Blog News Archives - Page 28 of 34

Gaslamp Popcorn talks new Flavors, Expansion, and the State of Gourmet Snack Food

San Diego’s Gaslamp Popcorn continues to release new flavors for their gourmet kernels, including Sea Salt and Olive Oil, Apple Crumble Pie, and Pumpkin Spice Pie. This adds to their lineup of favorites such as Kettle Corn, White Cheddar Popcorn and Cinnamon Caramel Corn.

To find out more about their plans and latest news, including tips for aspiring food entrepreneurs, we chat with Mark Singleton, VP of Sales and Marketing at Gaslamp Popcorn.

TasteTV: The latest news is your new distribution. Why did you decide to expand into these retail outlets?

MARK: Gaslamp Popcorn announced the expansion of distribution into California Safeway and Vons retailers beginning August 2014. Through this expansion we aim to offer more convenient locations to meet the needs of a growing number of consumers demanding healthy snack alternatives.

TasteTV: Is this only in Southern California?

MARK: Our recent expansion into Safeway and Vons spreads throughout the entirety of California.

TasteTV: What flavors are selling really well right now?

MARK: For the last several years we’ve seen a real surge in popcorn sales driven by sweet and salty kettle corn. We see that trend continuing due to the simple ingredient statement of sweet and salty popcorn, as well as its lighter taste. Unique flavor profiles such as White Cheddar and Cinnamon Carmel, which are locally made in California, have really appealed to consumers. We look forward to having another great year in that category and expanding our lineup of flavors.

TasteTV: How did you develop these flavor profiles?

MARK: We did some re-polarization to make the ingredient decks even more all-natural and relevant to the target consumer. Our all-natural flavors contain certified non-GMO popcorn. We’ve worked hard to keep these labels simple, and yet, make them taste unbelievably good. In the final analysis, remember, this is a snack food, and it needs to taste great! For traditional popcorn enthusiasts, we have an authentic Kettle Corn, sweetened only by pure cane sugar and a pinch of sea salt. For those who prefer a sweeter twist, our Cinnamon Caramel is made in small batches using a hint of brown sugar. For those who prefer a pop of cheese flavor, our White Cheddar flavor is how we turn popcorn fans into fanatics.

TasteTV: How long has the company been around?

MARK: Gaslamp Popcorn, established in 1998, quickly became a premier popcorn snack option for American snackers. It was acquired by Rudolph foods in December 2011. The Gaslamp District of San Diego was named in the 1860’s as a reference to the gas lamps that were common in San Diego in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries. Gaslamp Popcorn is a nod to the honest, warm feel of a simpler time with true flavor and honest manufacturing.

TasteTV: Are you expanding into other products?

MARK: No, however we have developed unique holiday flavor options that will be hitting California store shelves this fall, including Apple Crumble Pie, Holiday Cookie, and Pumpkin Spice Pie.

TasteTV: Are you concerned that gourmet popcorn might go the way of cupcakes (ie. too many companies)?

MARK: We understand the mass amount of competition in the popcorn category, however we know that consumers continue to look for great tasting flavors as well as companies that support local ingredients, develop interesting flavor profiles and deliver a consistent quality product. As we continue to fulfill consumer needs across California, we know Gaslamp Popcorn will be a top choice.

TasteTV: What advice do you give to aspiring food entrepreneurs?

MARK: We continue to be very innovative in the things that we offer. You’re seeing some great items, once again, like the sweet and salty popcorn. It’s a great item that hundreds of years old that has been brought back to a new group of consumers. It started out in county fairs and now this great group of entrepreneurs has made it a huge part of the category. You look at the guys that came out with pretzel thins, pita chips. It’s just a wonderfully dynamic industry that will continue to have a real place in every consumer’s daily eating habits. I think I say this all the time; the neatest thing about what we do is that we’re in the dollar and nine category. For a couple of bucks we can really make someone’s day. To really give an uplift to their day. And there’s hundred of thousands, if not possibly millions of Americans that work really hard to make great tasting snack food out there. That is what gets me up every day,

TasteTV: What is your favorite pairing with this popcorn?

Historically, popcorn has been shared. Gaslamp Popcorn is a perfect on the go snack; great for sharing with family and friends at a party, sporting event or just watching a movie at home!

5 Year Anniversary Party for Cuisine Noir Magazine

TasteTV recently attended the 5th Year Anniversary Party for Cuisine Noir Magazine. The event took place at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco’s SoMA District, and hosted a bevy of food and wine purveyors, many of whom are helmed by African-American entrepreneurs.

Founded by V. Sheree Williams, Cuisine Noir is currently the only print and online culinary publication to focus specifically on the African-America market of foodies, creators, and celebrities.

At the event we discovered a number of new products and beverages, as well as reconnected with ones with which we were already familiar. The attendees were glamorous, and more importantly, having a great time.

(courtesy of TasteTV)

Longevity Wines (courtesy of TasteTV)

Luv’s Brownies (courtesy of TasteTV)

Cuisine Noir magazine co-founder Richard Parnell (courtesy of TasteTV)

New Orlean’s Bill and his famous cookies and potato salad (courtesy of TasteTV)

Cartoon Art Museum (courtesy of TasteTV)

Kristen of Marich Confections (courtesy of TasteTV)

Red Carpet at the Cartoon Art Museum (courtesy of TasteTV)

House of Mandela Wines, part of Nelson Mandela’s family business legacy (courtesy of TasteTV)

Food choices (courtesy of TasteTV)

Ron Tanner (right) from NASFT (courtesy of TasteTV)

Winemakers from Longevity and Indigene (courtesy of TasteTV)

(courtesy of TasteTV)

Tips for Drinking and Gifting Wine from the Expert

Thinking about the upcoming season for gifting? Think about wine, and specifically, think about the best way to gift (and drink) it.

Fortunately, Paula Moulton, Sonoma wine expert, author, and contributor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, has a few tips that will help you select a great wine at any price point.

Tips for Gifting Wine:

Be Adventurous: Dare to be different and pick your wine based on the beauty of its label as long as it fits in with your price range. You may be surprised to learn that wine labels oftentimes reflect the personality of the wine in the bottle so perhaps your eye will be your trainer for the evening.
Don’t Forget to Share: Wine is about sharing, so bring the gift of wine based on what you would pick to drink yourself.
What About The Rules: Break the Rules! Your host/hostess is making pizza, but you only drink white wine and you’ve heard that red wine is traditionally paired with pizza. You might be surprised to learn that a full-bodied white and even a sparkling white or Champagne pair well with pizza.
Don’t Forget to Learn: You want to branch out and try wine from other countries so research your host/hostess and bring a wine from the country of their origin.
Remember the Seasons:Pick your wine based on the season. Is it winter and time for something hearty or is it summer and sizzling hot, pick your wine based on the weather?

Tips for Pairing Wine For The Holidays:

“In general, I pair wine using a simple technique that I learned from a famous sommelier in France. Wine pairing should be looked at like we look at couples. There are two types of couples in this world: There are the couples who are similar to one another and make each other whole almost like being one person and then there are the couples who are completely opposite and one would never put them together.”

Yet both couples work together and form a powerful bond…

Is this wine similar to the menu? Ex: A heavy beef stew with lots of pepper and bay leaves would have flavors similar to a peppery, earthy red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a spicy Pinot Noir. The bold aromas and flavors of the wine are similar to the strong and spicy ingredients in the stew.
Is this wine opposite from the menu? Ex: A creamy white sauce over pasta would pair well with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Why?The acidity in the wine is opposite from the creamy, smooth sauce and actually subdues and balances both flavors.

Biliner Mineral Water from the Bohemian Czech Republic

Thirst is a natural desire in humans, and thirst for refreshing water is the most natural of all. In places where there are regular droughts, such as in the State of California, that thirst turns many people to bottled water.

One of the newest entrants in the bottled water market is actually one of the oldest. Biliner Mineral Water’s spring source was discovered in 1664 on the noble Lobkowicz estates in royal Bilina in the Northern Bohemia region of what is today the Czech Republic. Balneologists flocked to Bilina, drafting extensive reports about the water’s healing and medicinal powers.

Some of these health benefits are linked to a high concentration of minerals (5000 PPM). The water is bottled as it flows from its source and contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, as well as anions of chloride, sulfate and bicarbonate.

Our tasters tried the “Premium Mineral Water” and concluded that for many Americans it might be an acquired taste. The flavor is a bit reminiscent of the slightly salty taste of carbonated Perrier, however because the Premium is not carbonated the experience is not exactly the same.

The tasters however found the “Royal Class Spring Water,” the higher priced of the two selections, to be very tasty and quite competitive with others currently available. TasteTV gives it a “Highly Recommend.”

Biliner is now available in several locations throughout the United States and North America, including San Francisco, San Jose, Florida, etc. For more information go to www.biliner.com, www.facebook.com/biliner

Photo Series – Land of the Chocolate Giants

Creating compelling images using food is not new, but it is a growing trend in the world of the art.

Profile here are excerpts from TasteTV’s new photo-miniature series, entitled “Land of the Chocolate Giants.” The entire series will be unveiled in Fall 2014 by TCB Cafe Publishing.

The chocolate included in these photos below comes from Forte Chocolates, Gusto Chocolates, Luxx Chocolat, French Broad Chocolates, and Kate Weiser Chocolate.

Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein authors new wine guide, Wines of South America

Wine expert and author Evan Goldstein has a brand new guidebook out, called the Wines of South America, currently available in stores and on Amazon.com

Evan Goldstein is a Master Sommelier, and President and Chief Education Officer of Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc. in San Francisco. He is the author of Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food and Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs, both published by UC Press.

Q: Evan, how many books on wine have you authored so far?

Evan Goldstein: This is my third book with UC Press (the other two being ‘Perfect Pairings’ and ‘Daring Pairings’, two works on pairing wine with food) and I did a service book (now out of print) some years back

Q: South America is a gigantic continent, how long did it take you to research this book?

Evan Goldstein: Well, off and on, it was over a 7-8 year period but the specific book centric focus was onsite (e.g. in South America over 5-6 weeks in 2012/3 and, via a series of good friends/embedded emissaries, if you will, over a year and a half more. And my own research spanned over 2 years (2012-2013)

Q: How do you categorize the wines, by country or varietal?

Evan Goldstein: The book is organized, after the introductory chapters which cover off on continental history and a compendium of grapes found across the continent, by country with five core chapters- Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and a compilation chapter covering off on Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, This is followed by a series of chapters on subjects ranging from traveling in South American wine country, dining locally, and a series of recommended wines via a series of ‘top 10’ lists….

Q: What do you think is most important for the reader to take away from using this guide book?

Evan Goldstein: That South America is undervalued and underappreciated given its significance as a global wine producing continent (2^nd most impactful, as a continent, after Europe). Also, that there’s much more to South America than the good-value entries made by a small number of higher visibility producers. Chile and Argentina are in their defining 3.0’s, if you will, and Brazil and Uruguay have yet to get their real day in the sun, until now!

Q: You have photos and maps. Did you take the photos?

Evan Goldstein: The photos and maps were done by professionals (unlike me!) who have a keen sensibility about the regions they shot in. A big shout out to Matt Wilson, with five photos in the book, and whose work adorns the cover…the maps, serveral of which didn’t exist before this book, were all custom cartographed.

Q: What are some of your favorite South American wines?

Evan Goldstein: Ahh—for that you’ll need to refer to my ‘top 10’s on pages 265-272!

Q: Any pairings you suggest?

Evan Goldstein: Well, unlike my first two books with UC Press this one is not a specific paring book. That said, a few can’t misses—great beef (a staple of Argentina, Southern Brazil and Uruguay) with the robust reds of their respective countries (Malbec and Malbec blends (Argentina); Tannat and Tannat blends (Uruguay) and varied rich reds from across Brazil)—Peruvian takes of ceviche with Chilean Sauvignon Blancs, especially those from San Antonio and coastal Casablanca; traditional Argentinean empanadas (filled with meat, olives, raisins, and hard boiled eggs) with Torrontés (really); and any of the fried Brazilian pasteis (savory croquettes) served with, what else, Brazilian bubbly!

NEW IDEAS FOR A NEW WORLD