Kinoko Blog

Back to School with Hokto

Posted on by tkstaff

 

Most kids are excited about the prospect of going back to school–new clothes, new books, new supplies, –an opportunity to reconnect with classmates. But going back to school also means increased exposure to germs. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that nearly 22 million school days are lost each year due to the common cold, flu and other infections.

And, unfortunately, as nationwide budget cuts increase, larger class sizes, shorter school years and fewer staff, including janitorial services means a less clean classroom.

When preparing children for going back to school, learning about germ prevention and healthy habits are just as important as reading, writing and arithmetic.

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Add Pizzazz with Hokto Mushrooms

Posted on by tkstaff

Frozen dinners have come a long way since the ‘50s. Today, with the increased use of microwave ovens and less time spent stove cooking, frozen dinners have become a large part our dinner meal time. According to a Harris Interactive online survey, each American chills out with six frozen meals per month. Research by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) reports that over $4.5 billion is spent on frozen meals per year, mostly because consumers want convenience and prefer to eat dinner at home after a busy week. Summer excursions and back-to-school shopping trips cut further into dinner prep time, resulting in even less time spent on meal planning and cooking and increased spending on frozen entrees and pizza.

Fun Facts:

1. The average American eats an average of 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year.

2. Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or 350 slices per second.

3. Kids between the ages of 3 to 11 prefer pizza over all other food groups for lunch and dinner.

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Food Trends of 2010 & Hokto Mushroom’s Flavorful Nutrition – Part 3

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Emphasis on Flavorful Foods with Nutritional Benefits

The standard American diet (also known as SAD) is typically high in processed foods, which tend to be high in saturated and hydrogenated fats, high in sugar and salt and low in complex carbohydrates and fiber.

Two emerging food trends in the US have been identified as a demand for more nutritious food and food with flavor. The latest food trends include get back to basics with meals that are quick, but with an emphasis on flavor and also offering superior nutritional value.

Food with Health Benefits – Functional Foods

While there’s no formal definition for “functional food,” the meaning typically includes foods that provide a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying vitamins and minerals. For example, tomatoes contain a “phyto-nutrient” (plant compound) known as lycopene and is associated with a lower risk for prostate cancer. For example, tomatoes could be referred to as a functional food for men with increased risk for prostate cancer. Functional foods have also been extended to include processed foods or foods and beverages fortified with health-promoting additives, such as calcium enriched orange juice (to lower risk for osteoporosis). Fermented foods with live cultures are also included in the functional food category with probiotic benefits.

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Food Trends in 2010 & How Hokto Mushrooms Fit In –
Part 2

Posted on by tkstaff

Last week’s blog targeted the growing trend of simplifying meals with an emphasis on flavor and health. Today’s blog continues with more food trends identified by The Food Channel and CNN for 2010, and how Hokto mushrooms fit right in.

Food Trends in 2010
• Back to basics economy and a return to natural ingredients
• Flavor delivery using international foods
• Food Safety
• Sustainability
• Foods with nutritional benefits
• Food with flavor (Umami)

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Part 2″ →

A Look at Food Trends in 2010 – Plus a Recipe Makeover Using Hokto Mushrooms

Posted on by tkstaff

Despite the abundance of convenience foods and drive-thrus, in today’s economy, families are beginning to cook more at home. According to research published by the Food Channel, CNN and others, quick, simple meals expressing individuality, flavor delivery, and sprinkled with a dash of ethnicity are a few of the latest trends in 2010. Home cooked meals in minutes. Hokto mushrooms can certainly contribute to that!

Also, more and more people are moving away from a “meat and potatoes” diet to include more vegetables and less meat in their home-cooked meals. According to USDA statistics, consumption for meat has been decreasing over the last three years. In fact, this trend has created a new word, “flexitarian”. While not true vegetarians and not quite fulltime carnivores (meat-eaters), flexitarians tend to eat a mostly plant-based diet composed of grains, vegetables, and fruits, but they occasionally obtain protein from lean meat, fish, poultry, or dairy. A quarter of Americans fit the description, consuming meatless meals at least four days a week, according to the American Dietetic Association.

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How To Get Started With Hokto’s Mushrooms

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Now that the introductions are out of the way, are you’re ready to try a rather exotic looking mushroom but not sure how to begin? Wash? Rinse? Peel? The good news is that Hokto’s mushrooms are ready to be cooked right out of the bag. They do not need to be washed, rinsed, or peeled because they are not grown in dirt and are completely bug-free!

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Hokto Kinoko’s Culinary Seminars at the San Diego County Fair – Part 3

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The 2010 San Diego County Fair is in its final week of “Taste the Fun” theme that celebrates food and local venders from San Diego County. The main, theme-based attraction continues with the “Tour of Tastes,” an exhibition featuring cooking competitions and demos. Today, I had another opportunity to work with one of the chefs and speak on behalf of Hokto at the San Diego County Fair on June 29th, demonstrating the continued versatility and great flavor of Hokto mushrooms with the theme of vegan and vegetarian meals. Vegetarians may eat dairy and eggs (ovo-lacto), but vegans avoid all animal products. So mushrooms are a great compliment to a meatless dish in adding a savory flavor and mouthfeel.

Again we had a record breaking audience observe Chef David prepare three dishes made with all four varieties of Hokto mushrooms –King Trumpet, White Beech, Brown Beech and Maitake.

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Hokto Kinoko’s Culinary Seminars at the San Diego County Fair – Part 2

Posted on by tkstaff

The 2010 San Diego County Fair opened last Friday, June 11, with a “Taste the Fun” theme that celebrates food. The main, theme-based attraction is “Tour of Tastes,” an exhibition featuring cooking competitions and demos. Again, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak on behalf of Hokto at the San Diego County Fair on June 22nd, demonstrating the versatility and flavor of Hokto mushrooms. We continue to have a great turnout, with more than 150 people in attendance to observe Chef David prepare three dishes made with all four varieties of Hokto mushrooms –King Trumpet, White Beech, Brown Beech and Maitake.

An “Iron Chef” mini-competition began using two volunteers from the audience! I was selected to participate in the contest to see who could prepare a stir-fry in six minutes or less that tasted fabulous and looked great. A panel of four judges would compare the meals for flavor, eye-appeal.

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Hokto Kinoko’s Culinary Seminars at the San Diego County Fair – Part 1

Posted on by tkstaff

The 2010 San Diego County Fair opened on Friday, June 11, with a “Taste the Fun” theme that celebrates food. The main, theme-based attraction is “Tour of Tastes,” an exhibition featuring cooking competitions and demos. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak on behalf of Hokto at the San Diego County Fair on June 15th, demonstrating the versatility and flavor of Hokto mushrooms. We had a great audience, with more than 150 people in attendance to observe Chef Robert Reid prepare three dishes made with all four varieties of Hokto mushrooms –King Trumpet, White Beech, Brown Beech and Maitake.

The first dish was roast quail stuffed with Maitake mushrooms sautéed in olive oil. While the chef prepared the dish, I had an opportunity to share some facts about Hokto mushrooms and highlight some of the special qualities these locally grown Japanese mushrooms have to offer, such as the nutritional value, health benefits and savory flavor. The prepared dish was passed around so the audience could appreciate a true work of culinary art.

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National Men’s Health Week: Men, Umami and Hokto Mushrooms

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National Men’s Health Week is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father’s Day, which this year occurs between June 14th and June 22nd. The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to increase awareness of preventable health problems and to encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.  Research has shown us that a diet high in plant foods can help lower risk for disease such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Good dietary habits can begin at any age and mushrooms may contribute significantly towards better health.

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