Fortune Fish & Gourmet
The Seafood & Gourmet Specialists
Something Special for Special Someones
Whether you spend Valentine’s Day courting romantic glances with sparkling bouquets or in dark rooms watching horror films consuming way too much pizza, if you’re reading this and, in the industry, there’s no way of avoiding the food service and retail beast that is Valentine’s Day. The magnitude and heft of the holiday is thrust upon the food industry every year and we all do our best not to succumb to the pressure of making millions of peoples’ dinners something special, something to remember. To do this right, you’re going to need to plan ahead, order early, and order outside the menu. Below is just a taste of some special items to think about.
Flights can get tricky during this week and next week due to the demand for flowers. Flowers are cheaper to ship and make more money than seafood, so it’s best to pre-order to allow for some margin of error in what could be shifting logistics.
Hawaii is currently producing some beautiful Opah, Monchong, and Ono. These exotic species can add cache to specials boards and turn white tablecloths into colorful landscapes. Opah’s orange flesh and sweet flavor adds a pop to many dishes, while Monchong’s creamy, buttery flavor is a highly prized delicacy. Ono is a great change up from the usual Mahi and Tuna, and it will fly off the shelf almost as fast as they can swim – which is lightning quick.
The Amberjack are running in Florida and, like running with the bulls, you won’t have many shots at scoring with these big, beautiful creatures. This time of year, the meats cut out fatty and glistening with freshness without any quality issues. They cook up firm and are another steaky, silky option to offer during this small window of availability.
If Red is the color of love, then Snappers and Lobsters are “must haves” for Valentine’s Day. Red Snappers are pouring in from the Gulf just in time for the holiday. Sizes run from plate sized fish 1-2 pounds to big boys, eight pounds and up, that cut into perfect portions. Red Snapper skin cooks into a rosy hue and its crispy texture livens up any plate. It’s impossible to avoid implementing the extravagant Maine Lobster into your lineup, so don’t fight it. There are many ways to present the bugs, whether it be as protein accoutrements to main dishes, tails accompanying land proteins, live, whole-cooked entrees, or simple claw meats dressing intricately designed compositions. Whichever way you go, you shouldn’t avoid this delicious staple.
Other notable species to consider include some really nice Mid-Atlantic Fluke and Black Bass, Maryland Wild Striped Bass, Kyquot Sable, Farmed Sturgeon, and Fresh Farmed Halibut. These will be available, but don’t wait until the last minute to place your order. You don’t want to get caught with nothing but a fistful of flowers for dinner.
Gourmet Grab
KC Chief’s fans will be celebrating their devotion and incredible Super Bowl win over the Niners long past Valentines Day. The rest of us are focused on making Valentines Day special.
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, and it is an opportunity for us to truly reconnect with the real meaning of this day. It is about LOVE, sharing and giving. Love is the most amazing thing in our lives. It is what makes us human, what makes life worth living. Nothing else truly matters. The size of our homes, bank balances, the beauty of our partner, the speed of our car – all those things pale into insignificance when we face the splendor of what it is that makes us tick.
There are so many simple things we can all do daily to bring more love into our lives including sharing Fortune's heart shaped macarons with your customers. Colorful, soft on the inside & crunchy on the outside, and delicately flavored, macarons are perhaps one of the most famous and treasured French desserts. This meringue-based sweet comes in many flavors and colors, from classic salted caramel to lavender and honey to the wildly fanciful fig and foie gras. Every year, foodies flock in droves to renowned macaron purveyors Ladurée and Pierre Hermé in Paris. The macaron is traditionally held to have been introduced in France by the Italian chef of queen Catherine De Medici during the Renaissance. Since the 19th century, a typical Parisian-style macaron is presented with a ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two such cookies, akin to a sandwich cookie. The confection is characterized by a smooth squared top, a ruffled circumference—referred to as the "crown" or "foot" (or "pied")—and a flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.
Our Prestige & Exotic Petit Four collections are another way to spread some love. Petit Four gets its name from the heat setting used to make them. While Petit Four means "small oven" in French, petit fours are not baked in tiny ovens! Originally French bakers would cook meats and other dinner foods on the high heat setting, then as the coal oven was cooling down, put in a sheet of Petit Fours.
Our 4 different types of Layer Cakes , Triple Chocolate, Strawberry, Peach Melba & Salted Caramel & Pear are readily available for you to enjoy, just thaw & serve.
Lastly our wide selections of Couverture chocolates from Callebaut, Cacao Barry & TCHO are always available for you to make some of your own delectable creations. We recommend you check out our online catalog for the rest of the delectable pastry and fruit products that we carry from across the world.
By sharing these delectable treats with others, together we can all make this an even better and more beautiful world than it already is.
