Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/838473
& A look at the events, issues, and innovations shaping specialty food, plus industry news, trends, and more. trends happenings DEAN & DELUCA'S ON THE FAST TRACK Chef-led, delicious, and nutritious fast food is gaining momentum thanks to serious culinarians branching out with spots like Beefsteak, a fast-casual con- cept created by renowned chef José Andrés, and Made Nice from the team at New York City's 11 Madison Park. One to watch for is Dean & DeLuca's Stage in New York City. Just like its gourmet stores, nothing will be average. This 3,432-square-foot space will approach food as theater, and present a standalone, rectangular mirrored counter that customers can approach from any angle before placing an order, watching the preparation, and retrieving their meal. The space, which is being designed by architect Ole Scheeren, promises to be sleek and satisfying to the senses. Chew on This Ice Cream Mastiha, an ancient Greek resin commonly used to make gum and flavor Greek baked goods, is approaching superfood status for its medicinal qualities. And now it can be found in Lezzetli Mediterranean Ice Cream's Chios Vanilla flavor. But that's not the frozen treat's only exotic qual- ity—the ice cream is chewy, inspired by dondurma, a thick, elastic ice cream found in Greece, Turkey, and down the Levant. Typically salep, a flour made from orchid tubers, is used to create the elastic tex- ture, but since the flowers are endangered and can't be exported, the textural treat hasn't been available in the U.S. until now. Once Lezzetli hit on the natural gums and fibers that would create the appropriate texture, the company launched this pre- mium line of five flavors inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean. "It took us many years of testing to recreate this distinctive chewiness and textured mouthfeel with responsibly harvested and all-natural ingredients," says Isabella Hughes, co-founder. She notes that it's especially great on hot days as it takes a bit longer to melt than traditional ice cream, and consumers can slice it and add top- pings. It also boasts less sugar, calories, and cho- lesterol, due to the lack of eggs in the recipe. Artichokes Branch Out Small-batch distilleries are anything but diminutive. Don Ciccio & Figli Distillery's new C3 Carciofo artichoke liquor, made from three kinds of California artichokes, car- doons, grapefruit, and 18 botanicals, is based on a tra- ditional Italian recipe that was produced in its fam- ily's distillery more than 100 years ago. It is hand- crafted in small batches in Washington, D.C., then bar- rel-aged for a year. Available nationwide, it's already won prestigious awards. PHOTOS: LEZZETLI MEDITERRANEAN ICE CREAM PHOTO: CARCIOFO 14 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com