Frozen Facts and Fun Foods

Low fat fried foods?

2012-01-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

Imagine if you could have all your favorite fried foods with that same delicious taste and texture, but with up to 38% less fat. Could it be a miracle come true?

After a long hiatus, Perfect Fry has finally made this miracle a reality with their new SPINFresh fryers, based on their proven Perfect Fry technology. These safe, simple to use and fully self-contained fryers are completely hoodless and require only an electrical outlet to be used. But even more amazing is the integrated SPINFresh technology that removes up to 38% of the oils and fats from the cooking process, saving you from the unneeded calories and wasted oil that is trapped in the foods.

SPINFresh uses a centrifugal spinner to remove excess fats and oils just after cooking so that foods are still crispy and delicious, yet much lower in total fat. This also helps retain the cooking oil within the fryer for reduced operating costs. There are no extra steps needed - just place the food in the basket, select the cooking time or preset and push a button - the SPINFresh does all the rest.

We'll post a video on its operation soon. Feel free to see more on our website (www.westernfreezers.com) or give us a call with any questions (888) 917-1888.

Fries are HOT foods!

2010-11-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article on the new trend in fries - they're not just potatoes anymore....

Potato fries may have originated in Europe, but Americans have certainly embraced them as their own.

After all, nearly 8 billion servings of french fries were sold in U.S. restaurants during the 12 months that ended in June, according to statistics from NPD Group, a global market research firm. That represented 15.5 percent of all restaurant orders...

“There is a lot of innovation going on right now to build more interest in fries” as a side or a snack, says Bonnie Riggs, NPD’s restaurant industry analyst. “Consumers have become adventuresome, and they are looking for new flavors and something different.”

See the whole article at http://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovations/these-spuds-aren-t-duds

So you don't have a fryer or hood? No problem - we've got a great solution for with our Perfect Fry line of hoodless & vent-less fryers. These compact, safe and easy to use fryers are now proudly Made in the USA as a result of their recent acquisition by Middleby (the same folks who own Pitco, Wells and several other great brands). See our website for more info www.westernfreezers.com.

Don't forget - you can take advantage of IRS 179 exemption tax savings by buying your new Perfect Fryer in 2010 - ask you tax consultant for details.

Keeping your business green

2010-01-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

I just saw this great new resource for keeping your restaurant business sustainable and energy efficient - check it out at http://conserve.restaurant.org/.

They've got great ideas on how to conserve, what your savings will be in doing so and how you can make your business as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. Here's a great excerpt on the benefits of composting your food scraps:

Composting or biological decomposition is a natural form of recycling that occurs when organic material decomposes (or composts) to form organic fertilizer. Compost is created by taking organic wastes — food leftovers, yard trimmings, biodegradable products — in proper ratios into piles, rows or vessels and adding bulking agents to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials.

Composting is also a process that can transform wasted food into an environmentally-useful commodity. For example, in San Francisco, kitchen trimmings, plate scrapings and compostable material from over 2,000 restaurants are composted each day. Instead of 300 tons of restaurant food waste going into landfills, a composting operation turns the restaurant garbage into premium, high-priced compost sold to California vineyards.

Finally - we're Carbon Neutral!

2009-09-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a Summer here at WFSE - we've had a fantastic year, all due to the growth in the frozen yogurt industry where Stoelting has become a market leader. Our customers couldn't be happier with their compact, energy-saving F-131 machines that use 2/3 LESS ELECTRICITY than our competitor's. Yes, it's true.

Here's the math: (6) Stoelting F-131 machines x (12A) power per unit = (72) amps TOTAL POWER REQUIREMENT. Compared to Taylor's 794 machine which uses (6) x (40A) = 240 AMPS (using 3 phase - single phase is even higher!). That means you can build a self-service shop with up to 10 machines, without having to upgrade the electrical power.

We've also done some homework and finally selected a Carbon Offset provider called Native Energy. Based on an analysis of our business, we've elected to offset our entire 23 TONS of CO2 per year with these offset investments. Native Energy is a leader in this industry, having provided carbon offsets for the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony and green companies like Stonyfield Dairy, Clif Bar and Ben & Jerry's. They invest in solar, wind power, methane harvesting and transportation efficiency improvement programs to all reduce our CO2 emissions. Check them out at http://www.nativeenergy.com.

Thanks for checking back with us - we'll try to keep these postings a littler more up to date. Questions or comments? Send us an email at westernfreezers@sbcglobal.net.

Slowing Economy not affecting Desserts

2008-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

It appears that while consumers may be cutting back on lattes, they aren't doing the same for their favorite desserts

By Angus Loten
Inc.com
updated 12:52 p.m. PT, Sun., July. 13, 2008

Not long ago, Tracey Hughes had an enviable career as an executive marketer at Colgate-Palmolive in Chicago and New York. Then she started bringing homemade rum cakes to corporate functions. In no time, Hughes, a former fashion model, was taking special holiday orders from friends and colleagues, eventually baking up to 10 cakes a night in her small Brooklyn apartment. That's when she decided to go into the dessert business full-time.

"I grew up in the kitchen, watching and learning," says Hughes, who launched the Rum Cake Fairy Company in October 2005, armed with a handwritten book of her grandma's secret recipes and her own marketing savvy. It paid off. Two years ago, her rum cake was discovered by Oprah Winfrey and featured on the coveted "O List" of must-have holiday goodies. Since then, she's launched an entire range of cakes sold at high-end retailers.

And at a time when many businesses owners are easing spending plans to cope with the sputtering economy, Hughes and her business partner, Patricia Kolaras, are closing a deal to buyout the New Jersey bakery that mass produces her cakes.

The American sweet tooth
In good times and bad, Hughes and other successful dessert entrepreneurs can count on the American sweet tooth to help keep their businesses afloat. A recent survey of some 1,500 U.S. consumers by Techmonic, a Chicago-based foodservice research firm, did not find a single person who regularly skipped dessert. More than half said they indulged in such perennial favorites as chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream, and apple pie at least once a week, though typically more often than that. That kind of appetite is driving a $23 billion domestic industry of bakeries, chocolatiers, ice cream makers and countless other small businesses.

"Clearly, consumers love dessert," says Darren Tristano, Techmonic's executive vice president of information services. By keeping an eye on shifting consumer trends, he says, restaurant, café, and foodservice owners can leverage the appeal of desserts to boost incremental sales, and in turn help dessert makers grow their companies.

(From MSNBC.com - see entire article at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25561551/)

Smaller , richer frozen desserts a new trend

2008-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article on the latest trend in frozen desserts from an article at QSR Magazine

Cold Case - Why frozen indulgences might warrant a more prominent place on quick-serve menus.

Contentious though it often is, there are a handful of things we can all agree on when it comes to the subject of food. The popularity of ice cream is almost certainly one of them. To wit, the market research firm Mintel has reported that more than 90 percent of U.S. households consume ice cream and other frozen desserts.

But like most indulgences, ice cream in its pure, premium form—with all the butterfat and sugar that make it so tantalizing—tends to leave American adults feeling a little conflicted. We crave its richness, but our society’s obsession with health, diet, and nutrition also forces us to reckon with the consequences of enjoying great ice cream to the degree we might like. No matter how you churn it, downing two or three pints a day just isn’t a good idea. Unfortunately.

So in order to reconcile our ice cream cravings with our calorie consciences, we compromise, often by turning to products made with low-fat dairy products and/or sugar substitutes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has noted that light, low-fat, nonfat, and reduced-fat ice cream products, along with frozen yogurt, ices, sorbets, and sherbets, accounted for about one-third of the domestic frozen dessert market in 2006.

The alternative to eating lighter products, of course, is to enjoy smaller quantities of the really good stuff. To judge from a recent National Restaurant Association survey of culinary experts, this seems to be the track many Americans are now taking. In that poll, 1,300 members of the American Culinary Federation were asked to identify the most popular food trends from among a list of 194 items, including everything from red wine to sushi to energy drinks, pomegranates, fresh pasta, and couscous. At the end of the day, “bite-size desserts” emerged at the very top of the list, in the No. 1 spot.

If small indulgences that deliver big flavor constitute the trend of the moment, quick-serve operators might consider how they might tap into the phenomenon. Here are a few suggestions:

Smaller and Richer

When I lived in Paris years ago, I used to love to go to Bertillon Ice Cream where, for the equivalent of roughly $7 at the time, patrons would order a scoop about the size of a golf ball, served with a miniature wooden spoon. That worked out to about $5.50 per ounce, but this ice cream was worth every cent. With its authentic, intense, and perfectly balanced flavors; sumptuous, creamy texture; and lush mouth feel that made for a positively sublime experience, I would have anted up at least a few more francs for the privilege of another serving.

That’s ultimately why I believe that it might be a good bet for quick-serve’s more popular chains to begin offering small scoops of a proprietary, crave-inducing brand of premium ice cream in all-American flavors such as vanilla and peach. The results might be surprisingly tasty—and profitable. In a similar vein, Pasta Pomodoro might opt to sell small portions of authentic sorbet or gelato with Italian-inspired flavors such as bitter chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, almond, or espresso. And though they’re nowhere near as decadent, paletas—icy Mexican fruit pops made with fresh fruit, water or milk, and sugar—offer an engaging variety of textures and tastes, including tropical fruits, hibiscus, tamarind, avocado, corn, lime, and cucumber. At least a few of these could fare very well at the likes of Baja Fresh, Chipotle, or Qdoba.

(see the rest of the article at http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/menu_development/116/frozen-1.phtml)

Frozen yogurt popularity grows despite industry downturn

2008-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

(From an article published by Dawn Reiss, Special to R&I -- Restaurants and Institutions, 5/1/2008)

The economic chill gripping much of foodservice—bringing less-ambitious forecasts for new-unit openings and sales growth—has so far skirted at least one corner of the industry. Proving that little luxuries can thrive even when basic necessities are scrutinized, the frozen-yogurt segment is expanding inward from the coasts and keeping warm the industry’s entrepreneurial spirit.
This really is frozen yogurt’s second expansion wave. The first, in the 1980s, driven by brands such as TCBY and I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt, lost its momentum. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, retail sales of frozen yogurt declined between 1998 and 2003 while ice cream sales grew by 24%.

Frozen yogurt’s current popularity wave is led by new brands. Berry Chill, sno:la, and FreshBerry are joining the ranks of Pinkberry and Red Mango, which already have a strong hold on the East and West coasts. The product these new purveyors serve is different: tangier or more tart, depending on the brand, and lighter than frozen yogurt’s previous incarnation. It usually is topped with fresh fruit, granola, cereal or a more-decadent splurge, such as chocolate. Flavor choices go well beyond chocolate and vanilla territory to more-exotic options such as green tea, pomegranate and sour cherry.

The free-standing frozen-yogurt shops cater to an audience that shuns fluorescent lightening and expects a sit-and-chat type of ambience. In place of the outmoded ice-cream-parlor look, many of the stores have opted to feature high-end furniture, flat-screen televisions and Wi-Fi to lure everyone from business professionals and teens to late-night revelers. Many play upbeat dance music and have sofas and cafe-style tables that encourage customers to linger. Of more importance, the operators think that consumers are willing to spend $5 on a different frozen-yogurt experience.

See entire article at: http://www.rimag.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6556318&article_prefix=CA&article_id=6556318

San Francisco fights pollution and saves sewers

2008-05-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a great way to help keep our sewers flowing and our municipal vehicles running cleaner - free grease recycling from the City of San Francisco. SF Greasecycle was recently established to reduce FOG (Fats - Oils - Grease) pollution from the sewer system (a $3.5M annual problem) and to create a renewable resource to run the city's diesel vehicles, as well as others interested in using this less polluting fuel source.

Blue Sky Bio Fuels in Oakland is charged with this lofty recycling project and is completing a facility that will produce 20 million gallons of converted grease to biodiesel each year. Among its customers are Michael's Transporation who serves both Vallejo and Oakland area school districts.

For more information on how to recycle your used cooking oil in San Francisco, please contact SF Greasecycle at (415) 695-7366 or visit http://www.sfgreasecycle.org/fse.shtml.

Restaurants going Greener in 2008

2007-12-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming, but we can't be any more excited at the latest trend in "greener" restaurants. Finally, folks are taking a moment to evaluate their energy use, waste disposal practices and even making an effort to source locally -grown or -produced goods. Companies here in the Bay Area have done a great job at minimizing waste at all other levels of their business and have finally taken a look at their cafeterias and restaurants to make sure their energy use is minimized, as well.

Although the economics of energy savings are far from compelling, saving every little bit starts to add up as we scale this effort into hundreds of companies, each day. Our Perfect Fry hoodless hot oil fryers (www.perfectfry.com) recently received $200 PG&E rebate status for all models, including the PFC and PFA lines and are also compliant with the new UL 300 standards for ventilation hoods (they are actually governed by UL 167 guidelines since they are hoodless). These units are extremely efficient and will use about 80% less energy than an open fryer, since power is used only when cooking.

We see similar benefits from the Instant Burger grill (www.smokaroma.com) that is up to 50x (that's 5000%) more efficient than a flat top grill. Since this unit uses no heat to cook, it is enormously more efficient at cooking, rather than keeping the cooking plates hot all day. Average use amounts to less than $100/year in annual electrical costs!

Finally, we're very excited to have a number of new recyclers that are taking used cooking oil for use in bio-diesel manufacturing. Here's a list:

Cooking Oil Pick Up Companies (Northern California Region)

San Francisco SF Greasecycle (has online application)
http://www.sfgreasecycle.org/fse.shtml

East Bay - Blue Sky Bio Fuels (has online application)
http://www.blueskybio-fuels.com/grease.php

Fresno, Turlock & So. Cal - Darling International
http://www.darlingii.com/facilities/index.asp

If you know of others that offer similar services, please let us know! Email us at westernfreezers@sbcglobal.net.

Happy Holidays and here's to a greener and less wasteful New Year!

America's Favorite Cookie boosts sales across US

2007-12-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article on the power of branding and the recognition of the Oreo Cookie to be America's favorite!

Menuing ‘America’s Favorite Cookie’

Dairy Queen’s Nissen says the right brand name can provide a big boost by communicating to customers in one word what the flavor pr ofile of a new offering is. When Dairy Queen introduced a spicy burger it purposely chose to partner with Tabasco in an advertising campaign. The company could have simply used Tabasco or one of its competitors, but by drawing up a licensing agreement and ad campaign, “It instantly communicated the flavor profile on this burger was different. It’s hot and spicy,’’ Nissen says. Nabisco notes, for instance, that its research suggests Oreo is considered its own flavor alongside chocolate and vanilla.

At Baskin Robbins, a variation of an Oreo cookies-and-cream treat has been a top-five seller for years and product extensions featuring the Oreo are always a good bet, says Scott Colwell, vice president of marketing. “They have a lot of credibility with consumers,’’ he says. During the fall, the company rolled out six Oreo-themed products including: an Oreo cookie pie; a new Oreo cake; a new flavor, Jamoca; chocolate and Jamoca Oreo shakes; and an Oreo-layered sundae. The company won’t reveal sales figures but says the new offerings helped sales jump the first week they were introduced in August and are “exceeding expectations.”

Like pizza and Oreo, frozen dessert restaurants are in a competitive environment. The category’s sales increased by 2.2 percent from 2005 to 2006 while units dropped by 1.2 percent according to data gathered from Technomic. Dairy Queen sales were flat from 2005 to 2006 with a slight increase in same-store sales while Baskin Robbins experienced a 6.5 percent jump in sales with a small same-store sale bounce. Newer competitors like Cold Stone Creamery, which saw a double-digit jump in sales in 2006 and higher same-store sales, are chasing both venerable brands.

Cold Stone, of course, made its name with its smorgasbord of mix-ins. And like its competitors it has its own Oreo creation, Oreo overload.

(See the entire article at: http://http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/features/110/oreo-3.phtml)

Thanksgiving Update 2007

2007-11-19T14:53:00.001-08:00

For those of you turkey lovers who are growing a little weary of the dry, plain and frankly boring bird let me give you some new hope. This year, as we have for the past two, we're smoking our Thanksgiving turkey in our BBQ Boss pressure smoker to create a truly wonderful, delicious and MOIST treat that you will absolultely crave.

The results are not unique to the BBQ Boss unit, but between the <1 hour cook time, the very consistent results and a very high degree of smokiness control (you can adjust this to your own tastes), I can't think of a better way to prepare this holiday favorite. I truly cannot enjoy a turkey NOT prepared in this manner anymore. This task used to be undertaken by my father, but he simply got tired of watching the silly smoker all day when he used his outdoor device.

Part of the juiciness of our turkey is due to my father's own brine recipe, which includes an apple juice base, kosher salt and some "secret spices" that he has perfected in his years mastering this method. This brine soak takes place 12 hours prior to the smoking and yields and wonderfully tasty glaze and infuses some much appreciated moisture into the meat. It really is wonderful as left-overs too, as this moisture really stays with the turkey until it is all eaten. You have to try this preparation sometime - it will really change the way you enjoy your turkey for the holidays.

We have also used the BBQ Boss to prepare some tasty and popular smoked chicken wings as appetizers. These were the hit of a party we recently attended and were a unique and quite popular new addition to the potluck menu for us. Using out BBQ Boss Red Rub mix and some plain chicken wings, this appetizer takes less than 1 hour to smoke and yields 2-3 dozen finger-lickin' good wings that you will just love. Rarely go I have friends stop and ask me how we made our potluck items - with the wings, several people made a point to inquire and to find out how to make them.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Get ready - here comes Pink Berry!

2007-10-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Starbucks founder bites into Pinkberry
The red-hot frozen yogurt chain gets a big boost from the man who brought you the $4 latte, reports Fortune's Matthew Boyle.

(Fortune) -- Red-hot frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry has received a $27.5 million infusion of cash from Starbucks founder Howard Schultz's venture capital firm, Fortune has learned.

The deal, which will be announced later today, confirms long-held speculation that Seattle-based Maveron - whose prior investments include eBay, drugstore.com, and Good Technology, now owned by Motorola - sees a bright future for Pinkberry, which was launched two years ago by a failed restaurateur and a former nightclub bouncer. (See story here.)

Schultz was not available to comment, but in a press release touting the deal he called Pinkberry founders Shelly Hwang and Young Lee "visionary entrepreneurs" and labeled their brand "a cultural phenomenon."

The burgeoning chain now has 32 stores in New York and Los Angeles, and plans to grow by expanding its roster of company-owned stores and franchises. Hwang and Lee told Fortune earlier this year that they hope to have 50 locations by year-end. Stores in Las Vegas and London are also on tap.

Pinkberry's tart-yet-sweet yogurt, topped with the customer's choice of fresh berries, granola, or even Fruity Pebbles cereal, has won it a cult following that includes celebrities like Salma Hayek and Paris Hilton. (Mike Tyson once demanded his cookies and cream topping on the bottom, and the staff wisely complied.) It's pricey - a large green tea with three toppings is nearly ten bucks - but Pinkberry's largely female clientele doesn't pinch pennies.

"I've seen people come in, order a small, eat it and then get right back in line for another," says Daihwan Choi, who has exclusive development rights in New York City.

Some toppings are not even on the menu, which only adds to the allure, and the minimalist décor features $350 Philippe Starck chairs and $250 Le Klint lamps. (Lee even secured a 10% volume discount from trendy furniture shop Design Within Reach on the lamps.)

"They really developed a look that helped create a cult factor," says Lesley Balla, editor of food blog Eater LA, who adds that top city chefs have worked frozen yogurt into their menus. "It's Whole Foods meets Jamba Juice meets Sephora," says branding consultant Nick Hahn.

But that winning formula has also spawned a slew of copycats, and Pinkberry will be hard pressed to clearly differentiate itself going forward. Of course, Schultz's investment should certainly help in that regard. Starbucks (Charts, Fortune 500) is much more about the experience than the overpriced product, so Schultz will likely aim to foster a similar unique environment at Pinkberry.

This is the first outside investment in Pinkberry, which had previously been funded by its founders. Hwang and Lee will retain "significant equity" in Pinkberry and work with Maveron to create an employee stock option program, according to the announcement.

(From Fortune Magazine Online: http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/15/magazines/fortune/boyle_pinkberry.fortune/?postversion=2007101606)

Hot Sundaes for Cooler Weather

2007-10-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a great idea from Carvel Ice Cream, those folks slowly making their way out West with their innovative ice cream marketing approach (from QSR Magazine http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=5765):

New Hot Crunch Sundaes at Carvel
»Print2007-10-03 — Who says fall and winter are too cold for ice cream? Not Carvel®Ice Cream! Now through February 28, 2008, participating U.S. and Puerto Rican locations are offering two new Hot Crunch Sundaes to warm the hearts and taste buds of customers during the colder months.

The Hot Berry Crunch Sundae contains Carvel's vanilla ice cream, vanilla crunchies, and a warm mixture of berries, garnished with whipped cream and black raspberry drizzle, and served in a freshly baked waffle bowl. There's also a Hot Apple Crunch Sundae, which includes warm apples topped with caramel sauce and coated with Makara Cinnamon, the signature spice used in the world famous cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon Inc.

To further tempt customers, participating locations will also serve seasonal favorite hand-dipped flavors such as Harvest Apple Crunch, Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog, along with the return of the much awaited Cinnabon Ice Cream, which features Carvel vanilla ice cream mixed with white pound cake chunks and Cinnabon's signature Makara Cinnamon and cream cheese frosting.

"Blending our vanilla ice cream and crunchies with warm fruit and syrups in freshly baked waffle bowls makes for some uniquely delicious Hot Crunch Sundaes that are perfect for cooler weather," said Gary Bales, president of Carvel.

Why not add some cooler weather menu items to your menu this season? All you need is some creativity and a microwave!

The new "tart" yogurt craze

2007-08-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

For those who have somehow missed all the hype created in Southern CA, the latest gold rush has begun and the new precious commodity is yogurt....plain yogurt. There are no fewer than 40 new yogurt shops with most now offering this tart flavor choice along with a new variety of toppings including fresh fruit, nuts and even a glutenous rice cake called mochi.

If you have been following this new craze, you're already familiar with names like Pink Berry and Red Mango who are on a major land grab in a race to win new fans of this yogurt. Although Pink Berry is involved in a dispute over whether or not it can call its product "yogurt", many are offering the bacteria-rich product that has found new popularity due to its "probiotic" properties. The latest in nutritional data suggests that probiotic cultures aid in curing so many of our current ills including digestive disorders, metabolic syndrome and general well-being.

Ok, so maybe you don't suffer from any of these problems. How about being fat free, lower in sugars (?) and generally more "healthy" than other, less tasty or refreshing snacks? Many report this new tart flavor to be a little tough to love at first, but then invoking a kind of addictive reaction that results in many having to satisfy their fix daily - thus the term "crack berry" as a reference to this addictive behavior. So addictive in fact, that sales numbers are reported to be in the 1500+ servings per day (@ $3-5 per serving!).

The alleged progenetor of this craze is Red Mango from none other than Seoul. Pink Berry got an early jumpstart and most of the credit for this movement, but Red Mango has come to town and is moving at lightspeed to overtake all competitors. Pink Berry's unlikely start from a failing english tea room to yogurt rock star was a lot of great timing and some plain luck. Frozen yogurt has been in a decline for the past 15 years and was due for a comeback. Many asians have been aware of the healthy benefits of yogurt and probiotic cultures so voila, here we are amidst the next great yogurt boom. I've even enjoyed a version of this treat atop a mound of shaved ice, topped with a delicious variety of sweet beans, mochi, fruit, soy bean
flour and fruit syrup, generically named "patbitsu" by my local Korean sweet shop.

Where can you find this new tart yogurt in the Bay Area? Try Harmony Yogurt in San Carlos, Fraische in Palo Alto, Mochii in Sacramento, Trendy Bean Cafe in Santa Clara along with some others in San Jose and Fremont coming soon. I'm sure there are many more too, so stay tuned.

Frozen Yogurt - Facts about this new craze

2007-08-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

What is Yogurt?
Yogurt is a cultured milk product, made by adding "good" bacteria to milk. These "friendly" cultures, L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, are what give yogurt its special properties. Similar to the making of beer or cheese, special organisms ferment and transform the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid, creating the distinctive flavor of yogurt. This process has been around for at least 4,000 years.

How Yogurt Benefits The Body
Many people eat yogurt for its health benefits, because yogurt is more than a delicious, nutritious food. The cultures in yogurt must be present in the intestinal tract of the human body to insure proper balance needed for digestion and good health. Yogurt with live, active cultures can:
• Help to overcome lactose intolerance
• Aid digestion of milk protein
• Help prevent and combat digestive tract infections

In recent research, other exciting effects have been observed and are currently being studied. They include:
• The possibility that yogurt can help boost the immune system
• An indication that yogurt may be useful in lowering serum cholesterol
• Yogurt's potential in the prevention and management of certain cancers
• Help to overcome lactose intolerance

In addition, yogurt is a good source of…
• Protein
• Calcium
• Potassium
• The vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

(from YoCream International website at http://www.yocream.com/cultures.php)

SmokaRoma's BBQ Boss at Pebble Beach

2007-08-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Brian Isaeff, Territory Manager at US Foodservice for his invaluable help in bringing our SmokaRoma BBQ Boss pressure smoker to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance event. The staff at Pebble Beach are excited to test the unique pressure smoker at one of their most exclusive events.

Interest in the BBQ Boss spawned one morning last month, where we found one of the kitchen staff outside manning their outdoor smoker on a balmy Summer day. There was no doubt that the tender, succulent and juicy pork shoulders he was smoking would be outstanding. No, the issue was merely "was this going to be enough?" and "how are we going to make more, if we run out?". At 6-8 hours per batch, there's no opportunity to cook more that day, and what happens on rainy or unpleasant days outside?

Luckily, with Brian's assistance, we planted a seed that seems to have germinated perfectly. Why not use pressure cooking technology to improve product quality, consistency and cook times? When Chef Rod and Pebble Beach realized that he could cook 200-300 lbs of food in the SAME TIME as his other smoker took for 20% of that, it was a no-brainer. The BBQ Boss was immediately dispatched for this event, where we now await the rave reviews.

SmokaRoma's BBQ Boss is an electric pressure smoker that uses 220V, 30A power and is designed for use inside your kitchen without the need for a hood & vent system. It uses timed operation and can also cold smoke your fish, cheese or other items just to add some smoke flavoring. The BBQ Boss pressure smoker will smoke and cook 45 lbs of spare ribs in 90 minutes and will create some of the most moist, tender and delicious meats you've ever tasted. You can see more info at their website: www.smokaroma.com.