Flavor Swagger on Display

There’s a whole lot of creatin’ going on! Apologies to Jerry Lee Lewis, but the word play nicely summarizes the excitement around Kitchen Collaborative 2025. By early April, participating chefs had submitted more than 300 menu concepts—a staggering number, considering there are still a few more weeks to go until the competition deadline! So far, the results are a no-holds-barred display of culinary creativity, as chefs vie to be one of 12 winners selected to travel to Dubai with Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B in 2026 to attend the renowned Gulfood Show.

In late February, Kitchen Collaborative participants received two boxes of products from sponsor partners. Let’s get a virtual taste of some of the creations inspired by items from the sponsors of the shelf-stable package: Barilla, Kikkoman, Lee Kum Kee, Lentils.org, Libbey and National Watermelon Promotion Board.

FRUIT-FORWARD INSPIRATIONS

Rajiv Jaggi, director of culinary development for Sodexo, brings a touch of Chinese heat to the Middle East in his vibrant Za’atar-dusted Watermelon Kebab with Sumac, served on a cucumber-carrot-red onion slaw and topped with crumbled feta, pistachio and a chili crisp-watermelon rind pickle. Jaggi is intentional in every detail of the dish’s complex blend of ingredients “I believe in zero waste, so making a pickle from the watermelon rind was a no-brainer,” he says. “I also used the heat of Lee Kum Kee’s Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp to add flavor.” The watermelon cubes are seasoned with sumac for a sour note, while the za’atar imparts a distinctive aroma. The fruit is grilled to produce caramelization. The slaw offers crunch, the feta delivers creaminess while pistachios bring nuttiness and a crunchy textural element. He presents the dish on dinnerware from Libbey.

Ryan Smith, director of culinary, Elior North America, is already putting one of his Kitchen Collaborative concepts into action. “I wanted to incorporate the Lee Kum Kee Sriracha into some of the traditional appetizers and trendy starters on our everyday menus,” he says. Using the hot sauce as a base, Smith added apples that were caramelized in butter, along with garlic, honey butter and Cara Cara orange juice to create a Honeycrisp Apple Sriracha Chili Sauce Glaze that introduces the different global flavor profiles his customers seek. “I’ve used this sauce on a few different applications, including animal proteins, fish and seafood, as well as on a pho bar and an omelet bar. I’ve had to make multiple batches because it’s so popular!”

Ben Whittington, senior culinary manager, international, for GoTo Foods, shares an inventive take on a Caesar in his Watermelon and Cucumber Caesar Salad. “Pairing the watermelon with cucumber cuts the overall sweetness and allows the fruit to function in a more savory application, bringing freshness and a unique flavor profile,” he notes. Whittington presents the salad on Libbey’s dinnerware, which “has nice visual appeal, highlighting the food well.”

Innovation Beckons

“The brief from Lentils.org challenged us to come up with a plant-based entrée that is not a stew,” reports Claire Jessen, vice president, culinary innovation and menu, Nothing Bundt Cakes. ”The Barilla brief asked us to challenge traditional, cultural applications with pasta.” Stepping up to both directives, Jessen created a Moroccan Eggplant and Lentil Penne. “I’ve always been fascinated by the flavor combinations you see in Moroccan cuisine. I wanted to borrow the richness of the culture in this pasta and lentils application.”

For her Snowball Baked Mac & Cheese, Dorene Mills, corporate chef, Hannaford Supermarkets, was attracted to the whimsy of Barilla’s Snowflake Pasta, leaning into the seasonal theme by adding mozzarella pearl “snowballs.” She used a jarred alfredo sauce, scaling up the flavor with roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes. “Add fresh basil to the top to complete a Christmas theme,” she suggests. The dish is served up on Libbey’s dinnerware.

In his Hoisin Lentils and Steak, Luis Haro, senior director of culinary at SBP Hospitality, creates a vibrant flavor experience, with a beautifully grilled steak topped with a spicy cucumber salad and served alongside warm, slightly sweet lentils. For this dish, Haro leans on Kikkoman hoisin sauce, to bring depth of flavor to the lentils and uses it—along with soy sauce—as a marinade for the steak. The steak is topped with a cold cucumber salad seasoned with chili oil, ginger, shallots and rice wine vinegar. “It’s one dish that combines sweet and spicy, cold and hot,” says Haro. Tableware from Libbey completes the presentation.

STANDOUT SIPS

Innovative beverage plays are also on the menu. Denise Covert, culinary innovations manager, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, used watermelon to create a refreshing beer-based cocktail. Her Watermelon Summer Beer, served in a Libbey glass, combines fresh-blended watermelon with vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup and basil, topped with Pilsner beer and served on ice. “It’s sweet, refreshing, citrusy and herbaceous,” says Covert.

Further pushing the applications envelope expected of the provided products, Covert mixed up the Hoisin Transfusion, a bold, savory-sweet cocktail that blends dark, fruity, rich Concord grape juice with the umami depth of hoisin sauce from Kikkoman. It’s brightened with fresh lime juice and finished with the crisp effervescence of ginger ale. “The result is a lush, velvety and slightly savory cocktail that balances sweet, tart and umami flavors in a way that feels both unexpected and indulgent,” she reports.

Coming up next: Meats, cheeses and cookies set the table for modern menu innovation.