Lone Star grapefruit makes appearance in the Big Apple
Lone Star grapefruit makes appearance in the Big Apple
NEW YORK Johnny Iuzzini, the executive pastry chef of Jean Georges, a swanky New York restaurant, thinks that grapefruit produced in the Lone Star State of Texas are the piece de resistance. By his final recipe presentation at the French Culinary Institute, here, Jan. 7, his audience of nearly 100 people agreed.
The dessert event was presented by TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Inc., which engages in the advertising and promotion of fresh citrus grown in Texas. It was hosted by PastryScoop.com, a new web site founded by the French Culinary Institute for people interested in the art of pastry.
Mr. Iuzzini is a young celebrity chef whose charm and down-home personality are perfectly suited to sweet Texas grapefruit. A native New Yorker, his pastry interests drew him to apprentice at the famed Ladur?e. He is also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and he has worked at several fine restaurants. Among his accolades, Mr. Iuzzini was voted Best Pastry Chef 2002 in New York, and was one of the 10 Best Pastry Chefs of 2003 and 2004 by Pastry Art & Design.
"I have never endorsed a product before," Mr. Iuzzini told the audience of foodies, media representatives and chefs at the event. But when TexaSweet approached me about using these wonderful grapefruit in my recipes, I jumped at the opportunity. They are sweet and juicy, and simply invite the creation of recipes.
He isn't shy in the grapefruit knowledge category either. He explained things like Brix levels and the variations between the skins of citrus varieties and how to best use them in recipes. He also educated the audience on proper techniques for rasping, zesting and peeling rinds, carving and sectioning grapefruit, and cooking methods, including grilling citrus wedges.
According to Lucy Garcia, executive director of TexaSweet Citrus Marketing in Mission, TX, Mr. Iuzzini is the perfect spokesperson for the states prized citrus.
This event was sold out in about 15 minutes, said Ms. Garcia. It is a part of a campaign currently underway to promote Texas grapefruit. It will also be featured on the 'Iron Chef cooking show on the Food Network in late January or early February. The timing is perfectly in tune with the incredibly good season we are having. The small size of our crop has been somewhat of an obstacle for us in the past, but because of the shortages in Florida, the demand for our grapefruit is higher than ever. Growers in Texas have developed a high-quality product over the years, and the demand combined with a strong promotional campaign with endorsements such as Chef Iuzzinis makes this year a good one for us to shine.
Texas growers, Ms. Garcia noted, also produce high-quality oranges, which were also used in the presentation. She added that besides cooking demonstrations, the current promotional program, titled Pick Texas Citrus Live the Sweet Life, includes marathon expositions and consumer food and wine trade shows.
Scott Cohen, executive chef of Las Canarias Restaurant in San Antonio, TX, is also a celebrity chef spokesperson for TexaSweet, which is also now pitching television programs on which it would like to have the states citrus presented.
The campaigns goal is to capture the lifestyle segment, said Ms. Garcia. It is a naturally good and good-for-you product. The best way to describe it is with the word sweet, and the message we are attempting to convey to consumers at retail and the foodservice level is that it is a lifestyle enhancement product.
TexaSweet has worked with PastryScoop in past projects that have resulted in success equaling that of the New York event. The site reports on trends and innovations, and offers tips and techniques from industry professionals. It is an on-line resource connection with comprehensive supply and equipment resources, contest information, scholarships, events, ingredient tables and much more. It also posts demonstrations, recipes, interviews, career guidance and information about pastry educational programs.
Judiaann Woo, the executive director/editor-in-chief of PastryScoop, organized the January 7th event, said Ms. Garcia. She also assisted us with the Chefs Showdown, an event we sponsored before the Christmas holidays, also at the French Culinary Institute. Two teams of two chefs each were put to the task of creating a variety of recipes using Texas grapefruit. The recipes were presented before an audience of about 70 chef students, who then cast ballots for the winning team. The team that demonstrated the most knowledge of grapefruit, used the most creative props and costumes, and developed the most favored recipes won cash prizes and other goodies. We feel this is a perfect venue for introducing citrus to the next generation of top chefs.
Ms. Garcia said that retail support this year has been particularly strong, and as word continues to spread about the high quality of Texas-grown citrus, increasing numbers of retailers and consumers contact TexaSweet for information.
We are having a very strong marketing year, she said. The state has a total of only about 30,000 acres, so in comparison to Florida and other citrus-producing regions, we are very small. Of our crop, 70 percent is red grapefruit and 30 percent is oranges, including all of the most popular varieties sold today.
Besides distributing in the United States, Texas citrus is also sold in Canada and is promoted there through the U.S. Department of Agricultures Market Access Program. It is also exported to Germany, Japan and England.
Ms. Garcia noted that during the 2004-05 season, no Texas citrus was sold to the United Kingdom. So far during the 2005-06 season, however, 62,000 cartons have been shipped there. The other two markets have remained steady.
The dessert event was presented by TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Inc., which engages in the advertising and promotion of fresh citrus grown in Texas. It was hosted by PastryScoop.com, a new web site founded by the French Culinary Institute for people interested in the art of pastry.
Mr. Iuzzini is a young celebrity chef whose charm and down-home personality are perfectly suited to sweet Texas grapefruit. A native New Yorker, his pastry interests drew him to apprentice at the famed Ladur?e. He is also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and he has worked at several fine restaurants. Among his accolades, Mr. Iuzzini was voted Best Pastry Chef 2002 in New York, and was one of the 10 Best Pastry Chefs of 2003 and 2004 by Pastry Art & Design.
"I have never endorsed a product before," Mr. Iuzzini told the audience of foodies, media representatives and chefs at the event. But when TexaSweet approached me about using these wonderful grapefruit in my recipes, I jumped at the opportunity. They are sweet and juicy, and simply invite the creation of recipes.
He isn't shy in the grapefruit knowledge category either. He explained things like Brix levels and the variations between the skins of citrus varieties and how to best use them in recipes. He also educated the audience on proper techniques for rasping, zesting and peeling rinds, carving and sectioning grapefruit, and cooking methods, including grilling citrus wedges.
According to Lucy Garcia, executive director of TexaSweet Citrus Marketing in Mission, TX, Mr. Iuzzini is the perfect spokesperson for the states prized citrus.
This event was sold out in about 15 minutes, said Ms. Garcia. It is a part of a campaign currently underway to promote Texas grapefruit. It will also be featured on the 'Iron Chef cooking show on the Food Network in late January or early February. The timing is perfectly in tune with the incredibly good season we are having. The small size of our crop has been somewhat of an obstacle for us in the past, but because of the shortages in Florida, the demand for our grapefruit is higher than ever. Growers in Texas have developed a high-quality product over the years, and the demand combined with a strong promotional campaign with endorsements such as Chef Iuzzinis makes this year a good one for us to shine.
Texas growers, Ms. Garcia noted, also produce high-quality oranges, which were also used in the presentation. She added that besides cooking demonstrations, the current promotional program, titled Pick Texas Citrus Live the Sweet Life, includes marathon expositions and consumer food and wine trade shows.
Scott Cohen, executive chef of Las Canarias Restaurant in San Antonio, TX, is also a celebrity chef spokesperson for TexaSweet, which is also now pitching television programs on which it would like to have the states citrus presented.
The campaigns goal is to capture the lifestyle segment, said Ms. Garcia. It is a naturally good and good-for-you product. The best way to describe it is with the word sweet, and the message we are attempting to convey to consumers at retail and the foodservice level is that it is a lifestyle enhancement product.
TexaSweet has worked with PastryScoop in past projects that have resulted in success equaling that of the New York event. The site reports on trends and innovations, and offers tips and techniques from industry professionals. It is an on-line resource connection with comprehensive supply and equipment resources, contest information, scholarships, events, ingredient tables and much more. It also posts demonstrations, recipes, interviews, career guidance and information about pastry educational programs.
Judiaann Woo, the executive director/editor-in-chief of PastryScoop, organized the January 7th event, said Ms. Garcia. She also assisted us with the Chefs Showdown, an event we sponsored before the Christmas holidays, also at the French Culinary Institute. Two teams of two chefs each were put to the task of creating a variety of recipes using Texas grapefruit. The recipes were presented before an audience of about 70 chef students, who then cast ballots for the winning team. The team that demonstrated the most knowledge of grapefruit, used the most creative props and costumes, and developed the most favored recipes won cash prizes and other goodies. We feel this is a perfect venue for introducing citrus to the next generation of top chefs.
Ms. Garcia said that retail support this year has been particularly strong, and as word continues to spread about the high quality of Texas-grown citrus, increasing numbers of retailers and consumers contact TexaSweet for information.
We are having a very strong marketing year, she said. The state has a total of only about 30,000 acres, so in comparison to Florida and other citrus-producing regions, we are very small. Of our crop, 70 percent is red grapefruit and 30 percent is oranges, including all of the most popular varieties sold today.
Besides distributing in the United States, Texas citrus is also sold in Canada and is promoted there through the U.S. Department of Agricultures Market Access Program. It is also exported to Germany, Japan and England.
Ms. Garcia noted that during the 2004-05 season, no Texas citrus was sold to the United Kingdom. So far during the 2005-06 season, however, 62,000 cartons have been shipped there. The other two markets have remained steady.
