Contact:  Corinne Fay
The Lisa Ekus Group
413.247.9325
lisaekus@lisaekus.com

Roland Foods to Participate in Taste of Derby 2012!

American Roland Food Corp. is pleased to announce their participation in the Taste of Derby for the second consecutive year. The Taste of Derby allows the nation’s top chefs and notable horse racing personalities to interact with fans in an effort to fight hunger.  The third annual Taste of Derby will be held on Thursday, May 3^rd at the Louisville Executive Aviation Hangar at Bowman Field. The event kicks off the weekend festivities, culminating with the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. Proceeds from this year’s event will go to Blessings in a Backpack, a hunger relief organization which ensures impoverish elementary school children are fed on the weekends throughout the school year.

While the event began as a celebration of cuisines from traditional thoroughbred track destinations, this year’s roster continues to think outside of the “track.” The Taste of Derby 2012 has gone international with one chef representing Dubai. Attendees will enjoy unique wines paired with signature dishes, and meet celebrities in the thoroughbred horse racing community.

Lisa Kartzman, Director of Public Relations for American Roland Food Corp. said: “Roland Foods is honored to once again participate in the Taste of Derby and the joint effort to end hunger.” The event also raises funds for hunger relief through Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation, which to date has raised $121,000.

American Roland Food Corp. will be providing specialty and high quality items for the chefs to use on site. Troy Guard of TAG restaurant in Denver is using Roland® Farro under his chilled and grilled vegetables and hand stretched burrata.  Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans is using Roland® Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a finishing oil on each plate of tabasco cured royal red shrimp with heirloom cherry tomato salad.

Modeled after the highly successful Taste of the NFL event, the Taste of Derby was founded by renowned restaurateur and 2010 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, Wayne Kostroski. Much like its derby companion, the original football inspired event raises and distributes money to hunger-relief groups, positively impacting the lives of families and dozens of new hunger projects.

Roland Foods’ success is based on decades of innovations and setting trends in the food industry. Making food available to those less fortunate is paramount and one of the primary reasons they are thrilled to be a part of the Taste of Derby.

For more information on how can get involved with the event, please go to www.kentuckyderby.com/tasteofderby/. For a complete breakdown of the chefs participating in this event go to http://www.kentuckyderby.com/tasteofderby/chefs/2012. The Taste of Derby is an official event sanctioned by Churchill Downs.

For more information on American Roland Food Corp. please go to www.rolandfoods.com. Become a fan of Roland Foods on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

###

Contact: Corinne Fay
The Lisa Ekus Group
413.247.9325
lisaekus@lisaekus.com

Celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month with Condiments & Accompaniments
from American Roland Food Corp.

With National Grilled Cheese Month (April) just around the corner, American Roland Food Corp. takes the ordinary grilled cheese sandwich and makes it extraordinary. The classic sandwich is irresistible when done right—the perfect combination of crispy and gooey—but a collection of condiments and accompaniments elevates grilled cheese to a four-star meal.

-Spice up your sandwich with a smear of Roland® spicy Sriracha Chili Sauce
-Sharp cheddar cheese pairs perfectly with sliced apples and Roland® Extra Strong Dijon Mustard for a sophisticated sandwich
-Combine goat cheese with sliced Roland® Piquillo Peppers and fresh thyme for a tapas-inspired grilled cheese
-Slip some Roland® Sundried Tomatoes into your sandwich before grilling, for a sophisticated surprise twist on the grilled cheese and tomato soup classic
- Crisp Roland® Cornichons are the perfect complement to a rich, melt-in-your-mouth grilled cheese sandwich
-For a Mediterranean spin, try fresh mozzarella, Roland® Artichoke Hearts, and sliced tomato

Comfort foods are a huge menu trend, popping up everywhere from down-home diners to white tablecloth establishments. While the simple combination of bread, butter, and cheese will always work, Roland® products add a welcoming element of delicious complexity to the classic.

There is nothing more soothing than a grilled cheese sandwich. The sandwich is simple enough to be whipped up in moments of extreme hunger and easy enough to make in even the most inadequate of kitchens. It can be tailored to just about any taste.. Whether it’s a smear of Roland® Sriracha Chili Sauce, a side of Roland® Cornichons, or a dollop of Roland®  Extra Strong Dijon Mustard, these accompaniments remake the ultimate childhood comfort food for the adult palate.

American Roland Food Corp. is a family owned and operated importing business based in New York, NY. For more than 75 years, Roland Foods has been taking great pride in meeting its customers’ needs with an ever-expanding list of imported products, while keeping the same dedication to taste and quality that has made it the global expert in specialty foods.

SAMPLE RECIPE

Grilled Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Vegetables

Recipe courtesy of Alison Lewis, whose book 150 Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes will be published by Robert Rose in October of 2012

Serves 4

Equipment:
Panini grill or large skillet

8 slices whole wheat bread (1/2-inch thick slices)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup Roland® Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 cup thinly sliced tomatoes
1cup Roland® Sun-Dried Tomatoes
4 ounces Asiago cheese, thinly sliced  

1. Preheat Panini grill to medium
2. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter. Place on work surface, butter side down and spread 4 bread slices with 1 tbsp (15 mL) Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. Top with cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese. Cover with remaining bread slices and press together gently.
3. Place sandwiches on preheated panini pan or large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, until golden brown and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

###

The Lisa Ekus Group, LLC
March 2012
twitter.com/#!/lisaekus
facebook.com/lisaekus

Contact: Corinne Fay
The Lisa Ekus Group
413.247.9325
lisaekus@lisaekus.com

March 2012: Hatfield, MA – The Lisa Ekus Group, LLC is pleased to announce that Carl Raymond has joined the company as Associate Director of Media Training. In this new role, Carl will train culinary professionals, from cookbook authors and chefs to culinary spokespeople and cooking school teachers, to present themselves in all forms of media. This program covers media skills for TV, radio, demo and teaching appearances, and various forms of online video. Building on the success of The Lisa Ekus Group’s unique media training division, Carl will be based in New York City to allow access to a wider group of clients.

“I am thrilled that Carl is joining us,” said Lisa Ekus, President of The Lisa Ekus Group. “His experience, talent and energy will increase the depth and breadth of our work as we continue to build this division of the company. Our goal is to offer high-quality, professional media training to culinary professionals to help them strengthen their platforms in today’s very competitive media culture.”

The Lisa Ekus Group, LLC has been providing media training to the faces & voices of the culinary industry for more than thirty years. A short list of the culinary professionals who have completed our media training course includes: Lynne Rossetto Kasper, Padma Lakshmi, Emeril Lagasse, Barbara Lynch, Jasper White, and Stephen Raichlen..Lisa is also the official media trainer for the Levy Restaurant Group and has worked with a variety of other large groups, such as Cuisinart and the Pew Charitable Trusts. For a full list of people TLEG has trained, please visit our website.

Carl comes to The Lisa Ekus Group, LLC after more than 25 years in the publishing industry in roles ranging from Director of Marketing to Publisher. As Director of Marketing for HarperCollins’ Regan Books, he oversaw the marketing campaigns for many celebrity authors includingJane Seymour, Marilu Henner, Lauren Hutton, Richard Chamberlain, Alan Cumming, and Janice Dickinson. As Publishing Director for DK Publishing, he was responsible for the publication of Food Network Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s book as well as such praised titles as Nick Malgieri’s The Modern Baker and Charlotte Puckette and Olivia Kiang-Snaije’s The Ethnic Paris Kitchen.

In addition to his deep knowledge of marketing and PR, Carl holds a strong set of culinary credentials. A trained chef, Carl received a diploma in Culinary Arts from New York’s Institute of Culinary Education. He currently works as one of New York’s most popular recreational chef-instructors and was called “an engaging and charismatic teacher” by TIME OUT NEW YORK. Carl teaches regularly at the acclaimed Astor Center, as well as at other venues throughout Manhattan.

The Lisa Ekus Group is a full-service culinary agency providing media training, public relations, consulting, and literary agency services to the world of culinary talent. It is our belief that a vibrant culinary industry is the result of many voices, and so we strive to support and promote chefs, cookbook authors, food writers, and photographers. For more information, please visit www.lisaekus.com.

http://AmazingRibs.com

March 2012

Contact:  Meathead Goldwyn
meathead@amazingribs.com
708-485-3761
Hi-res copy of magnet available to editors

Meat Temperature Magnet Wins First Place

The prize for Best BBQ Tool at the 2012 The National Barbecue Association conference did not go to a fancy grilling gadget. It was a simple inexpensive, indispensable, refrigerator magnet.

The AmazingRibs.com Meat Temperature Magnet by barbecue guru “Meathead” Goldwyn is a comprehensive guide to meat temperatures. It includes the latest USDA recommendations as well as chef recommendations (and they often differ) as well as color photos of the different stages of doneness for red meats. Designed for quick reference, the temperatures are the same for both indoor and outdoor cooks.

Most cookbooks contain outdated meat temperature info since the USDA has changed its recommendations several times. Knowing the best temps is essential to cooking safe and cooking great food. The Center for Disease Control estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from foodborne illnesses, often mistakenly called “stomach flu,” and 3,000 die. And nobody knows how many millions of dollars were wasted on overcooked food.

“Meathead converted me after 30 years of poking my meat with my finger and throwing out a lot of overcooked steaks,” laughs Brad Barrett, manufacturer of GrillGrate, an innovative cooking surface for grills. “I was so impressed by the guide on his website that I converted it to a magnet and got exclusive rights to sell it.” Barrett offers it for $5.99 on Amazon.

“Cooking without a thermometer is like driving without a speedometer. A good temperature guide and a digital thermometer are essential for every cook, especially backyard cooks,” says Meathead, whose website is ranked the world’s most popular barbecue and grilling site by comScore and others.

Although he does not sell anything on his strictly educational website, Meathead explains the guide in detail and links to it on Amazon. He also has a buyer’s guide to thermometers. Both are on AmazingRibs.com.

- 30 -