Photo Credit: @floydcardoz

In March we lost Chef Floyd Cardoz to Covid- 19. The food industry was at a loss for such a talented chef that also pioneered Indian cuisine to the mouths of many who dined at his restaurant Tabla.

Photo Credit: @sogadesigncollective

Prior to his death, chef Floyd was working on a collaboration project with a Queens based spice company Burlap & Barrel.

The concept is to create a line of masala blends and thanks to his wife, Barkha Cardoz the product is now available. With each purchase a $1 of the proceeds is donated to Cookies for Kids Cancer.

It is honestly a winning purchase for all parties. We can't wait to hear, taste, see, and of course try all the delicious creations that will come out with this spice line. What an amazing way to honor chef Floyd Cardoz!

NY Times - Floyd Cardoz Masalas Spices

Food and Wine -Floyd Cardoz Burlap Barrel Spices

Photo by Otto Norin @ Unsplash

While we wait for indoor dining to resume in NYC, a new type of business has emerged: The Instagram Bakery. As bakers and chefs are still waiting to return to work full-time, finding an outlet to showcase their passion has become the new challenge. And what better way than to post your creations on Instagram and make them available for purchase. Eater has put together a guide to some of New York City’s pandemic-born Instagram bakeries, where you can place your order and have them delivered right to your door.

NY Eater.com NYC Instagram Bakery Map

Bạn Bè

Dalkomi Sweets

Dre’s Desserts

Extra Helpings

Maison Fleche

Kemi Dessert Bar

Kora Filipino Desserts

PLG Flan

Neighborhood Bread

This whipped coffee drink is taking over the world

If you've spent any time on social media in the past month (who are we kidding - we've spent ALL our time on social media in the past month) you've no doubt seen pictures of two-toned frothy coffee. The drink is simple to make - generally equal parts of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, all whipped together until the sugar dissolves and the whole thing becomes frothy. The resulting mix is then spooned over iced or hot milk and combined. 

It's named after the Korean sweet called Dalgona, "a candy made with melted sugar and baking soda. It was a popular street snack in the 1970s and 1980s, and is still eaten as a retro food. When a pinch of baking soda is mixed into melted sugar, thermal decomposition of the baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which makes the liquidized sugar puff up, and it becomes a light and crunchy candy once cooled and hardened. Typically, the creamy beige liquid is poured on a flat surface, pressed flat, and stamped with a patterned mold. Eaters try to trim their way around the outline or picture on the snack without breaking the picture. If the trimming is completed successfully without breaking the candy, the consumer receives another free dalgona." [Wikipedia]

Have you tried it? Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

And if by some chance you haven't seen it yet, here are some places to check it out...

Instagram

NY Times

Bon Appetit

Eric Bertoia shares his secrets for a great plate.

As the corporate pastry chef of Paris Gourmet, Eric Bertoia spends his days creating and tasting plenty of desserts. He loves nothing more than to help other pastry cooks and chefs around the country raise their game, and to create menus that can really wow their customers.

But what does he look for in a great dessert? I got the chance to sit down with Eric and talk about what tingles his tongue, and learn these 7 great tips to creating a perfect plate.

1. Respecting the season

Seasonality is one of the most crucial elements of successful dessert creation. Guests definitely look for different flavors at different times of the year. For example, while chocolate desserts may be popular year round, they're definitely in higher demand in the winter. And spring and summer scream for desserts that feature fresh berries. And, of course, seasonality only helps the next element...

2. Quality of ingredients

It's a given that ingredients, especially fresh produce, is going to be of higher quality when it's in season. Featuring fresh strawberries in a dessert in the middle of December only leads to higher costs for lower quality and, ultimately, a disappointed customer. And that's probably the highest cost of all. 

3. Using 3 to 5 different flavors

Incorporating a variety of flavors in your dessert keeps things interesting on your customers palate. But you don't want too many, otherwise it becomes a confusing jumble of flavors where no single element stands out. And remember...sometimes you want flavors that contrast, sometimes you want flavors that compliment.

4. Balancing textures : crispy - soft - creamy - temperature

Similarly, having a multiple different textures at play in your dessert gives another layer of interest. If your dessert is only cold-soft-and-creamy, with no element that brings some crunch or heft, your customer is going to lose interest quickly. Think about the perfect s'more...the gooey warm slightly melty chocolate, a gooey-crisp marshmallow, and a crunchy graham cracker. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. 

5. Design/ decoration

Everything great plate needs a finishing touch. But make sure it contributes meaningfully to the final product. 

6. Presentation

"We eat with our eyes," the old adage goes. Find new and creative ways to present your dessert - ways that bring delight, surprise, and joy to your guests. At the same time, make sure the presentation is in service of the dish, not the other way around. 

7. Taste

And of course, nothing else matters if the dessert doesn't taste good. Get feedback from your coworkers. Refine, refine, and refine again. Always seek greater clarity of flavor

Follow these 7 steps, and you're well on your way to creating a memorable dessert that will keep your guests coming back for more. 

A few things that the PG team is reading (and watching, and listening to) to stay occupied

Heritage Radio Network - The ultimate destination for savvy, entertaining, conversations about what’s going on in the culinary world.

Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People, by Linda Civitello - An illuminating account of how history shapes our diets--now in a new revised and updated Third Edition.

Frank Prisinzano's Instagram page "Making Sauce With Instagram’s Mildly Furious, Exceedingly Horny Italian Uncle" - Grub Street

From the Oven to the Table, by Diana Henry - Let the oven do the work with this easy-going collection of full-flavored dishes from Diana Henry.

Ugly Delicious - All the flavor. None of the BS. Star chef David Chang leads friends on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world's most satisfying grub.

Taking a deeper dive into the stats can only help

Landry’s Inc. chairman, CEO, and owner Tilman Fertitta preaches the concept “Know your numbers.”

But restaurateurs often wonder exactly what numbers they should know. Sure, there are the usual suspects - payroll, check average, covers, cost of goods. But to be a truly successful owner/operator in today's economy requires a deeper understanding of how and why guests come into your establishment, and what you need to do to get more of them.

Finances Online, an online B2B research platform, recently published a list of 75 restaurant statistics that can give every owner/operator greater insight into making their business thrive.

https://financesonline.com/restaurant-statistics/

With a little extra knowledge about customer attitudes and habits, you can find ways to delight your customers in ways that they may not tell you about themselves.