Marisa Churchill

Marisa Churchill is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and continued studies in advanced pastry skills at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. She received her certification in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University. She has worked in some of California’s top restaurants and appeared in a number of Food Network cooking shows. She currently consults on recipe and product development for multiple food companies and is the author of two cookbooks, My Sweet & Skinny Life (Patakis, 2015) and Sweet & Skinny (Clarkson Potter, 2011). You can reach her at marisa@marisachurchill.com.

Bakery Flavors Have Been Undergoing Changes that Call for Attention

Ingredients such as malted grain syrups, cinnamon, chocolate, fruits, vanilla, spices and even flavored salts and soy sauce are what bring baked goods to life

Marisa Churchill

July 26, 2021

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To claim that flavorants used in baked goods are a secondary concern in batch production would be inaccurate. Yet the focus on the flours, texturants, fats, and leavenings in discussions of bakery production seems to overwhelm all other ingredients. Yet ingredients such as malted grain syrups, cinnamon, chocolate, fruits, vanilla, spices and even flavored salts and soy sauce are what bring baked goods to life.

Finding Inspiration in a New Wave of Whole Grains and Seeds

Uncommon grains such as quinoa, chia, amaranth, and millet have become more mainstream

Marisa Churchill

June 21, 2021

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In 2021, trends toward health and plant-based foods are driving product developers to formulate a wave of new products with grains and seeds. According to Innova Market Insights, grain product launches had a 7% average annual growth rate in the period from 2014 to 2018.

Mediterranean Cuisine Embraces Foods From Two Dozen Countries

No longer synonymous with Italian or Middle Eastern, varied Mediterranean ingredients and flavors are expanding consumers' palates

Marisa Churchill

October 9, 2020

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Mediterranean cuisine often brings to mind classical examples like Italian food, and easily adaptable ingredients such as olive oil and pasta. But today's Mediterranean is represented by less familiar dishes and ingredients from all over the region.

Ingredient Options for Manufacturers Wanting to Keep Labels "Clean"

Keep it Clean

Marisa Churchill

April 8, 2020

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With more than three out of four consumers worldwide claiming to read ingredient labels, it has become critical that food and beverage manufacturers offer clean-label products consumers can trust.

Global Flavors Find a Home in Breakfast Foods

The most important meal of the day is expanding to include a world of ingredients

Marisa Churchill

November 18, 2019

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Chorizo scrambled eggs, baklava pancakes, coconut milk waffles, ancient grain pastries, and protein bowls — all displaying exotic and ethnic fillings, flavors, and colors — are examples of how more consumers are greeting the day.

The Future of Desserts

Big convenience and flavor sometimes come in small packages.

Marisa Churchill

March 28, 2019

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Desserts have long since left the boundaries of chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry and cake, pie, or ice cream. Modern desserts include such ingredients as florals, figs, vinegars, alcohol reductions, and even normally savory or pungent elements like tahini and lemongrass.

New Strategies Help Bakers Build Better, On-Trend Cakes

Marisa Churchill

October 30, 2018

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Cake creation is a many layered topic. There are snack cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, yeast cakes, fruitcakes, and even boozy Bundt-style cakes. For cake makers and bakers, as well as sellers and consumers, staying on top of cake trends is essential.

Renewed Interest in Heritage Grains

Great Grains: Heritage grains are proving to be one of the most interesting and diverse trends

Marisa Churchill

March 6, 2018

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Today's top chefs and developers have been demonstrating a renewed interest in using whole grains, especially "ancient" or "heritage" grains.

Flatbreads on the Rise

Flat-out Fun: The big trend in breads is proving the world is flat.

Marisa Churchill

November 15, 2017

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When it comes to new trends in the bread category, bakers have put a fresh face on flatbreads. Modern culinary revolutions, alongside technical progress, have brought these most basic of breads into the 21st century.

TerraVia: Food Revolution

A culinary approach to working with algae, a “super-ingredient” that helps meet formulation challenges and consumer expectations

Marisa Churchill

February 8, 2017

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One of the greatest challenges facing manufacturers and their culinary teams is developing products that not only meet the health, environmental, and clean-label demands of consumers, but that also deliver the high-quality taste and texture profiles indispensable to success. It falls on ingredient makers and suppliers to support these efforts.