Devour this book!

"Eat Like There's No Tomorrow," my personal mantra, is the title of a new cookbook by Georgia boy Hans Rueffert. What a joy and surprise this read held for me. As a chef, food-a-holic and cookbook gourmand, I could not put it down. Of the stacks, boxes, racks, shelves and crates of cookbooks I currently own, I can't remember any that I have read cover to cover in one sitting; I generally look at some photos and then to the dusty shelf it goes.

Yet, "Eat … " kept me focused on its prose, like when I frantically devour a bucket of spicy boiled peanuts; one page of this book flowed to the next. Each incredible photo and numerous recipes never broke my stride; stories of Georgia, Hans' bout with cancer, family photos of Germany and Norway, stories of hunting wild products and picking fruits, all bound by a feeling. The words resonated with me -- the emotion and passion he holds with food a familiar cloak.

Given to me by my friend Sarah from Out of the Blue, a cooking/gourmet store in Blue Ridge, Ga., the book lived up to her promise. Strictly speaking, the book focuses on Georgia products; there are simple recipes, numerous photos and short, engaging blurbs of everything from going organic to gathering fresh local ingredients, along with some technique and creativity, but that is where the similarity ends with most cookbooks.

The photography, by Hans and his wife Amy, is truly incredible. Pictures of food, plated recipes, family and landscapes are broken by numerous pictures of a chicken or turtle or spider or some other living thing intrinsic to food and the earth. The recipes, "suggestions" as Hans sees them, no matter how pretty or detailed, never seem complicated. "Eat … " speaks to the novice and professional alike, with insights of taste, vision, style and life. It is a book you won't find publicized in your monthly publishing house mailers, but it's one that you should definitely track down for your stores.

After reading this and then looking at the pictures, I was inspired. Never encyclopedic or condescending, "Eat … " made my mouth water though I felt satiated. After all my years in kitchens around the world, gathering truffles, digging cattails and searching for the perfect fresh goat cheese or salumi, I should have been envious, but in the end, all I could do was smile. Thanks, Sarah, for turning me on to this book and to Hans for the inspiration.

"Eat Like There's No Tomorrow" by Hans Rueffert, published by Luna 7, 1st edition 2009. Call Sarah at 877-211-6716 for more information.

A Chef's Choice

Chef's Choice, a leader in the small appliance marketplace, with tea kettles, slicers, sharpeners and waffle irons, has two products that have changed my ideas of manual and electric sharpeners. First, the PRONTO Manual Diamond Hone, a small, hand-held, draw style sharpener, which, as a chef, I am normally not a fan, but this light, non skid body with a long ergonomic handle, is a pleasure to use.

 

The dual port, diamond discs quickly and easily sharpen/hone all blade styles, including serrated. A top attribute of this manual, is the lack of “bone chilling screech,” normally associated with manual, wheeled sharpeners. It’s a great, economical addition to any tool box or kitchen drawer for quick sharpening tasks.

As a chef/restaurateur, I’m also drawn to the electric Chef’s Choice 1520; a most versatile sharpener that can restore and recreate both, a 20 degree edge for European and American style knives and a 15 degree edge for Asian style knives.

The 1520 is a small countertop sharpener with 100% diamond abrasives, precision angle guides, and  multi-stages that include  stropping discs for a sharp and polished edge. It applies the prefect angle and pressure to insure a clean sharp blade, without distempering the steel. The powerful motor, carrying a 3 year warranty, can easily transform old or new dull blades into a microscopically flawless polished edge. The design of the sharpener, produces a much stronger, 15-20 degree angled, concave edge than the old- fashion, but highly utilized, brittle, “hollow” ground taper.

 Once again, this sharpener is up to the rigors of regular sharpening and maintenance of a bevy of knives and blade styles, for the homeowner that loves to cook and a favorite of chefs.

Something…since it is a home use sharpener vs. commercial kitchen.

Bite of Brazil

Brazil is the home of Carnaval, Traffic and, of course, Fispal Technologia & Fispal Food. This Expo,  now counting  its 25th anniversary, is the premier event of its type for South America. More than 2100 exhibitors and 60,000 attendees invade Anhembi Exhibition Hall in São Paulo.

A Rube Goldberg  wonderland, the space has gadgets and machinery around every corner. Robotic arms, vaccuum movers, preform bottle machines, all moving in a controlled race. Like those in the mind of a child,  these shiny, stainless, crazy contraptions can foil wrap pebble sized mints or fragile potato chips. Another machine with tubes and blowers transforms coarse corn meal into puffed corn nuggets, instantly. The clicking and clacking of the of these inventions playing  a mesmerizing tune. Hundreds of bottles are filled, capped, boxed and wrapped in a moment, while rolls of “ flex” are printed and stamped. Innovation and automation seems to be “de Riguer”, if it needs to  be boxed, wrapped, bottled, stamped or contained, you,ll find it at Fispal Technologia.

Not only is metal, plastic, corrogate other materials on display, support of machinery, marketing strategy seminars, advertisers, innovation workshops and discussion of “environmental awareness” was on parade. Here, they seem to be taking a very pragmatic approach to recycling and what it really means. “Being Green not Greenwashing”, as stated by Tim Corvin of Webb Scarlet de Vlam. To look at the big picture of operations, from start to finish, being economical, efficient and honest, while truly working towards sustainability. This type of educational program góes far beyond the Standard marketing “tips” garnered from most trade programs.

The Fispal Food event smaller in scale, but well attended. Chillers, ranges, pasta machines and fryers with coffee machines leading the pack. This show seemed more typical, with samples of ice cream, beer, frozen fish and candies. There were also many pizza ingredients, being that there are na average of 1,000,000 pizzas sold daily in São Paulo, population 16,000,000. They love there pizza and cheese. The flow was enhanced with many “action” events; the national pizza cook-off, Young chefs competition, the barristas competition and numerous choclate and pastry demos.

In this nation of great seafood, advanced aqua culture and incredible fruit, I would have liked to see more “fresh” exhibits.

The smooth operations, setup and organization of the Expo’s falls on Marco Antonio Mastrandonakis; a fortyish Brasilian, with an infectious laugh and casual style. Marco is the CEO of BTS, Brazilian Trade Shows, and with the help of his knowledgable staff, runs the shows and 5 large trade publications.

Though Marco and his crew seem to have their hands full, planning for the addition of two more shows to Fispal, I challenege them to take on the world, and bring all the great ingredients of Brazil out of South America. And show us all that Brazil is more than Carnaval and coffee. 

Instant Rewards

The clerk refused to give the lady in front of me the deal that she saw the previous customer get because she didn't have the flyer... I witnessed this last night at a store in Florida. One could feel her embarrassment and frustration, after all, she said was a regular customer.

Do you give customers who missed a coupon or special deal the discount anyway? If you do, you build goodwill with regulars while creating customers for life with newcomers. People watch how things are handled at every interaction in a store and it affects their shopping experience and decision to return again.

My next stop was at Borders where I bought a travel guide to Toronto and the clerk asked if I got their e-mails.  I do, but didn’t tell her I hadn’t looked at the most recent ones.  She said that a online coupon for 20% off summer travel guides was in the last e-mail and they would give me the discount as a courtesy.  Wow- what a great feeling I had.  My status as a regular customer was rewarded instantly.

Often customers who forget coupons or don't ask for specials are left out of the loop when we think of marketing...  we constantly look for ways to get new business– and I have clients whose only motivation for putting a deal in an offer is to see if the media they are using is working!  

I say, if you are running a special why not be willing to give everyone the deal even if they don't know about the promotion. What if a regular customer forgot the coupon?  And if someone doesn't know, think of the Borders example above... BTW- a pleasant side effect of my experience is that I'll now look at their e-mails a little more closely!

Ron Jakubisin

Jakubisin.com

Diet Trends

Having steeped myself in nineteenth century English literature for the past several months (hey, everyone needs a hobby), I can't help but notice how much our ideas about food have changed over the years, especially as it relates to our overall health. For example, in Victorian England, to be fat, or at least have a big protruding belly was a sign of prosperity in men, whereas today, the richest people spend loads of time and money trying to be as thin as they possibly can be. Reading the works of Charles Dickens and other early 19th century authors, one wonders if anyone ate vegetables at all. In fact, it seems the only people in those books who eat vegetables are those forced to do so by poverty, eking out turnips and potatoes from meager gardens where it costs them nothing. The wealthier characters hardly seem to ever eat anything besides meat, fish, poultry, bread, and a variety of puddings, sweet and savory. No wonder the well-to-do tended toward the portly. The same is true for beverages. In early nineteenth century England, beer, cider, fortified wine and distilled spirits were all safer to drink than water, even for the children. In Great Expectations, young Pip, who doesn't seem to be fed anything at home other than bread and butter, is served "some bread and meat and a little mug of beer" when he first visits Miss Havisham. Of course, in those days beer was brewed at varying strengths, with the lowest alcohol versions given to children. Even at that it would be unthinkable today to ply a child with spirits any stronger than apple juice. 

A healthy diet in Victorian days consisted of meat, meat and more meat, albeit it with plenty of fresh air and good brew. The physical hardships of the day and the necessary exertions of traveling between towns is probably all that kept people from keeling over from their diet. And yet, all of the dietary ideals of the day were believed in as much as we place our trust today in antioxidants, vitamins, and low-fat meals. The goji berries, tofu, and soy-everything of today may be read about with amusement in future, with people shaking their heads and saying, how did they stay alive back then! Of course, we naturally know more today that our ancestors, just as they knew more than those who came before them. All we can hope is that we're on the right track nutritionally speaking and that our traditions won't inspire too much snickering 100 years from now. Come to think of it, our diets will very likely be the least of what futue generations will laugh at us for, what with so much fodder supplied by our politicians.  

Getting Started in Retail

 

I'm always fascinated to learn how people get into the housewares and specialty food business. I was talking to Larry Oates, owner of KitchenArt, a kitchenware store in West Lafayette, Indiana, about he got started in the business. It's a great story, and one we'll be writing about in the July/August issue of The Gourmet Retailer. Larry, who opened his store in 1994, is an incredibly insightful independent retailer, so I asked him if he had any advice for retailers just getting started in the business. "Advertise," he said definitively. "You gotta let people know that you're here."

 

He recommends targeted advertising, with frequency. "You have to touch people seven to eight times before they act on it and come into your store. Running an ad in the local paper once a week is not good enough," he asserts. Larry, who sees cable TV as the radio of this century, says he "lives on the food channel" with advertising. It allows him to reach his target audience of people who enjoy cooking, so much so that they'll sit down to watch entire programs devoted to the subject.

And once you get a customer, says Larry, you've got to keep them with regular communication. His content-rich newsletter, which goes out to his customers twice a month, has received many accolades from savvy shoppers looking for trusted tips and information about cooking. The other thing that is extremely important, notes Larry, "is to brand your store." Lock in a terrific logo and your look now and then stick with it.

Do you have retailing advice that you would like to share? We'd love to hear it! Post to the blog now.

Mom's Home Cooking

Today is my mother's 84th birthday. She lives by herself in Lincoln, Nebraska, is very active both in terms of activities and exercise, still travels, and has a younger boyfriend (he's only in his late 70s), all of which I hope bodes well for my siblings and me. Nevertheless, since I called her this morning I've been musing about life with Mom and how its sometimes hard to remember how old she is when I talk to her on the phone. I grew up in a typical (I think) Midwestern family - Mom, Dad, 3 kids and a dog - at a time when we all played in the neighborhood without the fear of being abducted (it happened but it was rare). We were also pretty typical of the time in the way we ate. In many ways, my upbringing informed much of the way I still think about food today. It's not that we were a bunch of foodies, cooking at my mother's knee and learning all the Old World secrets like I read in so many food bios and cookbooks. Rather, it was a more basic experience, that of sitting down as a family for dinner every night. In our house, dinnertime was almost a sacred event, not to be missed unless you had a really good excuse.

The food we ate in our house was good but certainly not what most people would think of as "gourmet" but solid, good tasting food nonetheless. Often, because for many years both of my of my parents worked (for awhile Mom worked the evening shift and Dad worked days), we would have stews and such out of a crock pot or my Dad would make dinner. We had pot roast on Sundays, had big dinners at holidays, often with friends and family over, and we relished the bounty of summer produce from our garden and the gardens of friends whose tomatoes and squash would be so prolific that we often found bags of vegetables on our steps in July and August. Dad would make candy at Christmas time - fudge, divinity and almond bark were his specialties, and Mom baked pies and cakes. In fact, we almost never had store-bought snacks in the house - chips, soda, cookies, etc. If we wanted sweet snacks, and Mom hadn't baked anything, we would have to make it ourselves. For this reason I could make a decent pie crust and excellent cakes when I was quite young, gleaned from our "Betty Crocker for Kids" cookbook.

Later in my life, after becoming a step-father and subsequently a grandfather, my wife and I have maintained the tradition of family dinners, although empty-nesters now dinnertime is likely just the two of us and often our grandson. I rarely make pot roast and I don't bake much these days except at Thanksgiving, the dinner table tradition is the thing that is the most important to me and perhaps the lack of it in so many modern households is why there are so many problems in the world. Over dinner with my family as a boy we all talked about our day, told stories, listened to Dad tell amusing things that happened at work and generally communed with one another. That kind of bonding and dinner conversation, I believe, is not conducive to going out and becoming a criminal. Dad is gone now but whenever I see my mother, which is several times a year, we always sit down for dinners and we talk. Thanks Mom and happy birthday.