Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

When I was a kid, I loved my swiss army knife. I had the really thick one, the one with all of the neat tools, right down to the little white plastic toothpick. That knife came in handy so many times, and that’s what made it great. One tool, many uses.

There is a culinary term, appareil, that simply means one preparation for many uses. These are prepared items that, when added to other food preparations, change its characteristics completely. An example of an appareil would be a sausage stuffing that could be used to stuff poultry, make raviolis, or even flavor a sauce. Hummus is another prep item that can be made in large batches and finished with individual flavors to provide multiple menu uses. Menu engineers call this a “Plus-One” strategy. You can see the efficiency: Instead of making individual, fully finished items start to finish, you are getting a head start with the pre-made bases.

In today’s commercial kitchens, these bases are often called “work in progress” for accounting purposes – items taken out of inventory to make a batch of sauce, dressing, or protein blend, but may spend up to a week in the walk-in before they can be recognized as revenue (i.e., sold). Take a basic cream soup recipe, for instance. Most classical cream soups are made with the same method: combining aromatic vegetables with a flour-based thickener and a main flavoring item, whether it be celery, broccoli, or chicken. A liquid is then added, brought to a simmer, pureed and then finished with cream. Cream soup bases are often made in bulk without the main ingredient and, when needed, the main item may be added, simmered to doneness and pureed. That soup base is valuable for its versatility and efficiency.

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The list goes on. Got a great cornbread recipe? Add ingredients like onions, jalapenos and cheddar cheese and spoon that jazzed-up batter into a pot of hot oil to make delicious hush puppies that are perfect served alongside a steaming bowl of chili. Fresh pasta is another part of the cook’s repertoire that allows for endless variations by simply adding one or more ingredients. Adding beet juice to a cream or alfredo sauce base gives the traditional dish an explosion of color and sweetness. Or try adding cocoa powder and sugar to a standard dough to make a dessert variation.

Speed Up Breakfast with a Plus-One Strategy

Breakfast is a the most demanding meal for speed and variety. Breakfast batters like waffles, pancakes and muffins are very similar in makeup and preparation, often only needing one or two changes in the recipe to toggle between the three. Imagine a gold-standard waffle. Now imagine the sweet, juicy tang of wild blueberries embedded in the crisp squares of a freshly pressed waffle. That same batter can be poured into muffin cups and baked to golden brown perfection. Now imagine a delicious wild blueberry pancake batter with the addition of some coconut or almond milk. To load it with more nutrients and antioxidants, garnish the pancakes with a wild blueberry lemon compote and some fresh whipped cream.

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From Ordinary to the Extraordinary

Indigenous, 10,000-year-old berries from the craggy glacial barrens of Maine and eastern Canada, Wild Blueberries have a mystique all their own. With their color, intense flavor, nutritional story, and “sense of place,” Wild Blueberries are a great Plus-One tool to take a base preparation to signature status.

Here are six quick Plus-One concepts:

About the Author 

Chef Lance Nitahara, PCIII, CEC, CPC, CHE

Lecturing Instructor, CIA Consulting

Chef Lance Nitahara is certified as a ProChef Level III (PC^III), Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Pastry Culinarian (CPC), and Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).  He twice gained national attention as the winner of two Food Network challenges: In 2010 he won the highly coveted Chopped competition; and in 2012 he took first as sous chef on Iron Chef America. Chef Nitahara is a 2008 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.  He returned to his alma mater as a faculty member in 2015 after a diverse career in New York, Montreal, Kansas City, and his native Hawaii. He serves as a judge for SkillsUSA and ProStart student culinary competitions.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

“Sauce is boss.” That phrase still rings in my head years after culinary school, where a particular instructor never let us forget that sauces are more than just complements to dishes – they are inseparable from them. Imagine eggs Benedict without buttery hollandaise, a gyro sandwich without zingy tzatziki, or an eggroll without sweet-sour duck sauce?

Several major trends have turned the classical European world of the five mother sauces on its ear. For one, the rise of value-added, portion-control, and pre-cut ingredients means there is less scrap in our kitchens to utilize. But it’s more than a lack of things to throw in a pot: Heavy, long-cooked, starch-thickened sauces are giving way to lighter, simpler sauces that preserve the freshness and intensify the inherent flavor of foods – using a minimum of quality ingredients and treated with a deft hand. Viscosity and richness are extracted from the central ingredients via reduction and pureeing their own natural fibers into the sauce. Call it wellness, call it food integrity, the result is the same: sauces that celebrate and elevate products. Consider the tomato. Classic French sauce tomate would include pork, roux, butter, and a cacophony of aromatic vegetables. Contemporary tomato sauce, on the other hand, is comprised of mostly tomatoes and utilizes the natural fibers in the tomato to provide thickness and body.

Wild Blueberries Will Accentuate Your Sauce

Amazing culinary worlds open when we understand the variations that can be made of any sauce with the simple addition of an ingredient or two. Fruits and berries are not just for dessert anymore – in fact, many global cuisines incorporate them into savory dishes. Berries are some of the world’s most versatile, delicious and nutritious ingredients, and Wild Blueberries are no exception. With a complex sweetness and an unmistakable tang, Wild Blueberries can be the perfect addition to accentuate a sauce. Many proteins do quite well paired with Wild Blueberries, and as they provide a juniper-esque aroma, my first thought would be hearty, flavorful game meats such as venison or boar. Roasted boar chops served with a Wild Blueberry Cumberland sauce variation would create a spectacular main entree. Delicate meats can also withstand the flavor cascade of the Wild Blueberry, such as a lovely pan-roasted chicken breast with a Wild Blueberry-accented natural jus or a grilled filet of salmon with Wild Blueberry chutney. In addition to the amazing flavors and aromas that Wild Blueberries can bring to your sauces, the nutritional aspect of Wild Blues cannot be overlooked. We’ve known for a long time about the cancer-fighting antioxidant power of Wild Blueberries, but recently blueberries have enjoyed “superfood” status and are proven to help ward off diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Recent studies have suggested that Wild Blueberries may even help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. All the more reason to simmer, stir, and puree these nutritional powerhouses into our sauces!

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Seek Flavors that Harmonize

Globally inspired dishes are getting increasingly micro-focused, and sauces are no exception. In keeping with the light, fresh theme, sauces such as chimichurri, romesco, and muhammara have made their way into many a chef’s repertoire. These sauces, because of their light, flavorful and straightforward nature, can be utilized for a host of other applications, such as marinating meats and vegetables and creating delicious salads such as a pesto chicken or a salad made with ancient grains bound by a tangy Oaxacan Mole.

When we consider pairing center-of-the-plate items with a sauce, we want to find flavors that are compatible and harmonize with that item. These can be either complementary or contrasting flavors (and textures). An example of a complementary flavor pairing would be a juicy, perfectly grilled filet of beef served with a rich veal demi-glace. The complex, umami-laden richness of both sauce and main item marry and intensify each other on the palate. On the other hand, a tender, smoky pulled pork butt provides a great foil for a tart-sweet Carolina barbecue sauce. The punch of the sauce is an effective contrast to the fatty, rich pork. Each bite coats the mouth with flavorful fat, then washes that richness away with the cleansing smack of vinegar.

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There are countless ways to approach sauces, but no matter which direction you take – rich, light, thick or thin – sauces will eloquently elevate your food. Add the potent flavor and whole berry appeal of Wild Blueberries and your sauces will really be boss.

About the Author 

Chef Lance Nitahara, PCIII, CEC, CPC, CHE

Lecturing Instructor, CIA Consulting

Chef Lance Nitahara is certified as a ProChef Level III (PC^III), Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Pastry Culinarian (CPC), and Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).  He twice gained national attention as the winner of two Food Network challenges: In 2010 he won the highly coveted Chopped competition; and in 2012 he took first as sous chef on Iron Chef America. Chef Nitahara is a 2008 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.  He returned to his alma mater as a faculty member in 2015 after a diverse career in New York, Montreal, Kansas City, and his native Hawaii. He serves as a judge for SkillsUSA and ProStart student culinary competitions.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

In the movie Ratatouille, cartoon chef August Gusto states: “Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell, there is excellence all around you, you only need be aware to stop and savor it.” Even though it’s a Disney cartoon, there were some profound truths about flavor presented by the playful characters in the movie. Remy, the aspiring young rodent chef goes on to say, “each flavor is totally unique, but combine one flavor with another and something new is created.” In those words Remy sums up the concept of flavor personalities.

To truly understand flavor personalities, one must first understand what flavor is, and just as importantly, you must appreciate the difference between flavor and taste. We often use these two words interchangeably, but taste and flavor are two different things. Taste is perceived by the taste buds on the tongue. There are only five things we can taste – sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Similar to how there are only three primary colors – red, yellow, and blue, which we can mix and match and create a nearly infinite number of colors on the color palate, we can also mix and match the five primary tastes to make up an infinite number of taste combinations. Without the introduction of aroma, however, those taste combinations are very flat and uninteresting. While the tongue can only detect five primary tastes, the nose can identify hundreds of aromas. When we combine those hundreds of aromas with the five primary tastes, we now have flavor, and the more tastes and aromas we can combine, the more flavor depth we have.

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Flavor personalities, or flavor systems, are examples of the concept of gestalt – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Take a blueberry muffin, for example. Wild blueberries, butter, sugar, flour and vanilla are combined together and become something more than just those individual flavors. Wild blueberries offer a fruity and pleasantly tart dimension; butter lends a deep richness, vanilla a toasty floral note, and sugar a soothing sweetness to tie it all together.

The best flavor personalities are those that satisfy the has / needs relationship between ingredients. All ingredients have something that other ingredients need. All ingredients need something that other ingredients have. Referring back to Gusto’s insights about good food being like music you can taste, we can sometimes describe flavors as being bright or top notes, and others as being deep or bottom notes. Wild Blueberries tend to be somewhere in the middle, making them an excellent ingredient to solve many flavor personality issues. Wild Blueberries pair equally well with the bright acidic flavors of lemon, pineapple, and apricot, and the deeper roasty toasty flavors of maple syrup, Cognac, and dulce de leche.

Like the utilitarian clarinet, Wild Blueberries can be caramelized with brown sugar to bring their flavor to a lower octave, or pickled with champagne vinegar brighten them to higher register. They can be left in the simple quartet of a peach and Wild Blueberry cobbler (peaches, Wild Blueberries, butter, and sugar), or they can be part of a more complex symphony such as crispy Wild Blueberry fritters in lemon crust with vanilla bean ice cream.

The key to creating great flavor personalities is to understand the synergies that different ingredients give each other. This can be gained through trial and error, or there are several good books that can point you toward great flavor pairings. One of my favorites is Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenberg and Karen Page. In it, the authors discuss flavors, flavor personalities, and flavor pairings.

Wild Blueberries have their own distinct flavor that can adapt to many systems and styles. They can be used in savory or sweet applications, as top or bottom note flavors, as the star of the show or as the background. That’s why they are used in many culinary applications. They offer a blueberry flavor that is robust, complex, and rounded. As a more genetically diverse crop consisting of hundreds of different, naturally occurring varietal clones that have developed over thousands of years, Wild Blueberries have a unique blend of intense flavors from sweet to tangy to tart and everything in between. In contrast, cultivated blueberries are genetically narrow. By propagating a select few varieties, growers produce a consistent size and color but with a very different character and flavor than the naturally complex wild ones.

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Next time you’re looking to develop a great new recipe, take a moment to stop and savor the flavor of Wild Blueberries on their own. Once you get a sense of what they have, it becomes possible to imagine a plethora of applications.

About the Author 

Chef David Kamen, PC^III, MBA

Project Manager, CIA Consulting

Chef David Kamen has enjoyed a diverse career in the culinary world. He served as executive chef of St. Andrew’s Café, one of five award-winning public restaurants on the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus. He’s also been professor of culinary arts at CIA, where he taught everything from culinary skills development, to seafood and meat identification and fabrication, to breakfast cookery. Today, Chef Kamen is a project manager for CIA Consulting, where he is responsible for planning and managing custom projects for professional foodservice operations. A certified hospitality educator, Kamen earned dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level III (PC^III) and Certified Executive Chef (CEC).  He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business Administration from Empire State College.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

As a boy, I spent summers in the town of Southhold on the North Fork of Long Island. Those carefree days were filled with swimming, biking, and blueberries. Wild blueberry bushes were scattered throughout our property and neighborhood. I have vivid memories of gathering more blueberries than I could carry and proudly bringing them to my mother. She always received my bounty with gratitude, but after countless pies, cakes, and shakes she needed to get creative with ways to use all the blueberries. She taught herself how to preserve.

As a professional chef, I have a strong appreciation for the art of preservation. Several years ago, I taught a course in farm-to-table cooking at the Culinary Institute of America. It’s amazing to me how the mainstream public has now embraced this concept. Eating locally sourced and seasonal products is no longer limited to a small slice of the population. For chefs like me, this development is promising and exciting.

Preserving

For me, preserving Wild Blueberries (or any seasonal fruit) is a way to bottle the summer. By nature, food begins to spoil from the moment it’s harvested, and man developed methods of food preservation out of necessity.   As chefs, we preserve to make it last longer.  When done correctly, preserving prevents bacteria from forming and making our “fruit time capsule” hold on longer. Drying, curing, canning, fermenting, pickling, and freezing are all methods of food preservation. If you’ve ever tossed Wild Blueberries in your freezer to use later for smoothies or baking, you’ve used a preservation technique.

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Fermenting
Fermentation is a preservation technique that is often intimidating, but intriguing to eaters. What is fermentation? Fermentation is the process of increasing the level of good bacteria in preserved food. You’ve heard of the health benefits associated with consuming probiotics. Fermented foods contain healthy bacteria which aid your digestive system, relive your body of toxins, and aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Combined with massive flavor profiles and a long shelf life, fermented foods are on the rise.

Fermentation will convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids using yeasts or whey. Common products that go through fermentation include beer, wine, yogurt, sauerkraut, vinegar, olives and cheese. Fermenting Wild Blueberries will provide a deep, rich flavor that will help savor the summer. Duck Confit and fermented Wild Blueberries has been a signature item on many of my menus. It’s the depth of the Duck Leg and the crunch of the crispy skin that make the Wild Blueberry pop. The deep blue color adds an amazing eye appeal that lights up the plate.

Pickling
Pickling is a similar preservation technique. Pickling is done either through fermentation within a brine or by submerging in acid and sugar. Pickled foods have a pH of 4.6 or lower to successfully kill bad bacteria. When building a menu, I always have fermented and pickled items. These methods of preserving make it easier to focus on other items that need more attention. For example, you can pickle Wild Blueberries at the beginning of the month. Now you have one component of the dish completed, and you don’t even have to think about it on busy days. It’s ready to plate. This includes chutney, relish, salsa, compote, jelly, and beyond. Paired with either savory or sweet items, these techniques will add creative components to your already creative dishes.

The natural sugar content in Wild Blueberries will work to your advantage if you use the fermentation process. The objective is to preserve the berries before they turn into alcohol. Through testing methods, I have created this recipe that is delicious and easy to prepare.

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Ingredients are easy to find in specialty food stores or online shopping. The cane sugar is an unrefined sugar that’s less sweet and pairs well with juicy berries. The Celtic sea salt adds a great background sense of depth and savory. Whey is easily made by straining 1 pound of yogurt through some cheesecloth. The liquid that’s strained is whey, the yogurt that’s left over is now considered Greek style yogurt that can be used for your breakfast or Sunday brunch service. I find a lot of creative ways to use the yogurt.  Pickled Wild Blueberry and Yogurt Muffins have an amazing sweet, sour, moist, and crunchy texture.

Fermented Wild Blueberries

4 pounds of fresh or frozen Wild Blueberries

1.5 cup of Cane Sugar

1 Tbsp. of Celtic Sea Salt

1 cup of Whey

Combine Wild Blueberries, cane sugar and Celtic salt in a medium size sauce pot and cook gently under a low to medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the berries begin to expand and pop. Remove the blueberries from the stove top and allow them to cool naturally at room temperature 70 to 80 degrees. Stir in the whey. If the mixture is too hot you may run the risk of the glass jars slightly cracking. Place the blueberry mixture into clean dry small ball jars. It’s important to leave a two-inch space between the berry mixture and the lid. This allows gas to be easily released if expansion occurs. If a lid starts to bulge, loosen it to release gas and tighten again. Store the jars at room temperature for three days to allow the berries to ferment. Now you have lacto-fermented Wild Blueberries that can be stored in your cooler for one month and used on your menus regularly and interchanged or paired with your entrees and dessert items.

About the Author 

Chef Robert Mullooly

Associate Professor, Culinary Arts

Rob Mullooly is an Associate Professor in culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).Chef Mullooly is a 1993 CIA graduate. Before returning to his alma mater as a faculty member in 2008, he was executive chef at Antares Café in Greenport, NY and Oheka Castle in Huntington, NY; sous chef at the New York Palace Hotel in NYC; pastry chef at Cibo Restaurant in NYC; and owner of Rob’s Gourmet Sorbet in Mineola, NY. He also served in various kitchen positions at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, IL, the Sign of the Dove in NYC, Garden City Hotel in Garden City, NY, The Chanticlair in Vail, Colorado, and The Brown Derby Restaurant, Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

The Running of the Bulls (July 7), the return of the Swallows to Central California (March 19), the opening of Copper River Salmon season (May 16), the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau (third Thursday in November). These dates are all celebrated around the country and the world, most with food, all because they have a special significance. Today we can add another lesser known date to our watch list. The third week in May is traditionally when “The Running of the Bees” comes to Maine.

Each year, as many as 80,000 hives of bees are brought to the coastal and Downeast counties of Maine to supplement the over 100 species of native bees from the area, all to help pollinate Maine’s Wild Blueberries. With as many as nine million blueberry flowers per acre, that’s a lot for even these busy workers to do in a short time. The pollination window is typically open from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day, or just about five weeks. Working from sun-up to sun down, the bees take no lunch breaks. Some species of bees return to their hives full of pollen and nectar every five minutes, potentially putting hundreds of miles on their tiny wings every day.

Only about 20% of the Wild Blueberry population is self-pollinating. The remainder of the flora needs extra help from some winged fauna. Pollinators such as flies, moths, butterflies and humming birds are not physically effective for the job, leaving all the heavy lifting to the bees. The shape of the flower and position of the pollen containing stamen make it necessary for the flower to be shaken or vibrated to release the pollen. The “High C” resonance of the bumble bee makes this an easy task. A fully loaded bumble bee can deposit as many as 25 grains of pollen onto a receptive stigma in one shot, as compared with only about 3-5 from a honey bee. It seems that bumble bees, being native to the area, are a bit more adept at the practice than the interloping honey bees.

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Recently, we were heartened to learn that Dr. Frank Drummond, insect ecologist at the University of Maine and the state’s leading expert on honeybees and wild native bees, is cautiously optimistic about the state of Maine’s native bee population. In a recent article in the Bangor Daily News, Drummond stated that the wild native bee community appears to be faring better than wild native bees in other states. “I think it’s a very optimistic story,” he told the newspaper. “In general, it seems that most of our native bees are pretty stable and not really in decline.”

In fact, the Wild Blueberry industry has been working to support Maine’s native pollinators by practicing integrated pest management so that pesticides are only used when pest densities are at a level that is likely to cause economic loss. Part of this strategy is to use the least toxic insecticides, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), only when an application is necessary. In addition, some Wild Blueberry growers have planted pollinator reservoirs or gardens to enhance bee numbers by providing flowering plants for bee food when the crop is not in bloom. The Wild Blueberry industry has also funded research that has led to knowledge about protecting native bees.

The story of the bees is a compelling one – especially in this day when consumers demand to know more about where their food is coming from and how it is produced. Being able to tell the story of the bees adds an element of transparency to the process and intrigue to the products. Imagine hordes of bees buzzing around a starting gate waiting for just the right moment. A whistle blows, the gate is lifted, and they’re off. Bees race to the flowers and back to the hives much like Nyquist, American Pharoah, California Chrome, and other thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.

With the running of the bees, we get yet another spring rite of passage and the promise of Wild Blueberries in the coming months. We also get an amazing, local, seasonal, story filled product – Wild Blueberry Honey. Gathered on the Wild Blueberry barrens throughout Maine, this honey packs a wallop of earthy, fruity, and sweet terroir that will win the hearts and minds of consumers in farmers’ markets and supermarkets alike.

So, let’s hear it for the bees. They work hard for the honey and produce billions of tasty Wild Blueberries in the process.

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About the Author 

Chef David Kamen, PC^III, MBA

Project Manager, CIA Consulting

Chef David Kamen has enjoyed a diverse career in the culinary world. He served as executive chef of St. Andrew’s Café, one of five award-winning public restaurants on the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus. He’s also been professor of culinary arts at CIA, where he taught everything from culinary skills development, to seafood and meat identification and fabrication, to breakfast cookery. Today, Chef Kamen is a project manager for CIA Consulting, where he is responsible for planning and managing custom projects for professional foodservice operations. A certified hospitality educator, Kamen earned dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level III (PC^III) and Certified Executive Chef (CEC).  He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business Administration from Empire State College.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

It seems that everyone has an opinion on the connotations of color. Red is for passion, blue is for tranquility, yellow is for optimism. Think about it: Red and yellow are dominant colors in fast-food signage because passion relates to hunger and optimism to friendliness. After more than a generation of low-fat obsession, green has now emerged as the rallying flag for “healthy.”

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Antioxidants can neutralize this effect making them crucial to good health. If free radicals are left to their own devices, they have the potential of causing a wide variety of illnesses and chronic diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, inflammatory joint disease, asthma, diabetes and more. Typically, the body can detoxify with its own internal antioxidants. However, as with most things in life, we could always use a little boost. As it just so happens, purple and blue foods contain superior amounts of antioxidants.

Beyond antioxidant properties, promising research indicates that anthocyanins may also assist in the protection against several forms of cancer. According to a laboratory study published in 2010 in Phytotherapy Research, anthocyanins pulled directly from blueberries were shown to inhibit the development of breast cancer cells. Additionally, in a study reported in Pharmacological Research, researchers found that a variety of anthocyanin-rich berries prevented esophageal cancer in rats. More studies are being conducted internationally as we speak, however it would appear that wild blueberries and other blue and purple foods are more than simply delicious.

As a chef, however, I am concerned with more than just wellness. After all, if it doesn’t taste good, it won’t get eaten. In addition to imparting Wild Blueberries with their beautiful dark pigmentation, anthocyanins contribute to their complex flavors too. This phenomenon is true for grapes and wine as well. In fact, the harsh growing conditions of Wild Blueberries and certain grapes serve to concentrate their tannins, tartness, and taste.

The wine comparison, in fact, unleashes a whole new dimension of Wild Blueberry applications beyond desserts and muffins. Use them in condiments, glazes, salsas, and sauces, or flip places with savory compotes or crumbles. Pickle Wild Blueberries for a change of pace over capers in salads and smoked foods. The emergence of new fermented beverages from Kombucha to switchels also builds on the wine comparison.

The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations, and if science has its way, purple foods and their healthy attributes are here to stay.

Chef David Kamen, PC^III, MBA

Project Manager, CIA Consulting

Chef David Kamen has enjoyed a diverse career in the culinary world. He served as executive chef of St. Andrew’s Café, one of five award-winning public restaurants on the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus. He’s also been professor of culinary arts at CIA, where he taught everything from culinary skills development, to seafood and meat identification and fabrication, to breakfast cookery. Today, Chef Kamen is a project manager for CIA Consulting, where he is responsible for planning and managing custom projects for professional foodservice operations. A certified hospitality educator, Kamen earned dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level III (PC^III) and Certified Executive Chef (CEC).  He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business Administration from Empire State College.

Wild Blueberries can deliver on the trend.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

Clean label product development and innovation is a growing practice area for CIA Consulting. While there is still no formal definition from the government, consumers don’t seem to mind creating their own. That’s how hot the topic has become.

Marketers and manufacturers tend to agree that the public is looking for foods that meet these three criteria: additive-free, minimally processed, and containing recognizable ingredients. Even foods with natural or organic ingredients can fail to pass all three tests. Tasked with going to the grocery store to bring home “Organic Macaroni and Cheese,” I found products with organic sodium phosphate, organic annatto seed extract, organic corn starch, and organic yeast extract. Sure, all of these things were organic but I did not want them in my mac and cheese. They fall into the category of what trend guru Dr. Liz Sloan calls “good because I said so.” I wound up going home with a box of elbows and some organic milk and cheddar cheese and I made my own (as any good chef should have in the first place).

One can also add transparency and speed of information to the list of food trends the public is seeking. In the college and university segment, where tomorrow’s consumers are learning about food today, you will see an increased level of ingredient disclosure of menu items. Many campus dining offices are now using apps to provide nutrition information, allergen information, and ingredient listings for all prepared foods that are served. This is a major paradigm shift in how food information is shared with consumers. As these students graduate and become consumers, there will be even greater demand for this kind of information in restaurants, corporate dining rooms, and retail establishments.

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Recently at the CIA, we worked with a dried cranberry producer wanting to make fruit and nut blends with its product. A big guardrail on that project was the exclusive use of clean label products (no sulfites, phosphates, HFCs, etc). Not an easy task, because many dried fruits are treated with these additives to keep them tender once dried. Still another project involved working with a commercial manufacturer trying to make a clean label line of sauces that included only stock, vegetables, and roux for thickening. Their biggest challenge was finding good quality clean label tomato paste to use as an ingredient in their sauces.

Clean label extends beyond discussions of sustainability (still important), wellness (ditto), and localism (important but not always practical). If anything, it has come to represent an intersection of all three, and the fewer ingredients the better. In frozen or dried form, Wild Blueberries are as clean as it gets.

In the case of Wild Blueberries, the expression ‘less is more’ really applies. Few ingredients can lend to flavor and nutritional boost all by themselves. Wild Blueberries convey piquancy, sweetness, texture, and nutrient density in everything from barbecue sauce to granola bars while reducing reliance on other ingredients. As a wild-harvested ingredient, they also convey a sense of place and terroir, stemming from their hardy upbringing on the desolate glacial barrens of Maine and Northeastern Canada.

Pretty good for such a tiny package.

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About the Author 

Chef David Kamen, PC^III, MBA

Project Manager, CIA Consulting

Chef David Kamen has enjoyed a diverse career in the culinary world. He served as executive chef of St. Andrew’s Café, one of five award-winning public restaurants on the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus. He’s also been professor of culinary arts at CIA, where he taught everything from culinary skills development, to seafood and meat identification and fabrication, to breakfast cookery. Today, Chef Kamen is a project manager for CIA Consulting, where he is responsible for planning and managing custom projects for professional foodservice operations. A certified hospitality educator, Kamen earned dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level III (PC^III) and Certified Executive Chef (CEC).  He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business Administration from Empire State College.

Editorial consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

As a culinary instructor, I have had many conversations over the years about fresh vs frozen produce. Most people are quick to assume that frozen produce is of lesser quality than fresh. It kinda makes sense that something fresh would be better than something frozen, right?

Well, if you start thinking about how produce gets from the farm to the table, you may change your mind. Just how long does it take for fruits and vegetables to get from field to market? Speaking in ideal terms, a product that is in season and ripe still needs to get picked, cleaned, packed, shipped to a warehouse, then to a distributor or market, and finally to the end user. At each of these stops there’s going to be some storage time, making it take even longer to get from Point A to Point B. It could take days or weeks from the time a fruit or vegetable is picked until it’s finally used.

Here is the question – What happens to the quality of the produce during all that time? And what about everything else it must endure, from bumping and bruising, to changes in temperature and humidity? There is no simple answer because each fruit or vegetable responds differently. But they all change as a result. Some of these changes include the conversion of starch to sugar or sugars to starch. Others include loss of important nutrients, color, and ultimately flavor.

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So, what about frozen? Most frozen produce goes from field to freezer in less than 24 hours. This allows it to be picked at its peak of ripeness without having to allow for such variables as transportation, storage, and time to market. Today’s Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) technology is such that the nutritional value of the food is locked in, and products are frozen fast enough to minimize the formation of ice crystals. IQF ensures the quality and integrity of the product.

Chef tips for using frozen

When using frozen fruits or vegetables like frozen Wild Blueberries, it is best to incorporate them into a recipe in their frozen state. IQF Wild Blueberries are just as easily measurable as their fresh kin. Using frozen also prevents moisture loss and preserves both flavor and water soluble nutrients. Why let all that goodness escape down the drain?

Coat frozen Wild Blueberries with a light dusting of flour or corn starch to prevent the juices from bleeding into product. This has the added advantage of holding the berries in suspension in baked products so gravity can’t clump them on the bottom of the cake or muffin tin. If the berries must be defrosted, save the juice. Bring it to a boil, slowly reduce it to a syrup, and use it as an ingredient, sauce or glaze.

Frozen ensures nutrition, taste & easy portioning

The next time you get ready to place your produce order, consider how much better off your dishes and beverages will be with high-quality and versatile frozen ingredients. With flavor and nutrients locked in, no concern of spoilage, and easy portioning, purchasing frozen means you always have product at hand while enjoying 100% yield. And the next time you consider purchasing fresh berries, ask yourself where they came from and how long it took for them to get there. Frozen Wild Blueberries are often better tasting, better performing, and frankly, more affordable.

Frozen Wild Blueberries are not just for muffins either. Puree frozen berries right into your favorite smoothie in lieu of ice. Fold them into pancakes. Top granola with frozen Wild Blueberries for a sweet-tart and chewy counterpoint to the crunchy oats and nuts. My favorite is eating them right out of the bag. On those hot Hudson Valley summer days, there is nothing like a few frozen Wild Blueberries to cool you down.

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About the Author 

Chef David Kamen, PC^III, MBA

Project Manager, CIA Consulting

Chef David Kamen has enjoyed a diverse career in the culinary world. He served as executive chef of St. Andrew’s Café, one of five award-winning public restaurants on the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus. He’s also been professor of culinary arts at CIA, where he taught everything from culinary skills development, to seafood and meat identification and fabrication, to breakfast cookery. Today, Chef Kamen is a project manager for CIA Consulting, where he is responsible for planning and managing custom projects for professional foodservice operations. A certified hospitality educator, Kamen earned dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level III (PC^III) and Certified Executive Chef (CEC).  He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business Administration from Empire State College.

What’s driving today’s consumer preferences?

The Power of Wild Blog is The Wild Blueberry Association of North America’s trade resource for professionals looking to stay dialed in to natural food trends. Discover what thought leaders are recommending to evolve products and menus to meet the demands of today’s health focused consumers.

Over the last year, we’ve served up a diverse menu of thought-provoking articles that zoom in on industry trends and success stories. Here’s a sampling of just a few of our most popular blogs for you to snack on.

Editorial Consulting by the Culinary Institute of America

FLAVOR IS THE SUPERHERO AND REMAINS TOP REASON WHY CONSUMERS PURCHASE FOOD

Wild foods such as Wild Blueberries are a terrific option for added nutrition as they have been proven to have more vitamins and antioxidants than their conventionally grown counterparts. And they are a sustainably raised food…They are intensely flavored, acidic, sweet, no bigger than the tip of your finger, and have an enticing aroma. Read More

COMMANDING A PREMIUM PRICE: THE SECRET OF SMART FOOD BRANDS

In the food world, where experiences are particularly emotional, the promise can include ultra-delicious, specially-grown, hand-crafted, wild, or one-of-a-kind products that deliver a range of benefits – from comfort to indulgence to wellness or sustainability. Those benefits resonate with an extra appeal that can drive traffic, command a higher price, and enhance margin. Read More

“BREAKFAST ALL DAY” AND TRENDING FLAVORS FUEL SMOOTHIE AND LIFESTYLE BAR CATEGORIES

According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, 70% of Americans wish that restaurants would serve breakfast all day long.  While breakfast could mean bacon and eggs, it has also become synonymous with granola bars, trail mix, smoothies, protein drinks, or any number of high-volume packaged foods that would have previously been put into the snack category. Read More

ON EARTH DAY, WE LOOK AT THE FOOD WE EAT THROUGH THE LENS OF WATER USAGE

Today’s sustainability movement takes many of its cues from natural systems to produce food that is economically, environmentally, and socially more responsible – and recognizes that humans are active participants through the choices we make. That’s one of the reasons why wild ingredients are growing so quickly in popularity for product manufacturers. Read More

DON’T IGNORE THE POWER OF SUPERFOODS FOR YOUR MENU

Superfoods are those foods that are high in phytochemicals and polyphenols …

These words are so scientific that they hold little romance or allure. Menuing healthy options shouldn’t be about data or big words, but about delicious, colorful, well-prepared ingredients, jam-packed with goodness – the type of poetry that draws you in and makes you have to have it. Read More

In one of the most rural corners of America, Nancy Lowry is hard at work building a conscious company. Lowry calls herself a farmer, and as someone who lives and works on a 12-acre farm, she certainly qualifies. But she’s more than a farmer. She’s an entrepreneur who’s making a name for herself as the owner of a certified organic personal care beauty line.

Indian Meadow Herbals is riding a “Farm-to-Face” beauty trend that took hold on the West Coast and has been gaining traction across the country. Not surprisingly, her strongest markets are in San Francisco and now Baltimore.

“Our products are designed for American women who are buying skincare products with ingredients in mind,” says Lowry. “Personal care products, historically, have been filled with synthetic chemicals, preservatives, alcohols, and parabens. I wanted to create something for women seeking a clean alternative.”

For 22 years, Lowry has been hard at work doing just that. And she’s managed to nurture her company from the tiny, largely unknown town of Eastbrook, Maine, home to about 120 families, with a meager population of 423 residents. The region may be short on people, but it’s not devoid of beauty or opportunity.

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The expansive landscape surrounding the business includes forest, marsh, ponds, and thousands of acres of Wild Blueberry barrens. The rocky acidic soil in this region is especially hospitable to Wild Blueberries, which have thrived here for over 10,000 years. It turns out, these tiny antioxidant-rich berries take center stage in Lowry’s top-selling line of beauty products, aptly called: The Blue Line.

“The Blue Line uses certified organic Wild Blueberries grown right here in Maine,” explains Lowry. The same anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties that make Wild Blueberries a healthy food are the reason they work on your skin. “It’s pretty simple,” explains Lowry, “what’s good for you on the inside is extremely beneficial on the outside too.”

Lowry is passionate about the benefits of botanical skincare products and the reasons why they matter. “People don’t often stop to consider that fully 60 percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body,” she states.

Where to find Indian Meadow Herbals

Getting your hands on Indian Meadow Herbals products is relatively easy. They are available online and are sold in nearly 300 grocery and health foods stores across the country. The Blue Line, a certified organic skin care system made up of five Wild Blueberry inspired products includes the following:

1. Wild Blueberry Facial Cleanser
2. Wild Blueberry Lavender Facial Mist
3. Wild Blueberry Cream for Mature Skin
4. Wild Blueberry Lotion for Sensitive Skin
5. Wild Blueberry Eye Cream

The most popular Blue Line product is the Wild Blueberry Cream for Mature Skin. Why? Probably because as women age, they become more focused on their skincare, and customers who use the Cream for Mature Skin report that their skin looks great and their face is “dewy,” reports Lowry. All five Blue Line products are certified organic, and packaged in deep-violet Miron glass, which is proven to protect products against the harmful effects of light.

Lowry’s company is USDA-certified by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. In addition, it recently passed FDA inspection and is in the process of being approved by The Environmental Working Group, a third party seal of approval.

Making a beauty product from scratch

A certified herbalist and Lowry’s original business partner developed Indian Meadow Herbals’ formulations. Using Wild Blueberries as a product ingredient took a leap of faith and some experimental ingenuity, but Lowry says her team felt strongly that the health attributes of the Wild Blueberry plants could and would deliver potent skincare benefits. The formulation process involves harvesting and winnowing the Wild Blueberries at their peak of ripeness in August, freezing them to stabilize them, then thawing, drying, and using a slow-heat process to extract their valuable oils and bio-chemical constituents. From there, the Wild Blueberry extracts are mixed with other herbs and oils and then strained, resulting in a high-quality botanically sourced beauty line.

“I’d never heard of a Wild Blueberry beauty line,” says Lowry, “but we were surrounded by acres of Wild Blueberries and given their health properties, we knew it was worth a try.”

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Lowry’s journey as an entrepreneur has pushed her in unforeseen ways. “I never thought I’d be in sales,” she confesses. But the challenges have been worth it. “On a daily basis some random retail customer will call me and say, ‘Please don’t ever stop making your products,’” she says. “It’s really nice to hear them say that.”

More than just a source of pride, her business represents a moral and ethical contract with customers. “I absolutely won’t sell someone something I do not totally 100% believe in.”