May 3, 2012

Chef News Market Reports Food Quiz Chef and Cook's Discussion Subscription Information

	Sushi Mislabeling In California Is A Problem On The Rise
	Bringing a Muslim Culinary Tradition Mainstream
	Hospital gives its menu the celebrity treatment
	Five World-Famous Chefs Give Their Take on the Asian-Food Craze in America
	The International Culinary Center Announces Jose Andres as Newest Dean
	Calif. chefs seek repeal of looming foie gras ban
	Guy Fieri’s Lamborghini recovered at teenager’s storage shed
	Restaurants Steer in Same Direction
	Lawsuit: 'Apprenticeship' to Chef Meant Only Long Hours and Sub-Minimum Wages
	'Jiro' is portrait of world's greatest sushi chef
	Chef dishes up tough love to failing restaurants
	Restaurants breaking bread’s boundaries
	Celebrity chef Art Smith sees cocktails as next big trend
	Wend'’s Adds Mac 'n' Cheese, Chili Cheese Fries as Sides

Welcome New Chefs and Culinary Members!
	William Gallagher, Lawrence, KS Joined on: May 2, 2012 Occupation: Baker

	David Gebken, Storm Lake, IA Joined on: May 1, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Aaron Bacon, Carmel, IN Joined on: Apr 29, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Melissa Wagner, Kalamazoo, MI Joined on: Apr 29, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Tyson Harris, Orangevale, CA Joined on: Apr 28, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Hqdewiuye Aisijqwusa, New York, NY Joined on: Apr 28, 2012 Occupation: Chef

	Chef Allen, Aurora, CO Joined on: Apr 26, 2012 Occupation: Chef - Sous / de Cuisine

	Duessa Holscher, Grapevine, TX Joined on: Apr 26, 2012 Occupation: Baker

	Miranda Miller, New York, NY Joined on: Apr 26, 2012 Occupation: Baker

	Alex Espino, Portland, OR Joined on: Apr 25, 2012 Occupation: Chef - Sous / de Cuisine

View updated pricing and information each week on the website for the following food-commodity markets:

Poultry Commentary	View Detail
Whole bird prices are steady to firm in the Midwest, steady to weak in the East, and steady in the West. Preliminary majority prices are in a slightly wider range in the Midwest, down 1 cents in the East and unchanged in the West when compared to early week prices. Offerings cover the full range, moderate for current trade needs. Retail and food service demand is light to moderate for late week business. Floor stocks are mixed. Market activity is slow to moderate. In the parts structure, movement is mostly moderate. Prices are trending firm to higher for drums, thighs, tenders, thigh meat and bone-in breasts. Prices are weak to lower for wings and mostly steady for all other parts. Offerings are light for drums and bone-in breast and tenders are light to moderate. Wings and boneless skinless breast are moderate to heavy and slow to clear. Market activity for parts is slow to moderate. In production areas, live supplies are moderate. Weights are mixed, but noted as desirable.
Dairy Commentary	View Detail
Cheese production across the country is robust. Milk supplies are up and much of that production is finding its way to cheese plants. Excess milk volumes are often being discounted to encourage additional cheese manufacturing. Cheese inventories are building and this is reflected in the March Cold Storage report. NASS reported stocks of natural cheese in cold storage, 2% above the previous month’s volume. At the CME Group this week, cheese trading was active. Barrel prices worked lower through the week, while blocks inched higher. Sales activity was heavy, with blocks trading at their highest volume of the year. The CME Group cash butter price dipped under the $1.40 level for the first time since February 2010 and closed the week at $1.3600. This weekly close compares to $1.4175 last Friday, $1.5225 a month ago, and $2.0150 a year ago. Churning schedules across the country remain seasonally strong as cream supplies are readily available. In most instances, current churning is surpassing demand, thus clearances to inventory are strong. Butter producers and handlers are indicating that buying interest is fair at best with most buyers cautious with their purchases and procuring for near term needs. Milk production showed signs of leveling off at or near the seasonal peak in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Arizona had marginally lower production, caused by the recent heat. California’s milk production was uneven; Florida was steady with the rest of the nation showing various degrees of increased milk production. Coops in the Pacific Northwest are warning dairy producers of possible penalties, like those imposed in California, for excess milk above their established bases.
Pork Commentary	View Detail
With the calendar approaching May and charts telling sellers that higher prices loom ahead, many thought that trading levels for retail cuts might start creeping higher this week. But, an increase in harvest rates and additional tonnage from record hog weights for this time of the year squelched the upward trend and prices held on by a thread to be mostly steady with weakness noted as buyer interest continued to be limited. Also, many retailers have not lowered their feature prices as they try and make up for lost revenue from beef cuts with pork. Bone-in ham price levels firmed slightly on light trading with just a few token trades sparking the advance. At the same time, sellers had better sold position while buyer interest was light. Seedless belly inventories remain burdensome for sellers as price levels continue their downward trend, although fresh belly prices haven’t been this low since January of 2010. Bacon prices at the retail counter remain high in relation to the raw product as consumers keep their distance from the meat case. Trimmings experienced lighter offerings while demand was light to moderate. This caused price levels to firm as sausage manufacturer’s ramp up production for summer grilling items.
Beef Commentary	View Detail
Boxed beef cutout values were higher on light to moderate demand and offerings. Most of the cutout gains came early in the week and primarily from ground beef and trimmings price appreciation as these items continued to rebound from the LFTB disruption. While Tuesday’s announcement of a BSE positive dairy cow at a rendering plant caused live cattle futures to plummet, by contrast Tuesday’s close was the biggest gain of the week in boxed beef since the trade deadline of 1:30 CST was before USDA’s 2:00 announcement. By Wednesday most of the apprehension in the market surrounding BSE appeared to have settled, but that uncertainty did combine with typical late month reduced demand to lower the overall trade volume booked for the week. For the session both end cuts and middle meats trended firm. Beef trimmings were sharply higher, particularly for mid-May delivery. Fed cattle and blended grinds were mostly firm on lower lean percentages to higher on the relatively leaner items.
Produce Commentary	View Detail
The National Diesel Average has been recorded at $4.09 this week,. NPC continues to monitor, track and control diesel fuel averages by state as well as reported truckload freight rates on a weekly basis. Offshore Melons: Movement on Cantaloupe continues to be somewhat unprecedented for this time of year. Overall supplies will begin their seasonal decline as we have seen for the past two weeks. Guatemalan supply will continue for another two to three weeks (weather permitting), yet supplies are extremely limited. Honeydews are starting to become very limited especially on the smaller sizes. Mexican production will not be ready until the later part of the month so we are anticipating a slight run up with this market. Only contract business basically getting covered at this time, not a lot of fruit on the open market. Offshore melons should continue into the 2nd week of May perhaps the 3rd week if weather permits before moving into the Imperial Valley. Domestic melons: * May 7th Cantaloupes limited volume out of Mexico and very limited out of the Imperial Valley * May 14th volumes will pick up on cantaloupes and the start of Honeydews out of the Imperial Valley * May 21st Volumes should be in full swing for cantaloupes and honeydews as Mixed melons should begin We will stay in the Imperial Valley until June 1st or the 4th, then on to Maricopa through the 9th of July. Suggest communicating almost daily and ensure you get your orders in advance to your assigned grower/shipper partner! Lettuce and Leaf: Markets increased this week once again on lettuce as the transition is all but complete to Salinas. Production volumes are down as Salinas begins and expect the market to remain steady to stronger into next week until volumes pick up. Expect heavier than normal weights on lettuce due to rains during the past few days. We could experience some quality issues bacteria rot and decay which will be addressed during harvest, but for the next 10 days be vigilant on inspections. Leaf items also increased but not with the same vigor of lettuce, but we can expect the market to remain for at least the next 7 to 10 days. Watermelon: Market is stable from the previous week, volume out of Guatemala and Honduras have been light due to rain. Offshore prices have been ranging $0.22 to $0.24 per pound. Mexico volumes has increased during the past week and should continue for the next couple of weeks. Prices crossing in McAllen range $0.24 on seeded and up to $0.28 on seedless. Overall quality is very good. Asparagus: Market continues to be strong as California volumes are lighter than expected all the while holding the umbrella for offshore imports and the lower Yakima Valley in Washington ST. CA 11lb STD $19.00 to 20.00, WA 20lb $30.00 to 32.00 and out of FL 11lb 19.00 to 20.00. Tomato market: Roma markets are stable with Mexico starting new fields as they transition. Demand is better, Florida is getting better demand and they have taken their markets up slightly. Quality has been good from both area's. Some shippers in Mexico are starting in Baja with roma's. Hot House markets on the tomatoes are very depressed this week but with good quality. Supplies are steady on tomatoes and cukes coming out of Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada. Produce Commentary brought to you this week by NPC Inc.

Ice Cream, ever switch from mix to homemade?

Community member Beefbaby writes...

We've been using Darigold's soft serve mix for years. A lot of customers hear "soft serve" and automatically assume it's a powdered, non-dairy product and skip the shake purchase.

I'm considering switching to a homemade mix containing cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and gelatin. I'm not interested in doing frozen custard because of the egg aspect.

I was wondering if anybody has done this or is running something similar and how it compares...

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Prime Rib or Standing Rib Roast

Community member Sanford's Kitchen writes...

So it was always my feeling that truth to the menu is important. That being said a Prime Rib should be Prime grade. If it's not Prime we call it a Standing Rib Roast. I don't know why this hasn't come up more but looking up fun facts and information for a video shoot I looked up the USDA Labeling Policy Book and found this:

PRIME RIB OF BEEF OR STANDING BEEF RIB ROAST FOR PRIME RIB:
These products do not have to be derived from USDA prime grade beef.

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Smart Balance Alternative

Community member afarmer32 writes...

I am looking for a less expensive alternative to Smart Balance that is less expensive but still a step above Bulk Margarine. We use it in Croutons, Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes primarily. Any ideas?...

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As a grain I am a historical staple

I wish they could get my name straight. From Callaloo to Inca Wheat to love-lies-bleeding, it's all me but in many different forms. Even my primary name origin is confusing. It is derived from the Greek meaning unfading love flower. Found throughout the world but mostly in the tropics, I am an ornamental plant, a grain and an edible leaf. We also do food coloring, but that’s another quiz. My value as an ornamental is made quite obvious by my long clusters of beautiful red flowers and fiery red leaves. My plant grows up to 36 inches and each one of us can contain as many as 500,000 seeds. As a grain I am a historical staple. This changed when conquistador Hernando Cortés, in reaction to the Aztec’s donation of me in religious related rituals, ordered my field’s to be destroyed and removed by the hands of any farmers who planted me. So my humble Mexican beginnings were halted but not eliminated. My resistance to drought, ease of growth, and nutritional benefits prevailed and today I am popped, sprouted, used as a cereal, or a moist and sweet (yet unlevening) flour. As a long edible leaf, I can be green, red, gold, or any combination of the three. My colorful tasty green is often substituted for spinach in soups, pasta dishes or vegetable dishes. Fry, steam or boil me briefly, as I do not require much heat to become tender. My amino acids are very well balanced (they don’t even wobble). I am rich in lycine, methionine and tryptophan, and provide an excellent source of magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper and zinc. So in one form or another, regardless of what you call me, I’ll be there.

What am I?

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