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Category Archives: Food Trends

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THE FOUNDATIONS OF COOKING WILL ALWAYS SERVE YOU WELL

14 Friday Mar 2014

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chefs, cooking basics, cooking methods, cooks, culinary students advice, foundational cooking, restaurants

THE FOUNDATIONS OF COOKING WILL ALWAYS SERVE YOU WELL

There is no question that dining is a sensual experience. A perfect meal will always address the full gamut of senses as it is prepared and presented: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Chefs who focus on just a few of these senses truly miss the opportunity to build something special, memorable and replicable.

The business side of operating a restaurant must always focus on ways to create customer traffic, but restaurants with longevity find that it is even more important to focus on ways to create return visits and guest loyalty. The typical business-marketing model refers to five different types of consumers: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and late adopters. The big splash for a restaurant usually comes in those first few months of operation and is focused on those innovators who like to try something new. The upside to appealing to innovators is that the initial rush that they provide can result in positive buzz for the restaurant, good press and potentially more stable customers to follow. The downside to innovators is that they grow quickly tired of your product and jump ship when the next “cool thing” arrives, typically somewhere else. Successful restaurants strive to attract the early majority and late majority of consumers that account for almost 70% of potential buyers. These guests want the whole package and are drawn to those operations that can provide consistency in all areas.

So, why am I mentioning all of this? Although I consider myself fairly open minded when it comes to food and adventurous enough to try new things, I, like many will return time and time again to those restaurants with a real understanding of the five senses and the necessary skills to address them each and every time I dine. I like to be able to predict and depend on excellence. The food press is always spouting about the new and sometimes radical approaches that some chefs are taking towards food flavor profiles and preparation methods. I always find these interesting and usually dig beneath the surface to find something in these new approaches that I might use. The real question to me is always: “is the experience of this food enjoyable enough to create a concept with longevity?” If the answer is “no”, or “maybe not”, then I wonder why that chef has chosen to drift so much from the center.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that creativity is the basis of many new products or services that we only know are necessary and a “must have” until someone dares to make it known. I applaud all who take the chance to move us forward, however, I always reflect back on the long-term impact that these moves will have on the business and the chef. The foundations will never do you wrong! Restaurants that consistently attract the early and late majority are those that understand and practice the foundations. I would also dare to say that those chefs who are experimenting with new products, flavors and processes have, at some point in their careers, embraced and practiced the basics.

Cooks and chefs who have a passion for their craft, who have a desire to pursue a long and fruitful career in the kitchen, who yearn to some day have their own place or at least own the freedom to do what they desire in a kitchen must understand the importance of the foundations.

There is no question that as we learn more about the science of cooking we can develop a better understanding of how to approach ingredients. This scientific approach is fascinating and intellectually stimulating, but in the end we are part of the service business and are charged with pleasing customer palates and developing consistently enjoyable experiences. The gratification that comes from preparing a meal that stimulates all of the senses and makes people want to return is the best reward that a chef can receive.

Young people today are often drawn to the kitchen because they have seen or read about these new breakthrough processes for creating visually inspirational dishes, using technology that a decade ago was not on anyone’s radar. What I have seen too often are students of cooking who want to jump right to the sizzle of creativity without first understanding the foundations of cooking and food handling that have made it possible for experimental chefs to do what they do. There is still very little that can replace a well-made stock or a perfectly braised lamb shank. The methods that many others before us have developed and passed on will always stand tall under the scrutiny of return guests. A tell tale sign of the importance of this can be coaxed out when you ask those same chefs where they go out to eat and what foods are at the top of their preferred list. I would bet that most would focus on those operations that know how to use the foundations to their advantage and draw out flavors that make them close their eyes and savor the essence of solid cooking.

The lesson here is simple: walk before you run. Learn the foundations, make this the blueprint of your style, spend the years that it takes to master what others for generations have perfected and then you have the ability to truly take those basics to new places, adapt the technology that is rising to the surface and put a fresh signature of the food that people love. In the end, it is all about satisfying guests, creating ambassadors and return clients. This is our charge from an artistic and from a business perspective.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC
Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting, Training and Coaching
http://www.harvestamericaventures.com

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Posted by harvestamericacues.com | Filed under Food Trends, Uncategorized

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“You’re Gonna Like the Way You FEEL, I Guarantee It”

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Tags

culinary, desserts, dining, experience, pastry, restaurant

I can’t remember where I found this jpeg, probably on FaceBook, but it really struck a chord. When I was at the helm of a kitchen my feeling was that every customer wants a dessert and should be given the opportunity to say “YES” and purchase something sweet. As a consumer, I still have that desire but find far too often that restaurants feed into the reasons for people to say no.

Let’s face it, we don’t need the calories or fat, and probably could live without spending the extra cash, yet a meal that doesn’t end with a dessert seems to be lacking.

There is a growing population of very talented, passionate pastry chefs who should receive the same level of respect and accolade that quality savory chef’s have come to expect, yet how much thought is really given to the importance of dessert to the guest experience and the ways of accomplishing a “guilt-free” sale.

Since a very early age, desserts have been a stress reliever for many. There is a sense that buying dessert is special and in some ways a departure from “being good”. Desserts do bring a smile to people’s face, provide a special reward for good times and a respite from the not so good times. In the hands of a gifted pastry chef, any guest should be able to enjoy this finish to a meal without guilt.

At some point restaurants made a decision that bigger is always better and developed desserts that were so over the top in calories, portion sizes and fat that they became intimidating to order.

Toning down the portion sizes, reflecting on the use of fresh fruits and nuts, incorporating fresh herbs and alternative spices in lieu of added sugar can result in exceptional end-of-meal desserts that excite and satisfy. Five-hundred calorie desserts that push the envelope of common sense do not help the guest, the server, the pastry chef or the restaurant.

Every dessert should be comprised of four different components (based on conversations with some of my favorite pastry chef friends):
Something Soft
Something Fresh
Something Crunchy and
a Complementary Sauce

Working this into a formula that strives to create 3-4 bite desserts will help to bring a smile to your guests, pride to your pastry chef, added revenue for the restaurant and a larger base for server gratuities.

Create a “stress reliever” dessert menu rather than one that creates stress for the diner. Remember, it is the total dining experience that brings people back to a restaurant. Make sure that desserts remain a part of that experience. At the end of the meal, the diner should enjoy the way they feel, not sense that they owe their body an apology.

Pastry chefs – feel free to chime in!

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Posted by harvestamericacues.com | Filed under Food Trends

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Cider Pairing Dinner – A First

27 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by harvestamericacues.com in Food Trends

≈ 1 Comment

ImageTo me, it is always refreshing to experience something truly new that breaks all the rules with food.  Even though I am a classic traditionalist in many ways (my favorite meals are usually ones that are time-tested), I can be quite adventurist because I do enjoy learning something new.  I love going to wine pairing menu events, and even enjoy preparing them more.  So, I am fairly comfortable with assessing the job that the sommelier and chef did in matching foods and wine.

Last night I attended my first cider pairing dinner.  Now there are few things in Vermont that could be more Vermont than cider (maybe maple syrup), but this menu paired the unlikely multiple versions of hard ice cider with spectacular food.

Chef Tim McQuinn from the North Hero House in Vermont did a fabulous job of designing a menu that reflected his style, the bounty of Vermont, and the unique profile of ice cider.  Together with Eleanor Leger from Eden Ice Cider, they experimented and put together an extraordinary meal.

Thoughout the process of dining I was a student once again, learning about the “right” apples for cider, the process of making ice cider, and the way to build off the cider profile and design a menu that really works.

Kudos to Tim and Eleanor for a successful, educational and delicious class in cider pairing.

This picture is just a sampling of how special the menu was.  A Vermont Bosc Pear poached in cider, served with Mascarpone Cheese, a Hard Cider Glaze and Granola Crumble – Beautiful and Exceptional!

The North Hero House is a real gem on the shores of Lake Champlain.  Give them a try when you are in Vermont.  Check out their website at:  http://www.northherohouse.com

Tell Walt (the owner) that I sent you.

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The Challenge of the Farmer/Chef Connection

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by harvestamericacues.com in Food Trends

≈ 2 Comments

ImageThe concept of centralized farms was based on a classic supply and demand opportunity within a growing nation and the need to support the consumer’s desire for everything, anytime, anywhere.  Since climate and soil (terroir) are not the same from coats to coast, certain crops and livestock do not flourish year-round in every region of the United States.  The de-centralized farm that was the backbone of America could not support this growing demand from the consumer.

With centralized farming comes numerous other challenges, not the least of which is quality.  Impact on the environment, making large concentrations of crops susceptible to climate changes, the use of fertilizers to keep the soil productive, pesticides, genetically engineered seeds to increase yield, use of growth hormones in animals, over-use of antibiotics to keep animals free of disease, the loss of the family farm, and the list goes on and on.  We are all familiar with the issues.

The Slow Food Movement and numerous studies about the impact of these practices has influenced a change in many people’s food philosophy.  Organic is no longer a fad, buying local is becoming a national call to arms, a young cadre of energetic farmers are putting their stakes in the ground, and chefs are taking on the movement as part of their food persona.

Now the challenges.  Restaurants are money pits.  The cost of delivering a great, even a good meal is not very forgiving.  A well-run restaurant might be able to squeeze out 5% profit as long as they can control waste, theft, spoilage, and labor costs.  The reality is that many restaurants are not very good at this.  The one saving grace is the ability to find cost effective sources for the food that they use.  The major part of cost effectiveness is how the raw materials that they buy can save on labor.

Consistency is another challenge for restaurants.  Customers expect, and rightfully so, that what they buy from a restaurant today will look and taste the same when they return a month later.  The reason that so many chain restaurants are successful is that customers know what to expect. The vast majority of restaurant patrons are not willing to gamble.

Restaurants are in the “service business”.  This means that they are willing and able to adjust and respond to customers needs and are able to deliver on their promises.

Finally, we come to cost.  The restaurant business is an industry of pennies.  There is a ceiling to what we can charge for the product we serve and a major part of a chef’s job is to learn how to control costs.  Obviously, watching spoilage and waste as well as effective menu planning can help to control the cost of goods, but finding an acceptable price for the raw materials chefs buy will set the stage for profitability.

Small de-centralized producers are very challenged with all of these issues.  Consistent product quality, quantity, form, shape and size, are all very difficult for the small producer to address.  When an item is placed on the menu, there should be an expectation that the chef will be able to find the raw materials to deliver the “promise” to the guest.

The more that a chefs’ crew must do to a product to bring it up to working standards in a restaurant, the higher the cost of labor.  Trimming, sizing, cleaning, sorting, etc. in the hands of the restaurant can make the cost of delivering that item prohibitive.

If a chef cannot depend on an item being delivered at the quality expected, the quantity ordered and the day and time needed, then the promise is again broken.  In some cases in order for a chef to work with farmers they need to pick-up product rather than depend on a delivery.  There are only so many hours in a day and chefs typically work 60 plus hours as it is.

Farmers, like restaurateurs, work on small margins, thus they are not able to compete with price like the one-stop carriers can.  Farmers are unable to allow restaurants to defer payment for 30 or more days like the larger vendors, thus making it very difficult for the restaurant to purchase in this manner.

Now, I am a strong advocate for farm to fork.  I appreciate the flavor differences in local ingredients vs. those from a box supplier.  I want to give a hand to local producers and keep regional economies strong.  I am very concerned about the integrity of the food supply and the depletion of our American terroir.  I am also a restaurant person who understands how difficult it is to make money in this business.

At some point soon, farmers and chefs need to collectively build a business model that addresses all of these issues.  The farmer needs the restaurant and the restaurant needs the farmer.  There is a solution, but both parties need to understand the challenges and address them strategically.

Your thoughts?

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Addicted to Food??

22 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by harvestamericacues.com in Continuing Education for Food Professionals, Food Trends, Healthy Living Through Better Cooking

≈ 3 Comments

“A baby is born, it cries, it is fed, it is content.” (In the Shadow of Cooks: iUniverse Publishers)  So…the baby cries and cries until it’s body aches from the effort.  When the baby is finally fed, it feels better.  The connection is quickly made that to feel better the body needs food.  This goes way beyond hunger and the need to sustain life.  Food is a fixer.  Throughout life, we tend to lean on food as a fixer.  When we are sad, we eat; when we are mad, we eat; when we bored, we eat; and when we are happy, we eat to feel even happier.  Now do I have scientific proof to support these statements?  Look at your own life as I look at mine – food is more often than not – your best friend.

My wife is a dietitian.  She is smart, physically fit, and in control of her eating habits.  I can’t attest to how smart I am, but I am not really physically fit and definitely not in control of my eating habits.  I am not proud of this and can certainly spout out reasons, the fact is I use food just like millions of others – as a fixer.

When I was a restaurant chef I would tell my wife that what we serve and the size of what we serve is strictly based on what the customer wants to buy.  The restaurants job is to give the customer what they want, not try to teach them what is right.  Now I have a change of heart.

Look around you and try to think about what real problems abound in America today.  Diabetes has increased exponentially and even impacts on very young children.  Obesity is at epidemic levels from coast to coast (in fact the military is finding it difficult to identify enough volunteers who are even borderline physically fit).  The number one prescription drug in the U.S. is Lipitor (or other statins – I have been using Lipitor for 22 years) and although heart disease is better controlled today than it ever was, millions of Americas have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Kidney dialysis units are cropping up from New York to California and more and more Americans are opting for stomach bypass surgery as a means to control their weight.  All of these health issues can be controlled by watching what we eat.

If you have ever turned on the television between 4 and 6 a.m. you would note that there are a dozen or so channels that focus on exercise programs.  I wonder how many people watch these while they are eating their Sugar Smacks.

We are the land of the free and as a result truly believe that everyone has the right to choose how they live their lives.  Since many feel that their health is an individual decision, the cost of health care has grown exponentially.  This “out-of-control” cost impacts on everyone, even those who choose to live a healthier life.

So, back to the restaurant.  Do we have a responsibility beyond “giving customers what they want to eat”? Recently, the city of New York banned those super-sized soda drinks in restaurants.  The reason, excessive consumption of beverages containing significant amounts of high fructose corn syrup are a prime culprit in the obesity epidemic.  The out cry was interesting to watch.  Again, many claimed that this was an attempt to take away our right as Americans to make a choice.  Remember, food is a fixer.  The larger the need, the larger the fixer portion.

I am not sure that government regulation is the answer, but I am certain that, as restaurant professionals, we do have an obligation to teach our customers through example.  Reasonably, a 4-5 ounce portion of protein is more than sufficient, especially if it is complemented by an array of properly prepared, healthy fresh vegetables.  The real creativity in a kitchen comes from demonstrating how to bring out flavors and work with those great ingredients that come from the garden.

It is refreshing to see the efforts that many chefs are placing on “farm-to-table” initiatives and re-learning how to work with fresh, local ingredients.  Sure they can be more expensive, but as a good chef friend of mine said; “eat less and eat better”.

For my part personally, I need to learn how to eat slower and enjoy my food.  Sometimes it takes the stomach a minute or two to catch up and say “I have had enough”.  I can easily blame it on 40 years in the kitchen where taking time to sit down and eat simply did not happen.  Grabbing something while continuing to work was and still is the norm.

Addicted to food?  The answer is, yes we are; but like any other addiction (in this case behavior) it can be modified with real effort.  Let’s play a role in helping to improve the health of people in this great country and give some real thought to the menus that we design.

What are your thoughts on this heavily debated topic?

 

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