Publication of the AFBF Public Relations Department Volume 3 Number 2 February 2010

The preferences of foodies, who generally are more discriminating than other consumers, continue to influence the food grown by America’s farmers and ranchers. With this trend in mind, we hope you enjoy this edition of Foodie News.

2

3

Insider on Trends

4

Quote

Saints-Colts Super Bowl: A Perfect Game for Foodies

Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7 this year) ranks up there with Christmas and Thanksgiving as one of the “big three” special food occasions for folks all across the country. While Super Bowl Sunday isn’t an official holiday on the calendar, the American tradition of throwing or attending a party for the big game with good food is holiday-like.

This year’s match- up between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts won’t disappoint dedicated foodies. While Louisiana is known around the globe for its unique cuisine, the Hoosier State also has many signature dishes that will tantalize Super Bowl partygoers. Jambalaya from New Orleans and breaded pork tenderloin from Indianapolis are just two examples of foods that will satisfy any football fan.

Jambalaya is a unique Louisiana dish similar in many ways to Spanish paella. The term “jamba- laya” is derived from the Spanish “jamon” for ham.There are Cajun and Cre- ole versions of jambalaya, so named because of the differences in how the dish is prepared. It can be made with ham, chicken,

sausage, fresh pork, shrimp or oysters (separ- ately or all together) as a base, blended with rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings.

Jambalaya is a great choice for Super Bowl parties because it is easier to prepare than most other Cajun or Cre- ole dishes. And with rice as a key ingredient, jam- balaya can be stretched to feed many guests.

The breaded pork ten- derloin sandwich is a sta- ple of Indianapolis’ Ger- man-American heritage and can be found in restaurants across the city. The sandwich originated in Hunt- ington, Ind., in 1908 with street vendor Nick Freinstein, whose family restaurant still exists to this day. The sandwich, made from an oversized slice of pork tender-

loin, pounded flat, breaded and deep fried, then served on a bun with tomato, onion, pickle and other favorite sand- wich toppings, also is a

staple at the state and county fairs in Indiana.

The sandwich is certain to be prom- inent at Super

Bowl parties in the Hoosier State and

will be a must for functions where seri-

ous Indianapolis fans gather. And what’s a Super Bowl party with- out popcorn or potato chips?

As every Hoosier knows, popcorn is a staple in Indiana. Ninety percent of the world’s popcorn is processed there and the state is the nation’s second-largest producer next to Nebraska. Gour-

Continued on Last Page

Hormel FoodsBob Pepper on un- derstanding con- sumer tastes and preferences

TrufflesScarce gourmet mushrooms that grow underground have been sought and savored since ancient times

Food SceneMeatball watch, new haggis recipe for offal fans, Edible Schoolyard in New York, aid for Haiti

Food By The NumbersChocolate remains the favorite food for Valentine’s Day

“Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate.”

• Patrick Skene Catling

5

GUEST COLUMN

Hormel Foods Serves Up ConvenienceBy Bob Pepper, Marketing Director Simple Meals Team, Hormel Foods

At Hormel Foods, we are committed to understand- ing and adapting to chang- ing consumer tastes and preferences. During the past decade, we have seen one trend in particular—convenience—reshape the way consumers shop for, prepare and consume their meals, and we have responded in both our prod- uct offerings and our retailer partnerships.

Consumers today are busier than ever, but they also are looking to eat more meals at home in an effort to save money and eat healthier. Recently, in light of the economic recession, we have seen even more consumers eating at home—but, in general, they are not cooking.

Consider this: In 1965, consumers spent an aver- age of 2.5 hours preparing meals. Today, the average meal is prepared in only 12 minutes, according to the NPD Group’s National Eating Trends Survey. As a result, consumers today are looking for meal solutions that deliver the same level of convenience and flavor as a restaurant experience, but that they can prepare and enjoy in the comfort of their home.

Hormel Foods has long been a leader in conven- ience meals, first pioneer-

ing shelf-stable entrees in the 1980s and since evolv- ing to become the leader in both refrigerated and cen- ter store convenience meals.

Our shelf-stable prod- ucts, including Hormel Compleats microwave meals, Dinty Moore Big

Bowls and Chi-Chi’s Fiesta Plates, among others, offer consumers convenient, flavorful and healthful alternatives to frozen foods or cooking from scratch. In short, we are offering today’s busy consumers the option of “Convenience without Compromise.”

Sales from these products have been strong, helping us earn our leadership position in convenience meals and supporting our belief that consumer interest in the category is strong. Yet, we wanted to learn more about the “Quick & Simple” consum- er and have invested signi- ficant resources towards insights that are helping us do so.

As an example, in 2008, Hormel Foods partnered with Cannondale Associ- ates to conduct a compre- hensive research initiative to study what goes on in the minds of today’s con- sumers and how they act upon their shopping moti- vations and preferences.

We analyzed the findings and identified an opportunity to better meet the needs of today's busy consumers by improving how they shop for convenient foods.

As part of our insights efforts, we engaged a cultural an- thropologist to

observe shoppers with the goal of understanding how shoppers compartmentalize convenience at the moment of truth in the store.

One of the observations made is that some shoppers returned to certain aisles up to three separate times because they could not find the items they were looking for. This was the case for convenience meal items that traditionally are located next to their parent products (microwavable soup next to canned soup).

Our research was able to help identify the confusion this was creating for shop- pers as they searched for a variety of convenient meals to choose from and highlighted the need and

desire for a dedicated con- venience meals aisle. The aisle would include a range of “Quick & Simple” prod- ucts, from ultra-convenient foods such as microwavable soups and entrees to 10- minute meals and side dishes such as pastas and rice.

Based on these findings, we developed an objective, customizable recommen- dation that allowed for a phased approach for retail- ers to create a “Conven- ience/Prepared Foods” aisle.

We are currently part- nering with managers at several major retailers to help them implement these recommendations in a way that aligns with their store strategy and their shoppers. We are pleased with the results to-date and encouraged to see that retailers who partnered with us to implement the basic principles of our plan are outpacing com- petitors in their market with sales rates 16 per- cent ahead in the cate- gories, on average, due to the enhanced shopping experience.

Now, more than ever, convenience is king, and we look forward to contin- uing our efforts in provid- ing healthful, flavorful “Convenience without Compromise” for today’s busy food consumers.

To learn more about Hormel Foods and our convenience products and research, please visit www.hormelfoods.com.

Growing Truffle Trend Tickles the Fancy of FoodiesTruffles, a mushroom that grows

underground in the roots of certain types of tree roots, have been sought and savored since ancient times. Today, truffles are a firm favorite of foodies and demand continues to grow.

Mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pasta, polenta and risotto typically serve as classic backdrops for the intense flavor of truffles. Chefs at high-end restau- rants often mince truffles into meat sauces or use them to garnish mouth-watering seafood dishes.

Truffles have been a cultivated crop since the late 1800s. Today, most cultivated varieties are grown on farms in Spain, Italy and France. But restaurants and food/mushroom

brokers are constantly looking for suppliers of the scarce gourmet commodity, which is why some U.S. growers are poised to take a bite out of the burgeoning market.

“Historically, the demand has al- ways been higher than the supply and is expected to remain so for the next 50 years,” noted Franklin Garland of

Garland Truffles in North Carolina on his Web site, www.garland truffles.com.

Garland, known as the “Johnny Appleseed of truf-

fles,” is the pioneer of truffle cultivation in the West-

ern Hemisphere. He was the first person to successfully cultivate the French black winter truffle, Tuber melanosporum, in North America.

A North Carolina Department of Agriculture-certified nursery, Garland

Truffles has been in business since 1979 and starts about 20,000 truffle-bearing trees each year, selling most of them to new growers. Trees are densely planted in orchards—about 500 trees per acre.

Many trees produce the fungus in as few as five years, provided the proper soil conditions and climate are met. Yields typically run up to 125 pounds per acre under ideal conditions. Growers deploy specially trained sniffing dogs to pinpoint the location of mature truffles ready for harvesting, which is all done by hand.

On the wholesale market, truffles run between $300 to $800 per pound, making them a prized and pricey culinary option for discrimi- nating chefs and foodies.

Learn more online at www.garlandtruffles.com or by watching America’s Heartland (http://bit.ly/6v1fl3), the weekly half-hour television series that explores agriculture in all 50 states.

Soups and Stews Dominate Food Sections This Season

Scanning the food sec- tions of the country’s major newspapers, one can’t help but notice that soups and stews dominate what food reporters are writing about this season. Not only are these winter staples warm and comforting, they can include a wide variety of ingredients and be dressed up or down to suit any table.

According to a recent Omnibus survey commis- sioned by Heinz, Ameri- cans’ favorite comfort foods are soups and stews, fried or baked chicken and homemade mashed pota- toes. The survey also found that soup is the comfort food that people feel the least guilty about eating.

“There is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup

in this cold season, but I love soup year-round. It can be a plethora of healthy ingredients and flavors, as well as economical to make,” said Laurie Leavy, a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer and nutritionist in Danbury, Conn.

Hot soup and winter wea- ther go together like hands in comfortable gloves to fight the morning chill. However, dedicated foodies all agree: you have to start from scratch. Plus, making the soup is a key part of the experience.

“As the temperatures drop, our cravings for soup

rise. The aroma of a good soup simmering on the stove feels warm, cozy and welcoming,” said Terri Bell, co-owner of Miss Sophie’s Marketplace in Pooler, Ga. “A trip to the supermarket will offer up a mind-bog- gling array of pre-made soup options. But no mat- ter how pretty the picture or how eloquently the in- gredients are described, that can of soup is going to taste like—well—like it came from a can.”

The Food Scene• Schoolyard Program Heads to the Big Apple

“Those who believe trends start on the West Coast and are perfected on the East Coast might add to their argument a garden planned for an elementary school in Brooklyn,” according to The New York Times food section. This summer the first New York affiliate of the Edible Schoolyard program will be built at an elementary school. Students will receive food-related class instruction in a $1.6 million sun-powered building complete with a kitchen, coupled with a movable greenhouse and outdoor vegetable plots. Also included will be a chicken coop, outdoor pizza oven and a composting system.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/dining/20edible.html?partner= rss&emc=rss

• Meatballs May be the Biggest 2010 Trend

In a recent segment on the “CBS Early Show,” Bon Appetit’s restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton predicted meatballs would be the biggest trend of 2010. “Not grandma’s meatballs,” said Knowlton, but ethnic versions of the dish, such as French and Vietnamese, will be popular. Knowlton also said the food theme of the year will be “New Austrian,” such as homemade pretzels and microbrew beers (the magazine accurately predicted last year’s food trend would be Southern foods). The spicy chili sauce Sriracha will be the ingredient of the year, according to Knowlton, who said it will likely be on restaurant tables alongside ketchup and mustard.

http://www.shoppingblog. com/blog/ 103107

• Restaurants Aiding Haiti Relief

The food and wine industry rallied in late January to donate much-needed funds to Haiti relief efforts. Restaurants across New York City on Jan. 24-25 donated 10 percent of sales to

dineoutforhaiti.org. Palate Press, an online wine publication, is collecting donated wines from individuals and wineries to sell in an online auction with proceeds going to the Red Cross relief effort. And California’s Sprinkles Cupcakes donated all sales of its red velvet cupcakes, amounting to $20,000, to the Red Cross on Jan. 16. Check for a restaurant near you making donations to Haiti relief efforts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/dining/20bene.html?partner=rss&emc =rss

• New Haggis Recipe Might Just Delight Offal Fans

Haggis, traditionally prepared from a sheep’s stomach stuffed with the animal’s heart, liver and lungs, is Scot- land’s national dish and has a small but dedicated foodie fan base in the U.S. For years, chefs have sought a suit- able substitute for the dish (illegal to import since 1989) and come up short, with most American-made haggis derided as “dog food.” Fortunately for haggis fans, Andrew Hamilton, whose New Jersey-based Scottish Gourmet USA supplies restaurants like Daniel, Le Bernardin and Marea with game birds and langoustines, recently came up with a recipe that substitutes boiled beef liver for the illicit lungs. Combined with lamb, onions, spices and oatmeal, Hamilton’s beef liver haggis has been dubbed “a faithful and delicious approximation” of the real thing. USDA is reviewing its lamb product imports ban.

http://bit.ly/8QyWYU

http://bit.ly/d0sdeO

Food By The Numbers

Chocolate continues to be the overwhelming favorite food for Valentine’s Day. Most Americans will give—or get— this time-honored classic on Feb. 14. Heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolate treats, chocolate truffles and peanut butter-chocolate hearts remain firmly at the top of the “must have” candy list. However, other classics still have a place “in our hearts and our loved ones’ stomachs,” ac-cording to the National Confectioners Association. Con- versation hearts (with new messages including “tweet me” and “text me”) and cherry-flavored candies such as gummies and jellies remain as Valentine’s Day staples. In 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are avail-able, $4 billion worth of commodity ingredients were used to produce U.S. confectionary products valued at $27.4 billion.

450Number of companies that manufacture, supply and market chocolate, non-chocolate and gum confec-tionary in the U.S.

36 millionNumber of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate that will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

70 millionNumber of pounds of al-monds and other nuts used by confectionary manufac-turers in a typical year.

320 million Number of pounds of pea-nuts used by confectionary manufacturers in a year.

759 million Number of pounds of cocoa beans used by confection-ary manufacturers in a typ- ical year.

1 billion Total pounds of milk and milk products used by con-fectionary manufacturers in a typical year.

2.3 billion Pounds of sugar used by confectionary manufactur-ers in a typical year.

1.4 billion Number of pounds of corn syrup used by confection-ary manufacturers in a typ- ical year.

Continued From First Pagemet popcorn has its roots in Indiana, the birthplace of Orville Redenbacher.

One of the more popular gourmet popcorns today is Dale and Thomas Popcorn, which has its roots in Pop- corn, Ind., a farming community 20 miles southwest of Bloomington. Packaged in bright red “Popcorn, Indi- ana” bags, Dale and Thomas flavors include original kettle corn, smoked cheddar cheese kettle corn, aged white cheddar kettle corn, sea salt popcorn and movie theater popcorn.

Potato chips remain a needed munchie for any Super Bowl function and with the Saints making their first appearance in the big game, a Louisiana potato chip is a must, even for Colts fans. Zapp’s potato chips, produced in Gramercy, La., just outside of New Orleans, have fans in all 50 states.

Ron Zapp started Zapp’s in 1985. His love of food and great snacks inspired him to produce kettle style potato chips that made everyone say “wow.”

In addition to regular Zapp’s, which offer a louder crunch and heartier potato taste, Zapp’s sells several types of extra spicy potato chips, including Cajun Crawtator, which has the taste of Cajun boiled seafood. Mesquite BBQ, Hotter ‘N Hot Jalapeno and Cajun Dill are other popular flavors.

A victory by the Saints could spark a renewed interest in spicy Cajun or Creole cooking across the country, while a win by the Colts could broaden the reach of the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and gourmet In- diana popcorn. One thing is certain, both the Bayou State and Hoosier State offer unique dishes sure to make any Super Bowl party a culinary success.

Saints-Colts Matchup: A Perfect Game for Foodies

February 2010 Vol. 3 No. 2Published monthly by the American Farm Bureau Federation, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024Phone: 202-406-3600 — E-mail: foodienews@fb.org

Editors:Cyndie Sirekis, cyndies@fb.org

John Hart, johnh@fb.orgContributing Editor:

Tracy Grondine, tracyg@fb.org

We hope you enjoyed reading this issue of Foodie News. You may distribute or re-publish the articles in this edition of Foodie News, except where noted otherwise.