Category: Trending

Gazpacho Takes the Lead on Summer Soup Menus

Summer soup season is here, and the cold soup selections are (ironically) selling like hot cakes. Leading the pack, however, is gazpacho, the quintessential tomato-based chilled soup, appearing on restaurant menus everywhere. Featuring the aromas, flavors, and colors of the season’s top produce, fresh, cold gazpacho is a customer favorite.

With its origins in Spain, there is a famous Spanish saying: “De gazpacho no hay empacho” — there’s never too much gazpacho. If you work in foodservice and want to boost business this summer, it’s time to learn more about what has kept this dish so popular and what’s new in gazpacho recipes today.

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Get the Latest on Milk Alternatives for Restaurants in 2021

Milk alternatives on the rise in restaurants and coffee shops.

It was only a few years ago that the beverage industry witnessed the unprecedented rise of oat milk. Since then, there has been a proliferation of non-dairy milk alternatives. While cow milk is by no means obsolete, today’s expanded offerings include picks such as soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, coconut milk, buckwheat milk, macadamia milk, and many more.

The Rise of Dairy Free

Once available solely in stores selling all-natural products and relegated to the realm of health food enthusiasts, today’s dairy-free options are sold at local grocery stores across the globe and are being consumed by many. Also in the spotlight are other dairy substitutes, including plant-based yogurts, butters, cheeses, creamers, and ice creams.
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Add Fenugreek to Your Restaurant’s Menu

Restaurants spice things up by adding fenugreek to their menu

If you are a chef or restaurant owner looking for a new spice to infuse life into your customers’ favorite dishes, it’s time to add fenugreek to your list of ingredients! A long-time staple in Indian cuisine with a rich history in traditional Chinese medicine, fenugreek is an aromatic plant that is both an herb and a spice. It is available year-round as a seed (popularly known as methi), in whole or powdered form (with the former including the root and twigs), and as dry leaves that are especially popular in Middle Eastern cooking.

Fenugreek Quick Facts

The fenugreek plant is largely grown in South Asia and parts of the Mediterranean. It features small round leaves with long pods that contain distinctive bitter-tasting seeds. Its taste is described as sweet yet bitter with a hint of burnt sugar and a maple syrup aroma when cooked. In addition to packing a tasteful punch, fenugreek seeds provide some significant health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant activities that are good for the body.

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Carob Makes a Comeback

Carob-flavored recipes on the rise in 2021

The all-natural sweetener that gained fame as a healthy chocolate substitute at the turn of the millennium is popular once again and being featured prominently in restaurant recipes in 2021. Most used to prepare sweet treats and desserts such as brownies, fudge, and milkshakes, there are so many good reasons why adding carob-flavored dishes to your menu is a sure-fire recipe for success.

Carob Benefits

If you are new to carob, it is a sweet, edible pulp that comes from the pods of a tropical carob tree. Dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder for consumption or transformed into carob chips, syrup, or extract. In an age when wellness tops consumers’ minds, carob steps up to the plate with its multiple health benefits. These include the facts that carob is: Continue reading Carob Makes a Comeback

Coffee Menu Newcomers Debut in 2021

Add international coffee flavors to your 2021 menu.

The New Year has arrived and so have forecasts for the upcoming coffee trends. The good news is that pandemic or no pandemic, restaurant goers continue to clamor for coffee! If you work in foodservice and are looking for a way to stay ahead of the competitive pack, it’s time for a coffee menu update.

What’s Brewing in the World of Java

In the era of COVID-19, coffee shops may no longer be crowded, but java sales remain high thanks to a host of new options. Continue reading Coffee Menu Newcomers Debut in 2021

Restaurants Ring in the New Year with Kombucha

Add popular kombucha to your New Year takeout menu and cater to demand

Kombucha, the fizzy, fermented tea with a distinct tangy flavor, is in high demand. Restaurateurs seeking to upgrade their beverage menu for the New Year would do well to cater to customers’ clamors for more Kombucha.

So, what is it that has the cold tea flying off grocery store shelves, appearing in home and workplace refrigerators, and making the top-four list on consumer recipe searches?

We’ll answer these questions and more as we delve into the unusual world of Kombucha. Continue reading Restaurants Ring in the New Year with Kombucha

Tips for Catering a Holiday Party During COVID

Caterers are in-demand for the holidays despite corona

Christmas is in the air and the New Year is fast approaching. Normally, the holiday catering season would be in full swing. From family gatherings to workplace holiday parties and other festive occasions marking the end of the old and the beginning of the new, this season has normally been a boon for foodservice providers and for the catering industry. The advent of COVID-19, however, has put a damper on the festivities and a new spin on what is considered ‘normal.’ From social distancing protocols and limited guest numbers at live events to virtual gatherings where get-togethers take place online only, you may think a caterer’s job is a thing of the past.

There is good news on the menu, however, for professional catering companies, party organizers, and event planners! Due to the coronavirus, the takeout/ordering-in paradigm is now in full bloom. The public is starting to gather again, albeit in small groups, and they are willing to pay top dollar for their favorite catered holiday meals and desserts.

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Casseroles Making a Comeback on Restaurant Menus

Restaurant casserole sales rise during corona.

Attention restaurant owners: If you are looking the latest recipes to add to your menu, think casseroles! The quintessential oven-baked creation is making a comeback, and for good reason. Budget-friendly and family friendly, casseroles can be as rich or as simple as your customers’ palates desire. They are easy to prepare, nutritious, delicious, and are typically made from many of the staples you already have in your pantry. Think cost-effective ingredients such as pasta, rice, flour, canned or frozen vegetables, canned soup, beans, and a choice of meat, cheese, fish, or vegetarian options. Moreover, casseroles make plenty of servings and are easy to freeze and store.

Many Types of Casseroles

Boost restaurant revenues with comforting casserole dishes during corona.

Here’s more good news for restaurateurs: With a trove of tried-and-true casserole recipes available, and with an endless variety of dishes your chefs can concoct on their own, it is no wonder the casserole has become the “go-to” dish for many restaurants these days. Continue reading Casseroles Making a Comeback on Restaurant Menus

Cater to Your Customers with Stress-Relieving Foods and Beverages

Add stress-relieving foods to your menu during covid pandemic.

If you are wondering what restaurant-goers are hungry for these days, think immune-boosting, health-promoting, and stress-relieving foods and beverages.

Let’s lift the lid on stress-reducing ingredients to learn how you can help your customers eat and drink to optimize their health. At the same time, we’ll dish out a healthy serving of menu ideas, including a decadent stress-reducing recipe that will cater to your customers’ demands and drive traffic your way.

Can Eating the Right Foods Reduce Stress?

Scientists and nutritionists confirm that if one feels anxious, stressed, panicky, has difficulty sleeping or concentrating, suffers from racing thoughts, or feels off-balance, eating the right foods can have a calming influence.

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How to Spice Up Your Restaurant Menu with Spices!

Chefs maximize the use of spices and herbs in the wake of the coronavirus.

If you are looking for ways to enhance your restaurant menu look no further than using everyday spices and herbs. We all know that seasonings add ‘the spice of life’ to cooking and baking and can transform any dish from bland and boring to flavor-filled, fabulous, and unforgettable. They are also a great way to make food taste better without the addition of fat, salt, or sugar, and are compatible with almost every type of diet (vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, salt-free, and more). Continue reading How to Spice Up Your Restaurant Menu with Spices!