Dates and Locations:

AUGUST 9 (Sunday) 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Supremo Food Mart
270 King St
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861-4475
(732) 826-3996

AUGUST 15 (SATURDAY) 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Extra Supermarket
360 Martin Luther King Jr Dr
Jersey City, NJ
(201)4355562

AUGUST 16 (SUNDAY) 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Supremo Food Mart
25 S Broad St
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
(908) 351-3399

AUGUST 22 (SATURDAY) 12:00pm -2:00pm
Shop Rite
503 Paulison Ave # 4
Passaic, NJ 07055-3163
(973) 471-0868

SEPTEMBER 5 (SATURDAY) 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Pueblo Meat Market
880 Mount Prospect Ave # 1
Newark, NJ 07104-3694
(973) 484-1181

SEPTEMBER 6 (SUNDAY) 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Twin City Supermarket
1016 Sherman Ave
Elizabeth, NJ 07208-3002
(908) 558-1166

SEPTEMBER 19 (SATURDAY) 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Supremo Food Mart
249 E Front St
Plainfield, NJ
Phone: (986)689855

New Jersey resident and Chef Elsie Ramos knows her way around a kitchen. Any kitchen. Even Hell’s Kitchen. During August and September, Chef Ramos, a finalist on Fox TV’s hit reality show, Hell’s Kitchen, will conduct special cooking demonstrations co-sponsored by local supermarkets and IMUSA, the leading brand of Hispanic housewares. Chef Ramos will provide original recipes and cooking tips for simple-to-prepare meal solutions.

Latin celebrity and TV Chef Elsie Ramos is author of “Elsie’s Turkey Taco and Arroz Con Pollo: More than 100 Latin-Flavored, Great-Tasting Dishes.” Her cookbook specializes in simple, easy-to-prepare, Hispanic meals that offer families a quality meal each night without breaking the bank.

Like the typical Hispanic cook, Chef Ramos’ feet are firmly planted, one in each culture. She takes great pride in making meals made from scratch for her family every night, typically a traditional dish from her country of origin, Puerto Rico. Like most Hispanic women, she cooks full meals at least five days a week and has a full time job outside the home. (more…)

IMUSA ANNOUCES COLLABORATION WITH LATIN FOODIES
Cookbook Authors, TV Celebs

Doral, FL March 09 – Manny Gaunaurd president of IMUSA, the leading brand of authentic Hispanic housewares, announces that IMUSA is assembling a team of Latin cookbook authors, reality TV stars and other “foodies” to create recipes, cooking ideas,  tips, and additional content relevant to Latino cooks and cooks interested in experiencing the flavors and passions of virtually all Latino cuisines.

“Our chef program is the first of its kind for cooking authentic Latin cuisine with celebrity chefs representing each region/country of origin within the Latin community.  Delivering delicious meal solutions is another added value the IMUSA customer enjoys when choosing our cookware and kitchen accessories,” explains Gaunaurd.

The first to join the IMUSA team are cookbook authors Elsie Ramos and Ana Quincoces Rodriguez.  Ramos was a finalist on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” series and is the author of “Elsie’s Turkey Tacos and Arroz con Pollo,” a Latin-themed cookbook for time-starved parents like herself.  Rodriguez is the author of “Cuban Chicks Can Cook,” and “Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine.” (more…)

STOCKING THE LATIN KITCHEN

Latin cooks tend to have an extensive collection of cookware, including many pieces that might not be found in a typical American kitchen. A recent study found that Latin cooks have four regular pots and pans, four calderos (or stock pots) of varying sizes, two tamaleras (or ollas) of varying sizes, a tortilla maker, pressure cooker, and an electric rice maker.

If you’re pursuing Latin authenticity in your kitchen, you might want to consider adding:

• Caldero: Similar to a dutch oven in its versatility, a caldero is used primarily to make rice and beans. Latin women prefer calderos made of cast iron because they get seasoned with use. A caldero also can be used for making soups, spaghetti and roasts — and for frying and browning.

• Comal: A rounded griddle used to warm tortillas, cook pancakes and saute meats and other foods, a comal is typically made of cast iron, cast aluminum or carbon steel for even heating.

• Electric rice maker: While most Latin cooks admit that rice is not as tasty made in an electric rice maker — preferring, instead, to use a caldero or saucepan — they use an electric rice maker to make large quantities of rice or to keep rice warm for a long period of time.

• Molcajete: A Mexican stone tool that serves as a mortar and pestle for grinding various foods, a molcajete is considered essential for making guacamole.

• Tamalera/olla: A tamalera (or olla), used as a stock pot or sauce pot primarily for making tamales, can range in size from 12 to 21 quarts. Unlike a caldero, a tamalera is not used for fried recipes.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

IMUSA found that it could achieve better results for its supermarket partners if it developed programs based on individual communities and regional needs across the country.  “There is no single Hispanic nationality, trend or plan that works for all.  The U.S. is a melting pot made up of consumers with different degrees of acculturation levels, and unique and different cultural characteristics.  Each culture cooks differently and uses different tools.  Even if the ingredients are the same, the subtle differences that separate them are as individual as the communities themselves,” Gaunaurd said.

In winning over this important shopper, IMUSA provides retail partners with extensive demographic research that the company conducts on a regular basis. Gaunaurd also credits his network of master distributors who are able to provide first-hand understanding of specific market conditions and make-up, allowing them to better address grocery retailers’ needs for information, innovation and a strong brand assortment. “With a 45% sales increase over last year, the approach is working well for IMUSA and for retail partners,” notes Mr. Gaunaurd. (more…)