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Posts Tagged gourmet lifestyle

Upselling is Back

Jan 18

Posted by admin in dining out, Economy, food universe, life

In the old world, as defined as a few years ago, the economy was flush and diners happily supported the restaurant industry without a blink about fancy meals and high price tabs. It was the world, and upselling was a prevalent theme. Make that “a problem.” Yes, waiters never seemed to tire of the million strategies to drive the bill. Then the recession hit and waiters, too, were happy to serve tap water or let diners share an entree. With the first visible positive signs of economic change or potential stability, waiters have returned to the 1000 ways to enhance your dinner or drive up the tab; your call as to how to define the strategy: rhythm or an incessant drumbeat from an earlier era?

Take a recent outing where the waiter quickly moved himself into the annoying corner as he seemed to meet resistance with his every ploy. Sparkling water became a spigot that was never shut off. You know how I feel about the restaurant versions of still and sparkling without a cost to the consumer.

When the waiter moved to a more profitable part of the menu as he  tried to sell truffles a thousand ways, he lost everyone at the banquette. The group preferred a conversation rather than a lesson in pricing or slicing. He was unstoppable as he moved through menu gyrations with the almost musical tone, “we could just add a thin truffle slice to make the dish purr.” Seriously, uninterested and turned off by this overpowering display of in-your-face possibilities. Let us dine. Let us relax and chat and welcome our dining choice rather than secretly dread the restaurant decision.  Did he mention the cost? No need; there were no bites at the table. He quickly tried another approach, also an unsuccessful strategy as he encouraged additional courses. He asked, “Is that it?” Not smooth; not impressive, and not a winning tool.

Yes, dining out can be complicated and expensive with rising food costs and creative plating as chefs struggle with all matters of pricing.  Yet, the annoyingly, cloying waiter needs to remain a caricature and not make a visible presence tableside. Let the diners’ imaginations go wild and let them initiate as in, “could I have the truffle atop that salad, or…”.  You get the picture. Food is expensive enough at high-tiered restaurants without the nagging upsell that has again entered the market space.

Let’s all be hospitable and relax.

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Holiday Cookbook Planning Time

Dec 5

Posted by admin in beverages, chocolate, cookbooks, food universe, gluten-free, healthy eating, vegan

With the heightened attention to a Vegan lifestyle, including that of former President Bill Clinton, it’s natural that we will see a bounty of new cookbooks making their way onto our holiday lists. The latest one that should make planning easier for the hectic holiday period is the Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Atlas, a well-known author and chef has published numerous vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, but with the concentration on recipes for a holiday celebration, this one is sure to make life easier during the otherwise hectic period.

What makes this book a welcome bookshelf addition and a hostess planning guide is the bounty of recipes that will be welcome additions for any holiday meal. Thanksgiving has come and gone, but this year for the first time there was a considerable amount of newspaper and blog ink devoted to vegan recipes. Clearly an understanding of how many people have made lifestyle changes rather than just thinking of these dishes as a passing trend.

Now the December big ones, Hanukkah and Christmas are quickly approaching. The first holiday would be unthinkable without latkes, potato pancakes, and Atlas has a version that is obviously vegan and with a few minor tweaks can be made soy and gluten-free. She believes that only those who prepare the recipe will notice the shift in ingredients, but everyone will be able to enjoy the finished dish. BTW, she has numerous recipes for the other Jewish holidays that likewise pose a recipe challenge, such as Vegan Matzo Balls!

A large part of the book is devoted to Christmas and what she calls “The Holiday Season.” This, after all, is a time with numerous office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, and an assortment of events that might just require a little hostess gift. If you bring a food for the buffet, then you’ll be assured of having something to eat! Here are some teasers to get you thinking:

–Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters. Easy to make as no baking is required and they are Gluten and Soy-Free.

–“Vegg” Nog. This recipe differs from so many of its predecessors as it is minus the tofu, but the vanilla almond milk and agave nectar combined with cashew butter make a smooth beverage.

–Creamy Cracked-Pepper Cheez. Now you can have a spreadable recipe that will highlight a buffet table. If you use gluten-free yeast, then you can appeal to an even wider audience.

Even though the book is divided into holiday sections, there are few recipes that are limited to a particular event. So many creative choices that can liven any meal.

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A Grocery Store Cookbook

Nov 29

Posted by admin in chocolate, coffee, cookbooks, gluten-free, vegan

Whoa there. I’m not talking about just any grocery store, but the one that packs an international wallop of opportunity. That would be Trader Joe’s. This is a store that has legions of followers and excited future shoppers who anticipate the store’s arrival into their city. Crowds often line up several hours before any such opening event so they can experience the store first-hand. Then the adventure begins.

Yes, the store is quite an adventure, whether the focus is on an international basis or the realistic consumer is just looking for something that has a gourmet flair without a gourmet price tag. Voilà, The I Love Trader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook by Cherie Mercer Twohy is the newest resource addition for those who have become TJ devotees. Devotees know who they are; they exclaim they were able to pull off a gourmet meal without incurring insane expenses.

Take the cheese department, so many choices, and the prices shriek “reasonable.” Even with a food item as simple as cheese that can be enjoyed with a slice of fruit or a basic cracker, the author has created numerous recipes to elevate the purchase into a more upscale cheese experience.

The cookbook has over 140 international recipes put together with the foods from TJ’s. Recipes are categorized by countries and are appealing for their understanding of our busy lifestyles: Good food, simple preparation. Many recipes fall into the new categories of major interest, Vegan and Gluten-Free. To make something as so-called exotic-sounding as Masala Lentil Chicken, the secret TJ solution is a 7-ounce container of Masala Lentil Dip. Pretty straightforward, but well worth the purchase price. Chicken dishes, for example, headline the tutorials as they span through almost all the nationalities.

So the store of mystery can be a focal point in your new recipe file. A simple jar of olive tapenade can turn an ordinary turkey slider sandwich into something with a bit more kick. The options abound.

Trader Joe’s does that for you. They have the ingredients and Twohy has put them to work with this panopoly of recipes.

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A New Vegan Cookbook

Nov 7

Posted by admin in cookbooks, cooking, food universe, gluten-free, healthy eating

This is that wonderful time of the year when new cookbooks seem to multiply on the shelves and in our e-readers to get us ready for the holiday gift-giving universe. So many choices; so many occasions. Today my thoughts go to a plant-based universe as so many individuals are considering making major changes to their diets. Going Vegan is not a trend, but a reality for many people who believe that the only way to sustain our food supply is not to eat it all up! Of course, there are those who follow this route on doctor’s advice or because they have tried it and recognize its benefits. Part-time “veganites” know how to master both universes!

Now that we have said good-bye to Daylight Savings Time and a bit of a Fall chill pervades the East Coast air, it’s time to start thinking of heart-warming foods and take out the slow-cooker to make it happen with ease. This wonderful piece of equipment  somehow magically turns great ingredients into great meals with limited effort from us. In the new cookbook, The Vegan Slow Cooker, Kathy Hester the founder of the blog healthyslowcooking.com, elevates her blog world forward with a well-crafted cookbook that makes meal preparation rewarding with the added plus of wonderful aromas wafting thru the rooms.

She has chosen 150 recipes that cover all meal parts including the important need for dessert. An added plus is that many of the dishes are also Gluten-free and Soy-free, both important features that broaden the book’s overall appeal. I particularly like the tag line, “Simply Set It and Go.” Yes, slow-cooking has multiple advantages and now with the Vegan emphasis, its audience has broadened.

Of course, we recognize that slow-cooking has an important place when it comes to simple, but tasty, entrees, stews, and soups, but what about the other courses? Here are some enticers:

–Breads and Pizzas (Rosemary Breakfast Bread or Foccacia Pizza Dough)

–Breakfast Casserole or French Toast Casserole (intrigued yet?), or

–Pumpkin Pie Pudding which sounds like a seasonal winner.

In our time-starved universe, finding a book that combines fast preparation with foods that literally cook themselves, helps us manage the meal-time drill. Here’s a good start to a season of slow cooker meals.

 

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Eating with Uncle Sam

Sep 1

Posted by admin in Administration, beverages, food universe, History, news, tourism, USDA

I can think of no better time than a few days before Labor Day to introduce you to a wonderful book from the National Archives. It is easy to think of this mammoth building as a holder of major historical documents. To us in the food community that includes recipes that parallel the important events of history.

The major undertaking of a food exhibit, “What’s Cooking Uncle Sam,” a pop-up restaurant, American Eats Tavern, and a cookbook, Eating with Uncle Sam, has added a whole new chapter to the collections from the Archives and the Presidential libraries. Yes, food has played an important role in our history and much of what we do and comment on today within the universe of food has its earliest roots tied into a major document that has been preserved. Think of the current trendy chef movement toward the healthy concept of Meatless Mondays. It was during World War II that Americans were asked to have a meatless day (Tuesday) and such a tradition remained a strong staple of households many years after the War ended.

Touring the exhibit at the Archives gives one a bountiful repast of our history and how food evolved within the culture. Dining nearby at the Jose Andres restaurant (America Eats Tavern), lets one celebrate our history with a taste of the original recipes. After all how many types of Catsup have evolved over the years! A good way to test your palate. Now it all comes together with this new book.

One of the most discussed posters in the exhibit is entitled “Eat the Carp” which serves as an introduction to the fish chapter which includes a recipe for Paprikosh (1917-20) which today we might call a fish hash. Or try Lady Bird Johnson’s famous Shrimp Squash Casserole.

If sweets are more to your liking, there are plenty of recipes to try including Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipe of Fruit Cake. After all, we wonder how some recipes ever evolved! How about a recipe for Fondant with the accompanying 1917-19 poster “Sugar: Save It.”

These little tastes should help you set a table of historical recipes. If you can’t make it to the Archives before the exhibit closes in early January, then take a You Tube tour.

In the meantime, enjoy the history and the recipes as you recognize the importance of keeping records.

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Riding the Popularity Bandwagon–The G-F Driver

Aug 15

Posted by admin in gluten-free, health, lifestyle, news, shopping

Who could have imagined a year ago that Gluten-Free products would top the popularity charts. This is not a trend but a reality of marketing. G-F products, of course, are needed by those with celiac disease but have become a preferred choice for many other individuals who recognize how much better they feel when they eliminate the flours that cause distress. Grocers, restaurants, big chains, and even small cafes have figured out how they can capture some of this market.

The Bloomberg Businessweek issue for August 15-28 has a great cover shot for the “Popularity Issue” and inside awards its top spot to the Gluten-Free Diet which they say is being driven by those with celiac disease and the 15% of consumers who purchase these products and “help create a $2.6 billion market.” What has happened has occurred with an ease that often does not accompany most product rollouts which can be slow and focused on test markets. Now, big name manufacturers are vying for space alongside the stalwart G-F leaders such as Bob’s Red Mill and Udi’s. When you see 2 loaves of Rudi’s G-F multigrain bread at Costco you see a sea change, and a price drop. Let’s see, 2 loaves at the big box for about half the cost of a single one at the regular store!

The race is on.

More grocers are demonstrating their understanding of the growing numbers by integrating the G-F product line rather than isolating it into a small corner of the store. Sure shelves are often still marked with flip signs indicating a G-F product, but even that has somewhat lessened as consumers recognize the product labeling with the GF symbol. We’ve talked plenty about how obvious products are now quick to boast of their new popularity status. Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce remains my best go-to example, but the Chex family should not get excluded from their big bold banners. Wait, now Rice Krispies has the bold banner.

If you think you’ve seen a lot of GF products at the grocers and been passed GF restaurant menus, you’ve barely scraped the surface. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this impressive marketing action?

Not a trend, but a lifestyle choice with a wide arena for traditional companies to make the jump into the G-F universe! Expect to see more such gotcha labels.

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A Server’s Responsibility

Apr 25

Posted by admin in dining out

When a diner requests a dish prepared a certain way or asks if a dish is Vegan or Gluten-free, the server needs to be in the know or at the ready to get the answer. When a diner inquires about the spiciness of a dish, is it sufficient to say, “I don’t find it spicy.” What does a diner know about a server’s palate? Nothing. Silly answer. Instead should the server do a better job of explaining the intensity of a dish? I think so.

When a diner asks if a piquillo pepper is hot, and the server says “nope.” (That’s true, the piquillo adds a sense of sweetness.) Should the server explain that the heat in the dish comes from chili paprika or just answer the initial question? If a guest asks about spiciness, then the guest either prefers food spicy or wants little heat. It is the server’s responsibility to do a follow-up as in clarifying that the dish itself is spicy. “If you do not like food that spicy, we can prepare the dish without the hot or if you like your meat spiced up, you’ll be quite happy.”

In the particular dish, the spice was overwhelming. Every part of the plate, including the roasted potatoes, was seeped in heavy-handed paprika chiles. No discernible flavor. Just spice.

Who is at fault? Let’s start at the beginning with management. Is there anything more important than service or training, especially when entrees are in the mid 20′s? I firmly believe that training and information are essential components of any sit-down restaurant meal, at any and every price point. After all restaurants depend on diner dollars and diners go out with an expectation of value and pleasure. No one benefits from sloppy or non-existent training.

Diners have certainly become more savvy over the years and have a better understanding of what they are looking for in a meal. A diner does not eat out to take a bite out of a dish, be hit with high intensity heat, and then discover that the dish is cold. Fixing it after the fact is hardly the solution. Solve the problem in the kitchen. In this example we are talking about two levels of heat: Both critical to the success of dinner.

Half answers are reminiscent of the classic “Pink Panther” scene, does your dog bite. To refresh your memory, here is a You Tube clip.

Dining out should be an enjoyable experience. Sure we all eat out sometimes out of necessity, as in “I’m too tired to cook. Let’s grab a bite.” Yet when you make a reservation and have an  image in mind, the establishment needs to come close. Losing business helps no one.

Tell the whole story.

 

 

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I’ll Do It My Way: Chefs Say “NO”

Mar 15

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe, New York Times

Thanks, Frank (as in Frank Sinatra for the hip-hop focused), but that concept of doing it Your Way seems to be fraught with pugilistic intent when we speak of restaurants. Yes, chefs, want to be supreme and create what they want, how they want it, and often without adjustments. Diners, on the other hand, have become more than just restaurant novices and recognize that there are numerous ways to prepare a dish and having it only one set way may not be that appealing or healthy. Let’s play out the basic house salad scenario as an example.

Have you ever sat in a dining room and listened to table talk. I can almost guarantee that if you are in the axis of five tables and someone at each of the tables orders a house salad, not very many will accept it with the designated salad dressing, even with truffle oil! You’ll hear can I have it on the side, or, how about a different dressing. Who’s right? Who gets to make the decision? A significant part of that answer rests with price point. High-end chefs believe more fervently about their decisions.

Diners want some control, and chefs want to maintain head toque control. Last week the New York Times ran a front page article about chefs who absolutely, positively refuse to make adjustments. A few days later, the paper ran opinion responses. We’ve all been in the situation when dining out where we love what is described but have a small, wee, minor change we’d like to make. Not everyone is pleased with this strategy.B_2_3_Technische_CM_02

So who’s right? The issue is far greater than placing a simple order. There are ever so many people who either through preference or dietary restrictions want to dine at the best, the very latest, the top places. They want to experience what they have been reading about and do not want to be left out of the dining frenzy that is making all the headlines.  Not every chef welcomes the diner who needs adjustments or wants to tweak a dish. Should top restaurants be off limits to guests who want the experience but may be unable to have it as the chef envisions? Should chefs bend or diners skip?

Yes, it is the hospitality industry, and yes, diners have become particular about their flavors and specifics, but should top tier chefs have to accommodate everyone, of every dining ilk, health or otherwise? For many of these restaurants it is not about the customer is always right, but rather a fact of life: This is the way I create. Come to my temple and experience what I can do.

Sorry, many chefs say when they are unable or unwilling to accommodate. Is the ability to pay and to pay handsomely enough to be able to experience almost all the ingredients the chef envisions.

This is a complicated issue on both sides of the table.

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The Day After Guac

Feb 7

Posted by admin in chocolate, food universe, lifestyle

What a weekend it’s been with everyone enticing us to take a dip. OK, just dip once. Now, today we pay. How many chips equal  a loaf of bread? That is the question.

The national consumption tallies may not be totally accurate, but you know how you indulged. Was it more about the score or the opportunity to taste a variety of wings, strips, fingers, or great looking guacamole begging you to try it?  Let’s be honest when a store plans ahead so well as to offer perfectly ripe, good sized avocados for $1 a piece that you’re game to try the process yourself. (Lime; not lemon is the secret weapon.) Not every avocado needs to be mashed up. Perfect slices bring life and color to a morning omelet, and no one is shrieking about the negative health benefits of an avocado. This is a good fat.

Chicken wings have their own story to tell. This may be the first year I’ve seen them dressed as kung pao wings! Why not? How many people know how to make a true Buffalo wing anyway? BTW,  I’ve heard that upwards of 100 million pounds of chicken wings make an appearance on a Super Bowl weekend! That’s an impressive number.

Now that you’ve dipped and scooped and eaten your way thru the pre-game events and the crunching after-game statistics, this may be the week to focus on all the news that actually came out last week: Eat less and cut down on your sodium, the newly revised USDA Dietary Guidelines. Most of us probably inhaled enough salt over the weekend to do a marathon cleansing.

Rest up. We move from the mash-up to the sublime. This coming week promises the allure of chocolate. After all Valentine’s Day Weekend approaches. Time to trade the green for the heart-love red. Buy a good chocolate, melt, and dip away!strawberriesresultsIMG

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How Large Can the G-F Letters Get?

Jan 25

Posted by admin in food universe, gluten-free, health

With our fancy computers and tablets, we can easily control the size of type and fonts. It seems brand marketers and store managers have figured out that small G’s or GF markings are not sufficient to help purchasers select gluten-free products. Each grocery store visit seems to unearth another product that shouts out in big, bold letters that the food contained in the particular bag is gluten-free. Now you see it; buy it.

Branding is funny that way. Little shelf markings or aisle headers announcing the GF products does not seem sufficient as grocers are looking to enhance their product lineup. Popcorn really does not need the label, but marketers say, why not? Those who cannot have any gluten product need to be assured that a particular item is not made in an environment with other foods that could contaminate the gut. That’s a different commentary. The GF numbers for those with disease or merely conscious of their gluten intolerance are driving up sales and increasing marketing efforts.

One of the ironies of such markings are that unit pricing becomes hard to read. There are so many tabs and tags on the shelf trying to direct your eye toward the store’s latest product, it’s difficult to figure out how much this lemon wafer (GF) is in comparison to the one (GF) on the shelf below. The former GF wasteland has become a waist land as there are some people who believe going GF will help them lose weight. This has been disputed before and is getting a lot of attention again.

Those who need to follow such a diet should take advantage of the many books that separate out the foods and even help with recipes. Here’s one I just received the Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide. What makes this book easy to use for anyone that has a medical need as with Celiac disease, is the amount of  helpful information. For anyone who needs to watch his gluten intake, the book has an easy to follow 30-day meal plan included with the recipes.GFbook51CGkX5TM4L._SL500_AA300_

I’m always a little mystified by people who complain of numerous stomach issues but have not considered the various possibilities of discomfort. Taking gluten out of one’s diet is an easy comfort test case.

Marketing an issue which has become so popular among health reporters has helped consumers find materials and foods that make their lifestyles easier to digest.

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