The Restaurant & Foodservice Show

The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York started yesterday and I had the extreme pleasure of attending.  I dragged my partner in crime and fellow foodie Sue along to keep me company. 

The Show runs from February 27 - March 1, is held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York and is only open to the trade.  It’s a must see for anyone in the foodservice/hospitality industry. 

To sum up, it was fabulous!  If you ever have the opportunity to go - don't miss it.

I have been many times in the past but haven’t attended in at least 10 years.  So much has changed and there are so many incredible new companies and products out there that are revolutionizing the way people dine and how restaurants are run.

Not a revolutionary product, but look at how beautiful those breads are.  They are courtesy of Anthony & Sons Bakery in Denville.  I could start at one end and eat my way to the other!

In addition to visiting all the vendor booths, getting information on companies, sampling foods and new products, there is also The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum which offers over 30 sessions to help professionals gain knowledge from some of the top foodservice professionals today.  There are also cooking demonstrations, contests, the Ultimate Barista Challenge, a Pizza Showcase, specialty pavilions as well as a Pastry Competition. More than you can possibly see in one day.

My main objective was to “shop” what’s new and get some new ideas, pricing, etc. 

This booth is from Imperial Bag & Paper Co. They have an amazing line of Eco Friendly products.  I just loved the display!

These are the tables and chairs I want for my restaurant!  They are gorgeous!  from the source NY - imaginative urban organic handmade and custom furnishings  

I have to say that one of the best parts of the day for me was attending the Foodservice Council for Women’s seminar on “The Key Secrets for Professional Growth for Women in Foodservice.” The speaker was Kathleen Wood and the panel included Ferdinand Metz CMC (Certified Master Chef), Don Fitzgerald, Ellen Koteff, Sally Minier.  It was truly insightful and I obtained a wealth of information.  It was definitely worth the hour and half.  So, a big thank you to all the speakers and panelists for taking the time to share their knowledge!

With our admission to the Foodservice show, we were also able to go to the New York Wine Expo. This is a 3 day event and is open to both consumers as well as trade.  Yesterday was the last day, but don't despair, they will be back next year.

 Prosecco and crab legs!  Can't go wrong!  Crab legs were courtesy of Alaska Seafood.

At the expo, you have the opportunity to try wines from New York State to California and from Italy to Brazil to Portugal and everywhere in between.  

I think we tried them all! 

And most were fantastic.  Here are a few labels that stood out - mainly ones that I know are available locally.

Sorry - I know the picture is not great.

One Hope Winery donates an astounding 50% of its profits to partner charities benefiting a variety of causes. 

They include Chardonnay for Breast Cancer, Merlot for AIDS Awareness, Cabernet Sauvignon for Autism, Sauvignon Blanc for the Environment and Zinfandel for Our Troops.  So, pick your cause and your favorite grape and support One Hope. 

And, of course, as I have written about before:

Middle Sister Wines.  That’s me standing there with Drama Queen clinking our Pinot Grigios.  My favorite is still Rebel Red but she wasn’t there yesterday – probably out on the town with the other middle sisters.  Check out these wines not just because they are really good but because you can pick one to match your personality.  That's almost as good as buying the wine because it has a cute label.

These wines are from the same company as Middle Sister:

You know me; I’m all about the labels!  I was both Monogamous (Cabernet Sauvignon which was smooth & velvety with flavors of plum and dried herbs) and Pro-mis-Q-ous (California red table wine which was ripe red & dark berry fruit with a touch of white pepper).  And both were wonderful!

So, that sort of sums up the day.  I would love to write about more wines but I can't remember much of what happened after about 3pm - I'm so dehydrated!  I'll go through my pictures and papers and tell you more about them in some future blogs.

That goes for the Food Service show as well.  I couldn't possibly tell you about all the wonderful things we saw and all the amazing foods we tried.  I'm sure I'll reference some in another blog or hopefully you'll get to experience them when Sit Drink Eat goes live.

Otherwise, you can always come with me next year.

Something for a snowy day........

It’s a white President’s Day here in New Jersey and there’s not much else to do so I thought I would send along something to ease the pain of yet another snowy morning.  

Friday night I co-hosted a party with my friend Michelle and we had a Martini & Crostini theme.  Here is a little sampling of what we tried. 

For a little taste of summer…………………

Mai-Tai-Tini

What you need:

1 oz Dark Rum

1 oz Light Rum

2 1/2 oz Orange Pineapple Juice

Squeeze of lime juice (about 1 Tbsp)

Splash of Grenadine

Maraschino Cherry or Pineapple Wedge for garnish

What you do:

Fill a cocktail shaker ½ way with ice.  Pour in dark rum, orange-pineapple juice and squeeze of lime juice.  Add just a splash of grenadine.  Shake well until chilled and frothy.  Strain into chilled martini glass.  Add a maraschino cherry for fun or garnish with a pineapple slice.

This is a great substitute for an after dinner cocktail if you are not in the mood for coffee and a dessert is just too much.

Espresso-tini

What you need:

1 oz Vanilla or Regular Vodka

½ oz Crème de Cacao

½ oz Kahlua

4 Tablespoons brewed, chilled espresso

Lemon wedge

Lemon peel garnish

2 Tbsp Turbinado or raw sugar

2 Tbsp shredded Bittersweet chocolate

What you do:

On a small plate, mix turbinado sugar and bittersweet chocolate.  Prep a chilled martini glass by running a piece of lemon wedge along rim to moisten it.  Dip rim of glass in sugar chocolate mixture.

Fill a cocktail shaker ½ way with ice.  Pour in vodka, Crème de Cacao, Kahlua and the chilled espresso.  Shake well and pour into glass.  Garnish with a lemon peel if so desired.

Can I just say - how absolutely cute are those little glasses?!!  They are Libbey Just Desserts mini flare glasses.  They are awesome for a tasting party, desserts, cocktails, whatever.  They make you feel like you are a giant when you are drinking them! 

Also gives you the excuse to have more than one.  Not that you need an excuse.  After all, it's snowing, it's President's Day - what better way to celebrate our forefathers than raising a glass of your favorite libation?  Can't you just picture George Washington kicking back by the fire with an Espresso-tini to warm him up?  I'd say we did him proud.

Valentine's Heart Cake

Valentine’s Day usually invokes the thoughts of luscious creamy chocolate desserts.

Like a rich chocolate espresso soufflé.

Or a decadent chocolate hazelnut torte.

Or a warm ooey gooey molten chocolate cake.

But, not in my house.  Nothin says lovin like a big chocolate heart cake.

My Mom has been making this for me and my sisters since we were kids and I have now passed on the tradition to my two little cherubs.

So, if you are looking for those aforementioned desserts, you will have to look elsewhere this weekend.  Or maybe I’ll make them in the future but for now, it’s a big fat heart cake.  Especially since Valentine’s Day is on a Monday night and it will be impossible to have a lengthy dinner, let alone dessert between school, homework, showers and rock climbing.

Yes, rock climbing - not me - my son Anthony.

So, I decided to give you a mini tutorial on how to make a heart shaped cake for Valentine’s Day without having to spend money on a heart shaped baking pan.

I’m all about saving the money and all about less clutter in the kitchen.  Why spend the money on a pan that you will use 1 day out of the year and then have to store somewhere in your already over crammed kitchen cabinets.

Or is that just me?

Anyway, the nice thing about this recipe is you can make your own cake from scratch or throw together a boxed cake mix.  I won’t tell.

So, basically, you get your cake mix together but instead of using 2 - 9 inch cake pans, you want to use one square 9 inch pan and one round 9 inch cake pan.  Divide the mix between the 2 pans.

Be sure to grease your pans well – something I have learned painfully to do.

Bake according to recipe or package directions and let cool.

When cakes are cool, flip them out onto a cooling rack or platter and this is what you have:

Okay, yes, you may have noticed that this picture was taken with the cakes on the floor.  It was the only way I could get the shot without climbing on top of the table.  Do whatcha gotta do.  

Take the round cake and cut it in half like so:

Then carefully, place the two round halves by the top of the square pan which is placed on a platter in a diamond formation.  Diamonds - Valentine's Day - another good combination! 

If the cakes don’t line up perfectly, don’t worry, it’s nothing a little frosting can’t cure.  Another option would be to flip the cake pieces over and cut them down a little so they lay a little more evenly.  Do this on the bottom though, or it will be impossible to frost since the cake crumbs will get pulled up with the frosting. 

Besides, I’m all about the frosting.

Speaking of which, here is the cake all frosted:
  

Think I could have used a bigger platter?

Enjoy!  And again, Happy Valentine's Day!

Marry Me Fettucine

I'm not actually asking fettucine to marry me. 

Unless fettucine is tall, dark and handsome.

But then my husband might get mad.

Anyway.....

I just named this dish "Marry Me Fettucine" because if you make it for your honey and you are not already married, this dish may induce popping the question.  If you are already married, this will make your honey happy. And that's always a beautiful thing. 

Especially at Valentine's Day.

Especially when you might be looking for something in return.

This is the first meal I made my husband when we started dating.  Actually, it was probably before we were technically dating but this reeled him in.  Like most men, the expressway to his heart is directly through his stomach.

Fettucine – good.

Shrimp – good.

Garlic – good.

Here’s a couple of notes about the ingredients in this dish:

About the fettucine……if you don’t like fettucine, substitute your favorite choice of pasta.  I have used linguine, rigatoni, penne, etc.  If you are making this dish for 2, you will not need the entire 16 oz. box, especially if you are serving a salad or an appetizer.  I would use ½ - ¾ of the box.  Unless, of course, you want leftovers or will use it for something else.

About the shrimp…….if you don’t like shrimp, you can certainly substitute whatever your choice of protein may be - or just leave it out altogether.  Chicken, scallops, crabmeat, etc.  By all means, you can do shrimp AND scallops if you like.  If you have an aversion or allergy to shellfish, use chicken.  And of course, there’s always bacon!!  This dish is wonderful with smoky bacon or prosciutto.  There's also nothing wrong with substituting or adding vegetables.  Like I always say, "Make it your Own."

Do not overcook the shrimp.  They only need a couple of minutes in the pan.  Shrimp cook quickly. 

A note on the size – I used Large Shrimp.  When you see shrimp advertised as 25/30 or 12/15 or any other combination of numbers, those numbers are telling you how many shrimp will be in a pound.  So, 25/30 means there are 25-30 shrimp in the pound.  That’s a little hint so you know how much to order.

And, make it easy on yourself, have your fish monger peel and devein them for you.  Less work.  Tails on or tails off – again your preference.  I take them off because then I don’t have to hear my husband complain.

About the shallots……….the shallot is a member of the onion family.  So, if you don’t have shallot, don’t go running to the store.  Substitute whatever onion you may have on hand.  No biggie.

  

About the basil……..oh, how I love fresh basil!  Like most of the ingredients in this dish, I bought the basil at The Market Basket in Franklin Lakes, NJ.  They have wonderful produce and I like buying the basil with the roots still attached.  You stick them in a vase, cup, plastic container, and the basil will last you more than twice as long – if you don’t eat it all right away, that is.

About the wine......you can use either a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for this.  Not a Riesling though since that would be too sweet.  Just make sure whichever wine you use is one you like to drink.  I chose this Pinot Grigio by Little Penguin. I tend to try different wines based on how cute the labels are.  I'm such a snob!  Plus, my son loves penguins. Oh, and check out how cute those little footprints are on the cork!

So, here is what you need:

1 1lb box Fettucine

½ to 1 pound Large Shrimp (25/30 Count) peeled and deveined

3 cloves minced garlic

1 minced shallot

¼ cup White Wine

1 14½ oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 cup Heavy Cream

8 large leaves Fresh Basil

Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and Pepper

Here is what you do:

Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook fettucine according to box directions, but please, don’t overcook.  The pasta should be al dente.  Drain fettucine in colander.

While the water is boiling and pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Add in peeled and deveined shrimp.  Cook until pink on both sides.  Remove shrimp to a plate to rest while you make the sauce.

Chop garlic and shallot and add to the pan. Cook for a minute or two or until garlic and shallots start wilting but not browning.  Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine.  Cook for another minute then add in the can of diced tomatoes.  Bring to slight boil and add in cream.  Turn heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce has thickened approximately 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

*If sauce seems too thick, you can cut it a little with some of the pasta water or with a little chicken broth.

Once sauce has reached desired consistency (it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), add the basil, shrimp and pasta to the pan and toss with the sauce.  If you prefer to be fancy, you can just add the pasta to the sauce and keep shrimp and basil on the side.  Serve pasta in bowl and arrange the shrimp on top.  Top with basil and add some fresh grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.

Share the love!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Oh, and if any marriage proposals happen after this dish is served – I want to hear about it! And get an invite to the wedding!  And have your first child named after me.

Or, just send me a bottle of wine as a thank you - make sure it has a cute label.

Breakfast for Dinner

Sort of.

I decided to use some of the many eggs I had in the house.  Seriously, I had more than 2 dozen.  Why so many eggs?  Don’t ask – I don't have a good answer for that one.  Maybe I bought them on sale, maybe because I was getting baking ambitious.  I'm not sure.

Anyway, I was staring at all those eggs and thought – ooooh – frittata for dinner! 

I love a good frittata. 

I also love using what I have on hand.  Namely, baby spinach, potatoes, garlic and onion.  But back to the eggs for a moment.

Eggs – the perfect food.  They are a simple, beautiful thing.  They can be eaten on their own or made into any number of dishes.

Little tidbit of trivia if you will indulge me.

A chef’s toque (or hat) is a tall rounded white pleated starched hat.   I know you have seen them.  Traditionally, the toques will have 101 pleats in them, which signify all the ways a skilled chef can cook an egg.

Seriously – 101.  Have you cooked your eggs 101 different ways?  Let’s see, there’s poaching, frying, scrambling, hard boiling, baking, deviling, sunny side up.  You can make quiches, omelet’s, French toast, egg salad, eggs in a hole, soufflé, crepes, flan, crème brulee……okay, you get the point.  I’ve given you some ideas to get started.

So, get on it!

Start with the frittata.

Here is what you need:

1 medium sized Yukon Gold Potato (or your potato of choice)

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

5 oz. baby spinach

8 large eggs

½ cup half and half

1 – 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese (your choice here – can be Swiss, provolone, cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, etc.)

salt & pepper

olive oil

Here is what you do:

Thinly slice the potato and toss in a small bowl with some salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet or piece of stoneware and bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. When you remove the potatos from the oven, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile in a 10 inch sauté pan, cook the onion and garlic in some olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom of your pan) approximately 3-4 minutes or until onions start to become soft. 

Add the baby spinach and carefully keep mixing it into the onions.  The pan will look like this:

Don’t panic, it looks very full but the spinach will wilt down until it looks like this:

While the veggies are cooking, crack your eggs into a bowl. Whisk in the half and half and some salt and pepper to taste.  Add ½ the cheese.

Remove potatoes from oven.  Empty the veggies from your pan into the egg mixture.  In the same skillet, layer your potatoes over the bottom of the pan.  Pour the eggs, spinach mixture on top of eggs and cook in a 375 degree oven approximately 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set and are not runny in the middle.

Top frittata with remaining ½ cup of cheese and place under broiler or back into oven just until the cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and serve.  This is great on its own or paired with a nice arugula salad.

Now you know how I always talk about “making it your own?”  This is the perfect recipe to do this with.  As long as you have your base, you can make this 101 times (little toque reference there) and it will never be the same.  You can substitute any vegetables you have lying around; add in some more, like mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes.  If you don’t have fresh vegetables, go to the freezer and thaw some that you may have on hand.  You can add in your favorite cheese or leave it out altogether.

The best part is, this is a nice dish to make any time of year or for any occasion.  Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, parties, snacks.  Okay, I'll stop listing stuff now.

Eggs - it's what's for dinner.