Posts by J Reed

A Catering Christmas Story

Posted by J Reed on Jan 6, 2012 in Consulting, Food | 0 comments

As a culinary consultant I spend many days a week in a variety of kitchens discussing ways to improve kitchen operations. Impromtu demos, menu and recipe design and coaching are always are always happening. Stepping in and out of kitchens you don’t always see immediate impact or maybe I just witness a quick fix. As we are in the height of the holiday season I visted several kitchens these past few days and was given a great gift without even unwrapping something.  It was calmness, professionalism and focus. Owners, operation managers and chef’s always know this time of year is coming. They can react in several ways, lets buy everything so we don’t get overwhelmed, hire extra staff who might not be properly trained to prepare what is sold or even stop taking events as they have oversold their true capabilities.

My present was none of this. I have worked over the last year with kitchens to focus on the process of effieciencies, standardizing menus, defining roles for cooks etc and the work paid off. It is exciting to walk into a kitchen and see things being made from scratch. Trays of hand formed hors d’oeuvres not boxes being opened, The care of preparing things like this are important not only to the confidence and pride of the kitchen but the guest who can actually taste an original hand made morsel. I have nothing wrong with the companies who help the catering companies and food service operations by mass producing frozen items for the convienence. However the variety becomes limited and one is exposed to the fact that all of the companies using them start tasting the same. Where is the competitve advantage in that?

Walking in and seeing trays of hand decorated cookies made me feel warm inside and feel excited of seeing the cooks who made them smile with pride. The days that followed her where no dought going to be long, her feet will be sore from standing all day but there is honesty and truth in the 100′s of dessert trays and countless gift bags she was going to make.

This is a bust time for many catering compaines but they are doing great.  Why? Because they saw the need to start looking at their opeations earlier in the year and look at the needs of the future. They needed support and guidence not someone to do the work. They wanted to take ownership of their buisness and work with a coach and mentor. I loved going into these kitchens and spedning time with all of the cooks teaching them new things. They may have looked disinterested at times as they went through a demo, cooler conversation or a random sanitation inspection of their work station. However it”s paying off now even if they don’t relize it at the start of a midnight shift

Thankyou all for making my holdiays special.

Minimize your catering menus.

Posted by J Reed on Dec 8, 2011 in Catering, Consulting, Menu Development | 0 comments

Fewer dishes on your menu done extremely well has always been a trade mark of great restaurants who flurish in good times and bad. As the economy as weeded out the operations with massive menus, smaller operations with clearly focused menu programs continue to succeed. Adding dishes to your menu just to get more customers can be very hazardous. If your menu is not focused on a theme or particular style you begin to create long term problems. When Tex-Mex cuisine started gaining popularity everyone jumped on the band wagon and quesadillas sprang up everywhere. Now they have become so common everyone thinks they need to have them just because. Break the mold and only have them on the menu if you can make them special and perfect everytime. If you don’t they can no longer give you competitive advantage.  Think aboutyour menus, do you need to have that manny items?

For caterers, extensive menus for your clients doesn’t make sense anymore. A printed menu is an illustration of what you are and your style. Most of the caterers in competitive markets are custom driven, so why have them. Develop a system where you build an open forum with the culinary team to function in that manner.  Smaller lists of seasonal of a la carte building blocks of proteins, side dishes etc that the sales team can build upon shows adapability and allows your team to sell proven menu items. Customized Culinary Solutions has developed a sales matrix program that allows for those situations. As described in the following article about smaller one dish eateries as a restaurant trend today, we all know they will the be wants of our catering clients next.

One-dish eateries: Simply delicious – USATODAY.com.

Gourmet burgers provide affordable luxury why not my wedding?

Posted by J Reed on Dec 5, 2011 in Menu Development | 0 comments

In the these days of cost conscious brides and cut entertaining budgets, caterers are trying to re-invent the cow and find cost effective cuts of beef, why not try a burger. Think about, 200 of your closest family and friends or colleagues from work, enjoying a gourmet burger. Match that with a local brew, seasonal vegetables for the sides and housemade sauces served family style and that’s an event I would want to go to. Luxury could be American Wygu, Bison or Heritage Turkey, Heirloom Tomatoes, Local Arugula and Brioche grilled with Truffle Butter.  Think about this article and all that could be imagined. Move over tenderloin and salmon combo!

Gourmet burgers provide affordable luxury.

Scotch Whisky and Shortage Feared As Asian, Latin American As Water Demand Soars – NewsOXY

Posted by J Reed on Dec 4, 2011 in Consulting, News | 0 comments

 Bar managers beware. If you are responsible for a bar program, you may want to think about some changes.  I enjoy a single malt as much as the next but the price may soon be out of reach. American small batch bourbons are a great alternative. These artisan distillers are bringing the craft out of the woods and into the mainstream.  So think Kentucky mash next time you stock the bar.

Scotch Whisky and Shortage Feared As Asian, Latin American As Water Demand Soars – NewsOXY.

The Serious Chef’s iPad App

Posted by J Reed on Dec 2, 2011 in News | 0 comments

Do you need this on your tablet or IPad? Is this the new way of culinary eductaion or a fun toy. You decide? The Serious Chef’s iPad App.