To please use the order forms for 2005. Or, if you would like, we would happily accept your orders on any type of spreadsheet that you might utilize. Please no hand written order forms!

A Little History...

Pasta as dessert. It's not always the first thing most people think of, and perhaps that is why we decided to create it. A novelty item, as well as something we think is really tasty.

 

The pasta is made with the traditional semolina flour, so it tastes like a normal noodle, except we've added a healthy dose of a high-quality cocoa powder. We also add just a touch of espresso powder. Why? Coffee has been used for decades to help bring out the chocolately-chocolate flavor in foods. In fact combining coffee with chocolate was invented in the 17th century in Europe. They were looking to create a mocha flavored drink, but what they discovered was that when combining the coffee with the chocolate the drink actually had a more "chocolatey" taste.

 

Attached is a Chocolate Noodle Kugel recipe, inspired by Frank and Terry of Franco's in Colorado. Another great serving idea that we just came across is adding a few tablespoons of Grand Marnier to a cup of fresh raspberry sauce. Top it all off with a dollop of whipped cream and you have a very succulent dessert.

 

Or, you can recommend something entirely different and suggest a mole sauce. Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce made with a mixture of ground nuts, chiles and chocolate. You can make your own mole or purchase premade moles in most Mexican sections of your local grocery store. Serve the mole with grilled chicken atop the chocolate pasta.

 

We're thinking of creating a blend style chocolate and raspberry pasta. We would love your feedback. Please let us know if you think this would be a good seller.

 

Two new recipes featuring our Chocolate Pasta and the Fanciful Fruit Blend are attached.

Don't forget: tell your customers to find us on the web or call our 800# to order more products if they can't make it to the market. You will receive either 15% cash or 20% product credit on all gross sales.

Tips of the Trade from Other Vendors
Nan Zimmerman in Fort Collins found that prebagging some of her pasta has increased her sales dramatically. Nan uses clear plastic ziplock bags for her flat cut pasta. Because the bags cost her about .12 each, she offers her customers .25 off their next sale if they bring their bags back.

 

Ben Grossman and Emily Kowoski found that purchasing a $16 fatigue mat to place under their feet made quite a bit of difference in their energy level and potential back pain. They told me that at the end of the day they were both huddled on top of the mat to get some relief from the hard concrete.

Pasta existed for thousands of years before anyone ever thought to put tomato sauce on it. The Spanish explorer Cortez brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico in 1519. Even then, almost 200 years passed before spaghetti with tomato sauce made its way into Italian kitchens.

Food for Thought
 "Life is a combination of magic and pasta."
Fellini

Mange!
Annie