May 2015

Categories:

It may be a great question to ask the friend you haven’t seen in 8 years (you’ve gotten fat), but in a professional kitchen it’s a valid question for how you’re serving your customer base. In the continual quest for the next great super food (where you at acai?), it’s easy to forget most of us have one of the world’s best already sitting on our shelves!

One of the challenges I faced in becoming the chef at Furmano’s was figuring out what to do with beans.  I’d used them in soups.  I’d tossed them in a vinaigrette.  I’d tossed them with pasta.  The reality was that if I didn’t figure out something fun to do with them, I’d be out of a job.

Although there are so many health benefits provided by beans, it’s still tough to get them into the bellies of people who don’t like them. I understand completely.  As a child, I was awful to feed (sorry Mom and Dad).  One of my father’s favorite stories… When, at a family reunion, I made a complete production in front of everyone, absolutely refusing to eat the baked beans they put on my plate. Of course my dad got a big kick out of me getting this job (do parents have to be right about everything... I’m still glad I didn’t listen).

What I’ve found, is that beans are more versatile than I ever imagined (don’t tell the people I work for that I had no idea what I was doing when they hired me).  Yes, beans are excellent in their traditional uses, but then we’re limited to the customers that choose to eat them. With such a low price point per serving (about $.03 per ounce, depending on the bean), anywhere we can work them into a meal is money in your pockets!  We also see more and more government regulations that require nutritional information to be available for your menu. You’ll will certainly see an uptick on the nutritional panel as you infuse protein, fiber, and iron into your items with beans.

Our website has lots of great recipes using beans in “non-traditional” ways.  I find pureed beans to be especially versatile. They make great emulsifiers and add an incredible creaminess to the mouth feel of the products you make.  I’ve used them as simply an additive to a traditional recipe, or to replace functional ingredients like eggs or other thickeners.  So take a chance, try using your beans a little differently and see what happens!

Categories:

For the past several years, Furmano’s has taken part in the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago.It’s a fantastic show with lots of great eats. Companies from all over the world come out to hock their wares in search of new customers. 

Furmano’s is making a major change in our booth presentation this year for the first time in a long time and we're really excited about it. We’ve tweaked the set up over the last few years, but our basic concept has remained much the same. This is how we’ve looked the past few years:

 

 

And that’s my lovely sales team modeling the old booth.  They’re such a great group of people to work with and they really go out of their way to help our customers.

The new booth has a great look.  It combines contemporary design with a real focus on our agricultural roots as a company.  I’ll post pictures of the new set up post-show, but if you’re going to be attending the show, please stop by and say “Hi”! We’d love to see you… BOOTH #7833.

What will you be tasting this year? How does Hummus Yogurt Chicken Salad sound? I replaced the mayonnaise with a blend of chick peas and Greek yogurt! Maybe Chicken Caesar Salad Skewer? Caesar dressing without the egg but rather White Kidney Beans, talk about cutting back on cholesterol! We’ll also be making same Italian Meat canapés with a savory rosemary white bean mousse. I’ll have the recipes available there if you’d like to make them yourselves.

I hope to see you there!

Chef Paul, a Certified Research Chef, is a 2002 graduate of Yorktowne Business Institute School of Culinary Arts in York, Pennsylvania. There he was class valedictorian and received the Chef Michael Hostetter Memorial Award for Culinary Excellence. He is a member of the Research Chefs Association and the Refrigerated Foods Association and has over 15 years of experience.

Working in restaurants since the age of 16, Paul has spent most of his life working with food; a love he developed in family style restaurants, honed in school, and practiced in fine dining establishments. Never one to be defining himself with a particular cuisine, Paul explores the world's palate with excitement. "The world is full of people who have made incredible foods with what is in their backyard and we now have access to all those wonderful flavors and combinations," he says. That love and excitement for flavor he now brings to Furmano Foods.

Close Button
Close Button
Close Button


Learn More
Close Button


Learn More
Close Button


Close Button


View Recipe
Close Button


Close Button


View Recipe
Close Button


View Recipe
Close Button