When you dream about food you don’t just imagine any food, but perfect food, the best food, magical meals, famous and awe-inspiring, the exact taste of buttery corn, tomatoes so ripe they split and sweeten the air, beans so crisp they snap between the teeth, or that one piece of tender pork seared on a fiery grill. Now your dreams have become reality. Smithfield Foods, Inc. established the Smithfield Innovation Group (SIG) in July 2003 as an industry leader for food product development. Pre-made menu items from this brand may be found at local grocers.

The Smithfield Innovation Group maintains the operations of a full-service restaurant in its test kitchen. A team of professionals, centered at what we call our Culinary Campus at Smithfield Innovation Group Headquarters in Buffalo Grove, IL, carefully manage the development, marketing and production of exciting new products. SIG also assists the Smithfield Foods companies by offering sales support. The Smithfield Innovation Group is under the direction of Chef Michael Brando who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, with formal training throughout Europe and over 35 years in the culinary arts. With Chef Brando and his team of chefs, the Smithfield Innovation Group supplies retail, foodservice, and deli customers with innovative new food products and offers culinary assistance to improve overall business operations. With an unrestrained entrepreneurial spirit, Smithfield Innovation Group products and services have improved customer operations by providing unmatched novelty, enthusiasm, and culinary integrity.

At Smithfield, we know that food is family, but for the on-the-go businessman or even the stay-at-home mom, the most uncomfortable place in the whole world can be a kitchen. The Smithfield Innovation Group makes life easier by offering a wide variety of products that can simply be taken home, heated and served piping hot on the family dinner table. Try some of these delicacies on for size!

From our kitchen to yours Chef Michael Brando has prepared Gourmet Stuffed Potatoes for your family. The stuffed potatoes are made with specially selected Idaho baked potatoes stuffed with bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives. They make a delectable complement to any meal. Just heat through in the convenience of your kitchen or right on the barbecue grill!

Moreover, a dish which has been featured at the James Beard Foundation Awards and other events is Chef Brando's signature dish: Napoleon of Roasted Pork Tenderloin, which is layered with Japanese eggplant and a thyme gremolata crust and salsa cruda. The tenderloin is, of course, Smithfield Lean Generation Pork.

While there are many other food items for your choosing, Chef Brando's signature dish: Napoleon of Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The Napoleon is easy-to-prepare, elegant, and above you will find a link to the exciting recipe.

We hope you enjoy these new treats. Smithfield Foods is proud of this new line of products. If you want to know more about the Smithfield Innovation Group please visit their website at www.smithfieldinnovationgroup.com.

Created in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is the leader of America’s culinary movement through its dedication to furthering the culinary arts. Named for the late cookbook author James Beard, the Foundation provides scholarships and educational opportunities, celebrates the country’s culinary artists and serves as a resource for the industry.

James Beard is known as the father of American gastronomy. Throughout his life, he pursued and advocated the highest standards and served as mentor to emerging talents in the field of the culinary arts.

Housed at Beard’s longtime Greenwich Village brownstone, the Foundation is America’s only historical culinary center and is a place where Foundation members, the press and the general public can dine on the creations of chefs from all corners of the world.

The Foundation offers and administers an extensive program of scholarships, volunteer opportunities and workshops. The Foundation also works around the country to educated children about nutrition awareness and food appreciation, while introducing them to the world of fine dining.

Last year, Smithfield Foods announced a sponsorship agreement with the James Beard Foundation. Smithfield Foods sponsors the Outstanding Service Award at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards. The awards ceremony is the industry’s biggest party and it honors the finest chefs, restaurants, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers and electronic media professionals in the country.

The 14th annual James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony was recently held in New York. More than 60 awards were presented and more than 1600 industry leaders attended the event. The awards ceremony was followed by a gala reception featuring over 30 chefs, including Chef Michael Brando of the Smithfield Innovation Group. The chefs cooked up delicious entrees under the theme, “Sabor Latino,” which means “Latin flavor.”

“The significance of the James Beard Foundation Awards is that nominees and winners are selected by their peers,” said Len Pickell, president of the James Beard Foundation. “To win a James Beard Foundation Award is the highest honor in the industry a culinary professional can achieve.”

For more information about the James Beard Foundation, please visit its website at www.jamesbeard.org.