Catch Up 12-20-10

Last week we looked at trends that may affect the restaurant themselves, menus, food purchases, etc… This week I looked at hot foods for the next couple of years.  When I was the executive chef for a local catering company we generally wrote menus a year before we were cooking them, so we had to stay on track of what was going to be popular the next year.  It’s always a big guessing game, trying to predict consumers desires can be really rough.  These are just some foods I expect to be hot this next year.

French fries

There seems to be a growing interest in quality French fries, and not everyone is looking to cut their own.  Often customers may just be looking for a seasoning blend to set themselves apart from others, or bringing back disco fries, topped with gravy and high quality cheeses.  Others may make homemade sauces to go along with their fries.  Upscaling fries with truffles or even lobster meat just might be hitting your local restaurant or pub.

Disco Fry Recipe

• 4-80 count Norkotah potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• One 8-ounce package cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup aged provolone cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup smoked cheddar cheese

1.      Preheat the oven to 450°. Slice the potatoes lengthwise 1/3 inch thick, then stack and thinly slice to shape into french fries. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the potatoes in an even layer on a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, reserving the bowl; season with salt and pepper. Bake until deep golden, about 35 minutes.

2.      Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to the reserved bowl. Add the butter and onion to the pan and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 3 minutes; lower the heat to medium-low and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and cooked mushrooms and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

3.      Sprinkle two-thirds of the cheese on top of the fries and return to the oven to melt, about 1 minute; reheat the mushroom gravy, if needed. Using a metal spatula, transfer half of the fries to a platter and spoon half of the gravy on top, then repeat with the remaining fries and gravy; sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place back in the oven until all the cheese and gravy is bubbly.

  

Hot chocolate

Homemade hot chocolate is quickly becoming all the rage in restaurants.  The great thing about hot chocolate is no matter what type of restaurant you are making hot chocolate is very easy and has a very nice profit margin.

Hot Chocolate Recipe

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 oz chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash salt

• Garnish: whipped cream, cinnamon sticks

Whisk milk, brown sugar, and whipping cream in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; add cocoa powder, chocolate, and cinnamon; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour hot chocolate into 6 demitasse cups. Garnish each with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.

Popcorn

Popcorn has slowly been showing up on menus for the past couple of years, but this might just be the year that chefs start to play with popcorn.  Popcorn can be used in sweet or savory applications.  From sweet popcorn balls or truffled popcorn garnish on a salad it has some great potential to bring the needed crunch to any meal.

Truffle Popcorn

• 1/2 cup popcorn
• 2 tablespoons unflavored oil-like canola or grapeseed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2-3 teaspoons white truffle oil
• Truffle salt
• Celery salt
• 1 stem rosemary chopped
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1.    Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few kernels and cover. When they pop, add the rest of the kernels and cover. Shake the pot over the heat and cook until the popping stops, about 3 or 4 minutes. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

2. In a small skillet, combine the butter, truffle oil, and rosemary and slowly heat until butter is melted. Drizzle over the popcorn and season with truffle salt, and celery salt, and toss with cheese.

Hummus

It’s no secret that hummus has been growing in popularity.  The new rage will be flavored hummus, items like sweet potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, black beans, will all begin making its way into hummus. 

Sweet Potato Hummus

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (19.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon parmesan or feta cheese
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 garlic clove, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.
2. Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, cheese, and garlic in the food processor. Puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. 

Tacos

Tacos have never been unpopular, but they have really started to make a move into more fine dining sectors.  As the growth of mobile taco trucks has proved people love tacos, and chefs from Mom and Pop diners to 5-star haute cuisine restaurant will be taking advantage of this.  The best thing about the simple taco is just that it is so simple and yet people are happy to pay top dollar for well crafted food.

BBQ Shrimp Tacos

·         1/2	tbsp. vegetable oil
·         16	Each peeled and deveined 21-25 shrimp
	Salt to taste
	Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
·         1	cup onions, diced
·         1	cup spicy barbeque sauce-like Sweet Baby Ray’s
·         1/2	cup jalapeno jack cheese, grated
·         4	6" flour tortillas, cooked and warmed
·         1/3	cup grated cotija cheese
·         1/3	cup toasted sesame seeds
·         2	fresh Serrano chilies (optional)
·         4	sprigs fresh cilantro Pickled red onions 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick  1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns  1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds ¼ teaspoon coriander seed  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano  2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved  1/4 teaspoon salt  1/3 cup red wine vinegar Blanch the onion slices in boiling salted water for 45 seconds, then drain and place in a medium-size bowl. Coarsely grind the peppercorns, coriander, and cumin in a spice grinder, and add to the onions. Add the remaining ingredients, plus enough water to barely cover.  Stir well and let stand for several hours until the onions turn bright pink.

Place oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add shrimp to hot pan and season with salt and pepper and sauté for one minute until shrimp turns red. Add onions and sauté for two minutes or until translucent. Stir in barbeque sauce, bring to a boil and quickly remove pan from heat. Add pepper-jack cheese and stir to combine until cheese has melted into mixture.
Place a warm tortilla in the middle of a warm serving plate. Spoon equal portions of shrimp mixture into the middle of each tortilla; roll each tortilla into a cylinder with the seam side down. Then sprinkle with cotija cheese and toasted sesame seeds and garnish with fresh Serrano chilies, pickled red onions, and sprigs of cilantro.

Grits

Chefs are beginning to realize what many in the South have known for years: Grits are good!!!  Grits have a great ability to not only taste pretty good on their own, but they easily take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked with, and they are cheap.  All of this adds up to an item that is real treat for cooks to work with.  I have seen grit bars at events like the mashed potato bars, or risotto bars of years past, and people just go nuts over them.  Be sure and get to know whether your customer will accept quick grits, or wants the longer cooking, but textural superior stone ground.

Andouille Grits

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces andouille sausage or hot links, cut into small cubes
• ½ large yellow onion, small dice
• 31/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ cup whole milk
• 1 cup stone ground grits
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onions, sauté until andouille is brown and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add stock and milk and bring to boil. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is thick, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and cheese. Season grits to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Other Hot Foods:

Anything Sustainabile look for this to become the new green, local in the next few years.  Still unaware of it , check out books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Food Inc.

Asian appetizers-spring rolls, tempura, egg rolls

House pickled items

Specialty/Gourmet sandwiches

Inexpensive/Underused cuts of meat-beef cheek, brisket, skirt, flank, hanging steak

Artisan cheeses