The Responders

One of my high school friends, Peter Kaczorowski, had won the Tony Award for lighting design for The Producers, which was THE hottest show on the great white way. My wife and I got tickets for our weekend anniversary in mid-September for another show he had worked on. It was to be my first trip to the city ever. We were really looking forward to it.

Then IT happened. We thought about not going on our vacation in the days that followed. Then one day Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on TV imploring people to please keep visiting the city. So we went - 10 days after.

It wasn't like it was, as I had imagined, nor was it like anything we had encountered in subsequent years. There were no jets flying overhead. There wasn't a lot of tourist traffic and the air had a certain smell and feel to it, not unlike, I would imagine, that of a war zone after the smoke had cleared.

I spent my Friday night, September 21, 2001, standing in line for about 4 hours just to see if I could get tickets to the hottest show in town.  At about 5 minutes before the curtain was to open, I was at the front of the line, losing hope that I’d get those tickets.  A lady came up to the front door and said, “Oh…Nathan Lane’s not performing tonight…”  Then she approached me and sold those 4th row tickets to me at face value.

It was a time of great generosity in The Big Apple.

We were at a diner and there was hardly anyone in the diner except for us and a table of 6 or 8 of the responders in this usually jam packed eatery near Times Square. They looked pretty weary, like they had worked 24/7 which they probably nearly had. We called the waiter over and offered to pay for their meal.

The offer was refused. He simply said, "those guys eat for free here."

TJ Gallivan

© foodproductlaunch.com 2014 All Rights Reserved.  We encourage you to repost this blog in its entirety.  If you choose to use portions of it…give credit where credit is due.

Wing Sauce and Other Buffalo Stuff

Q.  Wicked Wilson’s Wing Sauce?  That sounds interesting and it sounds like there’s a story.  Please tell me about it.

I grew up in Buffalo and enjoyed the traditional wings served by its originators and others in my hometown.  I had always searched for the perfect wing sauce - not too hot, not too bland, not too much vinegar or butter, and with a bit of sweetness and a savory flavor – without much success. 

My friend, Wilson, and I derived this recipe by trading/combining our own recipes and making a batch each Sunday as we sat down to watch our beloved Buffalo Bills play.  We sampled each others’ wares (with the requisite celery and bleu cheese dressing), then cooling our palettes with an ice cold beer.  We then documented our recipe changes and shared those changes.  The next week it was the next guy’s turn.  Finally after much trial and error, we each thought that we had perfected it through our combined efforts.  Our friends and families agreed.

As Professor Higgins would say, “I think you’ve got it.”

In manufacturing though, it’s a much different process.  Not only do you have to make sure that the taste is correct, you have to make sure that the ingredients are fairly inexpensive when you mass produce it. Not only is your formula repeatable, it’s also scalable.  Usually, one would have to start with a reputable, award winning, hot sauce.  That’s exactly what I did, too, by using our very own 1-2-3 Heat Cayenne Pepper Sauce as our base and adding the other ingredients that Wilson and I agreed upon.

We interrupt this blog to bring you the breaking news that Terry and Kim Pegula have been approved to become the next and second owner of the Buffalo Bills!  I think that this is fabulous and my understanding is that Kim (the Western New Yorker) will become the chief decision maker.  With what the heck has been going on with the NFL with its ambivalence to the domestic violence issue and its problem with driving women away from its fan base in droves, perhaps it’s time to have a woman as the next Face of the Buffalo Bills. 

This new product is part of our exciting line of An Assorted Array of Bold Flavors, which is available for your own private labeled brand.  You, too, can become a food entrepreneur today!  Don’t be shy.  Ask me how we can help make this happen for you, by filling out this form.

This is just one of many products that are available if you’d like to use them in your restaurant, as well. If you have your own amazing wing sauce, perhaps you should consider letting us help you with the approval process of going from Your Kitchen to the Marketplace.

By the way, we Buffalonians believe that the term Buffalo Wings is redundant!

TJ Gallivan

© foodproductlaunch.com 2014 All Rights Reserved.  We encourage you to repost this blog in its entirety.  If you choose to use portions of it…give credit where credit is due.

Angry Italians

Considering that, along with TJ Gallivan himself, yours truly will be likely writing this blog for the long haul, I figure it's time I introduce myself. I'm Joel Durham Jr, a half-Italian guy with a Jewish first name and an English surname. I mention the nationalities to assure you that, although my name doesn't sound very Mediterranean, my mom's side of the family is full of surnames like Bianchi, Cocuzzi, Corleone, Ferrari, and such. My late grandma Bianchi made the finest pasta sauce on the planet. It was smooth, tangy, and delicious!

I learned from Mr. Gallivan, however, that pasta sauces can be as angry as the famous Italian temper. In fact, TJ Gallivan's Arrabbiata pasta sauce has a startling, and then oh-so-satisfying, kick of spice that you wouldn't normally associate with such sauces. Arrabbiata is the Italian word for angry, but don't fear the TJ Gallivan's sauce - while undeniably spicy, it's as full of well-balanced flavors as the other two pasta sauces under the banner.

But why "Angry?" Of all the words to describe a bold sauce, why that?

Well, Italian folks are sometimes known for their tempers. I can attest to that because I witnessed it sometimes, when the unwieldy large family would get together.

Italian men have this amazing ability to blow off steam with some of what other people might consider a brutal throw-down, complete with fisticuffs and some seriously choice language. It's nothing to the two or so guys involved. They get mad, argue, shout, rough each other up a little, forget what they were angry about, laugh it off, and make up over a pasta meal. The guys are fine. It's the women you want to worry about.

Kidding, Mom!

Regardless of the arguments, everyone's usually happy when dinner's served. Whether it's my grandma's sauce flavoring up the pasta, meatballs, manicotti, ravioli, tortellini, or what have you, or whether it's TJ Gallivan's Arrabbiata pasta sauce, all the riled nerves around the table are sure to be soothed. It's the taste buds that TJ Gallivan's Arrabbiata sauce excites!

(Oh, and full disclosure: I was kidding, I'm not really a Corleone.)

Don’t forget that we can help you do what TJ did and that is to manufacture your very own homemade delicacy, whether it’s a condiment, dressing, marinade, sauce, or salsa, let foodproductlaunch.com help you with the process of going from Your Kitchen to the Marketplace.

Joel

Seasonings and Rubs Recipes Part 3 – Buffalo Wide Right

Q.  How did you come up with the name Buffalo Wide Right?

Well, I’m originally from Buffalo New York and I am a long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan.  We had a very successful run in the 1990s – going to the Super Bowl four consecutive times, but winning none.   The first one (Super Bowl XXV) was the best one and the most painful, because we lost in the last seconds when our kicker, Scott Norwood, missed a field goal to the right.  Now, whenever you mention Wide Right to a Buffalonian they think of that dreadful loss.  Hopefully between our Buffalo Wide Right seasoning and my friend’s classic rock band, Wide Right, we can change that feeling of dread whenever we hear that term.

Buffalo Wide Right is a spicy and delicious blend of hot peppers and butter flavor which make this a great rub for chicken wings. You can sprinkle it on the wings after they’re cooked for a mouthwatering feast on any given Sunday. Ask your tailgating guests  if they want their wings wet or dry! One thing to note – in Buffalo they’re called Wings because calling them Buffalo Wings is considered redundant. The next time you visit the Buffalo area be sure to stop by the Anchor Bar, where this taste treat originated.

Here is another recipe for your collection. 

Yummy Turkey Burgers!
 
Ingredients:
· 1 1/3 lb ground turkey
· 1 tbsp mayonnaise
· 1/2 tbsp mustard,
· 1/2 tbsp TJ Gallivan's Wide Right rub.

Method:
1. Mix well, make into patties.
2. Cook for 7 minutes each side.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
4. Serve with lettuce and pickles and an iced cold Molson’s Golden.

This is just one of many seasonings that are available for your own private label if you’d like to use them in your restaurant, if you have your own food business or store or even if you’d like to start your own food business.  We’re here to help you in any way we can in your food endeavor.

Don’t forget that we’re also available to help you get your food product through the approval process so that you can go from Your Kitchen to the Marketplace.

TJ Gallivan

© foodproductlaunch.com 2014 All Rights Reserved.  We encourage you to repost this blog in its entirety.  If you choose to use portions of it…give credit where credit is due.