Monday, April 13, 2015

Mariani Packing Company announces exclusive partnership with Ganeden Biotech




Dried Fruit and Probiotics are perfect partners in digestive health

-- Mariani Packing Company, the world's largest independent producer of dried fruit, has
 partnered with Ganeden Biotech, a recognized leader in the manufacturing and marketing
of probiotics. This partnership will allow Mariani to build upon the company's legacy
of innovation through the development of a new portfolio of dried fruit snacks and
 ingredient products utilizing GanedenBC30 Probiotic Cultures.

"As consumers continue to demand more from the snacks and food that they
are eating, dried fruit partnered with the benefits of probiotics is an
ideal combination," says Miranda Ackerman, Director of Innovation
and Business Development. "We are very excited for our upcoming launch
of consumer products, initially focused on digestive health and overall wellness,
as well as the portfolio of fruit ingredients in development that we will be
 able to provide for our global customers."

Dried fruit is a natural source of dietary fiber, which is shown to support
 digestive health. Combining the natural health benefits of dried fruit with
 a highly stable probiotic culture will allow consumers to add probiotics
to their everyday snacking and eating occasions in a more versatile and
convenient way. As the market and education on probiotics increases,
 consumer awareness continues to grow - currently about 80% of
onsumers know what probiotics are and associate them with a health benefit.

"This dried fruit innovation combines prebiotics and probiotics into a truly
 functional health product that is complemented by antioxidants,"
says Dr. Holly Petty, Director of Technical Services and Innovation.
"Our partnership with Ganeden has enabled us to bring a product to
market that delivers active cultures 10 times more effectively than
yogurt – but in a shelf stable form."

About Mariani Packing Company
Mariani Packing Company, Inc is the world's largest independently
producer of dried fruit. Since 1906, the Mariani family has been
providing premium quality dried fruit to consumers and customers
 all over the world. The company produces over 150 million pounds
of dried fruit each year and Mariani's dried fruit ingredients are used in
 some of the largest, recognized food brands in the world.
 The Mariani brand can be found in over 40,000 retail outlets
in the United States and in over 65 countries around the world.
For more information, visit www.mariani.com.

About Ganeden
Ganeden Biotech is at the forefront of probiotic research and product
development with an extensive library of published studies and more
 than 100 patents for probiotic technologies in the food, beverage,
 animal health, and now personal care ingredients markets. Ganeden
is best known for GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086),
its patented, FDA GRAS, highly stable probiotic ingredient

. For more information about Ganeden Biotech
and licensing opportunities visit GanedenBiotech.com.
CONTACT: Miranda Ackerman, mackerman@mariani.com, 707-452-2832


Friday, April 10, 2015

Old Orchard Brands® Makes Good Nutrition Easy With New Cranberry Cherry Juice Drink Sweetened With Truvia® Brand Stevia Leaf Sweetener




Leading Better-For-You Juice Company Expands its Cran Naturals Line to
 Offer Six Varieties

Cranberry Cherry reduced-calorie juice drink as part of its expanding
Cran Naturals line of naturally sweetened juice cocktails.









Cranberry Cherry is sold in convenient
multi-serve bottles found this month in the
 shelf-stable juice aisle of select grocery stores
 nationwide. Each 64-ounce bottle provides
eight servings and has a suggested retail price of $2.99.
At just 55 calories per serving,
Old OrchardCran Naturals features
50% less sugar than traditional
100% cranberry juice blends, while still
offering the great taste and benefits of cranberry juice.

"Cranberries are one of nature's superfoods, and they provide a powerful nutritional payback,"
 said health expert and Old Orchard consultant Amy Bragagnini, MS RD CSO. "The easiest
way to enjoy the benefits of cranberries is through juice, but traditional juices are often high in
 sugar.  The Cran Naturals line offers a substantial reduction of sugar, and it does so naturally,
 so it's a terrific option in my book." 
Old Orchard's Cran Naturals line is naturally sweetened with a blend of real sugar and
Truvia® brand stevia leaf sweetener. It does not contain any high fructose corn syrup,
and has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
"Today's cranberry juice consumer wants options, and our Cran Naturals line speaks
 to these evolving tastes," said Mark Saur, founder and CEO of Old Orchard Brands.
"Cranberry Cherry offers a unique flavor combination and a significant reduction in
sugar and calories without compromising drinkability or taste.  It's a winning formula,
and it further underscores our position as leading innovators in the fruit juice category."
Cranberry Cherry will join five other varieties: Classic Cranberry, Cranberry Apple, 
Cranberry Blueberry, Cranberry Grape and Cranberry Raspberry.
Cran Naturals juice drinks and other better-for-you juices from Old Orchard Brands
 are sold at leading retailers across the United States.

Visit Old Orchard Brands on Facebook and Twitter for the latest juice news and
special offers.
About Old Orchard Brands
Established in 1985, Sparta, Michigan-based Old Orchard Brands is one of the
 fastest-growing fruit juice brands in the United States. The company offers consumers
 40 frozen concentrate flavors and 60 bottled varieties in a range of 100 percent
fruit juices and blends, premium and organic juices, fruit juice cocktails and low-sugar
 fruit juice cocktails. In addition, Old Orchard offers a number of non-juice items
including iced coffee and tea beverages from concentrate. The company is known
for its innovative and value-added products that target the needs of today's
health conscious consumers.
For more about Old Orchard, visit www.oldorchard.com.


Thursday, April 9, 2015

Viree Blues Boreale features THE Revelation of the Canadian Blues scene on this 21st edition




    The warm and powerful voice of their lead singer, their heavy pounding Blues with Soul-tainted groove sure makes them THE Blues Discovery of this year!   And that’s exactly what they are, being nominated as "Revelation Band of the Year" and "Female Blues Artist of the Year" at 2015 Lys Blues Awards.   Whisky Legs is a clever mix of nostalgia with contemporaneity.

    Based in the heart of Quebec City’s famous St-Roch neighbourhood, Whisky Legs is immersed in a passionate surrounding, casted in an alloy of power and sensitivity.   With a definitely «sixties» aura adorned with a modern touch, the band amalgamates the groove and deepness of the Soul with the thrill and ease of the Blues Rock.   Their music displays a spirit of rebellion while rallying and steeped in a touch of mystery.   Born in la Belle Province, their inspiration stems from here and elsewhere as well.   We can’t though leave aside the influences of Amy Winehouse, Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr. nor of the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

    Less than two years after their 2013 debut, Whisky Legs is on a roll.   They’ve already played more than 100 shows such as Tremblant Blues Festival and the now closed Cabaret du Capitole.   They also earned the "tournée coup de coeur" award by the ROSEQ and also, up to now, two nominations to the 2015 Lys Blues 2015 which gala will take place next May.   Their first EP, “Have A Shot”, which sold more than 1000 copies in just a few months leads to expect a great new album now in the making and expected out later this year.   At the helm of the band,  Maude Brochu (Lead Vocalist) forms the heart of the project in synchronicity with triple threat Pascal Denis (drums, guitar and vocals) with whom she's been collaborating for six years.   The band is rounded out by old friend and guitar slinger extraordinaire Guillaume Methot (guitars and vocals) and now with the hot new comer Louis Fernandez joining (bass, guitar and vocals).

    We invite you to hear and see for yourselves the reasons for this new genre Blues Band’s dazzling success at Viree Blues Boreale and hear first-hand the tunes that will be on their very first album.   Whiskey Legs will be performing here during Viree Blues Boreale’s 21st edition, on April 8th 2015, around 8 p.m., at the famous bar Le Petit Chicago, 50 Promenade du Portage, in the Old-Hull sector.   Tickets are right now on sale at: www.vireeblues.ca and will also be available at the door, still for 20$ only.  You can take advantage of our interesting, practical and pleasant diner and show package and enjoy the delectable grilled dishes of Galo Piri Piri Restaurant (www.galopiripiri.com), 2 doors from Le Petit Chicago, which will also reserve your assigned places at the show.   Reservations can be made at: (819)771-7474.   In the meantime, you can find further information on our featured guest at: www.whiskeylegs.com .   You should also visit our site which will provide you with links to all our guests’ sites and lots of other interesting information at: www.vireeblues.ca .   For inquiries, please do contact Alexandre Petit at: info@vireeblues.ca .   
Also make sure to take part in the facebook event for this show at: www.facebook.com/events/473390096145686/ and be sure to also like us on our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/vireeblues .

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Alberta Ballet Announces 2015-2016 Season

49th season showcases acclaimed Canadian choreographers and designers. Featuring six Alberta premieres and two world premieres, season highlights include Balletlujah! and Romeo and Juliet, and brand new works from outstanding choreographers.
 Alberta Ballet is proud to announce its 2015-2016 season, highlighting the best in Canadian choreography. Next season Alberta Ballet will present the world premiere of brand new choreography from Vancouver based Wen Wei Wang and the company's own Yukichi Hattori alongside Jean Grand-Maître's critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet, Balletlujah! and Love Lies Bleeding. The season will also feature work by Alberta's Aszure Barton, and Edmund Stripe's holiday classic The Nutcracker. Guest companies will include dance legend Paul Taylor's extraordinary ensemble and Shaping Sound, starring the finalist and champions of the immensely popular television show So You Think You Can Dance.
Music for the season will be highlighted by an array of composers and songwriters: from Astor Piazzolla's unforgettable tangos to the elegance of Tchaikovsky's ballet masterpieces, from k.d. lang's legendary interpretations to Elton John's prolific genius, from the unbridled joy of the Andrews Sisters' wartime catalogue to the highly dramatic Prokofiev's extraordinary Romeo and Juliet, the 2015-2016 season has something for all musical tastes. Performances of The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet will feature live music performed by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
"Oh Canada! This coming season we are proudly celebrating the best of Canadian dance as we focus especially on our own, home-grown choreographic giants. Come and join Albertans Aszure Barton, Yukichi Hattori, Edmund Stripe and myself, as well as Vancouver's Wen Wei Wang for a series of profoundly moving ballets which will inspire us all to keep believing in humanity's potential for truth and beauty," says Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maître.

2015-2016 Season Schedule:
Balletlujah!Calgary: September 24-26, 2015
Edmonton: October 2-3, 2015
Choreography: Jean Grand-Maître
Music: k.d. lang
Paul Taylor Dance CompanyCalgary: October 29-31, 2015
Edmonton: November 6-7, 2015
Choreography: Paul Taylor
Music: Astor Plazzolla & Jerzy Peterburshsky, Johann Sebastian Bach, the Andrews Sisters
Up CloseCalgary: November 18-21, 2015
Choreography: Yukichi Hattori and Alberta Ballet company artists
The NutcrackerEdmonton: December 10-13, 2015
Calgary: December 17-24, 2015
Choreography: Edmund Stripe
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Shaping SoundEdmonton: January 12-13, 2016
Calgary: January 15-16, 2016
Choreography: Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, Kyle Robinson
Dynamic DirectionsCalgary: February 11-13, 2016
Edmonton: February 19-20, 2016
Choreography: Aszure Barton, Wen Wei Wang, Yukichi Hattori
Romeo and JulietEdmonton: March 18-19, 2016
Calgary: March 31- April 2, 2016
Choreographer: Jean Grand-Maître
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Love Lies BleedingCalgary: May 5-7, 2016
Edmonton: May 13-14, 2016
Choreography: Jean Grand-Maître
Music: Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Subscriptions will be available after April 17, 2015 and single tickets will be available after June 1, 2015 through Alberta Ballet's Box Office by phone at 403-245-4549 in Calgary, 780-428-6839 in Edmonton or online at www.albertaballet.com.
SOURCE Alberta Ballet

For further information:
For media inquires please contact: Danielle Bartha, Publicist and Promotions Officer, P: 403.245.4222 ext. 549, C: 403.606.4669, E: danielleb@albertaballet.com

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Charcuterie 101: Cured Meat Pairing Tips

Mastering the art of plating charcuterie takes knowledge not only about cheeses and condiments, but the taste profiles behind the variety of meats. Meat connoisseur Tim Ray, CEO and co-founder of Carnivore Club, wants to encourage meat lovers and foodies alike to feed their inner carnivores by using his tips to highlight and compliment the for the perfect charcuterie board:
  • Create a complete meal: The basic charcuterie board is comprised of meat, cheese, bread/crackers, fruit/vegetables and condiments. To elevate the epicurious experience, incorporate items to consume in between the bites of meat and cheese such as grapes, olives, blueberries, almonds and sliced apples.
  • Design around a theme: Different themes bring together a unique variety of cuts, cooking preparations and flavors.
    • Try a traditional Italian board with thinly sliced prosciutto and bresaola
    • A spicy board featuring Italian Nduja and hot Spanish Chorizo, with an original American artisans’ twist
    • A French-themed board featuring duck breast prosciutto or a wild boar terrine.
  • Make it visually appetizing: Depending on the size of the board, there should be enough different types of selections to deliver a great visual display. Choose various colors of meats, cheeses and fruits that will create an appetizing and inviting meal.
  • Introduce complimentary flavors: All of the components on the dish should compliment different flavor profiles.
    • Smooth and milky cheeses like Brie are great to pair with more gamey and strong taste profiles like venison chorizo – which is great to top off with a sweet and salty gherkin and pickled onion.
    • A fresh French baguette and a sweet artisan Riesling Honey Mustard also pair well with some slightly warmed-up cuts of meat like duck confit. 
For more information, visit CarnivoreClub.co.