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

Passion for food…. always wanting it to deliver the best

Cook with love the food taste better

The other day I had someone ask me when did I know I wanted to be a chef? Well it was a long time ago when I was 3 years old; I stood next to my grandmother and watched her cook sausage gravy. She explained to me how to cook the sausage properly in an iron skillet and why she followed the steps to make it. She was not a professional cook but someone that had a love for feeding here family great tasting food to nourish their minds and souls. I watched as she browned the sausage and the little crumble bits came off in the pan, all in that warm fat. She removed the cooked sausage patties, adds some flour and then made a paste of goodness; to this she added some whole milk. This is when I got the job of stirring the pan until the milk and flour paste magically became gravy. She then crumbled up some of the sausage into the pan, then she tasted it to make sure it was just right.  I got to taste it too as she told me about how it needed to be just right, not too thick or too thin, not too salty but maybe a little peppery. She was teaching me that to cook food for anyone you have to “feel” how it will taste to people. It is a lesson that I will never forget – you could feel the love and care in the food she cooked every time, she was breathing passion into her food. I always remember this as the earliest memory of food, especially when I spent the rest of that summer playing “cook” with my own little pots and pans at my grandmother’s house.  You see passion for food extends to the serving of food with warm hospitality and a desire to exceed the expectations of your guest.  Do you realize you have the ability to be passionate about the food you serve your guest each and everyday? Do you know they can taste the love in the food you are serving, but how can you make sure that passion is coming through? It is easy; taste it, make sure it is properly prepared, seasoned correctly and served at the right temperature every single time, every single guest.  Passion for food and creating a culture of food starts with every single member in a restaurant delivering a consistently high quality experience that is a craveable celebration of dining, not simply a plate of food. So take some time to really taste and understand everything on the menu and make sure you make every single item to spec, you will become passionate too.

BOH - Back of the house series - "Mis en place" - everything in its place

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.

"Mis en place" = Everything in its place- an organized kitchen runs better and smoother

It is a true fact that you can tell how well a restaurant is running by simply looking at how organized the back of the house is maintained.  When I was a young kitchen supervisor a mentor taught me that a clean and organized walk-in cooler/ freezer was always a sign that the rest of the kitchen was running well. Why is this an indicator and what does it indicate? In my opinion when you see an organized space it tells you that, food safety procedures are being followed, recipes are being used, par/ prep sheets are part of everyday behavior and line checks are the norm. Keeping a kitchen organized creates an environment for your team to do their best work and delight guest each and every shift.  Here are some keys to organizing your kitchen or 'mis en place' as we say in the culinary world, putting everything in its place.

Station/ line organization -key to being able to execute recipes to spec every time, having the right tools, ingredients and prep items all in the proper place. The station should always be setup in a standard layout so that no matter which trained team member works it - they know where everything is and focus on executing the recipe at hand. This also includes making sure that correct plateware, bowls and side dishes are stocked, clean and ready to go. This creates an environment that allows for fast and fluid movement to serve the guest 

Dry up storage area - this area should be "faced" and look like you are in a grocery store aisle. Bulk items should be held in proper storage bins that are cleaned at least every time you refill with new products. Things like flour, sugar, and chicken breading also should be covered, labeled and dated to ensure freshness anything that is bulk. An organized dry store area will help ensure that we use FIFO rotation to manage inventory and make counting easier. 

Walk in cooler/ freezer - probably the single most important area to keep organized and in good order. Why? The value of the food you handle and store in your cooler/ freezer area is extremely valuable. Organizing the cooler area is also key to proper food safety management - keeping raw and prepared ingredients separate is vital. Additionally, organizing the items to easily facilitate inventory supports smart purchasing and ordering which in turn helps manage freshness of ingredients. So as you can see being organized drives food safety, freshness and staff satisfaction. Always having items in the right spot and labeled eliminates the frustration that kitchen staff experience when having to 'hunt" up items for prep 

Dishwashing area - wow didn't think about his area did you? It is a key critical area to keep organized for many reasons not to mention guest safety / health. Does your labor budget allow for a dishwasher during your day shift? If no then it is really critical to organize and set up the area to facilitate easy washing during these hours by any kitchen staff member or even manager. You do not want to pile up all the dirty dishes until some decides they need to be cleaned at around 4 o'clock.  Establishing rules and organizing this area will make it is easier on everyone working the day shift. Here are my guidelines - dish machine is turned on and ready to go when a manager opens for the day. Each cook is responsible for washing any tools or dishes they generate while opening or doing prep. Clean as you go.   Keep a couple of dish racks set up in the rinse area so people can load direct and once full push it into the machine. Again when someone has time they should restock the clean items from the dish machine or stack the plates that have been washed. Another rule to follow - all plates are scraped and stacked by team members, silver ware and small items are in appropriate soak bins. Clean as you go. This makes it easy for everyone to run a cycle of plates or silverware during the day in the dish area and it is kept clean and organized.  Clean as you go should be the standard for everyone on your restaurant team, not just cooks but the whole team. If you keep it organized and get everyone to take pride in a clean dish area it will drive positive work environment in area we give little thought.

So my challenge to you is to look around the back of the house, see what could be better organized. Break it down into small areas as I have above to make it easy to tackle and maintain. "Mis en place" with everything in its place will deliver staff satisfaction that will deliver great execution to your customers. It takes less time to do it right the first time than to do it over again and again.  So approach not only your BOH but take the same approach in your bar, dining room and even your office space it will make it a much better day.  Create pride in a well deployed and executed shift each and everyday to make a difference in your operation. 

Jim Doak, CCC