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What your peers are excited about now


Jesse Gideon Executive chef/COO Fresh To Order	Avoid jumping on fads and trends When developing menu items, I look at the food trends that people AREN'T following and talking about and go in that direction. I want my food to evoke comfort and convey emotion; why not inject some nostalgia into it? Besides, food trends are cyclical and have a tendency to come and go.
Michael Bologna Chef-owner Vingenzo's Pasta & Pizzeria	Get back to basics when receiving deliveries Count and/or weigh everything upon delivery, especially when it comes to fresh produce. Allow your cooks and chefs to be part of the process—it gives them ownership, not just in the ingredients, but in the dishes they prepare for you. Remember, it's all about the food and the finest ingredients create great dishes.
Danny Mellman Chef-owner Harvest on Main	Making money on normal "waste" After slicing our smoked salmon, we use the skin/scraps for our smoked fish and parsnip chowder. We salt and smoke the “tail” ends of our ribeyes to make a beef bacon. We dehydrate our veggie and fruit scraps for chutneys, fruit powders and coatings. In these days of rising costs and customer price ceilings, we are pushed to create. This is certainly nothing new to the independent, but it is sometimes overlooked.
Alex Espiritu Corporate Pastry Chef-Eastern Region Valrhona, Inc.	Innovating with white chocolate I like to utilize White Chocolate in different ways. One technique is to change the sweetness of white chocolate by placing it in a low temperature oven (200°-220°F) for about 15 to 25 minutes. You need to stir it with an offset spatula and flatten it down to get rid of the lumps every few minutes or so. Once you have the right caramelized color and flavor you can use the white chocolate for tempering or to add to mousses or other recipes that call for white chocolate. This technique was created a few years ago at the Valrhona school in France through Frederic Bau.
John Brandt-Lee Chef-owner Avalon Pasta Bistro	Offering only prix fixe menus When we opened in July, my servers had a hard time explaining the small plate concept to my suburban customers. I wrote a script explaining that customers should order about four dishes per person. Sometimes guests still ordered fewer dishes and then they complained. So, I’ve changed the whole menu to prix fixe only. For $35, each diner gets to choose one homemade pasta and three other dishes. It’s a good value and it ensures that guests will be happy.
Michael Bloise Executive chef SUSHISAMBA	Keep training and training and training In many businesses, training stops after the first week. Idealistic employers assume that staff members will seek out new knowledge. At SUSHISAMBA, we continuously bring in new products and new vendors to give presentations. We have exams for all FOH members—even staff that's been with us for 10 years. We hold classes and allow employees to taste or re-taste menu items. It's a big commitment from our company in both time, effort and money, but it yields a knowledgeable professional staff that is perpetually improving.
Pierre Thiam Chef Le Grand Dakar	Peeling black-eyed peas When you peel black-eyed peas they become the lightest bean you’ve ever tasted. They are very versatile—you can use them in different sauces and other preparations. I use them in baking too.
Steve Waxman Chef-owner Trax Restaurant & Cafe	Teaching cooking classes through adult ed programs We have connected with local adult education programs and schools to hold cooking classes in the restaurant. We teach the classes—which are either demo or hands-on—and they always include a tasting. The colloboration brings in both potential and existing customers. Despite the recession, our classes have been selling out this season, providing a second source of revenue, too.