August 8, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I’m pretty regimented about throwing waste in their proper receptacles, but after the garden experience, I went a step further and started tracking how much waste my actions during class was generating. To keep this at a minimum, instead of blindly slicing an entire onion for the carnitas we were making, I set a mise en place dish on my trusty little scale, tared it out and began tossing the slices into the dish until it got to 5 ounces. Done.

This couldn’t be simpler, and yet, it’s not a traditional way kitchen staff work. This simple act of weighing out what exactly we needed was discussed at the FCSI super regional conference in Seattle in June, which covered waste management.

Andrew Shakman, president and CEO of ...Read More

August 7, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Yesterday in my Mexican Cuisine class at Kendall, I got to school a little early so I went out the side door at the back of the first-floor kitchen and lingered around the herb garden for a bit. Maybe it was a result of the big storm the other day, but the plants were looking great-big and blooming. I picked some purple basil and the herbal smell was so strong it shot up through my nose before I even held it there. The tomatoes on their vines were still green, but looking good. I picked some lemon basil and it smelled like someone juiced the fruit. Then I smelled some sage, fresh tarragon, the super-green chives. I suddenly became way more excited to eat my salad for next day’s lunch.

Back inside, a classmate asked what I was doing. ...Read More

August 5, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

So, I wrote about operators expanding day parts and how this can be a good way to improve sales, but I also examined some ways in which it can be a negative endeavor. Both consultants Mark Godward and Karen Malody, who I interviewed for the article, agreed that operators need to “do their homework,” meaning conduct thorough research and analysis to ensure expanding day parts and/or menus will boost profits, not take away from them in the form of increased costs associated with added labor, food purchases, energy/water usage and other expenses. 

Apparently, Burger King expanding their hours until 2 a.m. has negatively affected franchisees in this way. According to published reports, operators of 57 Burger King restaurants i...Read More

August 4, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The media seems saturated right now with talk about the "struggling economy" and "restaurant woes." In an effort to avoid saturating it more, let’s focus on the positive steps restaurants and foodservice operators are taking to overcome sagging sales.

The article I wrote, "The Ever-Expanding Day Part," which went out last week in the July edition of The Specifier, discusses how many operators, particularly large chain restaurants, have sought to build sales during their traditionally off-peak dayparts. For example, Wendy’s, Arby’s and potentially McDonald’s, have expanded their breakfast programs, while Taco Bell and ...Read More

July 31, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (3)

When I started at FE&S, I had no idea so much thought, money and work went into building a kitchen. I thought if you’re a restaurant owner you just call up a store or something, buy a bunch of equipment, stick it in the kitchen, and get to cooking.

Imagine my surprise in finding out the E&S industry is a multi-billion-dollar one with many players all interacting with each other, and that building a kitchen means and is so much more.

Now that I’m in culinary school working in a commercial kitchen, I realize this firsthand. I realize, in particular, the importance of good kitchen design. 

A couple weeks ago I was a minute late getting to my French Bistro class and since it was only the second night, we didn’t have our “station partners” sorted out yet. Station partners are teams of about two people who often work tog...Read More