So a Chef eats Vegan for 30 days - what happens?

Wow, I told Linda in December that I was up to do a one-month challenge of eating Vegan, she said let’s go January 1^st. And that was it, the beginning of a new adventure that delivered several un-expected learnings. So we went full on – no meat, dairy or even eggs, I had to learn how to cook again what used to be a 20 minute dinner prep turned into having to think, plan and cook for about an hour. This might have been the best refresher for my culinary skills as it relates to developing not only flavor but textural differences in a dish. This was a refocusing on key elements in any dish that has continued to influence all my cooking at home and in my business. 

Here are some things I learned - 

Liquid dairy:

What I found is that using cashew cream in cream soups allows the flavors of say broccoli to really shine through while heavy cream has a tendency to mask the flavors. So using a cashew based cream in soup, sauces and even as a base for nacho cheese allows you to create more levels of flavors from spices and herbs. So big win for replacing liquid dairy, not so easy for replacing cheese. 

Cheese:

We did find several vegan cheeses we like when used in sandwiches, with crackers for snacking or as part of a baked dish but nothing works to deliver a pizza experience. So as long as the vegan cheese is not on pizza it is easy to substitute it for real cheese with out missing it. Also note some brands are better than others you just have to taste them to discover your favorite. 

Seasonality & comfort:

So going Vegan in the winter I think is much easier than other seasons, I believe since the cooler weather makes you want to eat, soups, stews and other hearty dishes. So how will this work as it gets warmer out, how many salads can you eat? The other quick learning was we really wanted a sandwich, how do you find a way to make a good vegan sandwich to replace, tuna salad? It is possible, we tried “Toona” a vegan alternative, it was okay but we ended up preferring a garbanzo bean version of “tuna salad”. You just drain and mash some garbanzos, add chopped pickle, onion, seasoning and some vegan mayonnaise (store bought or home-made). Chicken salad another favorite was harder to replace – we did find a Vegan prepared version at Whole Foods, but it ends up to be high in sodium. I want to find the “chicken” soy product they use in this and make it at home with out all the sodium. The product shreds just like chicken and has the same bite, Delights Soy Nuggets. And of course for a burger, we use Beyond Meat which when grilled is simply an awesome replacement for beef, hands down. 

Transitional Eating:

After a couple of months, we shifted to add eggs back in on a limited basis, except when baking. We still find that chia seed or flax seed egg replacer for up to 2 eggs to be a great alternative. Just add 1 tablespoon of seeds to 3 tablespoons of water, stir and let sit for about 10 minutes, use just like regular egg. Additionally we started to add fish and seafood back to the line up to give us more variety. 

Now that spring is in full swing here in Houston we are able to eat out of the garden which is always the best. So if you are curious, you can give up meat, it is not that hard, you can give up cheese too it just requires that you look at cooking from a different perspective. Give it a try, the other benefit, I think your taste buds really wake up to even more subtle flavors. More to come as I continue to learn, I do believe we will see the need for more plant-based foods and eating that are driven by flavor, taste and texture and not just being a “healthier item”.  Next up – we are trying intermittent fasting – fasting 16 hours a day only eat during the other eight (we are in week three). Stay tuned for more ways to be healthy, eat delicious and enjoy life.

Looking to add more plant based menu items to your restaurant menu? Contact us at
jimdoak@jwd-consultancy.com

www.jwd-consultancy.com

A case for scratch cooking in chain restaurants?

I have been fortunate over the last year to have had a successful group of clients in the restaurant industry. One constant I continue to notice when working on brands with great longevity is that they have been and are still all about the food they produce. One client has three locations that have been in their family for 70 years, and they still scratch cook everyday. Could they take short cuts, sure but their multiple generations of guests would notice.  At three locations it is much easier to scratch cook than at three hundred but it can be done. What is the key to executing consistently? One thing is straight forward recipes that are easy to make and deliver amazing quality and taste. The other secret ingredient is the long tenure of the employees. When you have kitchen managers that have been there 22 years it makes a huge difference in the ability to deliver great food. People and the culture of hospitality and “real” cooking continue to be the most important difference I see between brands that are winning right now and those that are struggling to survive. I have another client with over 100 locations and their brand again is over 50 years old. They scratch cook both in restaurant as well as at their own central kitchen. They have the ability to deliver consistent quality food from both points but the people are still the key. In the central kitchen they have employees that have been there for over 20 years making the soups and dressings day-in and day-out. These folks take great pride in knowing they are delivering amazing food to the restaurants and ultimately the guests. The in restaurant team continues to cook, really cook at least 80% of the menu from scratch. These same people also are long tenured in the brand’s back of the house. I think one formula for success in this current economic environment is the following

Culture + skills + desire = A quality experience that creates an emotional connect with the consumer

Anyone that is able to consistently execute against this formula will win in the long run. There has to be some magic in this formula based on what I continue to see and experience in our industry. It is less about scratch cooking and more about creating a caring culture that embraces teaching a group of employees that will continue to attract the right talent in a tightening labor market. When people are cared for and provided the chance to grow and gain skills we all benefit.  People are the magic and I think this is how we shift and evolve the restaurant industry for the future.

www.jwd-consultancy.com

BOH - Back of the house series - Walking the kitchen – an active observers guide to better operations

Over the next few blog entries I will share back of the house tips for improving kitchen operation performance. Each of these lessons can be used in part or whole to make an impact in your restaurant. I hope you enjoy them and use them to teach the next generation of managers that may have not benefited from these experiences.

Walking the kitchen – an active observers guide

Have you every really thought about how to walk your kitchen. It seems silly but sometimes we get into a rut and have blinders on when it comes to walking our kitchen and restaurant. With a few simple changes to your daily routine you can re-teach yourself to see what is there and needs to be corrected. Remember when an  internal inspector or health department official drops by to tour your facility they have one advantage you don’t, “fresh eyes”. So if you follow this simple exercise over a few weeks it will start to help you change the way you see your kitchen and restaurant.

First I like to start with the idea that there are three distinct zones of view: floor level, eye level and ceiling level. You will find different things to look for in each of these zones.

We will start with floor level first, probably should do this walk at least 2 times a day – it is your safety walk.

Floor level – what to look for from the floor to about 12 inches up.

·      Standing water on the floor, is something leaking?

·      Cracked or broken tiles, is there a hazard on the line, in prep, coolers, dry storage?

·      Spills – oil, food, seasoning, etc, is there some reason something is on the floor and could be a hazard?

·      Splash up – is there soap, cleaning fluids or water splashed up from hosing down the kitchen on lower shelves, plateware, uncovered food items stored on the lowest shelf?

·      How do the floor drain/ sinks look, clean and clear?

·      Un-wanted friends – do you see signs of pests in your kitchen or restaurant?

·      Extend this walk to the front of the house – what do you see that the guest or your team sees?

Eye Level – maybe the most telling walk and one you should do about 4 to 6 times a day – it lets you know what is going on in the kitchen.

·      First and foremost – look at your kitchen team, greet them, make sure everyone is healthy to work and handle food

·      Take a look around is there any snacking or drinking going on in food production areas?

·      Are the hand washing sinks, stocked, functioning and useable?

·      Is the dish machine running at proper temperature, is the dirty dish table organized to facilitate easy clean as you go.

·      Walk down the line – proper utensil storage and handling being executed?

·      Right size portion devices in the right sauces, ingredients, any visible product issues or concerns?

·      Look at the equipment on the line, is it clean, working, and maintained? If not what can you correct immediately?

·      Temperatures on all refrigerated equipment look right? Anything not function at a safe food holding level?

·      Round the corner and move through your prep production area – what do you see – any cross contamination occurring during prep/ production?

·      Gloves being used properly? In prep, on line, no bare hand contact with ready to eat foods.

·      Handling of proteins your most expensive ingredient, is it being treated with care or compromised at prolonged room temperature?

·      Inbound produce or  food order is arriving – how do the cases look? What about temp, is everything with in your standard operating guidelines?

·      Lets move into your storage areas – dry goods, cooler and freezer – are the all organized?

·      Dry store – everything covered, labeled, dated – rotated? Stored in proper hierarchy?

·      Cooler – are items organized by prepared and raw goods, floor clear, -packages properly labeled? Pull thaw – everything in proper containers, dated? Is the food hierarchy of raw on bottom with cooked on top being followed? Covered, covered and covered - ?

·      What about the freezer? Organized? FIFO?

Ceiling level – do this at least once a day both in back of house and the front of house as well.

·      How do the tiles look, clean or dirty?

·      What about the air vents – are the clean or need a wipe down

·      And the number one thing – any burned out bulbs, uncovered fluorescent tubes or bad ceiling fans? And so on………..you will see something that may need attention.

So you get the idea of the impact and importance of really being engaged when walking your kitchen – you should see everything at some point in the day. Also focus on those things that have been your hot button issues in the past. Remember teach and coach so everyone sees what you see and you will elevate the level of care and performance of your restaurant.