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Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Articles by
Patricia Cobe

Page 158

Pumpkin

While tricksters are carving pumpkins into scary faces for Halloween, chefs are busy chopping, cooking, pureeing and baking them for seasonal treats. Their orange flesh is flavoring both sweet and savory dishes, with a host of different ethnic influences.

Q&A with the Iron Chefs

When you take three Iron Chefs out of Kitchen Stadium and place them before a live audience of avid listeners, they are very willing to forget their TV rivalry and battle scars. That was quite evident when Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Jose Garces traded quips on a Times Talk panel during the TV Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 9.

Financing

Falling for freshness

It used to be that spring and summer menus had the monopoly on fresh fruits and vegetables—especially in restaurants north of the sunbelt.

Financing

Native American

When the first Europeans landed in America, the natives they encountered relied on three staple crops—corn, beans and squash—along with wild berries, fruits and other plants. Fishing and hunting filled out their meals.

Bread Pudding

Cooler autumn weather brings the urge to turn on the oven and serve warm, comforting desserts. Bread pudding fits the bill. These places are giving the old-fashioned dessert some modern twists.

Desserts: Sweetening the pot

The dessert menu has typically been a surefire way to boost the check by hitting customers at their vulnerable sweet spots. But for many restaurant patrons,...

Adding a daypart

When Smokey Bones changed its name from “Barbeque & Grill” to “Bar & Fire Grill” in 2009, the rebranding didn’t stop with the signage. The 10-year old concept began remodeling its 67 restaurants to focus on the bar, making the area larger and installing TVs, high-tops and stools to encourage socializing

Ending on a sweet note

Tempting customers to buy dessert is a surefire way to boost dinner and lunch checks. But that means offering an irresistible and varied selection that hits every diner’s sweet spot. Suppliers have stepped up to the dessert plate with ingredients and products for operators at every level—from QSR grab-and-go treats to comforting family-dining pies and ice creams, to the speed-scratch cakes, pastries and mousses that differentiate casual menus.

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Focus on: Cooking oils

In restaurant kitchens, oils are used for deep-frying, sautéing, salad dressings and baking.

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