The Dish | Spring Food Fiesta

ideas for success

Spring Food Fiesta

by

Pe

rfo

rma

nce Foodser vice

Party With You

Contigo® Creativity

Juice is Loose

Ascend® Flavors

Cream of the Crop

Nature’s Best Dairy®

from the foodies at

Get the Party Started with

Colors and Flavors That Pop It’s party time, people. We’re all venturing out of hibernation to enjoy what this time of year has to offer – warmer weather, the spring bloom, and fresh, vibrant, exciting food that’s a cause for celebration.

And with Cinco de Mayo and other festive events on the calendar, there’s also an opportunity to honor Hispanic culture and the diverse culinary spectrum that has influenced how people feast and revel all over the world. Distinct family recipes passed down through generations, freshly cultivated ingredients, inspiring colors, rich flavors – the passion and joy of Hispanic communities can be experienced through this cooking.

2

After all, recipes and techniques are as unique as the communities themselves, and Performance Foodservice has carefully sourced ingredients to fit the different needs of Hispanic-influenced restaurants.

Our Contigo® products include staples of many Latin kitchens, as well as ingredients geared to specific styles and countries. Contigo’s translation of “with you” reflects our mission of helping local restaurants grow their businesses and thrive in their neighborhoods.

In this issue of The Dish, our chefs are starting the party by applying a range of Contigo proteins, cheeses, and sauces to several creative recipes, along with flavors from our Ascend®

beverage portfolio and highlights from a range of other exciting brands and suppliers, including Roma®, Nature’s Best Dairy®, McCormick®, Simplot®, and more.

Modern dining consumers continue to push trends toward bold flavors, international influences, and fresh, sustainable ingredients. The spring confluence of these trends, outdoor dining, and Instagram-able settings should make for a prime party season – with ample opportunities to increase traffic and engagement. We can help you get this party started. In the immortal words of Lionel Richie, “Fiesta, forever.”

Look for these callouts:

Chef Talk Get inside our chefs’ brains and find out what inspired their dishes.

Find out how you can start utilizing our products right away – without too much preparation or time in the kitchen.

Check out our library of recipes and articles online.

PerformanceFoodservice.com/theDish

3

In the

Limelight ROMA® ALL PURPOSE FLOUR Exact protein and moisture specifications ideal for desserts

4

ASCEND® PREMIUM LIME JUICE No sugar, artificial flavors, or colors.

A Citrus

Chef Talk

Celebration

You’ll love this dessert because it’s both rich and fresh at the same time. Add fresh citrus zest to the recipe for additional flavor and color, or even mix juices to create even more dimension. Lemon, lime, and orange play well together!

Dining out can sometimes feel throwing a party for your taste buds. Every bite of these tart, buttery, citrusy bars offers a burst of flavor worth celebrating.

The sweet crust made with Roma® All Purpose Flour and dusted with powdered sugar is just the start of the experience. Ascend® Premium Lemon or Lime Juice creates the perfect tart taste, transporting your guests’ taste buds to a tropical paradise.

Zesty Fun

Lemon or Lime Bars PASTRY: ½ lb.

½ c.

2 c.

FILLING: 1.5 c. ½ c.

4 ea.

6 fl. oz.

1 c.

Sweet Squares

Juicy Filling

Serves: 15

Nature’s Best® Salted Butter, Cold and Cubed Extra Fine Granulated Sugar Roma® All Purpose Flour Extra Fine Granulated Sugar Roma All Purpose Flour Nature’s Best Eggs Ascend Premium Lemon or Lime Juice Powdered Sugar

FOR CRUST: Pre-heat conventional oven to 350ºF. Grease and parchment line a 2” half hotel pan. In a food processor, pulse together the butter, sugar and flour. Press evenly into the bottom of the greased pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly while making the filling.

FOR FILLING/BARS: Whisk together the sugar flour, eggs and juice until the sugar is dissolved. Allow the topping to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together well again and pouring over the baked shortbread base.

Bake at 350ºF for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the custard appears to be set. The bottom should just be beginning to brown slightly at the top edges. Cool completely. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

5

A Notch What’s a party if it doesn’t go big?

Make some serious upgrades to your nacho plate. Go meatier, spicier, crunchier with this chicharrones dish. A popular fingerfood item in Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world, chicharrones features deep-fried pork skin slathered in a protein of your choice and a decadent spicy sauce. Tender skirt steak, thinly sliced, is a delectable and costeffective meat option. A jalapeno cheese sauce provides that perfectly messy nacho vibe. Top off this fiesta feast with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole – and don’t forget a margarita on the rocks to finish it off.

CONTIGO® Outside Skirt Steak CONTIGO® Jalapeño Cheese Sauce CONTIGO® Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa CONTIGO® Queso Oaxaca Cotija

6

ABOVE

Quality meets comfort. The layers of crispy, fried pork skin, juicy steak, fiery jalapenos, melty cheese, and toppings pile on the fiesta flavor. Ideal for outdoor sharing.

Contigo® Skirt Steak Chicharrones Nachos Servings: 1 Different elements with a range of colors can attract serious social attention. The combination of finger food and creativity stands out.

2 oz.

Pork Rinds

4 oz.

Contigo® Outside Skirt Steak

½ tsp.

Ground Cumin

½ tsp.

Kosher Salt

3 fl. oz. Contigo Jalapeño Cheese Sauce 2 oz.

Contigo Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

10 slices Roma Nacho Sliced Jalapenos 1 oz.

Nature’s Best Dairy® Sour Cream

2 oz.

Simplot® Extreme Supreme Guacamole 1 oz.

Contigo® Queso Oaxaca Cotija

preparation Deep fry pork rind pellets in 350°F fryer, placing a second basket on top of the first to ensure they are totally submerged.

Cook until the pork rinds are no longer bubbling. Season with salt and ground cumin.

Grill outside skirt steak to medium rare.

Rest 10 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice skirt steak across the grain.

Divine Desserts

Top off the celebration with a variety of sweet confections.

Tres leches, or three milks, cake is light, spongy, and the perfect punctuation to any festive event.

Plate fried pork rinds. Top with jalapeño cheese sauce, skirt steak and all other toppings over the pork rinds.

7

Convention Flout

CONTIGO® GROUND SAUSAGE Authentic flavor using only the freshest ingredients.

FIND THIS RECIPE ONLINE! WHOLE PORK TENDERLOIN FLAUTAS W/CANDIED JARRITOS JALAPEÑOS

8

ALLEGIANCE® PORK TENDERLOIN Superior flavor, juiciness, and tenderness.

Tender

and Spicy

Chef Talk

This is an ideal dish for group dinners, banquets, or off-premise catering. All the elements accompanying the pork can be prepared ahead of time for easier service.

Once assembled and finished, the whole tenderloin can be portioned as plating begins to hold its integrity.

There is no shortage of ways to wrap protein or veggies in tortillas. But restaurants should want to wow their guests during festive times, serving dishes that attract attention on social media too. Try a flautas dish, using fried tortillas, instead of a traditional wrap. This recipe, featuring a whole roasted Allegiance® Pork Tenderloin, paired with Contigo® Chorizo, is sure to raise the roof and get likes. The pork and chorizo are wrapped in a fried Contigo Tortilla and topped with candied jalapenos for both added spice and visual appeal. If you really want this item to pop off, serve on a bed of corn and black beans for extra panache.

What’s an example of a popular Latin cuisine trend?

Latin food is always a crowd-pleaser. It includes upscale dishes, comfort foods, and simple street foods—like tacos of every variety. But the common thread between all of these dishes is flavor. Think about traditional pork al pastor, a dish brought to Mexico by the Lebanese. The ingredients represent those distinct regions, including charred pineapple, tomatoes, chilies, Mexican oregano, and cumin. Custom Culinary® Al Pastor Sauce features those traditional ingredients and layered flavors. It makes for a very versatile sauce. Al pastor can be prepared not only with pork, but also with beef, lamb, seafood, and even in breakfast applications over eggs.

9

Fiesta Fritters

When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Serves: 4 Every type of fiesta, no matter how formal or casual, involves tasty finger foods. Give guests island vibes with these handheld dipping delights. Mashed Contigo® Sweet Fried Plantains are combined with Golden Dipt® Pancake Mix for a buttery batter.

Adding Empire’s Treasure® Super Lump Crabmeat and deep frying the fritters helps turn the tropical party way up. Now all you need is a cream sauce for dunking these seafood snacks. Mix Nature’s Best® Sour Cream, West Creek® Mayonnaise, and Ascend® Lime Juice for a dipping sauce that’s deliciously boss.

10

Plantain and Crab Fritters with Cilantro-Lime Crema 1 ½ c. Contigo Sweet Fried Plantains, Heat fryer to 350°F. In mixing bowl, combine mashed mashed sweet fried plantains, pancake mix, and milk. Whisk to combine. Cover and set aside and allow to rest.

1 c.

Golden Dipt Pancake Mix In a blender, combine sour cream, mayo, lime juice, ½ c.

Whole Milk and cilantro; puree until smooth. Chill for later use.

2 tsp. Red Pepper, brunoise Combine the powdered sugar and chipotle chile 1 tsp. Chives, chopped pepper in a shaker, cover, and mix to combine.

8 oz.

Empire Treasure Crabmeat Add the red pepper brunoise, chopped chives, and ¼ c.

Nature’s Best Sour Cream drained crabmeat to the plantain batter and stir gently not to break the crab. Using a small portion ¼.

West Creek Mayo scoop or tablespoon, scoop small fritters and gently 2 tsp. Ascend Lime Juice place directly into fryer basket submerged in oil. ¼.

Cilantro Cook for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove and 2 T. Sugar let drain briefly. Sprinkle the fritters with the chipotle ½ tsp Chipotle Chile Powder powdered sugar, garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with cilantro crema for dipping fritters.

FIND THIS RECIPE ONLINE:

performancefoodservice.com/thedish

Rope ‘Em In

No festive menu is complete without a quality ropa vieja dish. And the marinade is key. In this enticing version, Hellmann’s® Ancho Chipotle Sauce plays a starring role, blended with Ascend® Orange and Pineapple juices for a subtly sweet and spicy flavor. Affordable, available, and perfectly tender for shredding, skirt steak is the ideal meat option in this recipe. Serve paired with Simplot® Cilantro Lime Rice & Fire Roasted Corn Fiesta Blend and buttery, fried Contigo® Tostones for a scrumptious variety of Spanish-style textures and flavors. Ropa also works well served in arepas, tacos, or empanadas.

Raise Your Glass

Inventive drink options are great ways to improve margins, increase social clicks, and fuel the fiesta. With beverage ingredients and fruit products, Performance has the drink items needed to keep the party going. This decadent recipe features tequila, rum, triple sec, and Ascend Orange Juice.

Mango slices and Contigo Mango Mousse give this signature libation a festive flair. Ascend Grenadine offers an additional splash of color, sure to entice other guests to order their own creative colada.

11

NOW THAT WE HAVE INSPIRED YOUR MENU, LET’S EXECUTE IT ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS Performance Spark and Restaurant360 is now One Source, Solution Partners. We have combined our people, resources, and solutions to help you achieve your business goals.

MARKETING RESOURCES

STAFF SOLUTIONS

Connect with industry specific professionals who can help implement impactful marketing programs.

Invest in employee training and management and find, retain, and develop the best people in the business.

RESTAURANT Operations Find trusted partners to optimize efficiencies in operations.

Spring Food Fiesta For more recipes, trends, and great ideas to inspire your menu, go to performancefoodservice.com/thedish ©2021 Performance Foodserivce

Get Started by talking to your local Sales Representative, connect with us on Performancefoodservice.com/ OneSource for more information.