Pear Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Honey Ice CreamBrasserie Beck, Washington, D.C. For this variation on the typical apple tarte tatin, warm sweet pears are embedded in a light, flaky pastry and topped with cold, slightly melting cinnamon honey ice cream. I’m partial to any dessert that contrasts hot and cold on the same plate; this one is a refreshing variation on a classic. Selected by; Niki Leondakis Check out the entire list of Clean Plate Award winners. |
| Technology: Tracking Inventory |
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What's the best inventory control software for your operation?
When it comes to choosing an inventory control system, there are several important features to look for. Data access: “Real time centralized data is a must in today’s world. There’s no reason not to have that,” says Sue Dickson, Director of MenuLink products with Radiant Systems. This is especially important for restaurants with multiple locations that need to report back to a central office. Ease of use: Get recommendations from experienced restaurant managers and test out trial versions of software solutions. Multilin-gual support can be an important consideration. Flexibility: Look for inventory control software that can be customized to fit with the way your staff already organizes the food supply. Scalability: If you’re in growth mode, you need software that will grow with you. Indies and startups may want software that is available as a complete restaurant management solution that includes a POS system. Chains may need software that interfaces easily with an existing POS system.
For basic recipe costing: TracRite OC Lite (tracrite.net). OC Lite keeps it simple by handling food and recipe costing. It’s a stripped down version of the more fully featured OC Pro system. It can still handle monthly and daily order sheets for suppliers and provides theoretical usage information to help you use your recipes effectively. A free trial is available.
For a pizzeria: SpeedLine Inventory (speedlinesolutions.com). This program is geared specifically for pizza restaurants. Setup involves entering recipes and product costs. The software then tracks ideal usage to help identify problems with over-portioning, employee theft and food waste. For bar control: Bevinco (bevinco.com). For bar owners and managers that don’t have time to tackle their own inventory, Bevinco is a franchise with several hundred locations that can handle that task for you. Armed with high sensitivity scales and laptops, they inventory your liquor supplies, calculate ideal usage, compare to actual sales and track down variances to cut down on common problems like overpouring. For a handheld solution: HandGuard by CostGuard (costguard.com). The PalmOS-based addition to the CostGuard system lets you put handhelds into action to streamline the inventoryprocess and cut out handwritten count sheets. Inventory data is input into the handheld and then synced up with a computer running CostGuard inventory control software. Handheld solutions are not widespread, but expect them to pick up steam as more restaurants take to the timesaving technology. |
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Efishent butchering
The term “whole animal cooking” usually refers to nose-totail prep of a pig or lamb, but for Chris Pandel, chef of The Bristol in Chicago, the concept also applies to fish. “We try to get in whole fish whenever possible, and when we have one of the fattier, oiler species—like hamachi, tuna or salmon—we’ll butcher it for multiple uses,” he explains. “We’ll take off the filets for premium entrees, and leave a little meat on the spine, then cure the trim quickly with herbs, lemon zest and capers and serve it with a split grilled fish head. It’s for those customers who really like to dig in for the most succulent meat.” Other specialties have included grilled hamachi collar and even wood-grilled “fish ribs” from a larger skeleton. “I can’t afford to buy a whole blue fin tuna, but a four- or fivepound Kona Kampachi is a perfect example of a fish you can get several different dishes out of.” Pandel’s purveyor knows he’ll try just about anything, including a 22-pound, six-footlong squid that was cut into big steaks to pan-fry and serve with sorrel aioli and chickpeas; the tentacles and other trim went in for a 90-minute braise. “You just have to be willing to work with it,” claims Pandel. |