IHMRS names new board member

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Jan Marie Chesterton, president of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), has been named to the board of directors for the International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS).

The nine-member board of directors also includes Joseph Spinnato, president, Hotel Association of New York City; Joe McInerney, president and CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Vijay Dandapani, COO, Apple Core Hotels; John Fitzpatrick, CEO North America, Fitzpatrick Hotel Group; Michael Hoffman, president, Turf Hotels; Pedro Mandoki, CHA, president, Mandoki Hospitality Group; Anthony Mangano, CHA, vice president, Syramada Hotel Corp.; and John Russell, CEO, NYLO Hotels LLC.

The next edition of IHMRS will take place Nov. 13 to 16 at the Javits Center in New York City. For more information, visit www.ihmrs.com.
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Marzetti offers Italian Celebration promotion

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Foodservice operators can save up to $150 by participating in the Marzetti Italian Celebration, a fall promotion from Marzetti Foodservice that will run Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. To qualify, operators must purchase items from two of the three Italian Celebration categories: Marzetti Italian Dressings, New York Brand Frozen Bread or Marzetti Frozen Pasta.

Participating operators can save on dressings in gallon or 1.5-oz. packet sizes, New York Brand frozen hearth-baked garlic breadsticks, garlic toast or mini garlic toast, or Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand frozen, fully-cooked fettuccini, cheese tortellini, penne, rigati, tri-color rotini, spaghetti and lasagna cheese rollups.

For more information, the participation form can be downloaded by visiting www.marzettifoodservice.com/
foodservice_solutions/specialoffers.php.
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Barry Callebaut announces cacao competition

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Barry Callebaut is calling on all culinary professionals and students to submit their best recipes using the Cacao Barry brand in the 2010 L'art du Chocolatier Challenge. The grand prize in the professional category is $10,000 in cash, $1,000 in Cacao Barry product and a feature in a renowned culinary publication.

Contestants have until Nov. 30 to submit up to 10 recipes incorporating Cacao Barry chocolate at www.lartduchocolatier.com Barry Callebaut will select finalists in both the professional and student categories to be flown to Chicago to recreate their recipes at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy the week of Jan. 10, 2011. For official contest rules and entry form, visit www.lartduchocolatier.com.
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Alluserve debuts new website for healthcare foodservice directors

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Alluserv, a newly established solutions provider in healthcare foodservice and equipment, has debuted www.alluserv.com, an online resource for healthcare foodservice directors.

Alluserv developed the website to enhance collaboration and learning opportunities for healthcare foodservice professionals. The resources available on Alluserv’s website include an "ask the expert" section, downloadable content including foodservice case studies and exper- driven articles and links to usable solutions for healthcare foodservice operation. Healthcare foodservice professionals can quickly search for new and innovative equipment and products for retail, catering and meal delivery systems. Alluserv also offers easy site navigation and access to brief descriptions and spec sheets as well as an online forum for discussing topics of interest.

Visit www.alluserv.com for more information.
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SOL Cocina chef joins Cart for a Cause effort

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SOL Cocina executive chef Deborah Schneider drove her own food truck for the day to benefit St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels program on Aug. 28 at the OC Foodie Fest. Schneider joins the ranks of Los Angeles chefs participating in Cart for a Cause to help feed homebound senior citizens.

SOL Cocina executive chef Deborah Schneider

The OC Foodie Fest is a one-day gourmet food truck event at the Honda Center in Anaheim that featured Southern California's most popular mobile eats combined with local entertainment and shopping to support local charitable organizations.

From her truck, Schneider served SOL Carnitas: street tacos with carnitas, tomatillo salsa, chicharron and avocado (pictured, below), as well as ceviche.


For more information on Cart for a Cause at the OC Foodie Fest, visit www.ocfoodiefest.com.
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DRG Concepts chef to appear on 'Cooking with Friends'

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During the 15th anniversary of celebrity chef Nick Stellino's Cooking with Friends" public television program, one of his 10 guest chefs this fall will be John Tesar, corporate chef for DRG Concepts.

Tesar, corporate culinary director for DRG Concepts' Dallas Chop House, Dallas Fish Market and Go Fish Ocean Club concepts who has cooked at the James Beard House six times, will tape the show on Aug. 17 at Chef Stellino's studio in Los Angeles. He will prepare lime and curry marinated ribeye steaks with cucumber and honeydew melon chutney and spiced basmati rice.

For more information, visit www.nickstellino.com/tvshow.asp.
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Restaurants nationwide partner for AFT's Dine Out for Farms

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Restaurants around the country are partnering with American Farmland Trust for the inaugural Dine Out for Farms, a national, weeklong event to support a sustainable future for America's farms. During the week of Oct. 10 to 16, participating restaurants will raise funds for AFT's programs that support farms.

In return for supporting Dine Out for Farms, AFT is providing promotional tools to the participating restaurants, along with online and other outreach activities to appeal to consumers who care about farms and food--encouraging consumers to dine out often and make a difference.

The "Founding Circle" restaurants kicking off Dine Out for Farms are:
For more information on joining as a participating restaurant in Dine Out for Farms, visit www.farmland.org/restaurant.
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CanolaInfo partners with World Heart Federation

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As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, CanolaInfo has joined with the World Heart Federation to promote global heart health. Six culinary experts from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and India are working with CanolaInfo to create a "World Heart-Smart Recipe Collection" that incorporates traditional ethnic flavors and healthy ingredients. The recipes are all made with canola oil, which has the least saturated and most Omega-3 fat of all cooking oils and is cholesterol- and trans fat-free.

The contributing chefs include Carla Hall, chef/owner of Alchemy Caterers, Washington, D.C.; Gene Kato, executive chef of Japonais restaurant, Chicago; Mairlyn Smith, cookbook author, Toronto; and Alfredo Oropeza, host of "Al Sabor del Chef" and cookbook author, Mexico City.

Below is a heart-healthy recipe from the collection, with wine pairing by Chef Magazine wine consultant Marlene Rossman.

Steamed Snapper with Citrus Sweet and Sour Sauce
Gene Kato, executive chef, Japonais restaurant, Chicago

Chef Kato says, "Using both traditional and unique ingredients for Japanese cuisine, this fish dish combines ginger and cilantro with a tangy sauce for a medley of flavors and aromas. The addition of red, green and orange vegetables creates a beautiful plate and the canola oil finish on the fish makes it melt-in-your mouth perfect."

Yield: 4 servings
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. rice vinegar
2 T. granulated sugar
1/4 t. red chile flakes
1 t. coriander seed
1/2 c. white wine
2 cilantro stems, leaves removed and reserved
4 snapper fillets, skin on, deboned, about 4 oz. each
1/4 c. fresh ginger, peeled and julienned ultra thin
20 leaves fresh cilantro
2 T. plus 1 t. canola oil, divided
2 carrots, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces
2 zucchini, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces

Method (1) In saucepan, add lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, chile flakes, coriander seed, white wine and cilantro stems. Simmer on medium heat 5-8 minutes or until sugar has fully dissolved. Discard cilantro stems, and reserve. (2) Preheat steamer. Lay out each snapper fillet skin side up and sprinkle even amounts of ginger and five cilantro leaves per fillet on top. Place fish in steamer skin side up, and cook on high 6-8 minutes. (3) Meanwhile, add 1 T. canola oil to hot sauté pan and cook carrots 3 minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper, and cook until tender. Set aside to keep warm. (4) Pour 1/4 c. sauce on serving dish, and arrange vegetables in alternating rows. Place steamed fish on top, skin side down. Heat remaining 1 T. plus 1 t. canola oil until smoking, and spoon 1 t. over each fish fillet (be cautious as oil will splash). Serve hot.

Wine pairing: Persimmon Creek Vineyards Seyval Blanc 2008 (Georgia)
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NRA: Customer loyalty programs drive business in tough times

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More than three-quarters of restaurant operators recently surveyed by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) said guest loyalty programs helped grow business during the economic downturn. In addition, 90 percent said loyalty programs give them a competitive edge, and the vast majority said they are planning to invest more in their programs because of their proven ability to drive business growth.

The NRA partnered with Loyalty 360--The Loyalty Marketer's Association and rDialogue for its first-ever study of the level of penetration of loyalty programs in the restaurant industry; the types of loyalty practices being used; how performance is being measured; and the level of dedicated resources supporting strategy, implementation, and management of the programs. The survey, conducted earlier this year, had 1,300 respondents.

Additional survey results found that 41 percent of respondents currently operate a loyalty program, and nearly half (47 percent) are planning to launch one. Moreover, 74 percent of respondents use social media to support their loyalty program such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging.

For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.
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