United States

Get ready for the next doughnut revolution – Fractured Prune Doughnuts, known for offering consumers always hot doughnuts, hand dipped and topped to order. Its new owners are embarking on national expansion and project 50 new store agreements signed in the next six months alone.

Fractured Prune Doughnuts began in Ocean City, Maryland. Rather than featuring rows of preconceived doughnuts, the doughnut shop developed a cult following for its always hot doughnuts, available all ways.

"At Fractured Prune, we're challenging the conception that there is a 'time' to make the doughnuts. We believe it's time to make the doughnuts when customers want them, and we believe the doughnuts should always be hot and made exactly the way the customer wants to enjoy them," said Ken Jenkins, Maryland franchisee for Fractured Prune Doughnuts.  

Fractured Prune Doughnuts taps into the consumer trend of customization and flexibility. The brightly colored doughnut shop celebrates the individual and encourages consumers to find their "inner doughnut genius" by choosing from 15 different glazes and 15 different toppings. This concept is particularly appealing to the Millennial generation who has flocked to similar build-to-order concepts.

To help consumers get started, Fractured Prune Doughnuts has a specialty doughnut menu with creations not available at a traditional chain doughnut shop, including French Toast (maple, cinnamon and sugar), Blueberry Hill (blueberry glaze and powdered sugar) and Morning Buzz (mocha, chocolate cookie crumbles) to name a few.

"This expansion combines the one-of-a-kind taste and quality of a specialty doughnut shop with the convenience and consistency of a chain. And it's all available in a funky, family-friendly setting. Nobody's delivering what Fractured Prune does," said Jenkins.

The next Fractured Prune will open in St. George, Utah, on Sept., 24 2013. Its owners, Woody and Karan Taylor, say they fell in love with the concept immediately.

"Fractured Prune capitalizes on the family appeal and affordability of doughnuts, but elevates the individual's experience. It's the perfect combination for consumers and for us as franchisees because the cost of entry is as affordable as the doughnuts," said Woody Taylor, Utah franchisee for Fractured Prune Doughnuts.

Area Development opportunities are available across the United States, with markets securing quickly. To learn how to become a franchisee, visit www.fracturedprune.com and click on "franchises."

Daytona Oceanfront Dining Just Got Better

Paragon Entertainment Group (PEG) just opened a super-fast casual pizza restaurant in an oceanfront location at the Ocean Walk Shoppes. My Pi Custom Pizza & Craft Beer is set to become one of the area's hottest new venues. With seating to accommodate 100 guests, the wallet-friendly restaurant appeals to a diverse clientele, including families, students, and young professionals. Featuring a hip interior design that incorporates woods and metals to deliver a modern, industrial look, and outdoor balcony seating overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, My Pi is the perfect backdrop for date night. 

Similar to quick-serve restaurants like Chipotle, My Pi focuses on delicious, custom pizza offerings with a made-to-order menu, and dough that is baked from scratch using high-quality ingredients.  At My Pi, customers move along a service line and select from a number of sauces, cheeses, and freshly chopped toppings to customize their pizzas.  Two salads, a Caesar and Spinach, are also offered and can be customized.

Additionally, My Pi will feature a rotating selection of craft draft beers and seasonal bottled offerings.  The draft beers will be rotated on a monthly basis to provide incredible options to patrons and the restaurant will offer some of the most unique and complex beers from local, domestic, and imported brewers.

The 2,500 square foot restaurant has awe-inspiring views of the Atlantic Ocean, which can be seen from both inside and outside of the restaurant.  "As a growing, family-oriented community, My Pi is the perfect addition to the Daytona Beach area," states Robert Fronckoski, Paragon Entertainment Group's Director of Operations.