Sustainable seafood has become a hot topic in the restaurant industry and beyond. But what exactly is sustainable seafood and why does it matter?We are excited to announce the second season of Foodable’s Smart Kitchen & Bar, in partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, to bring you the most comprehensive conversation ever around seafood at the center of the plate! In this episode of the Seafood Season, we feature Kevin Hermann, chef de parte at Cure in Pittsburgh, Pensylvania. Chef Hermann has a passion for farm fresh and sustainable ways of cooking and is hoping to return to the Culinary Institute of America as an instructor to continue to pass on the craft and knowledge of sustainable cooking. Chef Hermann creates a crispy Wild Alaska Pollock Roll as well as his take on a rillette using Alaska Pink Salmon. You can catch the full episode on Foodable On-Demand and Coming Soon to Amazon Prime.

Seafood is one of the fastest growing proteins among American diners, especially among millennial and gen-z customers. Health, sustainability, environmental concerns, and transparency are big considerations for today’s customer, but they also expect a culinary experience from their frequent dining occasions.

We are excited to announce the second season of Foodable’s Smart Kitchen & Bar, in partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, to bring you the most comprehensive conversation ever around seafood at the center of the plate!

In this first episode, we feature Deb Paquette, chef and owner of Etch and Ect. in Nashville, Tennessee. Chef Paquette has become the first woman in Tennessee to qualify as a certified executive chef and has been a trailblazer for chefs in the area.

Make sure and checkout the full episode now on Foodable On Demand and coming soon to Amazon Prime as Chef Paquette transforms Alaska Sockeye Salmon and Dungeness Crab into a tasty Moroccan-styled dish. Look out for the season premiere in Spring 2019.

The name apple butter is a bit deceiving as the beloved sauce has no butter in it at all. In fact, the only thing that apple butter and butter have in common is that they are both spreadable.

Apple butter, once an obscure option, has come into full fruition as a healthier alternative to butter. It has no dairy, fat or cholesterol.

But apple butter is so much more than a mere spread or condiment. 

About 15 years ago, Musselman’s apple butter, which is owned by Knouse Foods, was primarily being used only in that unimagined way.  

"Back then, the question became, what's a better way to use this product?” said Allie Canterbury, marketing manager of food service at Knouse Foods. 

Musselman's Apple Butter Fusions | Foodable Network

Although apple butter continues to dress the top of muffins, bagels, and toast as a delicious topping, Musselman's has also been showing operators how to incorporate this versatile ingredient with other flavors to enhance their menu items for years.

Musselman's Apple Butter is a great base flavor that complements a diverse array of others. 

With that in mind, Musselman’s recently launched a new innovative line of apple butter Fusions. These Fusions make it even easier for operators to get creative and are an easy way to elevate menu items from simple to signature. 

We have highlighted some of the Musselman's Apple Butter Fusions in the part one and part two of the video series above, but there are two other emerging Fusions flavors to highlight.

Horseradish was already a popular flavor pairing with the original Musselman's Apple Butter, so the company decided to roll out the Creamy Horseradish Fusion.

Horseradish also saw a spike this year in use by the top 100 chefs included in our Foodable Labs index. It has experienced a surge in popularity notably in the fast casual sector, especially on sandwiches at fast casual brands. 

The Creamy Horseradish Fusion offers an unexpected yet invigorating blast of flavors of apple notes and horseradish.

In the video above, Foodable Host Layla Harrison is joined by Culinarian Andy Tilis who shows her how this Fusion is a great addition to a roast beef sandwich. 

Musselman's Apple Butter Creamy Horseradish also is gluten-free, trans-fat free, has a clean label, and like all the Fusions, has multiple applications.  

"The creamy horseradish is really great with classic steak, prime rib, and roast beef sandwiches. I've seen people mix it into hummus and then also on tacos. You really can use these in many different ways, but those are food pairings that have been really popular," said Canterbury.  

The last and certainly not least Fusion of the Musselman's New Apple Butter line is the Salted Caramel.

This Fusion features a perfect pairing of sweetness with a savory flavor blend of apple and salted caramel.

Salted caramel is almost universally trending on chef menus. According to Foodable Labs data, salted caramel is in the top three of flavors for dessert.

Chef Andi and Foodable Host Layla using the Musselman’s Apple Butter Salted Caramel Fusion | Foodable Network

This gluten-free and trans-fat free Fusion has applications for dessert menu items, but also for foods you may not be expecting.  

"It goes great on waffles and pancakes, perfect over ice cream, and excellent with sweet potato fries. I've also seen some of our team members pairing the salted caramel with wings," said Canterbury.  

For breakfast, it's a great topping to replace maple syrup or butter. Chef Andi demonstrates above how perfect this Fusion is on the breakfast favorite waffles.  

It can even be used for baking as a fat replacement.

Peppering an otherwise consistent menu with new on-trend items ensures a restaurant concept can avoid appearing stale to their customer base.

With that in mind, chefs are always looking for simple ways to refresh menus. Instead of starting from scratch, they will often turn to an innovative foodservice product solution to spice things up.  

We recently discovered that Musselman’s Apple Butter now has a Fusions line of six flavored apple butter flavors.

For years, chefs have been using the consumer-favorite Musselman’s Apple Butter as a base to create a delicious flavor profile for a protein, side, or dessert. 

"We’ve actually been showing people how to combine two types of flavors together for many years. So we thought, why not just create that item to take all the work out of combining it. That way it’s ready for use,” said Allie Canterbury, marketing manager of food service, Knouse Foods. “And then we also put it in a squeeze bottle to make it easy to use for an operator. It’s always been something we've been creating in-house and showing people. So we figured why not just do it.”

And from there, Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusions line churned into a dynamic product offering.

Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusion line | Foodable Network

The video above, which is part 2 of a tasting series of the Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusions product line, reveals that each flavor is wonderfully versatile with multiple applications for food. 

But besides being versatile, these fusion flavors are on point when it comes to the recent consumer trends.

A recent Foodable Labs 2019 Flavor Trends Report revealed that Asian flavors have spiked on menus at restaurants of all types of cuisines across the country. Asian flavors have become especially prevalent on menus at independent restaurants and fast casual concepts to accommodate a crescendo of consumer demand for these flavors. 

Using Musselman’s Apple Butter Asian Fusion provides a simple yet creative foray into the Asian craze. This product offers a sweet yet savory taste with slightly spicy cinnamon notes mixed with soy and sesame flavor. 

“The Asian is a really neat flavor. It's a little more salty and savory than the others. It’s been used as a dressing and it's great in a coleslaw. I've also seen people using it on tacos, within noodle dishes or as a marinade and wing flavor,” said Canterbury.

It takes simple to signature and is vegan, fat-free and trans-fat free too. Watch the video above as it is used to flavor for zucchini spiraled noodles. 

Another Musselman’s fusions flavor is Sriracha, which is also a popular Asian flavor.  

Sriracha has been trending for a decade, but flash forward to today and it has garnered a passionate and loyal following all over the world.  

Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusions Sriracha and Asian Flavors | Foodable Network

Sriracha has been added to Musselman’s Apple Butter to infuse some heat into its latest offering as a Fusions flavor.

“The Sriracha Apple Butter Fusion is a great wing flavor. We've seen it used on pizza, as a drizzle, mixed with mac and cheese, spread on sandwiches, and tacos. We've even seen it on omelets for an extra spicy punch,” said Canterbury.  

In the video above, Chef Andi uses it to elevate the otherwise traditional wing sauce and then to create a mac and cheese recipe with a unique twist.

The Sriracha Fusion also has a Clean Label, meaning it contains no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors, and no antimicrobial preservatives. It is also vegan, fat-free and gluten-free.

Looking for new ways to enhance your menu items? Stay tuned for our part-three featuring two other Musselman’s Apple Butter Flavors next week!

Consumer tastes are constantly evolving. Today, guests are craving flavors that are exciting yet approachable. But they are also more discerning in their expectations that their dishes be made with clean ingredients.

With that in mind, at Foodable Network, we are consistently surveying products that cater to the consumer demand for both delicious and clean label foods.

Apple butter remains a consumer favorite and Musselman’s Apple Butter is a leader in the category.

But Musselman’s isn't complacent in its success, choosing to take its apple butter to the next level. The company is shaking up the marketplace with the launch of a foodservice line of Fusions featuring on-trend flavors that have been blended with apple butter by chefs for years.

Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusions Line | Foodable NetworkMUSSELMAN’S APPLE BUTTER FUSIONS LINE | FOODABLE NETWORK

Musselman’s is Turning Simple to Signature

“We wanted to make sure we were pairing apple butter with not only things that work well with it, but also with flavors that are on an upswing,” said Bob Fisher, vice president of marketing, Knouse Foods, the parent company of Musselman’s. “These items have a tremendous amount of flexibility and a wide range of uses. Far more than I think we anticipated when we first developed the idea for the product line.”

Musselman’s launched the line to offer a solution for operators who are looking to pique the palate of millennial diners in the QSR/fast casual and family dining sectors.

“What we love about the Fusions brand is it brings apple butter to the masses. It's making apple butter a younger, more vibrant, more exciting, and unique category than before. It’s our way of expanding apple butter into a segment that is far more engaging,” said Allie Canterbury, marketing manager of food service, Knouse Foods.

Not to mention, the Fusions’ squeezable bottles make them easy to use and cook with.

Like Fisher said Musselman’s selected its six Fusion flavors because they are flavors that consumer can’t seem to get enough of.

In the video above, Foodable Host Layla Harrison is joined by Culinarian Andy Tilis where they discuss Musselman’s iconic Apple Butter and two of the new Fusion flavors.

One of Musselman’s new Fusions flavor they taste test is the Mango Habanero.

Musselman's Apple Butter Dijon Mustard and Mango Habanero Fusions | Foodable NetworkMUSSELMAN'S APPLE BUTTER DIJON MUSTARD AND MANGO HABANERO FUSIONS | FOODABLE NETWORK

In a recent Foodable Labs report on flavor trends, habanero ascended jalapeño as the most used pepper by chefs over the last year. As far as mango is concerned, it is one of the top two fruit infusions on chef’s menus today, according to recent Foodable Labs data.

The Mango Habanero is vegan, gluten-free, and fat-free. It’s a triple threat of flavor with the tastes of apple, mango, and habanero all in one. It’s sweet yet spicy profile makes it perfect to pair with fish, especially salmon or cod.

In the video above, Andi uses the Mango Habanero to glaze a cod to give the fish an extra burst of flavor. But she also demonstrates how the Fusion can be used as a dipping sauce for sides like sweet potatoes.

It’s also popular as a savory sauce added to wings, sliders, chicken strips, nuggets and much more. See what other proteins and sides this Fusion pairs well with in the video above.

The other flavor highlighted above in the tasting video is the Musselman’s Dijon Mustard Apple Butter Fusion. This flavor, which is also vegan and gluten-free, offers a sweet base saturated with the spicy and tangy taste of Dijon mustard.

“It takes an ordinary sandwich and makes it so much more,” said Fisher.

This Fusion isn’t only a great spread for sandwiches, but can also create an elevated taste experience for classics such as burgers, paninis, sliders, and of course, on soft pretzels.

Stay tuned for our part-two video coming soon that showcases other new exciting Musselman’s Apple Butter Fusion Flavors that turn the ordinary to “oh wow.”

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored post.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Foodable Network! We all know how stressful the holiday season can be, especially when it comes to gifts: easy to receive, harder to give. In this year’s Holiday Gift Guide for Chefs, we explore three different products that could make a perfect gift for any chef or foodie, whether they’re your friend, family member, or significant other. Check out these fantastic products to master gift-giving this year!

Vitamix Vita-Prep 3

The Vitamix Vita-Prep 3 supports all of the culinary demands of a chef. Its 3-Horsepower Motor with improved thermal capabilities provides the power and dependability in the most demanding cooking processes. It has Variable Speed Control that delivers a full range of precise textures and a Start/Stop switch that automatically returns to a neutral position, helping prevent accidental start-ups. The Vita-Prep 3 also has a removable lid plug, making it easy to add ingredients while still blending. Its motor base is backed by a three-year component warranty and a one-year warranty on labor, blade assembly, and container. Its compact and stylish design compliments any kitchen!

KC Cattle Company

The KC Cattle Company, U.S. veteran-owned and operated, raises and sells hormone-free Wagyu beef. Wagyu cattle were first imported to the United States in 1975, after first being selected by the Japanese for their physical endurance. Animals with more intramuscular fat cells were favored, since a readily available energy source was provided. In premium steaks, intramuscular fat means marbling, and marbling means flavor! Wagyu beef has gained favor in America’s spotlight today. The KC Cattle Co. has many options that offer high-quality steaks and a variety of cuts. They have several packages, including The BBQ Sampler, Ribeye Lover and Fillet Lovers Basket. In addition to their incredibly delicious beef is their cause to give back to veteran organizations. Not only can you give a delightful gift from KC Cattle Co., but you can also feel good about it, too!

Professional Secrets - The Ultimate Kitchen Thermometer

The thermometer is considered one of the most essential tools in the kitchen. Created in close collaboration with professional chefs and designers, it took Professional Secrets three years to perfect The Ultimate Kitchen Thermometer. Some of its features, aside from its speed and accuracy, include a protective sheath that can clip onto a chefs’ apron or jacket and an easy to read display that flips (like a cell phone screen) to adapt to the chef. It also has an extremely thin probe, which leaves unnoticeable puncture marks in food. You can see it in action on Foodable’s Smart Kitchen and Bar.

On this episode of Foodable’s Smart Kitchen and Bar, our host and culinarian Andi Tilis will demonstrate for us the best way to cook Wagyu beef, whether it’s for a burger slider or if it’s a sirloin steak, featuring KC Cattle Company.

About Wagyu Beef

There are three types of Wagyu: “In America, we have Fullblood Wagyu, which is 100% Wagyu, Purebred Wagyu, which is 93.75% Wagyu, and F1 Wagyu, which is 50% Wagyu. The percentage is the amount of genetics descended from their original Japanese bloodlines,” explains Patrick Montgomery, KC Cattle Company’s CEO.

KC Cattle Company has Fullblood Wagyu and F1s. The meat the company sells in its website is F1, which are crossed animals of either Wagyu and Hostein or Wagyu and Angus, but Montgomery did share with Foodable that his company is actually getting ready to process it’s first Fullblood Wagyu meat for sell.

Dishes

The two dishes Tilis covers in this episode are Wagyu Beef Sliders and a Chimichurri Sirloin Wagyu Steak, each able to elevate any casual or fine dining menu.

Wagyu Beef Sliders

Ingredients:

3 Wagyu ground beef patties

Salt and Pepper

Potato slider rolls

Goat cheese

Cilantro leaves

Apple butter

Directions:

Season your ground beef with salt and peeper and then create mini burger patties. Toast your buns and then apply goat cheese, apple butter and cilantro. Begin to sear the mini burger patties and be sure to only flip them once on the pan once you see the intramuscular fat of the wagyu beef begin to melt. Once the mini burgers are cooked, place them on the sliders. Serve three sliders per place and enjoy!

Seared Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Chimichurri

Wagyu sirloin steak

Salt and Pepper

Chimichurri

½ tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp each ground cumin and coriander

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp finely chopped dried chilli flakes

Salt

Freshly ground white pepper

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander

¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano

1 finely grated clove garlic

⅓ cup olive oil

On this episode of Smart Kitchen and Bar, our resident master mixologist, Oscar Castaneda, shares with us ways to use infused spirits, like St. George Spirits’ Green Chile Vodka, in order to have a cost effective bar program. The key here will be to create cocktails that are approachable for your customers.

“An infused vodka is going to give you the ability to play more with the flavor and the layer[s] of the drink…” says Castaneda. “You have to make sure that… at the same time it’s not going to turn your guest experience away.”

The intention for this upcoming drink, named Georgia Mule Twist, was to use a familiar drink like the Moscow Mule and use ingredients (like the peach and apricot syrup) that would play along with the hot and sweet pepper infused vodka to make an approachable yet unique drink. It’s served on a tumbler or copper mule glass and garnished with lime and mint.

This next drink was inspired by today’s featured spirit which is a mix of a traditional spirit like vodka and the infusion of sweet and spicy ingredients to give us a modern blend of flavors. Oscar calls this “old school and new school.”

He proceeds to mix all his fresh squeezed juices to create a balanced sour base for the Georgie Kick cocktail, then he adds a maple reduction and egg white and gives it a heavy shake. What really makes this cocktail stand out is the cilantro meringue that was browned with a cook torch.

In this episode of Smart Kitchen and Bar our host and culinarian Andi Tillis, makes a green smoothie to showcase the groundbreaking features of “The Quiet One” by Vitamix.

Many of today’s restaurants have brought their kitchens from the back of the house to the front of the house for a variety of reasons. One reason is for the theater of it all; another is for transparency when it comes to the ingredients and preparation; yet another is for logistical reasons like moving people quickly through a fast-casual restaurant model. But in all three scenarios, one consideration remains constant and that is the noise floor of your kitchen in your restaurant. You want to create an environment where the customer experience is not ruined by a loud kitchen, which could make it impossible for customers to enjoy your dining space or hear as they move through a line and try to communicate with your staff.

www.vitamix.com

Enter “The Quiet One” by Vitamix. The revolutionary blender features 93 variable speeds, 6 optimized programs, 34 available settings, auto shut-off and of course the patented noise reduction enclosure. The Vitamix performs 12 culinary techniques like heating, blending, and pureeing – which we discuss in this episode. But it can do much more. Check out the techniques on the Vitamix website.

As chefs and brands alike are presenting healthy options on their menus, like plant-based menu and drink options, the focus of bringing healthy breakfast smoothies to your brand can be a differentiator and is part of why “The Quiet One” presents an entirely new approach to blending.

Foodable Labs reported on how the growth of plant-based is exploding, with a 78 percent increase in the past year on consumer discussions around plant-based menu items.  This is up considerably from 2017. Additionally, with coffeehouses, juice parlors, and high-end cocktail bars all seeing expansion and most implementing open kitchen designs, seeking out a trusted industry blender like “The Quiet One” by Vitamix, maintains the quality standards customers have come to expect while handling the noise of commercial blending.

On this episode of Smart Kitchen and Bar, our resident master mixologist, Oscar Castaneda, shares with us how to take a different approach with a popular spirit like rum, featuring Mount Gay® Rum. The Black Barrel rum used in this episode features complex aroma notes of spice, toasted wood, and fruit. It has a bold spice taste balanced with oaky vanilla and sweet caramel.

“Rum is something that might be a little bit too sweet and what I usually suggest as an operator and as a mixologist is: Don’t fight it, try to work with it!” says Castaneda.

Old Fashioned cocktails are traditionally made by muddling sugar with bitters, adding whiskey and garnished with a citrus rind. Using that process as inspiration, Castaneda figures out how to incorporate rum into the classic cocktail for his first drink. Named Twist On An Old Fashioned, this drink will help you wow those guests who are looking to be adventurous. This cocktail will surprise anyone who tastes it, as it branches out of its classic presentation to become its own creation.

TWIST ON AN OLD FASHIONED

2 oz. Mount Gay Rum

Dash of Pineapple Juice

Orange Zest

Dash of Walnut Bitters

Served as an Old Fashioned in a short, round, tumbler-like glass with a cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg rim. It is topped with whipped cream (made out of almond milk, line, lemon and cilantro) and garnished with an orange peel, cinnamon stick, and topped with a black cherry.

This next drink was inspired by the classic drinks that you would normally think of when someone says rum. Our master mixologist wanted to make a drink that was a little lighter and refreshing, but still maintained the tropical vibe that characterizes rum drinks.

“We are going to use the same ingredients but in different layers to create almost like a new age of a Piña Colada,” says Castaneda.

TROPICAL TYPHOON (New Age Piña Colada)

2 oz Mount Gay Rum

1 oz Coconut water & allspice

1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

1/2 oz Orange Juice

Dash of Cinnamon

Dash of Base Cherry Juice

Garnish drink with two lime slices and orange zest.