On May 25 Hillshire Farm celebrity spokesperson and chef/author Delilah Winder visited West Englewood United Organization's Clara House in Chicago, a transitional shelter for mothers with children. Winder shared her signature 7-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese recipe along with tips for summertime meals using Hillshire Farm products.
(l to r) Hillshire Farm chef Delilah Winder; Clara Kirk, CEO of Clara's House; and Billy Hayes, CEO of Fresh Start D.L.B.
Clara's House aims to improve the quality of life for families and community residents through programs designed to meet basic needs for employment, housing, healthcare and education. For more information, visit www.clarashouse-weuo.org.
From June 10 to 12, restaurants nationwide will devote a portion of their profits to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund to help people affected by the Gulf oil spill and support efforts to restore the coast, according to a June 2 story in The Times Picayune. The effort, called Dine Out for the Coast, was created by Jimmy Galle, owner of Gulfish, a seafood distributor in Sausalito, Calif.
Restaurants interested in participating can contact Jimmy Galle at (209) 969-3893 or gulfishing@gmail.com.
Click here to read the full story in The Times Picayune.
Two culinary alumnus have joined together to create Alumni Helping Alumni, an online public marketplace to help fellow New England area culinary alumni take advantage of the skills and offerings that other culinary alumni can offer them.
The idea originated as a way to help fellow culinary alumni who are no longer in the kitchens themselves and have started their own businesses associated with cooking. Alumni Helping Alumni is aimed at growing both those alumni member businesses and assisting other culinary alumnus in helping them by offering either a discount or offering a break on products or services.
The group welcomes all culinary alumnus from the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University and the New England Culinary Institute that would like to participate. The cost associated is pledging to give a percentage discount or other incentive off of services or products to fellow alumni who would like to do business with them.
For more information about Alumni Helping Alumni, visit www.culinaryalumni.com.
The outlook for the restaurant industry was positive again in April, as the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood above 100 for the second consecutive month. The NRA's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI)--a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry--was 100.4 in April, nearly unchanged from its March level of 100.5. RPI levels above 100 indicate expansion of key industry indicators.
"Although the sales and traffic indicators softened somewhat from their March performance, restaurant operators remain optimistic that business conditions will improve in the months ahead," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the NRA's research and knowledge group, in a statement. "In addition, restaurant operators reported a positive outlook for staffing gains, as well as continued plans for capital expenditures in the coming months."
Despite the positive outlook regarding business conditions, restaurant operators reported softer sales results in April after reporting net positive same-store sales in March for the first time in 22 months. Similarly, operators reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in April, after posting positive traffic results in March.
For full analysis and data, visit www.restaurant.org/trendmapper.
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At the third annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) during the The National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show the NRA named Nathan Greene of Las Vegas the winner of its Star of the Bar competition, a nationwide search for the country's most creative mixologist. Greene competed against two other finalists on May 23 at IWSB's After-Party at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago to win the title and $5,000 with his Bacardi Kiwi Berry Serenitea cocktail.
Nathan Greene shakes his award-winning cocktail during the IWSB Star of the Bar competition
Greene's cocktail recipe and photo will be included in an upcoming edition of American Airlines' American Way magazine. His cocktail also will be featured on Rockit's menu until the end of June.
Women Chefs & Restaurateurs has launched the newest version of its Web site at www.womenchefs.org.
Following a months-long overhaul, the new site is now more user-friendly for chefs, restaurateurs, food and beverage managers and directors, foodservice educators and students, with dedicated pages that allow a more focused opportunity to search for what is precisely of interest to each group.
New or enhanced features at www.womenchefs.org include:
- Local exchange information for members and prospective members to engage with their communities through food, beverage and cooking;
- a dining guide, listing member-owned and/or managed restaurants throughout the country;
- WCR’s bookstore, recommending meaningful resources to women in culinary and hospitality;
- a job bank, offering regularly updated employment opportunities; and
- member forums, encouraging discussion among women to enhance professional development.
On May 23 the National Turkey Federation (NTF) honored three facets of the foodservice industry for their incorporation of turkey on the menu at the eighth annual Turkey on the Menu (TOM) Awards during the 91st annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Erik's Delicafé and Purdue University each took home TOM Awards for healthy, innovative menu applications of the protein.
BJ's Brewhouse, a casual chain of casual dining restaurants nominated by Butterball, won the TOM Award in the casual/family style category for offering a variety of turkey menu applications. BJ's offers three turkey sandwiches--classic turkey, roasted turkey cobb and turkey club--as well as a turkey burger, which corporate chef Ray Martin deemed "best in the nation" during his acceptance speech.
(l to r): Lisa Burkart, Butterball; and Ray Martin, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
The winner of the TOM Award in the quick-serve category was Erik's Delicafé, a chain of delis and bakeries in northern and central California. "Turkey is the highest-volume protein on this operation's menu," said Kyle Beth, Foster Farms' foodservice regional sales manager, who nominated Erik's Delicafé. "They offer quality turkey options that create unique flavors, which keep customers coming back for more." Indeed, Erik's features several sandwiches showcasing turkey as the main protein and even offers a "Sandwich with Character" promotion where customers can name a new turkey sandwich menu option.
Brian Wells, Foster Farms; Erik Johnson, Erik's Delicafé; Kyle Beth, Foster Farms; and Tom Engles, Foster Farms
NTF presented Purdue University with the TOM Award in the noncommercial category for providing healthy comfort dishes to college students. Whether it's providing a "taste of home" as the star of turkey noodle soup, sliced for sandwiches, ground into patties for burgers or julienned atop a salad, Terry Hickey, Butterball's Midwest regional manager who nominated Purdue University for the award, said turkey provides students with a trustworthy, valuable meal.
(l to r) Steve Canale, Butterball; Mike Kepner, Purdue University; and Terry Hickey, Butterball
NTF is the national advocate for all segments of the $14 billion turkey industry. Visit www.eatturkey.com for more information.
About
Chef's Stirrings is the official blog of Chef Magazine, the industry publication for restaurant and foodservice professionals. The blog offers culinary news and online exclusives from the editors ofChef.
(l to r) Hillshire Farm chef Delilah Winder; Clara Kirk, CEO of Clara's House; and Billy Hayes, CEO of Fresh Start D.L.B.
Two culinary alumnus have joined together to create Alumni Helping Alumni, an online public marketplace to help fellow New England area culinary alumni take advantage of the skills and offerings that other culinary alumni can offer them.
The outlook for the restaurant industry was positive again in April, as the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood above 100 for the second consecutive month. The NRA's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI)--a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry--was 100.4 in April, nearly unchanged from its March level of 100.5. RPI levels above 100 indicate expansion of key industry indicators.
Nathan Greene shakes his award-winning cocktail during the IWSB Star of the Bar competition
(l to r): Lisa Burkart, Butterball; and Ray Martin, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
Brian Wells, Foster Farms; Erik Johnson, Erik's Delicafé; Kyle Beth, Foster Farms; and Tom Engles, Foster Farms
(l to r) Steve Canale, Butterball; Mike Kepner, Purdue University; and Terry Hickey, Butterball
