BRIDGEWATER, NJ--When the Signature Secrets(tm) team from National Starch Foodservice attended the Personal Chef Summit in Orlando last month, the team learned of three recurring sauce problems identified by the Personal Chefs. The problems were time to prepare thickeners, consistency of thickening power and stability of the sauce when taken from the freezer.

In many cases, certain sauces were being omitted from the menu simply because they were too time-consuming to prepare or fell apart after being frozen.

National Starch Foodservice's Signature Secrets culinary thickener for professional chefs addresses the common sauce challenges of Personal Chefs, allowing them to thicken high quality foods quickly, easily and with unsurpassed stability after sauces are frozen and reheated.

Signature Secrets culinary thickener is an instant starch that does not require any slurry or "whitewash" to incorporate it into a recipe, eliminating the need to spend additional time preparing a roux or slurry then washing the used utensils.

Signature Secrets culinary thickener is used by pouring the dry powder directly into the liquid to be thickened, without lumping, giving Personal Chefs the ability to easily save up to 20 minutes or more over traditional thickening methods.

Unlike a roux, which can have different thickening abilities depending on ingredients used and length of time it's cooked, Signature Secrets culinary thickener offers consistent, controllable thickening power--use as much or as little to achieve the desired thickness. And because Signature Secrets culinary thickener is flavor-neutral, there is also no need to "cook out" any thickener flavors.

Being flavor-neutral also means that Signature Secrets culinary thickener won't mask the flavors of herbs and other ingredients in the Personal Chef's sauces.

Once the sauce has been frozen, Signature Secrets culinary thickener outperforms traditional thickeners upon thawing and reheating. Signature Secrets culinary thickener also provides stable thickening power for low-fat and fat-free recipes, including items such as mashed potatoes, giving them terrific consistency through the thawing and reheating stages.

Signature Secrets culinary thickener emulsifies oil, butter and other fats within a recipe, enabling Personal Chefs to confidently reintroduce cream-based sauces back onto the menu.

"Our culinary thickener represents a value-added product for the Personal Chef industry. Professionals throughout the industry are welcoming Signature Secrets culinary thickener with tremendous support," said Chef Dan Coffin of National Starch Foodservice.

"This revolutionary thickener provides chefs with easy, fast, consistent foolproof thickening and a level of stability that allows them to offer a more diverse menu," he added.

Signature Secrets culinary thickener highlights:

· disperses easily without lumping

· thickens instantly in both cold and hot liquids

· does not need to be pre-slurried or "whitewashed" in water

· eliminates separation and gelling after prolonged freezing and thawing

· does not gel upon cooling

· helps keep butter and other fats from separating in sauces

· provides time savings and recipe consistency

· does not mask herbs and spices, no taste or texture

· contains no additives.

Signature Secrets culinary thickener is available in two-pack sizes, a case consisting of four 1-gallon (2 lbs-10 oz) containers and a 25-pound bag-in-a-box.

For a FREE sample of and more information about Signature Secrets culinary thickener, contact National Starch Information Center, One Matrix Drive, Monroe, NJ 08831. Tel.1-800-805-8908. Fax 1-609-409-5699. E-mail: nscinquiry@salessupport.com