Diane Perry, Executive Director, Paul Saval, Pres., Saval Foodservice, Shirley Howard, Pres. of the Board & Founder, Emma Handzo, CCF Child, & Jerry Chadwick, Lancaster Produce

June 9, 2009 Whiskey Creek Golf Club Ijamsville, MD

Bob Plant, Dominick’s, Elliott Tinkham, Fusions Sales, Jason Valentin & Lee Dec, Saval Foodservice

 Saval Foodservice Charity Golf Tournament Volunteers:  (Front) Ledia Hill, Jaime Leiner, Nina Blush Riley, Valerie Nowak; (Back) Brigitte Wilton, Terri Goodrich, Michael Thompson, Bryan Bernstein, Mary Rychwalski, Dennis Barry.

Eden & Tye 4-some, Steve Dill, Abuelita, Bill Post, Marc Eden & David Wineholt, Eden & Tye

Chris Goldstein, Tyson Foods, Todd Furr, T. Furr, Wayne Caplan, T. Furr

1st Place Team. NAI-KLNB (Brad Berzins, John Boote, Brian Kelly, & Jeff Clary)

Get ready iced tea lovers. . . June is National Iced Tea Month!

Ancient Chinese Proverb:  "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one."

It’s Time to Celebrate with a Tall, Cool, Healthy, Glass of Ice Tea.  It’s cool and refreshing, good for your health, and almost universally loved all across the United States.  In fact, iced tea is so popular the entire month of June has been designated the time to celebrate and recognize a good cold glass of iced tea.

It’s the perfect time, as the temperature begins to rise, the picnic baskets are dusted off, and the splash of the pools begins.

Iced tea was created in America over 100 years ago.  The United States is the only one where the majority of tea is enjoyed cold.  Iced tea was invented at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair (along the Mississippi River) when most were not interested in drinking hot tea on a hot day, so quick-thinking English tea merchant Richard Blevhvnden added ice and the rest is history. 

Today, 80 percent of the 2.2 billion gallons of tea consumed by Americans is served over ice.

Caffeine content:
A serving of tea contains less than half that of coffee. Brewed coffee has an average of 110 mg. of caffeine per serving. While brewed tea has an average of 40 mg. of caffeine per serving.

Tea — a Low-Cost Drink
You can brew more than 200 cups of tea from one pound of loose tea leaves. That works out to less than ten cents a cup for quality tea brewed at home, even adding in the cost of heating the hot water. Tea’s low cost is a big reason why it’s the second most popular beverage throughout the world — second only to plain water.

Tea with its brightness, aroma, strength, and color will vary depending on the variety, where it’s grown, the time of year it is picked and processed, the specific farming techniques used to grow the crop, how the leaves are harvested, and how the leaves are turned into finished tea.

Steps in processing tea:
-  First, the topmost leaves and buds on the tea plant are picked by hand.
-  Second, the leaves are left to wither for up to 24 hours.
-  Third, the withered leaves are squeezed between metal rollers to blend the  natural chemicals inside.
-  Fourth, the rolled leaves are allowed to oxidize in the open air for several hours.
-  Finally, the oxidized leaves are heated to stop further oxidation and remove any remaining moisture.

And there you have the way tea has been made for thousands of years.

About three-quarters of tea leaves harvested around the world are made into black tea.  Most of the remaining leaves become green tea. Only two or three percent are processed to make Oolong and Pouchong tea.

In the mid 1990’s, the ready-to-drink teas took a significant shift when companies elevated this popular beverage category with the introduction of super-premium ready-to-drink iced teas and juice-infused teas. They featured high quality teas blended with sugars and natural juices. People’s tastes had shifted to demand a higher quality tea, which resulted in a rise to the number one position in natural grocery markets.

The demand for super-premium iced tea is not limited to grocery stores. Restaurants and other food service outlets are adding super-premium iced tea to its beverage offerings.

Today, the history of iced tea reflects the dynamic and ever changing American lifestyle. The development of ready-to-drink teas may finally have quenched American’s desire for the “perfect” and “convenient” glass of iced tea.

Iced Tea Favorites:
While there are several different methods for brewing iced tea, the three most common types of tea people brew at home are unsweetened iced tea, sweet tea and sun tea. For each of these, you’ll need the basics: boiling water, tea leaves or tea bags and a glass pitcher. Then, depending on which tea strikes your fancy, you’ll adjust the proportions and add additional ingredients as directed.

Recipe for the perfect glass of iced tea:

To make one and one-half quarts of iced tea, put a quart (4 cups) of fresh, cold water in a pan and bring it to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, pour it over 5 small orange pekoe tea bags in a container. Don’t gently pour; let it really splash down on the tea bags. Set the container aside and allow the tea to steep for at least an hour. (overnight is just fine.) Then fish the teabags out. You can squeeze them to get that last drop of flavor. If you want "sweet tea," add about ¾ cup of sugar and stir it until dissolved. Then add two more cups of cold water, stir, and chill.   

Saval Foodservice offer’s a complete line of tea products.  Ask your sales representative about Saval’s own Lacas ice tea products for your summer menu.
 

FOODS THAT HELP PREVENT AGING.

Not only might there be a fountain of youth, but there is a pantry of youth.  People who stock up on the right foods can turn back the clock on aging. 

Be sure to add these items to your diet:

SPINACH:  It’s loaded with Vitamin K, which helps with bone density and also lowers the risk of hip fracture.  Plus it’s the #1 source of zeaxanthin and lutein, which are nutrients that soak up harmful light before damaging the retinas in your eyes.  Spinach helps prevent macular degeneration and blindness.

STRAWBERRIES:  What a delicious fruit.  They are rich in ployphenols, which improve memory and communication by promoting signals between cells.

CURRY POWDER:  It’s full of the antioxidant curcumin, which wards off Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the growth of amyloid plaques, which are toxic to the brain cells.  In certain parts of India, where curry is eaten daily, the Alzheimer’s rate is 1/4 of that of the U.S.

TOMATOES:  Packed with lycopene, which protects skin from the oxidation that results from sun damage and leads to wrinkles.  Here’s a tip. . . add a little olive oil to absorb lycopene even better.

ALMONDS:  They’re brimming with vitamin E, which neurtralizes free radicals in your muscles and nervous system.  Almonds also enhance speed, coordination and balance.

DARK CHOCOLATE:  Has flavanols, which is a plant chemical that encourages blood vessels to relax.  That results in lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.  Besides, chocolate always makes us happy.

Source:  Dallas Morning News, 2008

Bacon, an old favorite, going upscale with recipes that are versatile and sometimes surprising. 

Bacon inspires city chefs, down-home cooks and local food fans.  You’ll find it at breakfast, lunch and dinner - - maybe even at dessert.

It’s everything you could ask for in a food.  It’s sweet, smoky, salty, and rich;  all in one bite.

Most of you remember the wide spread talk on the "Bacon Explosion" back around the 2009 Super Bowl.  It was all over the  internet.

It definitely has become more popular.  Bacon can be used in so many different ways other then just bacon and eggs.  Pork is, sometimes, a chef’s favorite meat because there’s so much you an do with it.

Probably the most popular variety is a signature applewood-smoked bacon.  It seems most fans of bacon favor this one the most.

Great bacon starts with great pigs.  It makes a huge difference.  Normally it’s balanced between sweetness, saltiness, smokiness, and richness.  No or very little water and a six-day drying process really helps concentrate the flavor.

Bacon’s rich flavor is what makes bacon so popular.  A few slices crumbled on top of a dish can add a delicious touch.  A don’t forget your bacon byproduct - - the drippings.  They’re often used for frying or to add smokiness to other dishes.  A little dab will do ya!

Addtional Facts-
The term "Bacon" refers to the fatty meat from a pig’s belly, side, back and breast that’s cured with salt, preservatives, and/or smoked.

One cooked slice of streaky bacon contains between 35-40 calories, 100 mg. of sodium and about 3 grams of fat.  In comparison, an average slice has about 1/4 few calories than a tablespoon of butter or margarine, about 1/2 the total fat, and about 1/3 the cholesterol of butter.

A few Varieties you may see-
CANADIAN BACON - Oval-shaped cut from pork loin.
COUNTRY-STYLE BACON - Thick sliced bacon, salty, cured, and heavily smoked.
JOWL BACON - Southern style cut from pork cheek and contains more fat.
PANCETTA - Dry-cured pork belly, not smoked and from Italy.
STREAKY BACON - British term for American supermarket bacon.
SALT PORK - Mostly fat, with a little lean.  Mostly used for flavoring.

Saval Foodservice’s Corporate chef, Bryan Bernstein, participated in the November 11, 2008 DC Central Kitchen Capital Food Fight.  He ran the stage area and was in charge of the stage setup and break down.

Among other responsibilities, Bryan organized the chefs and explained the rules and break down.  If it was happening on the stage, Chef Bryan was the go-to person for all issues. . .

Great job Chef Bryan Berstein!

     Ris Lacoste, Corporate Chef

6 Steps to a Great Steak:
Always use fresh beef that you’ve just purchased or has been in the refrigerator for no more then 3 days.

Preheat your gas grill for at least 10 minutes.  Always keep the grill closed during preheating and as you cook.

Trim excess fat from the steak.  Then season the steak with fresh ground pepper and kosher or sea salt.   Use a little more salt then normal since some of this will drip off while grilling.

How to get the real steakhouse-quality grill marks - Place one end of the steak diagonal to the grates facing left (10 o’clock).  Then without flipping the steak, move the end so that it now faces right (2 o’clock).  Flip the steak and repeat this procedure.

Grill a boneless steak, such as a rib-eye or sirloin, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, for 90 seconds for each step, if you prefer rare meat.  Grill a bone-in steak, like a porterhouse, for 2 minutes per step for rare.  Add an additional 30 seconds per step for medium rare.  Cook for 3 minutes per step for medium-well.  Remove the steak from the grill.

If using a meat thermometer 145F degrees equals medium-rare, 160F degrees equals medium, and 165F for medium-well.

 

Creating and serving "Menu Specials" in your restaurant will generate interest with your guests and will help motivate your staff and boost margins.

For many chefs and owners, the process of developing specials can be a task that is often neglected, thus resulting in "specials" that are not so special after all!  Developing a plan of action for creating specials can make the whole precess run smoother and more enjoyable.

SIX TIPS TO HELP CREATE UNIQUE MENU SPECIALS:

1.  PLAN AHEAD.
    Try to plan a week’s worth of specials the week before you need them.  This will give you plenty of time to order product that is needed, give your culinary staff time to research and plan, and provide the servers time to familarize themselves with the specials.

2.  TALK TO YOUR STAFF.
    Many times your staff will have great suggestions for a menu special.  Your culinary staff will see it as a way to be creative and think "outside of the box" from their daily menus.  The serving staff will see this as an opportunity to greet their guests and have a story ready to tell when approaching the table.  Encourage your staff to come up with ideas that reflect their heritage.  Be sure to ask your staff what specific dishes their customers have been requesting that are not on the menu.

3.  WORK WITH SUPPLIERS.
    Your suppliers can be a valuable source for menu ideas.  Through new products, market trends, and items that they need to move and are motivated to sell at a discount.  All of these ideas can provied your customers with a deal and you with better profits.  All you need to do is ask your sales rep or supplier for deals.

4.  GO SEASONAL.
    Many seasonal products, such as produce and seafood, are perfect for menu specials.  Talk to you rep to determine when a product will be at its best price and feature a special around that time.

5.  CELEBRATE SOMETHING.
    Restaurant owners find that focused specials and festivals attract more attention and easier to promote.  Celebrations like St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo lend themselves easily to creating special food ideas.  Your specials can run for several days leading up to the specific day of celebration.  Ask your sales rep for suppliers` point of sale to help promote the event.

6.  CREAT A FESTIVAL.
    Running a special promotion for a couple of weeks or even a month can generate interest.  Events such as March Madness, Seafood Festival, or Cajun Week are examples of ideas to build menu specials from.  These specials can run during traditionally slower periods during the year and can be promoted and advertised in the local newspaper.

Whatever you do to create specials in your restaurant, remember to plan ahead and use these specials as a way of creating excitement and opportunity to increase margins.

Source:  Kraftfoodservice.com/Business Solutions, May 2008
   

SOUP & SALAD. . .

The Perfect Seasonal Pair

With the transition from winter to spring, when the days are still plenty wet and chilly, nothing tastes better then a bowl of hot soup.  Soup for dinner is a complete meal when you add a delicious salad.

Try pairing soups with interesting salad combinations, warm, crusty bread and butter.

Spring soups generally are full of seasonal ingredients like asparagus, peas, garlic and young root vegetables; whereas summer soups rely on tomatoes, cucumbers, corn and sweet peppers, and cold weather soups include meats, root vegetables, greens, dried beans and grains.

When adding a salad to the meal, keep in mind the characteristics of early spring vegetables.  Focus on hearty greens like escarole, frisee and radicchio rather than tomatoes and stone fruits of summer.

Homemade soups are very easy to make.  They often require little more than beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, plus fresh or frozen vegetables, spices, a little meat for seasoning or pasta.

Be creative with y our soups, adding to the broth left over chicken, rice or pasta.  Top your soup with buttered breadcrumbs, homemade croutons, sour cream, crumbled bacon or fresh green herbs. 

Salads can be as plain or as complex as you want.  Generally, if you have a very hearty soup, then a lighter salad, using only greens and maybe one other ingredient, like cheese or nuts would be the perfect complement.  And if you have a hearty salad, such as escarole with bacon and fried potatoes, then keep your soup to a smaller portion or a light clear broth soup. 

With a well-stocked pantry and a few weekly purchases should keep you in soups and salads throughout the various seasons, and with so many variations, you never have to repeat the same one twice.  

Source:  The Chronicle, March 12, 2008

Keeping your menu fresh and current can be a challenge.  Your regular customers always like their tried-and-true favorites, but you want to keep fresh and current items on your menu.

By doing a little research you will be able to tell trends from fads.  A fad comes and goes fairly quickly, while a trend tends to stay around and become mainstream.  Read trade publications, consumer magazines and promotions at large chain establishments.

There is no need to revamp your whole menu.  By using “Specials” menu inserts, blackboard specials and weekly promotions there will be no need to revamp your entire menu.  Once you see a trend you like, look around your local area for inspiration.  If you want to add an ethnic flavor to a menu item, then find that ethnic eatery in your area and sample a few items to get a some ideas.  It’s very easy to add an ethnic “inspired” item to your menu to give a sense of that type of cuisine.  And always remember, you’re not an authentic ethnic restaurant, so there’s no need to try to be too authentic.

Use commercially-available products – such as marinades, prepared sauces and dressing – these can easily provide a very specific flavor profile.  For example, it’s very simple to offer your current chicken wings as “Spicy Teriyaki Wing” and add a side of teriyaki dipping sauce to the plate.

Take advantage of the hamburger “extraordinaire”.  Add creative twists to your burger menu by using a variety of breads such as focaccia or ciabatta, cheeses and flavored mayonnaise or dressings.  Burgers are a very popular and profitable item on your menu.  It just takes a little imagination.  Why not try a different burger each day of the week as a “special”.  Once again, no need to redo your menu and add additional cost to your overhead.  Simply add it to your chalkboard each day.

Tweaking current menu items to take advantage of trends is an easy way to add a little creativity.  One way is by offering diners a few new salad dressings.  Maybe add fresh strawberries and blueberries to your salads.  These fresh fruits are very healthy and add a great flair to any basic salad.  Add fresh herbs to commercial vinaigrette dressings or olive oil and you have a new exotic item on your menu.  Be creative, you’ll be surprised by the possibilities.

As a last note, remember to gain valuable insight into what works by asking both customers and peers for feedback.  Future decisions will be much easier and your menu will remain very exciting!

Here are a few helpful tips in shopping for different types of saute pans, their positives and drawbacks.

CAST IRON:
Uses:  This cast-iron pan is at home on a stovetop and above a campfire.  Use it for Cajun-style blackening and other high-heat methods, pan-roasting, baking corn bread.
Pluses:  Durable, great heat retention, no hotspots, decent nonstick properties when well-seasoned.  Available in most areas.
Drawbacks:  Very heavy, heats and cools slowly, must hand wash.

STAINLESS STEEL:
Uses:  Anything but blackening.
Pluses:  Durable, heats up and cools faster than cast iron; Available in nonstick, light weight, and dishwasher-safe.
Drawbacks:  Eggs and similar foods may stick, the interior will scratch and the exterior will dull over time, some models are expensive; Cheaper models tend to get hotspots and warping.

STAINLESS-LINED COPPER:
Uses:  Anything but blackening.
Pluses:  Durable, fastest heat responsiveness, available in nonstick, even heating/no hotspots, beautiful!
Drawbacks:  Eggs and similar foods may stick, requires extra care, interior will scratch and the exterior will dull overtime; some models are heavy, expensive, and you have to hand wash.

SUPERMARKET NONSTICK:
Uses:  Good for eggs, reheating sticky leftovers, and low-fat sauteing.
Pluses:  Inexpensive, effort-free cleanup.
Drawbacks:  Prone to hotspots, nonstick coating may scratch and will wear out; Should not use in a very hot oven or beneath a broiler.

What is the restaurant industry showing? 
    Sometimes knowing who wants appetizers, can be the key to making the most of the left side of your menu.  The following suggestions may give insight to your serving strategy. 

    - Most appetizers are ordered during the dinner time.
    - Adult-only tables order twice the appetizers as tables with kids.
    - 35% of appetizer sales are on weekends.
    - 18-49 year olds order about 60% of all appetizers sold.
    - Older diners prefer shrimp. 
    - Younger diners go for fried cheeses, chicken strips, wings, and nachos.

Now that you know the front-of-the-house desires, how about some ideas to spice up your appetizer menu.
    - Samplers are unique - they`re a low-risk way to experience a new taste, and also a good opportunity for you to try new ideas before placing them on the main menu.
    - Pizzas, bread and bruschetta are on most menus, and non-Italian styles of these appetizers are exploding with diverse toppings, from Asian flavors to dried fruit and nuts.
    - The fried cheese favorite can be made even more appealing by adding some exoctic dressings and dips or frying treatments.
    - Our old friend the nacho platter still seems to be a strong favorite.  Some platters are now served with a little more exotic flair, for example an additional of wasabi cream.  You might want to try substituting fried wontons for the tortilla chips.

Even with the appetizer arena changing so fast, your menu can keep up with the best - and with a touch of your special creativity and inspiration, your appetizers could be the talk of the town! 

Source:  kraftfoodservice.com

Foodservice operators seeking to build sales are turning to catering as an opportunity to increase business without having to expand.