EVOLUTION OF THE TOSTONERA OR REMEMBER THE PAPER BAG?

Let's face it -- no one invented the tostonera!

At all our events when a TOSTO-FAN asks "did you invent the TOSTOBUENO®," I quickly reply "No one invented the tostonera . . . it always was."

All we did was:

1) Make it look a lot better. Many have called our Tostobueno ® a "work of art."

2) We designed it with an eye towards longevity. Our Tostobueno® LASTS.

A Tosto-fan. From "A TASTE OF THE BRONX 2010," an annual fundraiser for the YMCA there.

3) We made it user-friendly and dual purposed.

A Tosto-fan. From "Cuba Nostalgia 2010," South Florida's BIGGEST under-one-roof Cuba-Fest.

4) We decided to protect the environment. Or in other words "who needs another plastic tostonera?" No one! So instead of using the environmental nightmare that plastic is, we went with bamboo. And like a proud parent pulling out those baby pictures -- how many tostoneras can boast of being recognized by the:

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Washington DC as a Latino Enterprise Leading the way for Latinos in the Green Economy*

*SCROLL DOWN TO PAGE 7

The Evolution of the TOSTONERA

PLANTAIN PEEL

In Latin America the plantain is the center of the universe. The mythology of the toston is rich. The first tostonera was a banana peel. Some still use the banana peel to flatten the hot fried plantain.

Rock to Brick

Next, to keep from burning their hands, some went to a rock which in modern times was replaced with a brick – effective but hard to control – and lots of smashed fingers.

Brown Paper Bag & Coffee Can

The brick would get messy and dirty and eventually was replaced by the brown paper bag and the coffee can. The bag to absorb the oil, and the coffee can to do the smashing. Unfortunately, the bag got dirty and needed to be replaced very often.

Bargain Wooden Tostonera

Then someone figured two pieces of wood could do the trick and the first modern tostonera was born. Unfortunately, simple engineering was not considered. The hinges were often too tight and the wood too soft and these bargain tostoneras had a very short life span. Plus, you could only make one plantain chip at a time. If you wanted to make toston cups, you had to buy another device specifically for toston cups that made one at a time – too much work.

The Ultimate Tostonera®

At last…a tostonera that makes sense. The Tostobueno® allows for the chips and cups to be made all on one unit…and you can make more than one at a time. When you buy our doble, trio or sexto no trees get killed because the Tostobueno® is made from eco-friendly bamboo.

AND COMING IN 2012

I've been working on an e-documentary on the plantain. Yes, you read right: the plantain! We may have many things in common as Hispanics/Latinos -- but nothing more so than our love of the plantain or patacon or tachino or as I was told yesterday "tronco." Annette E Alvarez

Tostobueno The Ultimate Tostonera® Sends a BIG TOSTO-BESO (Kiss) to Guy Fieri for Unknowingly Sending His PLANTAIN LOVING Viewers Our Way . . .

She may have started on the road to Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives but Sophie Beltran of Tampa, FL took the right turn to our website and ordered our DOBLE PLANTAIN SMASHER after Guy stopped off some California Dive to make tostones rellenos.

And she wasn't the only Foodie to embrace our smasher after seeing Guy's tostone relleno segment on The Food Network. Many like Sophie were happy to let us know they went North on the Internet, ordering from us, here in Harlem, New York after Guy's West Coast smashin'.

And for those who may not know what a toston relleno is DRUMROLL please. . . VIOLA! here's
The Simple Chef's® aka Chef DonClark --

Sweet Cherry Pie Toston Relleno

To see how easy this YUMMY Plantain Dessert is -- Yes, you read right: YUMMY GREEN PLANTAIN DESSERT --- Click on THE SIMPLE CHEF® . . .

And to read how much loved this SENSUOUS dessert has become --- To find out who is Tosto's #1 Fan --- Click on Meet Tosto’s #1 fan: April Horton, Director of External Affairs for Verizon.

And for others . . .
our Tostobueno® is the
Foodie Ghost of Christmas Past.

QUOTE

My name is John Irizarry. I've lived in Dallas, TX most of my life. I'm Puerto Rican, and was raised in NYC. Growing up my mother made my favorite dishes of pernil, arroz con gandules, paella, carne mechada, and my favorite:

TOSTONES.

Since she's past away, and I moved to Texas I've had very few opportunities to eat my ethnic food. For the past few months I've noticed your website when I searched for tostoneras, and fell in love with your product.

Your website was on the top of the list which promted me to look at your YouTube demonstrations. When I saw you can make relleno cups with your machine I had to have one.

This is my Christmas gift to myself so I won't be so homesick.

You cannot buy a tostonera here in Texas anywhere. I've looked at other similar products, but yours by far looks the best and is presented most professionaly.

END QUOTE

. . . The Tostobueno® breaths new life to the old tradition of "Noche Buena" for a Moorestown, NJ family.

From Diana McGraw

I bought your tostonera because I have decided to start a new family tradition (married family that is) and celebrate 'Noche Buena' like I used to growing up in Puerto Rico.

My brother, who is in the Navy, and I are the only ones close enough to celebrate together, and we miss it (him especially) so I decided that I would introduce my 'new' family and friends to the wonderful world of Puerto Rican food while also doing something special for my brother.

I also want my baby girls to be familiar with their
Latina side and what better way than with food?

I was on a few websites looking for recipes and I decided to make tostones rellenos instead of regular tostones and when I GOOGLED tostones rellenos, the first couple of listings were video clips with your Chef [Chef DonClark] doing demos. [LIKE THE ONE BELOW] I was immediately intrigued because I wasn't relishing the idea of pressing each toston individually and seeing the multiple presses really got me.

I immediately GOOGLED Tostobueno® and your website came up. Seeing that you had a multiple press was the cincher - my order was placed 5 minutes later.

I didn't even bother looking anywhere else.

I hope this was helpful and I'm sorry I ranted on. Happy Holidays!

EDITORS NOTE: These are the kind of rants that we LOVE!

Our Smashing Tostobueno® Smashes into Sunny South Florida & You Get a To$to-Break!

And in celebration of our South Florida Tosto roll-out, our Trio has been specially priced: 24.95 from 29.95 at our events. And that's not just in South Florida. Stop by any Tostobueno® event in New York . . . buy one, two or perhaps a Trio of Trios and pay ONLY 24.95 EACH. The Tosto-Chicks™ will be serving up some Tosto-fun at the Latino Expo, March 21st-22nd at Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford, CT. Come and sample a Toston Amuse Bouche, and leave with our specially priced Trio in honor of our South Florida roll-out! And FYI: look out for us during Viernes Culturales or Cultural Fridays always on the last Fridays of every month in the heart of Miami's Little Havana.

From the site: Cultural Fridays is targeted to all those who enjoy arts and culture, from community members to visitors from all over the world. Our audience is multicultural and represents the ethnic diversity of our South Florida community.

FROM CHEF DONCLARK THE DESIGNER OF THE TOSTOBUENO®
"For the past two years the hallmark of Tostobueno's success has been our one on one selling at Latin themed concerts and shows. We'ved move partner Annette E Alvarez into South Florida with hopes of not only ramping up our distribution in South Florida but releasing a cadre of one on one sellers into the streets. We still believe our Tupperware party model can be effective there as well. We think we can win in Florida because no one sells a product like Tostobueno® in the area. And our online sales indicate this part of the country is waking up and warming to the idea that tostones are still a part of the culture and what you use to make them has taken a step forward."

National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC) certifies TOSTOBUENO® LLC

On Sept. 16th, 2008 Tostobueno LLC was certifed as a bona fide minority owned and operated business company by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC)

From The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. website: The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (The Council), established in 1973 is a vital link between major corporations and minority business enterprises (MBEs). The Council encourages its membership of Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and educational institutions, to include MBEs as their regular suppliers of products, goods and services.

The Food Network's Paula Deen "Havana in Savannah Party" January 19th Segment Propels Tostobueno LLC's E-Sales of Tostobueno, the Ultimate Tostonera®

New York, NY, January 28, 2008 --(PR.com)-- ABC’s One Life to Live Kamar de los Reyes brought a little Cuban spice to the Food Network on Paula’s Havana in Savannah Party. "Kamar tostones rellenos or stuffed plantain cups caused quite the happy commotion at our one-year-old business," said Annette E Alvarez, Tostobueno’s Director of Media. "We are still getting orders." Not familiar with the Latin equivalent of the French Fry ... from Chef DonClark, designer of the Tostobueno®.

Tostones are Patacones are Tachinos. In the end, it just depends if it’s a Dominican, Cuban, Colombian or Puerto Rican home serving what can be considered the Latin equivalent of the American French Fry. Tostones--sliced fried green plantains, smashed and refried--are served in many Latin homes for lunch and/or dinner up to three, four times a week. It’s tradition. “Everyone becomes a child when presented with a toston,” said Chef DonClark, Ambassador of Plantains™. “The toston speaks to the reverence that Latinos have when it comes to their food and certainly their family, and when you put the two together, fun is never far behind.” No wonder Kamar wanted to share with Paula and his fans . . . it's tradition. Still a little uncomfortable with how to cook tostones rellenos? Here's the plantain lowdown from the Ambassador of Plantains™.

The Ambassador of Plantains™ Suggested Cooking Instructions for Toston Rellenos/Cups or Chips

First: Fill large bowl with 3 cups of warm water and 4 tablespoons of garlic salt

Second: Peel green plantains (approx one per person). Cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks for chips or Cut into 2 inch chunks for cups. Place into garlic water to soak (approx 1/2 hour)

Third: Heat oil for frying (in a skillet or deep fryer) 360- 365 degrees. Remove plantains from garlic water and dry on a paper towel (to reduce chance of grease splatter). Place plantain pieces in hot oil for 6-7 minutes (or until color changes slightly). Then take them out and let them cool for about 30 seconds.

Fourth: Choose either the chip side or cup side of the Tostobueno®. Spray with cooking spray (this step is only needed the first time the Tostobueno® is used. Take the fried plantain and place it in the cup side lengthwise. (SEE PICTURE BELOW) Press down firmly to form the "tasita" or cup and then remove carefully - remember the plantain will still be hot.



Fifth: Quickly dip the plantain cup back in the cold water. This will make the plantain pieces crispy when refried.

Hold on, almost done...

Sixth: Place the molded plantain back into the hot oil one more time for 3 minutes (until golden brown). Remove pieces from hot oil and place on a paper towel. Lightly salt with popcorn salt, which is finer and sticks to the plantain better, but any salt is fine or skip this step completely.

Arrange on a platter and fill with Chef DonClark's sweet or savory toppings found at www.Tostobueno.com.

Remember . . . presentation is everything.

Cleaning Suggestions: Do not place in a dishwasher, as there is no need. Just wipe with a damp cloth and store. Not adhering to this suggestion may damage the new Tostobueno® product