Volume 12, Issue 075 - April 13, 2007

Hello Chef,

I would like to thank the fine folks from the Almond Board of California for working with us this week. We are most grateful.

Important note about your Foodservice Daily...

On September 17th, 2001, we created this mailing and have faithfully sent it out to our subscribers every week since. We have covered nearly every topic we could think of. With the help of countless contributors, we covered even more. There is not room on this page for me to list all of those fine folks, but I would like to thank every one of them from the bottom of our hearts.

After these many years, we've decided it's time for a change. We will be combining the Sunday Times and the Foodservice Daily into one weekly mailing featuring a variety of new content. We hope that with fewer mailings will enable us to try new things. We hope you enjoy the evolution as it happens. Keep an eye out for the first edition within the next few weeks! In the mean time, the Sunday Times will continue as usual.

For the last time in this format... Have a great weekend, You deserve it!

Chef David Nelson


Almonds Add a Lot

• Great taste and texture with buttery nuances
• Complements a wide variety of food flavors
• Versatile
• High in quality and consistency
• Year-round supply
• Strong consumer appeal

Almond Forms for Foodservice and their Description:

Whole Natural: Shelled; cinnamon brown skin.

Sliced Natural: Sliced thinly lengthwise.

Chopped Natural: Cut into small pieces, they can be roasted or toasted for a richer flavor.

Whole Blanched: Shelled and cinnamon brown skin removed.

Sliced Blanched: Sliced thinly lengthwise.

Blanched Slivered: Halved, then cut lengthwise.

Sliced Blanched: Sliced thinly lengthwise.

Almond Oil: Delicate flavor with light, pale amber color.

Almond Paste: Sweetened, ground, blanched almonds made into a soft or spreadable paste.

Source: Almond Board of California

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Almond Yogurt Panna Cotta with Cardamom-Braised Apricots

Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups almonds, toasted and lightly crushed
2 cups sugar
6 gelatin sheets
3 cups yogurt

Braised Apricots:

1 pound apricots
1 quart simple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods

Preparation:

Combine cream, milk, almonds and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let almonds infuse for 1 hour.

Soften gelatin in cold water.

Reheat milk mixture and add gelatin to dissolve. Strain.

Stir in yogurt and pour into molds. Chill.

Over low heat, braise the apricots in the simple syrup with the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods until tender. Cool in liquid.

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Source: Almond Board of California

Almond Varieties

Nonpareil (60 percent of production):

• Light colored skins
• Relatively smooth nut
• Uniform, relatively flat kernels

Mission:

• Darker brown skins
• Plump round kernels
• Stronger flavor than Nonpareil
• Deeper wrinkles, which hold seasonings well and enhances adherence to other foods
• Well-suited for roasting

California:

• Skin tone and depth of wrinkles fall between Nonpareil and Mission
• Good general purpose nut

Other Major Varieties:

• Ne Plus Ultra, Carmel, Peerless

Nuts and Bolts of Almond Care and Handling:

Natural Almonds:

With proper handling, natural almonds may be stored for up to two years. Shelf life increases with refrigeration.

Roasted Almonds:

With proper care and handling, they keep for one year. Shelf life increases with refrigeration.

Almond Paste:

Under refrigeration, almond paste will keep 24 to 36 months.

Optimal Storage Temperature:

32 to 41 degrees F, 0 to 5 percent C (65 percent relative humidity).

To Roast Almonds:

Spread almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan coated lightly with butter, margarine, or oil. Roast in moderate oven, stirring occasionally until almonds color slightly. They will darken once they're away from the heat.

To Toast Almonds:

Use a dry pan and proceed as above.

Source: Almond Board of California

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Almond Crisp

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:

9 ounces butter
3 ounce almond paste
12 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces all-purpose flour
6 ounces blanched or natural sliced almonds
3 ounces rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Strawberry-Rhubarb Mixture:

2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

To make Streusel Topping:

In electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix butter and almond paste on low speed just until blended.

Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix just until blended; do not cream.

In bowl, mix flour, almonds, oats, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture.

Mix at low speed until mixture is crumbly, like granola, with no large lumps. Refrigerate topping at least 20 minutes before using.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Mix:

In bowl, mix together strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Divide fruit mixture equally among 12 (1-cup) ramekins; spread 3/4 cup Streusel Topping over fruit in each ramekin.

Place ramekins on sheet pan; bake in 375 degrees F oven for about 50 minutes or until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from Chef Mimi Young, Scala's Bistro, San Francisco

Source: Almond Board of California