A free web-based tool for nutrition educators shows how to “upgrade” favorite meals by changing the type of meat and poultry, side dishes and condiments to decrease fat and calories in breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
Courtesy of the National Turkey Federation
As a nation, we are experiencing an epidemic of obesity. Today, an estimated 32.7% of U.S. adults 20 years and older are overweight, 34.3% are obese and 5.9% are morbidly obese, resulting in approximately $147 billion in direct and indirect healthcare costs annually. And because there is a strong correlation between obesity and such co-morbid conditions as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers, these costs are expected to double every 10 years. More problematic is the escalating rate of childhood obesity and the potential consequences for increased prevalence of chronic disease in future years.
An overview of soy oil and its role in foodservice applications.
By Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC. Courtesy of QUALISOY
Soy has a long and important history as one of the world’s most important crops. Every year, 44.07 million metric tons of soybeans are produced globally. In the United States, in 2009, we grew an estimated 3,359 million bushels of soybeans, and from these soybeans we produced 19 billion pounds of soybean oil. Of all the different edible oils produced in the United States, about 80% is made from soybeans.
SandwichPro.com offers new on-trend sandwich-making demos.
Courtesy of Unilever Food Solutions
SandwichPro.com recently debuted its “Chef Demo” video gallery full of great sandwich ideas from the Unilever Food Solutions culinary team. Click on the “Recipes” tab, then click “Chef Demos” on the left-hand side. From ethnic-inspired trends to classic combinations that thrill, Chefs Steve Jilleba, CMC, and Matt Burton guide viewers through the recipes with step-by-step instructions. Several of the videos relate to trend articles elsewhere on the site.
A new e-learning module focusing on practical foodservice uses for this fascinating fruit launches on the CIA ProChef Web site.
Courtesy of CIAprochef.com
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) announces “Blueberry Kitchen: Contemporary Recipes,” a new, easy-access online curriculum developed in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The program includes entertaining and informative video instruction by the CIA’s Chef Scott Samuel, who demonstrates preparation of 14 innovative blueberry dishes spanning breakfast, salads, entrées, cocktails and desserts. Designed for chefs, foodservice professionals and culinary educators, “Blueberry Kitchen” is on the CIA ProChef website at www.ciaprochef.com/blueberries.
In addition to recipe know-how, the ProChef site delivers inspiration for incorporating blueberries into world cuisines and offers ideas for adding various forms of blueberries, including fresh, frozen, dried and juice, to add blueberry flavor, color and nutrition to year-round menus.
“Blueberries are a fascinating fruit,” says Samuel. “As I worked with them in the kitchen—cooking, blending, baking, adding spices and other ingredients—I learned how they behave and incorporated what I learned into the program content.”
“Blueberry Kitchen” also links to the USHBC site, www.littlebluedynamos.com, where further blueberry information is available for foodservice and consumers, and foodservice pros can sign up to receive Blue Plate Special, the quarterly e-newsletter from the USHBC.
An e-learning module focusing on Americans’ favorite vegetable.
Courtesy of CIAprochef.com
As the demand for lighter, healthier menu options and bold global flavors continues to grow, more and more chefs are turning to the potato as the perfect canvas for menu innovation. Why? Because potatoes are a familiar, versatile vegetable that can stand up to today's big flavors and eye-catching presentations. They're available in all kinds of exciting new varieties. And they have a remarkable nutrition story to tell. Diners love potatoes, and they demand health, variety and novelty. Now, they can have it all.
Through The Culinary Institute of America’s ProChef e-learning, “Get Creative with Potatoes” presented by the U.S. Potato Board discusses today’s potatoes—and how, now more than ever, they can put chefs at the forefront of menu trends. The module includes menu ideas and recipes, innovative techniques from chefs, instructional videos, potato varieties and nutrition and more.
To access the e-learning module, visit www.ciaprochef.com/potatoes.
Courtesy of CIAprochef.com
You don't have to get on a plane to taste one of the glories of Brazilian cooking ... or a bubbling cassoulet from Southwest France ... or a Tuscan soup that tastes like somebody’s grandmother made it. Beans can take you there.
Through The Culinary Institute of America’s ProChef e-learning, “The World Bean Kitchen: Passport to Flavor,” presented by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, debunks some of the myths that surround the cooking of dry beans. Learning segments include “Beyond Bean Basics,” “Bean Nation: The American Experience,” instructional videos and more.
Courtesy of the American Lamb Board
Barbecuing lamb brings together a richly flavored, homegrown product and one of America’s specialty cooking methods. It also helps teach our students about cuts of lamb that they may not often cook.
The term barbecue is somewhat confusing. To many in the United States it refers to outdoor cooking in general. To others, it conjures up images of putting burgers or steaks on the grill. For culinarians and many of those who live in the south, barbecuing refers to a very specific cooking method where low, indirect heat is used to slow cook full-flavored and tougher cuts of meat. Often the heat comes from burning wood, so a rich smoky flavor is infused into the meat. Various cuts of lamb are ideal for this cooking method and yield up some really tasty treats.
By Kim Reddin, courtesy of the National Onion Association
Onions provide color and texture to a dish, but their flavor is what really makes them irresistible and virtually irreplaceable in the kitchen. From raw to caramelized, the flavor of an onion has many layers.
Onion Production
Commercially grown in 20 states from coast to coast, onions are the third-largest fresh-vegetable industry in the United States; Idaho-Eastern Oregon, Washington and California are the leading production areas. The National Onion Association estimates that fewer than 1,000 U.S. farmers plant more than 142,000 acres of onions each year. Americans consume nearly 20 pounds of onions per capita annually.
Flavor Factors
Onion flavor is determined by many factors including genetics, planting location, soil and temperature. While compounds such as sugars and organic acids can contribute to what people taste, a special class of biologically active organosulfur compounds is what actually give onions their distinctive flavor and aroma.