Preparing Strawberry Milkshake

It is no secret that bakeries, frozen yogurt, and specialty sweet shops are opening up in unprecedented numbers world wide. What used to be an afterthought on restaurant menus, dessert, is now a major market in the restaurant industry.

            

The Next Idea [Los Angeles based Restaurant Consultants], has developed countless dessert recipes that showcase everything from traditional tastes to modernist techniques.

We predict the next wave of dessert trends hitting restaurant menus to be a hybrid of nostalgic flavors and contemporary presentation. Culinary terms like deconstructed, reconstructed, and molecular gastronomy will no longer be limited to the savory side of menu development.

What better way to highlight dramatically avant garde dessert formats than by using retro recipes? Below an American classic, the milkshake, reinvented into an elegant pot de crème. All the flavors of a creamy strawberry milkshake can be enjoyed in one spoonful, guaranteed not to melt! This recipe is complete with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles for added whimsy.

The custard can be made ahead of time, so it is perfect for entertaining. Serve this surprising dessert to guests at your next dinner party for all the fun of a milkshake and none of the fuss of a noisy blender.

Strawberry Milkshake Pot de Crème

 INGREDIENTS:

 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and smashed

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

½ cup sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

For Garnish:

Rainbow Sprinkles

Whipped Cream

Sliced Strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a large sauce pan, add milk, cream, and smashed strawberries.

2) Bring mixture to simmer and allow strawberries to infuse the milk and cream mixture.

3) While strawberry cream mixture is simmering, whisk together vigorously sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl until light and frothy.

4) Slowly add strawberry cream to egg mixture, whisking constantly to make sure eggs do not curdle.

5) Add vanilla extract and strain mixture.

6) Pour mixture into 4 ramekins, mason jars, or any oven safe serving dish.

7) In a 350 degree oven, bake ramekins in a water bath covered with foil for 30-45 minutes or until custard is just set.

8 ) Remove from oven and chill completely.

9) Serve cold with a dollop of whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a few sliced fresh strawberries.

The Next Idea is one of the World’s Leading Culinary and Restaurant Consulting Group, For further information please call: 818 887 7714 or email: info@thenextidea.net Web: www.thenextidea.net

Food Sampling Builds Sales and Relationships with Customers

Giving your product away for free to build sales may seem like a business oxymoron. But as the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. And although there is no such thing as a free lunch, food sampling is the next best thing for operators and for customers.

For operators, it gets their product into the mouths of current and potential customers, and for customers, it gives them an opportunity to try something new, risk-free. In that exchange, operators and customers can connect while breaking bread. And, seriously, who doesn’t love a free sample?

“Food sampling is the cheapest, most effective way to get consumers to try what I’m trying to get them to try and build a relationship. Food sampling is the idiot-proof marketing tool for bars and restaurants,” says Howard Cannon, a food service expert with Restaurant Expert Witness.

Jeff Van Dyke, managing partner of Brixx Wood Fired Pizza with locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, says food sampling is a valuable tool because it establishes goodwill with guests, provides an opportunity for customer feedback for market research and requires minimal cost.

“We use sampling for two different reasons: one, to develop new menu items and get feedback — very effective before you go too far with a new item –– and two, we sample foods with people waiting for tables as a way to thank them for waiting and being patient,” Van Dyke says.

A recent addition to Brixx’s menu, Zucchini Balsamic Toast, was a heavily sampled dish.

“It’s a good item and a little different, so people are afraid to try it,” Van Dyke says. “The advantage of sampling is that it stirs people toward items you want to sell. The Zucchini Balsamic Toast is a healthy item, and we want it to be one of the most popular items on the menu.”

Food sampling also is an effective way to change customer habits, says Robert Ancill, CEO and managing partner of the restaurant and leisure consulting group The Next Idea.

“Typically customers are habitual. There is a small percentage who will try something new on a menu,” Ancill says. “The goal of sampling is for the customer to try something new they normally wouldn’t.”

The rules of food sampling are flexible: the where and when can fluctuate according to the operator’s needs and staff’s availability.

Van Dyke says, food sampling varies by Brixx location, but is definitely used when a new menu is in the works, which is twice a year. He says food sampling is also great when stores are not busy, and managers can get immediate feedback from customers.

“We are big into food sampling; we do it in all of our stores. We sample products in front of our stores, at local farmers’ markets, big school events, wine and food festivals — anywhere we can get an audience of our community to sample our product,” says Adam Goldberg, founder of Fresh Brothers in California. “We hold sampling events at our stores. We do it with a new product and with gluten-free products. We believe in the quality of our pizza so much, that we would rather give it away for people to try it instead of giving away a coupon.”

Cannon recommends his clients do a “business blitz,” which is food sampling offsite; before lunch, staff should bring samples to a business that is within range of the restaurant.

“It all works — dining room, offsite, front door,” Cannon says.

Although the where and when of food sampling differs, its success depends on how it is done.

“If the food is good, let the food sell itself,” Cannon says. “If the food is miserable, don’t do sampling. Operators want to sample things that didn’t sell, but don’t do that. Put your best stuff forward with the best hospitality to customers.”

Food sampling also is a way to grab customers’ attention.

“It’s a chance to impress them with something they wouldn’t normally buy. When customers say no to dessert and pay out the check, bring two samples of dessert to entice them next time,” Cannon says.

Bite-size food samples mean small cost to operators. “Food sampling is never a full portion; for example, sampling a dessert, make two-three extra pies or cakes and use that for the whole shift,” Cannon says. “Bulk offering into portion-controlled options to keep food cost low.”

Food sampling can be a cost-effective sidekick to the big budget demands of couponing and advertising.

“We spend $10,000 a month throughout our chain; we really believe in food sampling our food to potential new customers,” Goldberg says. “It promotes the quality of our product vs. couponing that can hurt the integrity of our brand. We would rather give it away instead of discounting it with a coupon. Couponing is not part of our brand; it doesn’t work for us. By giving it away, we have a 99-percent success rate of people trying our food.”

Van Dyke agrees that these little portions are worth the investment. “You can give a lot of food samples away for less money than you’d spend on advertising, and it is money well spent,”Dyke says.

Although the cost is minimal, location will affect the bottom line.

“Offsite is very effective, but it has to be done right,” Ancill says. “Pizza has to be served hot, packaged right. It’s a bigger investment because you have to think about all those details. It’s a lower cost when the customer is right there. The labor cost will stay the same unless you’re hiring someone solely to hand out samples.”

  

When tracking the success of food sampling, operators have to go with their instincts.“There’s no hard evidence that shows a person is buying because of sampling like there is with a coupon,” Ancill says. According to Cannon, since independent and small chain restaurants are so relationship-based, they can help track the success of food sampling by smiles.

DeAnn Owens is a freelance journalist living in Dayton, Ohio. She specializes in features and human interest stories.

Please visit our Website - http://www.thenextidea.net/, for more information about our services.

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Preparing Kale Chicken Caesar Pizza

We all know summer time is swimsuit season but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on delicious comfort food like pizza. Think of pizza as a blank canvas to showcase healthy vegetables or gourmet cheeses. New restaurant trends indicate that tomato sauce latent traditional pizzas we are accustomed to will make way for craft pizza dishes, integrating both seasonal produce and artisanal ingredients.

                                                                                 

The Next Idea predicts this restaurant trend going a step further in the future, by using pizza as a medium to transform classic dishes. All the flavors of a conventional Caesar Salad are presented as a pizza in the recipe below using healthy ingredients like kale and white meat chicken. As restaurants start to cater to more balanced diets, The Next Idea sees new healthier ingredients, like kale and whole grains, taking the place of older less nutritious restaurant stapleson restaurant menus.

Whole wheat pizza crust is readily available at markets these days as well as gluten free varieties. For a vegetarian yet equally tasty version of this pizza, just omit the chicken all together.

Kale is the perfect green to use for this recipe in place of normal romaine found in Caesar salads. Not only is kale incredibly nutritious, it is a hearty and sturdy green that can hold up to the high heat of an oven while retaining its texture.

A little goes a long way with Caesar dressing so all you need are one or two spoonfuls for the entire pizza. Don’t skip on the cornmeal! It’s naturally gluten free and adds a toasted crunch to help make store bought pizza dough taste and feel homemade.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and squeeze just before taking a bite. The acidic bite of the citrus will help all the rich flavors pop.

 Kale Chicken Caesar Pizza

Ingredients:

• 10 oz Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (or gluten free)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup Cornmeal
• 1 Head Kale, chopped (stems removed, washed and dried)
• 1 cup Grilled chicken, sliced (optional – leave out for a vegetarian pizza)
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2/3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/3 cup Fontina Cheese
• 2 tbsp Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ cup Caesar Dressing
• 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black Pepper
• Lemon Wedges for garnish& serving

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2)      Stretch and Roll pizza dough to a 13 inch circle.

3)      Brush edges of pizza crust with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.

4)      Top pizza with mozzarella and fontina cheeses.

5)      Drizzle Caesar dressing evenly on top of cheese.

6)      If adding chicken, evenly distribute chicken slices around pizza.

7)      Top pizza with kale leaves, salt, minced garlic, and lemon zest.

8)      Sprinkle remaining cornmeal on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone.

9)      Place pizza on top of cornmeal and bake until crust is golden brown and crisp (approx. 15 minutes).

10)   Remove from oven, top with grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.

11)   Serve with lemon wedges and add a squeeze of lemon just before eating.

The Next Idea is a highly innovative and experienced team of restaurant consultants and interior designers.

Please visit our Website - http://www.thenextidea.net/, for more information about our services.

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TNI Blog

Unique Recipes - Curried Chicken Burgers

Grills ablaze with sizzling steaks over smoldering charcoals – the quintessential sights, smells, and sounds that ring in the start of summer. Memorial Day is no exception, when more Americans barbeque outdoors than any other holiday with the exception of the 4th of July. Both occasions are prime opportunities to showcase unique grilling recipes for family and friends.

Indian Foodies making its way into the culinary mainstream. The Next Idea Restaurant Consultants predicts this emerging flavor trend to pop up throughout restaurant menus everywhere. Curries, Naan bread, and Raita-like yogurt dips are Indian cuisine staples that will be popular menu items as this forthcoming trend gains industry momentum.

                                                          

Curry spice blends can vary and in India, each family may have their own signature spice combination. These chicken burgers get an exotic flavor boost from any store bought blend. With the addition of a few extra ingredients and a tangy-sweet chutney laced aioli, these Pita wrapped chicken burgers are far from traditional BBQ fare.

Without the higher level of fat that beef contains, chicken burgers often need a little help to stay formed. Adding breadcrumbs and egg to the chicken mixture will help bind all the ingredients to ensure your burger stays intact on the grill. If baking the burgers, the egg and breadcrumbs can be omitted. Feel free to substitute with gluten free breadcrumbs if desired.

Making plain old grilled vegetables interesting can be a challenge. But by taking an Indian staple ingredient such as yogurt and using it to mimic the often heavy mayonnaise that drenches potato and pasta salads, you can create a zesty dressing for vegetables with a fraction of the fat and calories. The spiced mint yogurt dressing recipe below is a refreshing accent to zucchini or anything you have going on the grill.

Showcase the bountiful fresh herbs and produce available in the summer by switching up seasonal standards like hamburgers, hot dogs, and potato salad for India’s spicy substitutes. Add these light and flavorful Indian inspired recipes into your grilling repertoire and give your guests a break from the bun.

Grilled Curried Chicken Burgers in Pita with Chutney Aioli.

Charred Zucchini Salad with SpicedMint Yogurt Dressing.

Curried Chicken Burgers – 

Ingredients:

4 Pita Pockets

Optional – Cheese for burgers (Paneer, which is an Indian Farmers Cheese or smoked gouda, mild cheddar, or feta would all work great)

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

¼ cup bread crumbs

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp fresh minced garlic

¼ cup cilantro, minced

2 tsp curry powder

½ tspgaram masala

¼ tsp cumin

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp sweet paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Oil for grilling.

Optional Lettuce, Tomato, & Onion for assembly.

For the Chutney Aioli –

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup mango chutney

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Chutney Aioli Directions:

1)   Combine all ingredients in bowl with whisk until mixture is uniform and chutney is completely incorporated.

2)      Keep refrigerated until serving.

Chicken Burger Directions:

1)      Light your grill and maintain a medium heat level.

2)      In a large bowl, add ground chicken and all herbs, spices & seasonings. Mix well to combine.

3)      Add egg and bread crumbs and continue to mix until all ingredients are uniformly combined.

4)      Form into four ¼ lb patties.

5)      Brush grill with oil and place burgers directly on grill grates

6)      Cook for 3-4 minutes and rotate burger 45 degrees on grill to create diamond hash marks.

7)      Once burger patty is rotated, cook another 3-4 minutes then flip.

8)      Repeat grilling process on second side of burger. A total of 6-8 minutes per side. (If adding cheese, top each burger for the final 2 minutes to melt)

9)      After 12-16 minutes and the chicken is cooked through, remove patties from grill and cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. (Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees).

10)   While burgers rest, brush pita pockets with oil and grill for 1-2 minutes per side to toast.

11)   Serve burgers in pita pocket with a spoonful of chutney aioli, and choice of fixings – lettuce, tomato, or onion.

Charred Zucchini Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

3 Whole Zucchini, medium size

1 half red onion

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Yogurt Dressing –

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Plain Yogurt

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp chopped mint

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp sweet paprika

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions for Yogurt Dressing:

1)      Combine all ingredients in bowl

2)      Whisk thoroughly to combine.

Directions for Zucchini Salad:

1)      Cut zucchini into quarters, lengthwise.

2)      Cut onion in half, lengthwise.

3)      Coat zucchini and onion with olive oil and salt and pepper.

4)      On a medium high heat Grill, arrange vegetables on grates and grill evenly on all sides until tender.

5)      Remove vegetables from grill and let cool to room temperature.

6)      Before serving, slice zucchini quarters into uniform cubes.

7)      Dice grilled red onion.

8)      Mix grilled vegetables with yogurt dressing and refrigerate.

9)      Serve Charred Zucchini Salad with yogurt dressing chilled.

The Next Idea is one of the World’s Leading Culinary and Restaurant Consulting Group, For further information please call: 818 887 7714 or email: info@thenextidea.net Web: www.thenextidea.net.

Role of Restaurant Consulting in Hospitality Industry

Most companies have successfully embraced the advanced techniques of strategy making and execution to some degree, but few are still relying on the traditional methodologies of business planning and management, which is obsolete. The correct way is to measure the success or failure of the old strategy building techniques and then take decisions. Just like in hotel or restaurant business industry, more and more business owners are relying on the newer strategic moves to achieve concrete ROI. In fact, there is an absolute need of focusing on ways of doing business. For consistent ROI and market reputation with brand success, hotel owners need solid platforms of analytical engineering and insightful information.

                                                     

Today,restaurant consultants are equipped with the top-grade technology to evaluate and analyze the trend to propose a solid business planning strategy. They simply draw a transparent roadway for your business in order to make sure all the vital activities exactly match current market demand. They draw suitable restaurant marketing techniques that are useful for overpowering your competitors.

They develop exclusive marketing strategies through market analytics for restaurant owners as per their objectives. They evaluate what your customer wants and then develop measurable strategies to engage them. It will not only create competitive edge, but also bring innovativeness to the business architecture. They focus on every single aspect through customer-focused metrics. From concept development, strategy development, and restaurant marketing plans, online and off line promotion, branding strategy, sustainability, operations, to management services, they help in complete business transformation.

                                                            In fact, you can expect creative branding, menu design, training, menu development, catering programs and catering sales, human resources, food & beverage software, and menu engineering, and much more for more detailed assistance from reputable restaurant consulting firms. Experts deliver instrumental views for strategy execution to protect your investment.

No doubt, restaurant consulting helps in maximizing product reach as well as revenues at the same time. If you want to observe monumental increase in your net profit and profoundly influential business performance, then you must look for hospitality consulting services.

For more restaurant business ideas, interior designs and marketing plans please visit: http://thenextidea.net/.

The Next Idea has Successfully Accomplished "Solo Tapas at the W. Hotel" Project

This concept was created by The Next Idea and is opening in the W Hotel, Hollywood California

Solo Tapas is a "Spanish Tapas Sandwich" fast casual restaurant concept that offers a unique value proposition to its customers: Healthy, Mediterranean tapas in a sandwich at affordable prices. 

                                                          

The interior design, menu, and all operating standards were created by International Restaurant Consultants; The Next Idea.

Our biggest secret is our Spanish bread, which we import from Spain. What would a Spanish Tapas Sandwich be without the original Spanish bread?

We are planning our first location in Los Angeles by May 2013 at the W Hotel Hollywood. Our wide selection of tapas-sized sandwiches will without a doubt make you a fan. Visiting Solo Tapas is cheaper than buying an airline ticket and visiting Spain - you will feel and taste the Spanish Lifestyle right here in California.

Once you taste our sandwiches there is no going back - you will be a believer too... 

Que aproveche!

Solo Tapas Team

The Next Idea Group (LLC)

Web TNI:     www.thenextidea.net

Web TNIT:   www.tnitechnology.com

E-mail:        robert@thenextidea.net