Soup To Nutz

A native of Philadelphia, Maria has been in the food business for most of her career as a manufacturer, distributor and restaurateur. Now with Food Trade News for over 10 years, she likes to say we inform, educate and entertain. She can be reached at [email protected].

Ever since I returned from Sicily, I have been thinking about the food and the wine and how delicious and fresh it tasted there. I wanted to learn more about the actual making of wine, and who better to ask than my friends, the Corrado family of Corrado’s Family Affair in Clifton, NJ? When I called Jim Corrado, grandson of founder James Corrado, he told me the “season” actually runs from the end of August through October. So, we set a date and off I went to learn about wine making. The Corrados operate the famed Corrado’s Family Affair markets in three locations in northern New Jersey – Clifton, Wayne and Fairfield, but the wine making facility is in Clifton.

When I arrived, the store was bustling with people. From what I learned, folks come from up and down the East Coast like migratory birds to chose their grapes and have them crushed. I was greeted by Jimmy Corrado, one of the third generation in this family owned and operated multi faceted business. The wine grape crushing and pressing was started more than 50 years ago, as long as the store has been in existence. It moved to its present location still within the Corrado complex in the early 1990s. It is an impressive operation with four large grape crushing machines. Jimmy told me he goes to California every year and buys from six or seven growers who span generations, just like his family. They are like family, he tells me. The process itself isn’t that difficult, you pick your grapes, which by the way are sweeter and smaller than table grapes. One case of grapes will yield about three gallons of juice. The process takes about 10 minutes. Grapes can also be crushed and the skins left on for better fermentation or the skins can be discarded. Then the “juice” is put into a demi-john (jug) or a wooden barrel and fermented. We talked about sulfites too. “Sulfites are organic by nature,” Jim said. “The vines produce them to protect themselves.” So, I asked Jim how he got into this end of the business. He said he used to follow his grandfather around and watched how he handled people. He knew then that this was what he wanted to do. In fact all of the Corrados are in the family business, which includes a garden shop, a liquor store, a pet supply store, a wholesale restaurant supply store, the fabulous market and of course, the wine making facility. Jimmy says the three sons of James and nine cousins all work well together, and they are happy to see each other every day. This is family business as it should be. Now, back to the wine. This hobby can be started up for as little as $120 or as much as $1,000. It’s a hobby that soon becomes a tradition. Anyone who walks in from the street can find everything they need, including the guidance to put a successful operation together at Corrado’s. Jimmy’s advice for the novice wine maker, :top in and have him give you ideas to get started, and there’s no charge for that! There’s a twist to this story, wine making has become a year round hobby because Chilean grapes are harvested in April. California grapes are harvested in the fall. Each year Corrado’s hosts a huge party in honor of founder James Corrado. Save January 27, 2012 for the 13th annual party. For more information about this event, go to www.corradosmarket.com . In addition, beer making at home has become quite popular, Jimmy told me. He says it’s more of a social hobby than winemaking, more weekly than seasonal. One can also find every ingredient necessary to start a home brewery at Corrado’s. Hope to see some of you there next fall as I commence my newest hobby!

The AMR/MAFTO 7th annual Honoree of the Year award was given out to the Redner Family at the gala dinner dance this past November 4-6 in Atlantic City at the Trump Taj Mahal Resort. Dinner dance chairman Charlie Poletti of Acosta and his team, which included Eric White of Redner’s, put together a weekend to remember. Many members of the Redner family attended, including Earl “The Chief” and Karen Redner, Dick and Elaine Redner, Ryan and Christina Redner and Gary Michael Redner whose wife could not join in the festivities. Industry glitterati partied the weekend away enjoying the food, music and dancing as the Soul Cruisers sang and performed. Even “The Chief” his lovely wife Karen were out on the dance floor cutting a rug. The highlight of the evening was a heartfelt speech given by Dick Redner on behalf of his family. This event also marks the distribution of scholarship checks to college students. Brian Chick, Ritter Poultry, did the honors and presented nine scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each to the following students: Kristie Fluharty, Camden County Community College; Shane Brennan, Salesianum High School; Jennifer Borch, Indiana University of PA; Marykate O’Connell, Bloomsburg University; Kyle Nardi, Drexel University, son of the late Frank Nardi Jr.; Garrett Pope, Bloomsburg University; James Mullen Jr., University of South Carolina; Nicole Krzaczyk, St. Joseph’s University. One scholarship will also go to an as-yet unnamed recipient from Redner’s. A good time was had by all who attended!

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I would have to call 2011 the year of produce education for me. It started with the opening of the new Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market in the first half of the year, continued with my first trip to the Produce Marketing Association’s annual Fresh Summit in Atlanta this past month and just ended with the New York Produce Show, held at the New York Hilton in mid-town Manhattan. I never thought produce could be so exciting! Being at the PMA in Atlanta was like being at the FMI conventions in Chicago back in the mid-1980s. We could actually feel the excitement and buzz in the air. With my new found interest in produce at its peak, my colleague, Karen Fernandez and I walked up and down the many aisles filled with countless varieties of fruits and vegetables, new items not even ready to go to market and value-added non-produce items trying to make their way to the produce section. We ran into Derrick Jenkins and his team from Wakefern, and Acme’s produce team of Trish James, Jay Schneider and Bill Paiano. While many of the items on display at the show may not be new to produce mavens, I was fascinated by products we don’t see too often in our local markets. I was introduced to: the rambutan, a stone fruit with an sea urchin like shell; Buddah’s hand, a sinewy citrus with more skin than meat; variegated pink limes with green stripes and not so tart pink citrus inside; kiwi berries that look like green olives on the outside and kiwi fruit on the inside; and finger limes, small gherkin shaped limes with caviar-like balls of citrus inside…too good to explain. Of course, the Sicilian blood orange juice commanded my attention as I walked by. The finger lime would have to be my favorite. However, according to Megan Shanley of Shanley Farms in California, they aren’t quite ready to go to market yet. When they are, I will be the first customer! A tip of the hat to the PMA team, including president Bryan Sylberman and Anthony Barbieri for putting together a show that was truly one of the best I have attended in a while. At the end of the exposition, more than 316,000 pounds of surplus produce went to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which is one of 200 in the Feeding America food bank network.  

In a market we say is over-stored, new stores and store remodels keep popping up all over the Mid-Atlantic market. In the past month, ShopRite has opened three brand new stores, one owned and operated by the Miller family in Hatfield, PA and two in New Jersey – Toms River and Somerville – both owned and operated by the Saker Family. Redner’s opened a new store in Chester County, PA. Both Giant/Carlisle and Foodtown had grand re-openings. Foodtown of New Brunswick, NJ debuted its newly appointed unit, which is owned and operated by the Estevez Group, a father and son company (Juan & John Estevez) who also operate seven Foodtown locations in the Metro New York & New Jersey marketplace. The Giant/Carlisle in Yardley, PA was extensively enlarged all while keeping the store open to customers! And just in time for the huge eating holidays which are almost upon us!

Giant/Carlisle recently opened its first store in Philadelphia and with it has also made a commitment to the neighborhood it serves. This was quite evident on October 27 as more than 130 associates from the new Grant Avenue location, District 110, the division support office, and members of the operating committee came out in force to build a new playground for the Mayfair community. The rain did not dampen spirits as the child-designed playground was built in record time from scratch by a team of hundreds of volunteers from Giant, the Mayfair Civic Association, the Mayfair Community Development Group and organizers from KaBOOM. Giant wanted to mark this exciting occasion by giving back to the local community that shop at the new Grant Avenue location. “Giant/Martin’s is a company that lives and gives in the communities we serve, particularly around one of our main charitable missions of improving the quality of life for children,” said Rick Herring, president. “We are thrilled to have partnered with KaBOOM and Mayfair Civic Association to make the building of a playground a reality for children of the Mayfair community.” The new playground will provide more than 2,000 children in the community with a safe place to play.

For the ninth year, employees at C&S Wholesale Grocers’ facilities joined millions of volunteers around the country to participate in Make A Difference Day, a nationwide day of service sponsored by USA Weekend with HandsOnNetwork, a division of the Points of Light Institute. Working closely with local nonprofit organizations, C&S organized 15 community service projects, ranging from repairing flood damaged homes to serving meals at soup kitchens. “For hundreds of our employees, Make A Difference Day is special,” said Gina Goff, C&S director of community involvement. “On the fourth Saturday in October we take part in the nation’s largest day of volunteer action as a way to help our neighbors and improve our communities.” C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to stop hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company’s employees and facilities.

It is always better to hear good news than bad, and this month we seem to have many good wishes to send out to our friends in the food business. We send our congratulations to J&J Snack Foods Corp., the world’s largest producer of soft pretzels on its 40th anniversary! It was on September 27, 1971, that the assets of J&J Soft Pretzel Company were purchased at bankruptcy auction by Gerald B. Shreiber. At the time, the company had eight employees and sales of less than $400,000 annually. Today as J&J celebrates 40 years of record sales, it has more than 3,000 employees, sales of nearly $750 million and distribution throughout both national and international markets. For 160 straight quarters, J&J Snack Foods has continued to grow, while remaining a debt-free company. J&J Snack Foods Corp’s expanding portfolio of products includes soft pretzels, frozen beverages, frozen juice treats and desserts, churros, funnel cakes, cookies and bakery goods, and other snack foods and drinks. These niche snack food products are available for purchase at nearly 50,000 snack bars, food stands and supermarkets. “While we are deeply proud of our company’s success and its employees’ accomplishments, we are equally optimistic about our future for continued growth and success,” said Shreiber. “J&J is a rare combination of special niche products, complemented by talented people with superior work ethics sharing common dreams and goals.”

Although he recently retired, don’t look for Dean Janeway, president emeritus of Wakefern Food Corp., to be sitting in a rocking chair any time soon. We congratulate him as he assumes the position of chairman of the board of New Jersey Health Foundation and its affiliate, the Foundation of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead this esteemed group of individuals,” Janeway said, following his election. “I can’t thank Roger (Fine, former chairman) enough for his 15 years of service, which he performed with unbelievable integrity and drive.” In addition to this appointment, Janeway will continue to mentor the up and coming generation of Shop Rite owners as they prepare to enter their family businesses.

Congratulations to Penn Jersey Paper, a leading supplier of supermarket and foodservice equipment and supplies, on achieving the LEED Silver Certification for their facility on Red Lion Road in Northeast Philadelphia. The new 255,336 square foot facility, located on 30 acres of land, needed to meet certain measurable green design, operations, and maintenance solutions in order to receive certification. “This is important to us.” Said Tom Furia Jr., president of PJP. “Penn Jersey offers products and programs that promote the use of sustainable, earth friendly solutions. We should also be able to distribute out of a building that reinforces our commitment.”

Speaking of going green, you all know about my passion for reusable shopping bags. Yet another Philadelphia retailer has caught the bug, so I am sending kudos out to Fresh Markets for their efforts to help customers become more aware. Select Fresh Grocer supermarkets have launched a program to incentivize customers to become more environmentally friendly. The “Go Green, Get Rewarded” program offers at-the-register savings to customers who use Fresh Grocer reusable bags as substitutes for plastic bags. Similar to other retailer programs, for every reusable Fresh Grocer-brand bag used at checkout, customers are awarded with a five cent rebate on their grocery order. The rewards system was designed to help encourage customers to go green and to offer additional savings for green actions. Here’s the best part for the consumer: in conjunction with the program, Recyclebank, a company that rewards people with discounts and deals from local and national businesses for being green, is offering customers a Bonus Points Card worth 50 points when using or purchasing a Fresh Grocer reusable bag. Recyclebank points are allocated to people who are proactively making green decisions. Points can then be redeemed at www.recyclebank.com for offers like $5 off a $40 Fresh Grocer purchase. “The Fresh Grocer operates our stores with a commitment to the environment,” said Pat Burns, The Fresh Grocer’s president and CEO. “Our newly established Go Green, Get Rewarded program and our ongoing partnership with Recyclebank provide us with meaningful ways to reward customers for their green efforts.” The Fresh Grocer and Recyclebank have been partners for several years and are dedicated to preserving the environment. Simple remedies such as using Fresh Grocer reusable bags instead of plastic bags can make a significant difference. On average, using just one reusable bag eliminates about six plastic bags weekly, which is an estimated 312 bags per year. The Fresh Grocer offers insulated reusable bags for $1.49 and non insulated reusable bags for $1.00. Each reusable bag is manufactured using recycled materials and features various Philadelphia landmarks.

The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association elected the 2011-2012 officers and board of directors at the group’s annual business meeting, held recently in Chicago. Steve Beekhuizen, senior vice president of sales, Dawn Food Products, Inc. was elected as the association’s 48th president. Beekhuizen succeeds Mark Rudy, vice president of sales, Hubert Company, who continues to serve on the board. Other new officers for 2011-2012 are: executive vice president Voni Woods, Giant Eagle; vice president, Bill Klump Sr., Butterball, LLC; treasurer, Dave Leonhardi, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Inc.; and past president, Mark Rudy, Hubert Company. In addition, the IDDBA has announced that the 48th annual seminar and expo, Dairy-Deli-Bake 2012, will be held in New Orleans, LA, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, June 10-12. For more information and a complete list of directors, please go to www.iddba.org.

 Continuing the circle of life, Christopher J. O’Brien, age 48, of Middletown, DE passed away on October 13. He was a State Farm insurance agent. Chris is survived by his wife, Karen; three children, Sarah, Brendan and Colin; his parents, James and Geraldine O’Brien; five brothers, Jim, Jeffrey (Wakefern), Mark, David (HJ Heinz), and Glenn O’Brien; and two sisters, Nancy Habick and Sharon Lisnock. Donations can be made to Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation, 300 Water Street, Suite 103, Wilmington, DE 19801 or Delaware Hospice, Inc., 3515 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19810.

Birthday shout-outs for the thankful month of November go out to: Anthony Maglio Jr., Maglio Sausage Company; Bernie Ellis, industry consultant; Curt Gruber, Acosta Sales; Mike Marano, Force One Merchandising/AMG; Donna Tarzwell, wife of Mark Tarzwell, Ahold USA; Paul Bell, Bell Sales & Marketing; Ron Fish, Reading Consumer Products; Ken Wollman, and his wife Carolyn, who celebrate the same birthday; Pat McCarthy, McCarthy Lecture series; Jim Mullen, Acme Markets; Mike Mackin, Schmidt Baking; Don Ciotti, Bottom Dollar; and me, celebrating 29…again! Buon compleanno a tutti!

Celebrating marital bliss this month are: Roger and Phyllis Herding, retired from Safeway/Genuardi’s; Linda and Chuck Naddeo, HP Hood; Jay and Kelly Orfetel, Bimbo Bakeries; Bill and Laverne Todd, retired from Seltzer’s Smoked Meats. Happy anniversary!

I say this every year because it bears repeating, lest we forget: as we gather with family and friends for this most American of holidays, please take a minute to remember our troops at home and overseas who continue to sacrifice every day for our way of life. Even in these tumultuous times, we have much for which we should be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving

 Quote of the month: “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust