Kajun Kettle Foods, Inc. New Orleans, LA

 

News

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!

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Coming to a store near you! -- in the New Orleans area and the Gulf Coast. . .

(33) Rouses Stores, Dorignacs, Zuppardo, Robert’s, Breaux Marts, Mathernes (LaPlace), Langenstein (Met Rd), Canseco's, Acquistapace's Covington Supermarket, and Ralph's Supermarkets (Gonzales and Baton Rouge).

Look for our whimsical labels, introducing Crawfish Monica® and two other delicious Monica Heat & Serve entrées:
Monica’s Herbed Shrimp Alfredo & Pasta and
Monica’s Sauce with Chicken, Andouille, Tasso & Pasta

All are packed in convenient dishwasher safe and microwavable bowls.
Fully cooked Rotini pasta is included in each entrée.
Each entrée serves 5 – 7 people, depending on portion size.
And, best of all – besides the great taste – it takes all of 10 minutes to heat and serve.
See heating instructions link. Heating Link

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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! - New Orleans Style . . .

Jazz Fest 2009 (the last week in April and first week in May) is shared by locals and tourists alike who gather to celebrate New Orleans rip- roarin’ hip-shakin’ music, culture and cuisine!

Monica%20Booth.jpg The Times Picayune Archive Crawfish Monica creator Monica Davidson

Here’s a link to the Jazz Fest Vendors’ favorite dishes.
Download file Click Here for Article

For Monica Davidson (Crawfish Monica ®’s namesake) –
“This is heaven! Two weekends of re-uniting with thousands of Jazz Fest visitors who visit the Crawfish Monica® Booth every year to ‘eat on’ our signature dish. For 26 years, we’ve shared Jazz Festing, good-eating, stories with the most fun-loving people from New Orleans and the world.”

“And this year, I’ll get to tell them that we are branching out into our local retail deli markets!
Of course, locals will love that, while our out-of-town
fans can still order Crawfish Monica® off of our website.”

“At local New Orleans delis we will introduce three delectable dishes:
1) Crawfish Monica® !!!!!
2) Monica’s Sauce with Chicken, Andouille, Tasso & Pasta- spicy, rich and tasty, you’ll love this!!
3) Monica’s Herbed Shrimp Alfredo & Pasta- yummy shrimp in a creamy Alfredo sauce with a hint of basil”

“Each dish serves seven, comes in microwaveable containers &, best of all, tastes delicious. Our fans will be able to treat themselves to 'dining out' in their own homes with the Monica’s Line of Heat & Serve Cuisine.”


2008 - Year-In-Review

NATIONAL EXPOSURE:
Kajun Kettle’s Crawfish Monica®, Seafood Gumbo, Jambalaya, BBQ Shrimp Po’ Boys, etc., served to over 2,00 people at Friends of New Orleans’ Events at the National Democratic and Republican Conventions.

Filmed Planet Green piece at Crawfish Monica® booth during Jazz Fest with Ludacris that aired on National TV in August, 2008.

LARGE-SCALE FEEDING:
Fed several thousand Emergency Crews, First Responders and Government officials Post- Gustav at the Convention Center in New Orleans.

Fed many thousands of Post-Gustav storm survivors in other parishes throughout the State by order of the Department of Homeland Security.

Catered New Orleans National Events including Basketball Final Four Private Party in Jackson Square and 15,000-person Starbucks Convention in the Warehouse District.

DONATIONS:
Kajun Kettle Employee Kurt Hery volunteered to take our donated food, transport and serve it to over 2,000 Flood Victims and Helpers in Iowa.

Fed over 240 volunteers who were building a new playground at a New Orleans Mid-City school breakfast and lunch.

Kajun Kettle Foods Announces Marketing, Operations and R&D Positions

Kajun Kettle Foods, Inc,. an award-winning, New Orleans-based food manufacturer and creator of Crawfish Monica®, introduces employees to fill key marketing, operational and R&D positions at the company’s 86,000 sq.ft. USDA facility.

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Flavor Technology and R&D in the Food Industry

I saw an article recently in Newsweek about Food Technology and how it is influencing the manufacturing Industry as a whole. It mentioned that there is a fear that manufactured food flavors are ‘taking over’ the industry and affecting the natural process of allowing flavors to develop on their own.

Actually, flavor enhancers have been around for centuries- salt, for example, was discovered and used in food since at least 6000 BC. In many cultures, MSG is also a very popular and frequently used ingredient- though many do not consider it to be particularly healthy.

Nevertheless, most of us prefer to consume foods that are the closest thing to a natural state as possible- with the theory that that is the healthiest and best-tasting alternative.

People seem to prefer big taste sensations when they eat out or when they are cooking up a special meal for family or friends. The caloric content may not be as important as producing a memorable, exciting flavor profile that is original yet evocative, comfort food but exciting as well.

When our R&D department sets about to manufacture a new food for a client, they of course first take the customer’s specifications into consideration. The client will sometimes have a favorite recipe that they want to duplicate, sometimes they will instead have a general idea of what taste profile they prefer, and sometimes they will bring a new item in and ask us to duplicate it.

Our R&D chef, Michael Morrison, has this to say, “The catch-word is Culinology, a blend of culinary arts and food technology. Most chefs work side-by-side with food scientists, creating gold standards from both points of view. They then work to make the end-product manufacturer-friendly while still maintaining the desired flavor profile and integrity.”

At the recent Sysco show at the Astor Crowne Plaza, KKF’s foodservice customers raved about the fact that their R&D department has been so diligent about responding to requests for dishes that enhance their menus and create excitement for their own clientele. New tastes and flavors make the concept of eating out seem more desirable, especially if customers can look forward to both tried-and-true favorites and variety in their food selections.

Our goal as a manufacturer is to partner with our customers and work closely with their Research and Development departments, Head Chefs, or Marketers and develop a relationship that caters to their new product development needs and tastes.