Monbana Training!

Monbana is well-known for their chocolate and Houston’s will be selling a few of their featured items. First, we carry four of their gourmet chocolate powders. When it comes to the gourmet chocolate powders, they are much different than drinking a mug of American hot chocolate. These sipping chocolates have a unique flavor in which the chocolate taste comes first, followed by the texture and flavor of the chocolate, and at the end of the sip, you can taste the sugar. This is much different than American hot chocolate because the taste of sugar tends to come first and the chocolate second. The Monbana White Trésor Gourmet chocolate powder, (trésor is a French word meaning “treasure”) is made from 45% cocoa butter whereas the Trésor Gourmet chocolate powder, Suprême European Style chocolate powder and the Organic chocolate powder are made with 32% cocoa. The Suprême European Style chocolate powder is a thicker product meant to be heated in an espresso machine and you should drink it as soon as you finish making it for the best flavor and texture.

We also carry nine of their frappé flavors. These flavors include; vanilla, mocha, yogurt, chocolate, strawberry, lemon, lychee, mango passion fruit, and caramel. Never heard of lychee before? It is a floral flavor perfect for a summer treat. The best part about the frappés is that no matter how long they sit, they do not separate. That’s right! You can drink it for an hour and it will still be together until the last drop. Similar to the gourmet sipping chocolates, the frappé flavor is always forward and the first thing you taste. After that, the body comes and then the sweetness of the frappé is in the back. It is recommended that both the frappés and the gourmet chocolate powders are used with whole milk, but they also work great with a dairy alternative as well.

Interested in how the gourmet chocolate powders and frappés work? Check it out!

Gourmet Chocolate Powders:

Option 1- Steamer: Add 7 fluid ounces of milk and steam it for 5 seconds. Then add one heaping scoop of powder and steam for a maximum of 20 seconds. Voila! You now have a yummy chocolate drink.

Option 2- Chocolate machine preparation: Add 35-170 fluid ounces of milk and heat for 15-45 minutes at 149°. Then add five heaping scoops for every 35 fluid ounces Let the chocolate thicken and then serve the tasty treat!

Frappés:

Place 8 fluid ounces of ice cubes in a cup with 8 fluid ounces of cold milk. Pour the mixture into a blender with two scoops of the frappé mix. Blend the mix to your desired consistency of approximately 20-45 seconds and there you go! A delicious milkshake- like treat.

Want to try some Monbana products? Contact Inside Sales and let us know what you think!

The post Never Underestimate the Power of Chocolate! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Cayenne pepper can spice up your favorite lemonade.

Lemonade.  It’s hot when it’s hot, and even when it’s not.  As soda sales continue to dwindle, restaurant operators have seen lemonade sales increase.  Not only in the summertime when temperatures soar; lemonade sales are relatively consistent from season to season.  And why not?  Lemonade is one of the few beverage categories that bartenders and other drink makers can turn to when they want to create an inexpensive refreshment that tastes great and works well with other additions, such as basil, strawberries, or even with spices such as cayenne pepper that enhance the lemon drink.  Lemonade, though, hasn’t varied much since its inception—it is reminiscent of the homemade lemonade stands of our youth, invigorating, and tastes delicious by itself, supplemented with flavor, or with a little booze added in.

Lemonade has also withstood the nation’s passing fads and trends.  While there has been a push toward organic certification and lower calorie options, there is no cold-pressed lemonade; no lemonade high in antioxidants; and no pressing with high pressure machines.  Just straight up lemonade with a little sweetener of your choice.

Do you drink lemonade?  Do you like it with a little kick of alcohol or are you a fan of non-alcoholic with a twist?  Here are a couple of recipes for you to try out.  Let us know what you think.

Lemonade beverages can be simple or elaborate. Photo Credit: Rob Bertholf

Cucumber Lemonade

Fill a 16-ounce glass with ice.

Add 7 ounces of the lemonade of your choice.

Add ¼ ounce of Monin ® Cucumber syrup.

Stir well and add a cucumber and/or lemon wheel to garnish.

Boozy Peach Lemonade

1 cup simple syrup

5 lemons, juiced

4 cups cold water

10 ounces peach schnapps

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and refrigerate for about an hour.  Serve over crushed ice and garnish with peach slices and fresh mint leaves.

The post When Life Gives You Lemons… appeared first on Houston's Blog.

According to Technomic Inc.’s MenuMonitor, “menu items with citrus in their names or descriptions jumped 21 percent at limited-service restaurants last year,” and the trend continues to make gains.  Oranges remain the most popular type of citrus grown in the United States but other citrus fruits—grapefruit, limes, and many more—continue to gain momentum.  Jesse Gideon, corporate chef and vice president of operations at Fresh to Order in Atlanta says he would use citrus in anything.  “Citrus provides an explosion of flavor, making salt levels brighter without being saltier” because the acidity levels make the flavors pop off your tongue.  That same acid is what makes the fruit great for tenderizing because it is able to break down the fibers in meat.  The days of marinating in saline liquids are waning, then, as citrus is increasingly used to flavor poultry, fish, beef, and pork.

The health conscious, especially, love the trend.  Citrus is “a perfect fit for the trend toward fresh and healthy eating with nutritional values and enticing flavors that have long been consumer favorites,” notes Claire Smith, director of corporate communications for Sunkist.   Fresh citrus fruit allows chefs to add flavor without adding extra sodium or extra fat to the dish, and each bite results in a tart flavor that balances the savory and the sweet.

Not sure what to think about the new citrus trend?  Try the recipe below and let us know what you think…

Spicy Citrus Grilled Chicken

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup honey

1 whole chicken, cut into parts

Combine first six ingredients in a large Ziploc bag.  Seal and mix ingredients to combine.  Add chicken.  Let marinate in refrigerator about 4 hours.

Grill over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

The post Affordable. Versatile. Complex. Citrus! appeared first on Houston's Blog.