Emile Henry revs up your backyard grill this summer
Grilling stones are perfect for Dad or the barbecue enthusiast

For many Canadians, backyard grilling is not just a hobby, it’s a way of life.  In 2012, Emile Henry introduced its new BBQ Ceramic line, which caters to the new trend in refined cooking on the barbecue.

Emile Henry Kebob Grill Stone
The Emile Henry Kebob Grill Stone is designed to grill meat in a healthier way, while delicately cooking ingredients such as fish, seafood or vegetables. The Emile Henry Kebob Stone comes with eight kebob skewers.

Emile Henry Pizza Stone / Emile Henry Mini Pizza Stone
Whether baked in the oven or on the backyard grill, homemade pizzas are always a success when you use Emile Henry’s pizza stone. Made in France of Burgundy clay, Emile Henry BBQ Ceramic allows the stone to withstand high heat temperatures (up to 700°F/370°C), turning the backyard grill into a pizza oven.
Available in two sizes (14” or 10.25”), the round pizza stone absorbs moisture from the pizza dough while distributing heat evenly throughout the pizza, resulting in perfectly cooked crust – crispy or soft, without overcooked toppings. The stone heats up quickly; in about 15 minutes, making meal preparation quick and easy.

Emile Henry Grilling  / Baking Stone
This stone can withstand high oven temperatures and is safe to use under the broiler, on gas and charcoal grills, and even on an open fire.  Grill salmon, pizza and more on this generously sized grill (17.5” x 13.75”).

Where to Buy: Look for Emile Henry products in specialty kitchen stores across Canada. To find a retailer, consumers can call Browne toll-free at 866-306-3672, visit www.emilehenry.com (click on Canada).

About Browne Retail Canada
Browne & Co. Retail Division is the exclusive Canadian distributor of high quality kitchen and giftware: Bamix, Berard, CDN Timers & Thermometers, Cuisipro, Dreamfarm, Emile Henry, Global Knives, Kasumi Knives, Kitchen Grips, Mosa Whippers, Pulltex wine accessories, as well as a distributor of Arc/Luminarc/Chef & Sommelier and Gobel Bakeware. For more information, visit www.browneretail.com.

Watch Bonnie Gordon talking about The Cake Show on City TV Breakfast Television.

Read all about it in the Toronto Sun and Ecoki.com.

Planters Canada goes nuts for the environment
More than 1 million canisters will be converted to new, eco-friendly packaging

April 2, 2012, TORONTO – Planters is nuts about the environment. The 100-year-old brand is converting more than 1 million units of their traditional canisters to new 100% recyclable packaging. Planters Naturals and Planters Lightly Sea Salted lines are the first Planters products to get the new packaging made from BPA-free, recycled PET.

The new clear packaging allows for an unimpeded view of the product, but maintains the shape of the traditional tins, making them easy to pack for quick, healthy snacks on the go.

“Planters Canada is proud to demonstrate its commitment to the environment by introducing this new packaging,” said Don Lock, Planters VP Sales & Marketing. “Our traditional canisters contain recyclable elements, but now it’s so much easier for our customers since they can recycle the containers without separating the components. It’s what our customers had been asking for and it was the right thing to do.”

Planters wants Canada to go nuts for the environment, too. From April 2 to June 15, Canadians can visit facebook.com/PlantersCanada to vote or nominate their favourite environmental charity, organization or community project to receive a $10,000 donation. Plus, one lucky winner will have the opportunity to win a $20,000 energy efficient Kitchen Makeover by entering on Facebook daily.

The newly packaged products aren’t just naturally better for the environment, they’re naturally better for you. Planters Naturals are unsalted while Planters Lightly Sea Salted products have 50 per cent less sodium than Planters salted products. Nuts are a part of a healthy, balanced diet, offering a rich source of vitamins (especially Vitamin E), minerals (including iron and calcium), essential fatty acids, fibre and plant sterols that may lower cholesterol. Peanuts are also 100 per cent cholesterol free.

Planters Products new 100% recyclable products include:
Planters Lightly Salted: Almonds, Cashews, Cocktail Peanuts and Deluxe Mixed Nuts
Planters Naturals: Raw Almonds, Raw Walnuts Halves, Raw Mixed Nuts and Raw Pecan Halves

Planters new recyclable packs are available at major grocery retailers across Canada and are recyclable where recycling facilities exist. Visit planterspeanuts.ca for more information.

Jamie Oliver’s range of Mediterranean-inspired foods now widely available across the GTA
Line of pestos, pasta and sauces reflect Jamie Oliver’s passion for honest, lovely food

Toronto, February 10, 2012—Jamie Oliver’s passion for creating honest, simple food led to the development of his range of Mediterranean-inspired food products, now available at Sobey’s Urban Fresh stores across Ontario and more than 140 independent grocery retailers in the Toronto area.

The range of essential Italian staples including such standouts as an award-winning Walnut and Red Pepper Pesto, Free-Range Egg Lasagne, and a Red Onion & Rosmary Pasta Sauce.  The line is also well priced: most of the more than 30 products are priced at under $10.00 (suggested retail price).

Jamie’s love for Italy and everything Italian has been instrumental in shaping his attitude to food. “I love Italy and everything it stands for,” says Jamie, “the wonderful ingredients, the beautiful places, the lovely people and the never-ending passion they have for their families.”

Jamie Oliver wanted to bring a little spirit of this fantastic country to the home cook in a way that is pure and enjoyable. The Jamie Oliver range includes a selection of authentic pasta sauces, pestos, dried pasta, oils, balsamic vinegar and antipasti which are second to none in terms of taste and at a great price; the perfect solution to creating beautiful and delicious family meals.  The range also includes seasoning sachets and grind mills.

Jamie Oliver’s range uses top-quality ingredients. Jamie Oliver’s Green Pesto is made in Liguria – the birthplace of pesto – using locally sourced ingredients where possible. For his Free-Range Egg Lasange, Jamie partnered with Pastificio Fazion, a family business in Verona that specializes in oven-ready lasagne sheets. The pasta sauces are made in Italy, using only the ripest tomatoes and best ingredients.

“These are simple, but lovely sauces that can be tossed with pasta, baked in a lasagne, or used as the base of a fish stew or even a soup,” says Jamie Oliver.

There’s absolutely no reason why a jar of sauce should be seen as boring, says Jamie, who also believes that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated.  With a little bit of basic know-how, cooking tasty food for you, your family and friends can be quite simple.

Product Availability
Jamie Oliver’s Italian foods are now available in Ontario at Sobeys Urban Fresh, Rabba, Valu-mart, T&T and over 140 independent retailers in the Toronto area. In western Canada, Jamie’s herb and spice grind mills can be found at London Drugs.

About Shalit Foods Inc.
The Jamie Oliver range of products are distributed in Canada by Shalit Foods Inc. Shalit Foods Inc. (www.shalitfoods.com) is a Canadian owned supplier of innovative brands for foodservice and retail, with the mission of bringing high quality and healthy brands to its customers. For news and offers, visit www.facebook.com/shalitfoods.

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CTV News (Health Blog)

Edmonton Journal

Good Food Revolution

The Chronicle-Herald

Toronto Sun

Clean Eating Magazine

SavvyMom.ca

Canadian Press

Chatelaine

Canadian Lentils launch webisodes starring Celebrity Chef Michael Smith
“How-to” videos showcase versatility and simplicity of Canadian lentils

Canadian Lentils announced the launch of a new series of 12 webisodes starring Celebrity Chef Michael Smith. The online videos, available exclusively at www.lentils.ca, are packed with cooking tips and easy everyday recipes that highlight the simplicity and versatility of Canadian lentils.

“I love lentils, they’re a big part of my family’s food lifestyle,” says Chef Michael Smith, “I love how easy they are to cook, how healthy and tasty they are. They’re ideal! I had a great time on the prairies in Saskatchewan getting to know our lentil farmers and I’m proud to honour them with this menu of webisodes and recipes. I’m sure they’ll inspire your family to enjoy lentils as much as we do!”

Some of the recipes created by Chef Smith include Sneaky Lentil Cookies, Sweet Potato Lentil Chili, and Green Lentils with Bacon & Tarragon. Viewers can also watch Chef Smith visit Saskatchewan and meet lentil farmers from the Nagel Family Farm in Mossbank, Saskatchewan.

“Canadian Lentils is proud to partner with Chef Michael Smith because he genuinely supports local, homegrown foods and is incredibly creative in the kitchen,” said Rachel Kehrig, Canadian Lentils. “The entertaining and informative webisodes show Canadians the many ways to add lentils to everyday meals. We are excited to spread the word about the simple nutrition and hidden health benefits of lentils.”

About Canadian Lentils
Canadian Lentils is an Official Mark of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG). SPG is a not-for-profit organization that represents lentil producers in Saskatchewan. For more information, visit www.lentils.ca.

About Chef Michael Smith, Food Network Host, Nutritional Activist, Food Media Producer
Chef Michael Smith, Canada’s best-known chef is a passionate advocate for simple, sustainable home cooking and an inspiration for families creating their own healthy food lifestyle. He’s the winner of the James Beard Award for Cooking Show Excellence and host of Chef Michaels Kitchen, Chef Abroad, Chef at Home and Chef at Large seen on Food Network Canada and in more than 100 other countries.

Webisodes are available exclusively at www.lentils.ca.

Valdepeñas Wine Tasting
For Wine Trade, Chefs, Sommeliers and Media Only.
Montreal, Newtown Lounge
Thursday February 2, 2012
11 am – 2 pm
To R.S.V.P. please contact media@cravepr.com

Toronto Food Festivals, Fairs and Fundraisers
Harbourfront Hot & Spicy Food Festival – September
Conscious Food Festival – August
Eat to the Beat (in support of Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada) – October
Food Truck Eats – Summer
Toronto’s Festival of Beer – August
Vegetarian Food Fair - September
Chef’s Challenge for a Cure (Featuring Bobby Flay in 2011- in support of Women’s Cancer Research, Mount Sinai Hospital) – November
Toronto Taste (Second Harvest) – June
Annual Picnic at the Brickworks – October
Taste of the Danforth – August
The Stop’s What’s On The Table – November
Salut Wine + Food Festival – May
Brickworks Underground Market – September, October – NEW!
Summerlicious & Winterlicious

Toronto Food-related Trade and Consumer Shows
Canada’s Baking and Sweet Show – October
Delicious Food Show – October
Gourmet Food and Wine Expo – November
CRFA Expo – May 2012
Good Food Festival and Market – May 2012
Toronto Wine and Cheese Show – March 2012
Green Living Show – April
Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival – June
Toronto Ribfest – June
Canadian Health Food Expo – October
Grocery Innovations Show – October
SIAL Canada (Toronto/Montreal) – May
Bakery Showcase (Baking Assoc. of Canada) – May

1 Tbsp Ground Chia Seeds (I used Salba)
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Quinoa Flour
1/2 cup Arrowroot Flour or Tapioca Flour
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

15 oz can of Pure Organic Pumpkin
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Agave
1/4 cup of Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Instructions: Mix dry ingredients into wet. Fold in nuts. Line 12 muffins cups. Bake at 325-350 for 35 minutes.

The Globe and Mail’s Food Policy Reporter, Jessica Leeder, wrote about the lack of vendors to sell at Farmers’ markets in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Apparently, there just aren’t enough small vendors available to rent out stalls at local farmers’ markets. Read the full article here.

Jennifer Bain at the Toronto Star wrote about the foods she found at The CNE: Where to find 30 foods on a stick. I made the annual pilgrimage to the CNE as a child and the pogo stick and candy floss were always a highlight.

The Globe and Mail’s Lucy Waverman wrote about a recent trip to New York City and where she ate at Red Rooster in Harlem, Marcus Samuelsson’s joyous new restaurant, and The Dutch. Check out her recipes for Fried Yardbird and The Dutch’s Dirty Rice.

Rebecca Tucker at the National Post test drove a Le Creuset Dutch Oven. I use a KitchenAid Dutch Oven to bake Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread. I also bought a Le Creuset grill pan in sage green at a Florida outlet shop earlier this year. It’s quickly become my most favourite cooking tool and is easier than making my way to the rooftop bbq.

To get your product noticed, a creative approach works best…and product samples, great photography and a strong holiday “news hook” are vital. It’s important to catch the reporter’s attention as there is a great deal of competition to get gift ideas featured and limited editorial space. The right positioning is also important – is your product or service a gift for dad, mom, him or her, kids or for hostess, an “ultimate fantasy gift,” a gift for a foodie, or perhaps a “gift under $25″? These are some of the typical categories that reporters cover.

Many reporters collect ideas throughout the year, so it’s never too early to start planning your holiday PR campaign. Contact Crave PR to discuss your holiday gift guide plans.