Entegra IN FOCUS - Issue #2, Feb 2023

CHOOSING THE PERFECT CHEESE

Publisher note

Jeff Porterfield

SVP Client Services and Chief Customer Officer

Welcome back to In Focus, Entegra’s guide to category trends and insights. In this issue, we’re continuing our data-driven approach to uncovering categories and products — particularly the smart application of cheeses — so you can elevate customer experience while saving more with Entegra.

Today’s insights come directly from the Entegra Performance Kitchen and our expert culinary staff. We’re bringing decades of professional culinary guidance to the table, featuring ingredients and recipes that keep your bottom line in mind.

That mixture of strategy and savings underlines our commitment to being your unmatched purchasing partner. Entegra goes beyond pricing, giving you the services and insights you need to navigate a quickly-shifting hospitality landscape.

FPO

With EPK expertise, a vast portfolio of products, and the ability to connect you to whatever your business needs, we’re here to help bring hospitality to life.

Enjoy! Jeff

Culinary note

Entegra Performance Kitchen culinary leadership

Advice and flavors from our own EPK team, informed by decades of operational experience.

22 years in culinary and chef instruction

35 years in culinary and chef instruction

IN THIS ISSUE

The culinary race to the top has always been a competition to satisfy consumers. And when it comes to versatility in eating satisfaction, few foods can match the power of cheese.

Cheese — from the creamy mouthful melt of mozzarella to the umami-rich sensation of Parmesan — can alter and round out the flavors of nearly any dish, contributing to a satisfying feeling. Complex and available in many forms, it transcends recipes, adding remarkable flavor and nutrition to countless cuisines.

In this issue of In Focus, the Entegra Culinary Team will bring facts, unique applications and an inclusive list of our cheese product portfolio for operators to consider and enjoy.

Of course, our recommendations are only the beginning of a strategic menuing conversation. Key to our objective of partnering with your culinary operations, we at Entegra seek to learn more about your challenges so we can customize our consultation and offerings to your exact needs.

Chef John Csukor Head of Culinary Entegra, North America

Chef Lynn Hay Director of Culinary Operations, EPK

Entegra offers so many cheese choices, it’s easy to get caught up in the options — especially when parsing well-known mainstays and new cheese names. Our robust offering will grow exponentially in early 2023 with the addition of The Chef’s Warehouse contract, bringing even more options to the table.

To make your menuing easier, our EPK team has put together top-line advice on daypart selections. Of course, there are no hard-set rules in cheese. Use this guide as a starting point to exploring new cheese inspirations with Entegra.

A daypart breakdown SELECTION

Think creamy, soft, delicate flavors that pair well with toasted breads, jams and egg dishes — without overpowering the morning.

Camembert

Brie

Ricotta

Fresh mozzarella

Super-soft mascarpone with honey and lavender buds folded in

BREAKFAST LUNCH

Stay milder, but take a more adventurous and toothy flavor to satisfy bolder midday appetites.

Ricotta salata

Mexican style queso fresco

The younger, milder Grana Padano

Aged white cheddar, toothy and acidic

A creamy and pungent fontina

Cotija, crumbly with perfect salinity

Feature your boldest and most robust cheeses — great character and long flavor on the palette.

Sharp cheddar

Parmesan Gruyere

Aged provolone

Feta, briny and distinctly Mediterranean

Manchego, sharp and begging for dried fruit pairings

What cheese to

Melting — and mixing

Also known as performance-enhanced or processed cheeses, melt-fortified cheeses are often assumed to have been developed to freeze without sign of degradation. Yet this is only one of the lesser qualities of this

The greatest feature a performance cheese possesses is its ability to hold its melt. That is to say that in a hot holding scenario, the cheese will maintain its stretch, chew and creaminess over a longer time duration. It is a powerful ability on its own, but one that can also be applied as a supplement to

For instance, if you are preparing a dish that will hold chilled, such as a prepared or composed macaroni and cheese, we suggest a small addition of performance-enhanced cheeses. Their properties will “make up” for anything that might occur from using allnatural cheese: oil purging, grittiness, heat/ cold breakdown or even mild curdling.

With flavors combined

When creating a spread, team up the flavor and function of cheeses. John Csukor shares a patron favorite from his past, a bleu spread: leftover chunks of broken crumbled blue cheese, whipped into a base of lemon cream cheese, seasoned with coarse salt, cracked black and flaked Aleppo pepper.

Regardless of the application, consider all these cheese factors. Singularly and together, they will have a profound effect on your final dish.

Stacking and stuffing

Even in sandwich applications, cheese application matters, and should be layered with thought. It’s best not to stack cheese against vegetal ingredients such as tomato and lettuce as they can soak up moisture and colors and look and feel off on the palette.

Using cheese in stuffing of vegetables, or even rolled and baked animal proteins, is a great way to affordably add value and mass to an entree. Just keep formed cheese in use here to reduce blowout or melt out of the filling. Prioritize drier and lean cheeses in these applications, such as feta, cotija or Grana Padano.

Noteworthy cheese characteristics

Aroma – Be careful with Taleggio or Sottocenere. While delicious, they can clear out a dining room when heated.

Fattiness or leanness – Fattier cheese will break out its oils and fail if heated or held too long.

Age or youth – Younger cheeses tend to be milder and lighter, while their aged counterparts are more pungent and darker in color.

Building a balanced cheese board (socials,

posting & presentation)

Looking to add specialty cheeses to your menu, but want to ensure cross utilization throughout dayparts? At Entegra, we have a wide variety of specialty cheeses contracted. These delicious options can be savored throughout the day as well as highlighted on any cheeseboard.

What makes a balanced cheese board?

Typically, using three to five varieties of cheese accompanied by an assortment of olives, nuts, dried fruits, cured meats, fermented vegetables, honey, spreads, breads and crackers creates a balanced board. The cheeses should range in color, consistency and flavor.

Cheeses are aged at different rates, and this helps contribute to the texture and complexity of flavor. Simply put, soft cheeses are aged for shorter periods of time and hard cheeses can age up to 36 months. Having a combination of cheeses on a cheeseboard allows guests to experience a vast expanse of the cheese spectrum. Here are some examples in each category:

• Soft – Brie, Camembert, Chevre, Roquefort

• Semi-firm – Fontina, Gouda, Jarlsberg

• Hard/aged – Pecorino, Gruyere, manchego

Soft

Brie, Camembert, Chevre, Roquefort

The soft, creamy cheeses like brie and camembert can easily be added to the breakfast menu to fluff up an omelet or even add an interesting texture to French toast. When tossed in with pasta dishes or added to panini and flatbreads, a little cheese goes a long way to enhance the dish.

Semi-firm

Fontina, Gouda, Jarlsberg

Parmesan is a hard cheese – so the same principles apply for usability with other hard cheeses in the kitchen. A little creates a lot of flavor and the versatility allows application throughout the menu. A sprinkle on eggs, in soups, pastas and topped on vegetables and potatoes enhances flavor while stretching the budget.

The semi-firm cheeses may be most popular for their contribution to hot dips and fondues, but their ability to melt and their amazing depth of flavor allow them to shine in quiches, boules, tarts, omelets, gratins and the ultimate scratch mac and cheese.

Hard/aged

Pecorino, Gruyere, manchego

Parmesan

A cheese with a rich history and a vibrant future

Parmesan is as rich in history as it is in flavor. Dating back to the Middle Ages, Parmesan was created in Italy and named after the region where it originated –the Parma-Reggio region. Today, Americans have adapted the name Parmesan for the hard, granular cheese that is a favorite in home kitchens and a staple in the foodservice industry.

The rich and tangy flavor profile creates an amazing depth of flavor in a dish and even a small amount of Parmesan can go a long way to increase flavor, richness, satiety and satisfaction. This umami food is an incredibly valuable tool in keeping food costs down in today’s climate.

PARMESAN

Parmesan is the ultimate in versatility. The savory, nutty flavor lends itself to all dayparts and enhances not only proteins, but vegetables, breads and soups. It’s economical and delicious and a wonderful addition to any kitchen.

Operators can stretch the flavor and the budget with Parmesan’s rich, nutty flavor in pastas, flatbread, soups or stews. Try reducing animal protein in some of your recipes and replacing it with fragrant, shaved Parmesan. Your guests are certain not to miss the costly protein.

Magical mozzarella

Mozzarella cheese has long been associated with pizza, but there are so many types and varieties. It may leave you wondering – what makes the perfect pie? Let’s explore a few categories of mozzarella to find your favorite recipe.

MOZZARELLA

Whole milk shredded cheese

Looking for the optimal cheese pull? This cheese melts beautifully and has a rich mouth feel. A low-moisture, shredded whole milk mozzarella will give you an Instagram-worthy slice with a crispy crust.

Fresh mozzarella

Part skim, lowmoisture cheese

This product is known for its quick and even browning. It melts evenly and the low moisture allows the crust to maintain its integrity.

Packed in water with a salty finish, this is a firm yet creamy cheese. When melted on a pizza, fresh mozzarella has a rich taste, but tends to release moisture – which can leach into the crust making it a bit soggy.

Fresh mozzarella may not be prime for pizza meltability, but its salty and tangy taste are crowd-pleasers for salads, sandwiches and cheeseboards. There are many varieties to choose from including:

Mozzarella bocconcini – This translates into “little mouthfuls” – these little balls are perfect for canapes, salads and pastas.

Mozzarella ciliegine – “Small cherries” – smaller than bocconcini, ciliegine can be used in similar recipes as well as marinated on their own or as fried bites.

Burrata – Mozzarella that has been stretched. This cheese has a deliciously creamy center. It lends itself well to salads and starters and can be highlighted by a drizzle of smoked honey or tangy vinegar reduction. Vegetables and crusty bread are wonderful delivery vehicles for burrata.

Whether you are looking for the ideal pizza or the freshest salad, there is a mozzarella that can elevate your recipe to the next level. Our vast portfolio of mozzarellas can help you achieve any of these crowd-pleasers.

In Focus: product highlights

GREAT LAKES CHEESE

What sort of training tools and resources do you offer for operators who want to explore specialty cheese offerings?

We have a full line of contracted natural and process cheeses for every application. Samples, Cheese 101 training and culinary support are available across the country.

Supplier spotlight

Q&A with Kurt Epprecht VP, Cheese Quality and Dairy Policy

What trends are you seeing in cheese?

Continued growth in the pizza, burger and sandwich segments are fueling cheese sales. Shredded mozzarella and pizza blends, American cheese and sliced natural cheese continue to show sales growth. Sliced and shredded cheeses are growing in popularity as labor challenges persist. Innovation with new flavors is becoming popular, with smoked and spicy cheese varieties leading the way.

How is Great Lakes Cheese keeping up with these trends?

We have added production capacity plus unique packaging and flavors of sliced and shredded cheeses including Carolina reaper slices and shreds, smoked Gouda, smoked cheddar and smoked provolone. We regularly test and evaluate new packaging concepts and cheese varieties for commercialization.

Do you have solutions that help operators address consumer demands for convenience?

Yes! Packaged and portion-controlled cheese is our expertise. We have a national sales team offering culinary ideation, samples and solutions that offer value and uniqueness.

Q&A FEATURE

Do you have any resources for operators that need products that hold while chilled, hold their melt, prevent heat/cold breakdown, etc.?

Most natural cheeses have a Code of Federal Regulations that defines their specifications and ingredients, making ingredient changes difficult. However, we have an active test kitchen, along with a seasoned quality and sales team, that can assist in certain applications. The solution is often matching the correct product with the cooking application, such as with pizza.

What solutions do you have for operators that help them address issues such as low labor or keeping costs low?

We specialize in offering prepackaged natural and process cheeses with specific portion sizes. While they’re slightly more expensive than bulk product, the resulting savings in labor, safety, quality and shrink easily make them a good value.

What are your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives?

Sustainability, employee health, and safety are at the forefront of our efforts. Some highlights of our CSR program include renewable energy, package design, employee wellness, climate reporting, water stewardship, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs and training.

TILLAMOOK

Executive Chef, Tillamook

How is your company keeping up with trends?

We continue to showcase our 113-year-old brand while evolving with the needs of consumers. Our line-up of offerings covers all that operators could need, from the perfect cheeses for everything from pizza and quesadillas to aged cheddar savory souffles and Dungeness crab macaroni and cheese. We invest deeply into the research and development of new products, packaging and existing item extensions to ensure we stay current with the industry’s needs.

Supplier spotlight

Q&A with Josh Archibald

What trends are you seeing in cheese?

We continue to see increased demand for cheese as a category, in part due to consumers eating smaller and less “formal” meals than in the past. I predict continued popularity of cheese and charcuterie boards, cheese snack kits and timeless cheesefocused staples (such as grilled cheese and mac and cheese).

From a menu item standpoint, I predict cheese continuing to have large presence in salad/appetizer segments, and even higher demand as a course offering for multiple course meals, or as an addition replacing traditional desserts. I also am pushing the return of fondue as a new trend for 2023. It aligns well with many consumers’ current eating habits, is flexible from an offering standpoint, gives an opportunity for operators to make a customized version, and can be a great way to use local ingredients at the peak of the season.

Q&A FEATURE

What sort of training tools/resources do you offer for operators who want to explore specialty cheese offerings?

The foodservice section of Tillamook.com lists awards, downloadable product guides, sell sheets and logo and branding information, as well as articles to help operators tell the Tillamook story, which is proven to directly translate into revenue for their offerings. I get excited about the “Where to Eat” section on our website, which lists operations offering Tillamook products on their menus and grocery stores stocking our products in real time.

We also have a foodservice-specific LinkedIn page with updates on products, new customers, and news. And at our hugely popular visiter center in Tillamook on the Oregon coast, we engage with operators, tell our story, and give them an immersive experience in all things Tillamook. Our foodservice sales team includes a dedicated consumer market insights analyst, consumer TLC specialists, a national distribution manager and national account managers strategically placed throughout the country to support our customers’ needs.