Food For Thought
October 2007
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In this issue of Food for Thought, we take a look at trends for the upcoming holiday party season. We also welcome back Maree Richards-Benson to the newly created Regional Sales Manager position overseeing the Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, DC and Orlando areas. Finally, we recap Progressive Gourmet's final two trade shows of 2007 - the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and the Mid-Atlantic Food, Beverage & Lodging Expo.

Small is still big in food as we head into the holiday season. Vancouver-based Chef Louis Gervais offers some insight as to what to plan for this holiday season in food and drinks.

According to Gervais, Five Diamond Executive Chef and owner of Vancouver catering company Louis Gervais Fine Foods, this year's food trends incorporate creative serving ideas and miniature holiday food favorites.

The most "with-it" corporate and private events of the season will feature complete miniature meals. Offering a hearty and satisfying alternative to traditional hors d'oeuvres these themed foods are ideal for cocktail parties. Guests can enjoy such delights as a teeny duck shepherd's pie with marbled yam soufflé, presented in a mini ramekin and accompanied with a small fork. To create a real spectacle, carry a tray of mini Christmas puddings that have been soaked in brandy and set on fire, into a dimmed room filled with friends and family.

With so much party hopping during the holiday season it is common to skip major meals and instead rely on snacking at events. Guests will appreciate more nourishing foods that celebrate the season in a playful and creative way.

Food presentation is another way to impress guests. Try serving mouthfuls of festive treats on individual, elegant silver spoons - a trend made popular by French celebrity chef Alain Ducasse - or even classic Christmas records.

It is common to serve hors d'oeuvres on crackers or small slices of bread, however the Atkins diet has made people increasingly wary of their carb intake. Serving food on spoons is an inventive way to cut unwanted carbohydrates while maintaining delicious toppings.

Finally, when it comes to serving cocktails, try adding an original twist to an old favorite. This season our holiday and Christmas catering menu offers several fun cocktail recipes this season - like a Christmas Cosmopolitan using rosemary infused vodka, frozen cranberries and a sprig of rosemary for garnish. It's easy to make and adds a festive touch to any gathering
Maree Richards-Benson returns to Progressive Gourmet after just over two years in Cairo, Egypt. Born and raised in Ireland, Maree has many years of sales experience, including previously working with Progressive Gourmet as an Area Sales Rep in the Washington, DC market. Maree started out as a special education teacher and also spent some time as a psychiatric nurse, which gave her great training for sales.

Maree is happy to be back with Progressive Gourmet after her time in Cairo, doing mostly marketing and sales contract work for a variety of companies. Among her projects were designing and implementing marketing and sales plan to launch the Center of Arab West Understanding. She hopes to bring continued excellence and extended services to our customers and build beneficial relationships, both with customers and Progressive Gourmet teammates.
In the past month, Progressive Gourmet has been very busy with trade show appearances. At the beginning of September, we were at the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show in Orlando and it was a very successful event. We had many visitors to our booth, which was in a great corner location. Popular products included the New England Lobster Pot Pie which many attendees said was the best item at the show.

To finish out our trade shows for the year, we made our first appearance in the Washington, DC market in five years at the Mid-Atlantic Food, Beverage and Lodging Expo. Again, the New England Lobster Pot Pie was a very popular item and had many visitors coming back for seconds. We also showcased a number of items from our upcoming Holiday Product list, including the delicious Pumpkin Cognac Cheesecake. We look forward to continuing our trade show appearances in the Washington, DC area next year.

Thank you to anyone who visited us at any of our trade show appearances this year. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Keep an eye on your Inbox for a very special Holiday promotion from Progressive Gourmet!

Sincerely,
Progressive Gourmet

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