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The 500 largest U.S. restaurant chains registered a decline in sales, posting 0.8 percent annual sales decline in 2009. According to data released last week by Technomic Inc., in its annual reporting on the top U.S. restaurant chains, the foodservice market researcher and consultancy found that U.S. systemwide sales for the Top 500 declined to an estimated $230.0 billion in 2009, down almost $2 billion over 2008.
Nothing adds depth of flavor to a dish like homemade chicken stock, but what about fish stock? It's easier to make than you think, and can lend a unique flavor you hadn't had in awhile. (Cooking it does not cause unpleasant odors as you would expect.)
A recent weekend in Columbus, Ohio included a trip to the famous North Market in the trendy downtown Short North district. The fishmonger ("The Fish Guys") offered beautiful salmon heads, and my good friend Abra decided to buy 7 lbs worth and make a fish stock.
Below is a recipe from Epicurious -- adapt for your needs as appropriate.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Strong-Fish-Stock-105266
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, very thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, very thinly sliced
2 dried bay leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 large (6 inches long or more) or 2 small (4 inches long or less) fish heads from cod or haddock, split lengthwise, gills removed, and rinsed clean of any blood
2 1/2 to 3 pounds fish frames (bones) from sole, flounder, bass, and/or halibut, cut into 2-inch pieces and rinsed clean of any blood
1/4 cup dry white wine
About 2 quarts very hot or boiling water
Kosher or sea salt
According to the National Retail Federation's 2010 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, Easter holiday celebrants will spend slightly more this year, with the average person expected to shell out $118.60, up from $116.59 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $13.03 billion.
While spending on most items will remain the same as last year, children can expect more jelly beans, flavored marshmallows and even gifts in their Easter baskets this year. The average person will spend $17.29 on candy, compared to $16.55 last year, and $18.16 on gifts, up from $17.30 last Easter. Other holiday purchases include clothing ($19.03), food ($37.45), flowers ($7.84), decorations ($6.34) and greeting cards ($6.30).
Chef Elizabeth Falkner and a Panel of Experts Select Two $10,000 Grand Prize Winners for Creating Recipes Using Scharffen Berger Chocolate and at Least One of 16 "Adventure" Ingredients
Two very creative home cooks were awarded a Grand Prize of $10,000, each, in the third annual Chocolate Adventure Contest sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker and TuttiFoodie.com. As part of the contest, daring cooks -- amateur or professional -- were invited to develop original and creative recipes combining Scharffen Berger chocolate products with one or more of 16 enticing "adventure" ingredients.
New York's Karin Lazarus and Edwina Gadsby from Great Falls, Montana out-cooked 15 other finalists with their imaginative and delicious uses of Scharffen Berger chocolate and the adventure ingredients. Judged in two categories, sweet and savory, Lazarus' Chocolate-Filled Pandan Dumplings and Gadsby's Smoky Cocoa-Dusted Pommes Frites with Peanut-Cumin Dipping Sauce came out as the winners.
Karin Lazarus paired adventure ingredients, pandan leaves and rice flour, with Scharffen Berger 62% semisweet chocolate baking chunks for a delicious dessert that infuses a truffle-like treat with Asian influences.
Chocolate-Filled Pandan Dumplings
Edwina Gadsby chose to work with raw honey, peanut butter, cumin, paprika, smoked sea salt and Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder to give a sophisticated makeover to one of America's favorite snacks: French fries and ketchup.
Smoky Cocoa-Dusted Pommes Frites with Peanut-Cumin Dipping Sauce
We currently live in an age of recipe contests. Normal, everyday home cooks can now have a chance at money and stardom with a winning cookie recipe or creative use of some branded ingredient. The Food Network, in addition to every cooking magazine, offers some type of recipe or cooking contest.
The winners usually receive a cash prize, along with recognition in a press release, an introduction at an event, and the recipe posted on the website or perhaps in a cookbook. But the ultimate prize: getting your winning recipe on the menu of a national fast casual or casual dining chain.
TGI Friday's has long been involved in recipe contests. In November 2006, TGI Friday's partnered with Bravo's Top Chef (currently in its sixth season), in which the casual dining chain's Executive Chef served as a guest panelist to identify a winning entrée that was then added to the TGI Friday’s menu. In January 2008, the company partnered with Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown to launch six menu items inspired by winning dishes from the show.
Janice Kollar was one of those winners. Her "Really Good" Chocolate Layer Cake won the Ultimate Recipe Showdown episode on cakes, and in addition to the $25,000 in her prize package, the cake was to be added to the menu at TGI Friday's.
Well, not exactly.
For the winners, "these are not the actual recipes," explains Amy Freshwater, a spokesperson for TGI Friday's, "but rather inspired by winning recipes. They are true to the spirit of the original recipe but had to be adjusted so we could introduce them to our 600 U.S.-based restaurants."
Continue reading "Recipe Contests: Menu Development or Publicity Stunts?" »
The real 'Little Debbie,' Debbie McKee-Fowler, held a real-time chat with over 1,000 Little Debbie fans on Facebook on Thursday, March 18 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET.
The event was held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Little Debbie brand.
According to a company spokesperson, 542 questions were submitted, but McKee-Fowler was able to answer only 29 during the hour-long chat. She is responding to several others via Facebook that she did not have a chance to address.
Most are probably unaware that McKee-Fowler is the granddaughter of the founders of McKee Foods, the family-owned bakery that makes Little Debbie snacks, and is currently an executive vice president and serves on the board of directors of the company.
Her childhood picture has appeared on billions of Little Debbie snacks since the brand was first introduced in 1960.
"We're so appreciative of the millions of loyal fans of Little Debbie snack cakes," McKee-Fowler said in a statement.
The Facebook fan page is located at http://facebook.com/littledebbie. For a transcript of the chat, visit http://chatwithlittedebbie.com.
Clearly embracing social media, the Little Debbie brand has 528,771 Facebook fans and 5,386 Twitter followers @LittleDebbie. In comparison, Interstate Bakeries Corporation's Hostess brand has 5,356 Facebook fans (4,041 for Twinkies, 1,315 for cupcakes) and 1,693 Twitter followers @Hostess_Snacks.
PepsiCo today announced new global goals in the areas of nutrition, the environment, and workplace practices at its investor conference held at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The goals are designed to advance PepsiCo's commitment to deliver sustainable growth and they apply to the company's food and beverage businesses around the world, including Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade. PepsiCo calls this commitment Performance with Purpose.
Continue reading "PepsiCo Unveils Global Nutrition, Environment and Workplace Goals" »
Where can one quietly -- and without having to ask the clerk at Borders or our food snob friends -- learn more about wine?
There was news last week of wine search engine and social network WineMcGee.com announcing integration with online wine retailer Wine.com, to create a wine database that includes flavor profiles, food pairings, professional ratings, and consumer reviews on over 45,000 wines. For you tech geeks, the integration is powered by the Wine.com API (application programming interface), which provides access to the extensive catalog of wine content at Wine.com.
The following article was first published in the March 2010 issue of the Technomic Viewpoint, and is reprinted with permission. A .PDF version of the article appears here.
Bob Goldin, Executive Vice President, Technomic
As we are all painfully aware, against the backdrop of a brutal, lingering recession, the foodservice industry is in a slump that is unprecedented in its length and severity. If the industry declines at our forecasted 3 percent rate in 2010, by the end of the year it will be 12 percent smaller than it was in 2007 (in constant dollars). At manufacturer shipment value, that is a contraction of $20 billion; in retail sales, it is $65 billion. That is a lot of ground to make up.
Despite some improvements in the overall economy, the foodservice industry has not (yet) turned the corner. It is still plagued by declines in both traffic and check averages and net unit closures. Foodservice has traditionally been a lead indicator, but it now appears to be a lag one. No surprise, given the impact the bleak employment situation and housing market are having on consumers' willingness to spend.
Technomic recently completed comprehensive five-year, segment-by-segment projections. We also conducted a major consumer attitude study. Along with macro-economic perspectives provided to us by our Consulting Economist, Dr. Arjun Chakravarti, the qualitative and statistical consumer data provide important input into our long-term forecast.
Our research shows that consumers still very much enjoy the foodservice experience, somewhat regret having had to cut back, and want to resume spending on “small indulgences” like foodservice. However, they are much less well-off than they were a few years ago, are concerned about job security, stagnant wages, benefit cuts and tax increases, and fear that inflation will ramp up. As a consequence, consumer spending on foodservice and other similar discretionary items will be constrained for the foreseeable future.
Continue reading "Technomic Viewpoint: The Long Road Back" »
McDonald's honored its top restaurant managers today with the 2009 Ray Kroc Award, an annual performance-based recognition of the top performing McDonald's restaurant managers in the country.
Established in 1999, the Ray Kroc Award was created in memory of McDonald's founder, Ray Kroc, to acknowledge hardworking restaurant managers who deliver superior results in selected areas of performance, operational excellence, reinforcing McDonald's commitment to people, and building the business.
"Today is about celebrating our best managers - the ones who bring to life Ray's vision of restaurant excellence each and every day," said Jan Fields, President, McDonald's USA, in a statement. "For the 26 million customers who visit our restaurants daily, these managers make the experience great. There is no one more important to our success than our restaurant managers and crew."
Continue reading "I'm Lovin' It: Top One Percent of McDonald's Restaurant Managers Receive Awards" »
In its thirtieth year, Natural Products Expo West/SupplyExpo, a tradeshow for the natural, organic, and healthy products industry, continues to grow in industry attendance, clocking in 5% growth in attendance over that of last year -- indicating no slowdown in the market.
Natural Products Expo West/SupplyExpo, (http://www.expowest.com, http://www.supplyexpo.com), celebrated its 30th anniversary, March 11-14, 2010, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The event drew nearly 56,000 attendees from across the industry, brining together entrepreneurs and established natural products alumni, indicating a strong market outlook for growth.
Nutrition industry sales totaled approximately $110 billion in the U.S. in 2009, up $10 billion from 2008, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
"While the economy recovers, the natural and organic industry continues to grow," said Adam Andersen, show manager for Natural Products Expo West, in a statement.
Natural Products Expo West/SuppyExpo encompassed more than 1 million sq. ft. of education, community and business events and exhibits, including 654 new exhibitors for brands entering the market.
This fall, Natural Products Expo East unites the natural and organic industry in Boston, October 13-16, 2010.
The event was produced by New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton Media Inc.
Cynthia Lin, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
The culture of American cuisine has long been a hodgepodge of various ethnic influences. Whether we merge regional elements and call it “fusion” or transform outlandish entrees into All-American icons, what’s eaten here is really a melting pot of global victuals.
Take the hot dog and hamburger, each of German origin, yet so symbolic of the States. Then there’s the pizza, obviously Italian, but such a big part of our social diet. Or, of course, General Tso’s Chicken – explicitly Chinese, but exclusively American.
At last week’s International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York, the showroom traffic at the grand culinary affair in the Javits Center seemed to perpetuate this trend. The crowds were disproportionately concentrated at the northern end of the grounds. It wasn’t the aisles exhibiting the latest in restaurant technology or innovative marketing. It wasn’t the lane displaying local farming. It wasn’t the gelato-packed dessert carts.
It was the community of booths housed under a banner labeled “Flavors of Japan.”
Marie-Louise Friedland, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
Parkside
301 E. 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
512-474-9898
This week, I had the pleasure to dine at Parkside, a local Austin restaurant, that showed me that American bistro fare is clearly leaving its mark on the food industry. Parkside has been featured in magazines such as Texas Monthly, Bon Appetit, and Food Arts, who all tout the easy-going, ingredient-driven nature of this 6th Street bistro.
Executive Chef Shawn Cirkiel has definitely left his mark on the culinary scene in Austin. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Cirkiel has trained in such reputable restaurants as Café Boulud, Domaine Chandon, and Uchi. He has grown a huge fan base for his approach to American cuisine that utilizes only the freshest ingredients at Parkside.
On to my experience at this much talked about 6th Street eatery. I went into Parkside aware of all the press it has received for the food and ambiance. It is a rare thing to have a gastronomical haven down on Austin’s infamous 6th Street, but I was hooked and no number of drunken college kids could keep me away.
In the "Ask Ted" column in the March 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, Ted Allen offers advice on how to take advantage of -- but also be respectful of -- restaurants that are offering dining specials. Every major U.S. city now offers a "Restaurant Week" (such events held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. have already taken place this year, most likely to drum up business in the slow, post-holiday season), and most casual-dining chains are launching more specials than ever. Here is a quick primer.
Ted's Rules of Cheapskate Dining
Robyn Tenenbaum, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
For an advertising major, my 10:00 am statistics class is definitely not the highlight of my day. In between heavy eyelids shutting and a few moments of nodding off, I did however raise an eyebrow to something specific in that day’s lecture.
My professor was lecturing about how to analyze copious amounts of data and in turn, create graphs and determine (boring) statistical manipulations. Amidst a flurry of numerical questions, the subject matter of the investigation was one that actually caught my ear. The topic: the rise of childhood obesity and fast food dynasties. Bingo. I was up for the rest of the lecture.
It is nothing new that child obesity is on the rise. Thousands of articles and publications concerning this notion have been drilled into the heads of parents over and over again. The finger seems to be always pointing to one culprit—fast food restaurants.
Continue reading "Can Kids Even Fit Through the Golden Arches?" »
Carolyn Phenicie, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
If the Obama administration has its way, the food culture of America's cafeterias may be changing. Though schools have been banned from selling junk food as part of federal breakfast and lunch programs, the new legislation would also bar less-than-healthy fare from vending machines and a la carte options. The regulations are attached to legislation funding the programs and giving a boost for schools to purchase healthier options to replace the junk food.
On Monday, March 1, 2010, the First Lady spoke to the School Nutrition Conference Association. Kids are tempted by dozens of options for meals and a la carte items, on top of junk-food-laden vending machines, she said. "But we have to be honest: Our kids didn't do this to themselves," she said. "You see, our kids don't decide what to serve -- or what is sold at lunch... We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And even if it doesn't always feel like it, we are the ones in charge. But that's the good news -- because if we make the decisions, then we can decide to solve this problem."
Continue reading "Should Schools Teach Children About Nutrition?" »
As part of its ongoing commitment to "real food" using "simple" ingredients, Hellmann's announced last week that its Light Mayonnaise recipe in North America will feature 100% certified cage-free eggs in the United States.
Will being associated with a more humane practice of egg production resonate with consumers when reaching for the jar on the supermarket shelf?
"Hellmann's is made from real, simple ingredients -- vinegar, oils rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6, and eggs," said Jamey Fish, Hellmann's senior brand manager, in a statement. "Hellmann's understands that people are increasingly attuned to what's in their food and where it comes from and that's why Hellmann's Light is now moving to 100% cage-free eggs, keeping with the brand's commitment to 'Real Food' using simple ingredients."
UK-based pomegranate juice company Pomegreat Ltd. has become the first international company to purchase any form of fruit juice from Afghanistan, committing to purchasing a minimum of 500 tons of pomegranate concentrate and 500 tons of fresh fruit from Omaid Bahar Ltd., Afghanistan's first fruit processing facility. The deal is worth an estimated 3 million GBP (about $4.5 million) through 2011.
Pomegreat is paving the way for international companies to begin trading with Afghanistan, despite the obvious issues. The country once famous for its pomegranates, before years of war cut trade routes and forced the loss of traditional markets, is slowly regaining its position with the help of international aid forces who are working to restore old trade routes that were once broken.
