Zero Proof Cocktails

Low ABV or No ABV

There is growing interest in sensibly consuming alcoholic beverages or complete abstention altogether. With social trends of sober months (Sober October and Dry January) folks are looking for alternatives without sacrificing the social aspects of bars and cocktail parties…Enter zero proof cocktails, dry cocktails and mocktails.  

Not just boring sodas and juices, bartenders and mixologists have taken this trend very seriously. Flexing creatively to develop innovative beverages with delicious results. The surge of ABV-free is moving from the bar to the home with hosts expanding their selections to include more sobriety friendly alternatives. 

Trend in Action… 

Using the existing beverage trends blowing up across the country (alternative/natural and healthy sweeteners, tiki-theme cocktails and global flavors/ingredients), I developed these three creative ABV free bevies.

World Series Feature: Houston Astros Burnt End Tater Tots

Of course Houston would have kick ass BBQ! Of course Astros’ Minute Maid Park would stack the deck and top tots with BBQ! I’m happy they did. 

What is a burnt end? 

When smoking a brisket or a pork butt certain outer regions take on a bit more char than others. These end pieces tend to be a little on the fattier side, so while they’re beautifully charred on the outside the inside still remains juicy and tender. And, just by chance, these tender vittles usually end up getting trimmed when the pit masters gets to slicing or pulling. When saved they become an entirely different BBQ treat~and a great deployment on MMP’s part as a nacho-esk tot topper. 

Half the time Hacks… This recipes is loaded with semi-homemade hacks. Stop by you local BBQ joint to pick up burnt ends, especially if you’re not planning on smoking (and taking a day to smoke). 

Frozen tater tots are the bomb. I sometimes forgo the traditional baking instructions (when they say ‘no need to spray or oil’) and drizzle a bit of reserved bacon grease over the pan before baking. Go big or go home. 

BBQ sauce. Sure, make your own or use a recipe you love. I used a store bought sauce for this recipe and I’m not mad at it (nor feel like I’m slighting my cheffy abilities).

Burnt End Tater Tots 

serves 4

Ingredients

Queso Cheese Sauce: 

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons all purpose flour 

1 1/4 cup whole milk 

1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated 

1/2 cup white american cheese, grated 

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional) 

1 package frozen tater tots, cooked following package’s instructions

1lb. bbq brisket burnt ends (your local bbq joint will have em), reheated

1/2 cup bbq sauce (your favorite store bought sauce)

2 kosher dill pickles, sliced or 3/4 cup dill pickle chips 

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced 

Instructions 

1. In a medium pot melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and lightly cook for 1-2 minutes, just to remove from of the ‘flour’ flavor.

2. Whisk in whole milk and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Once the milk is simmering (NOT boiling) and thickened slightly, begin adding in the cheese in 1/2 cup intervals.

3. Continue to whisk until the sauce has thickened and cheese has completely melted (about 3 minutes) remove from the heat and season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Set aside and keep warm.

4. To assemble, evenly distribute tater tots to bowls and top with burnt ends. Drizzle with cheese sauce and bbq sauce. Finish with dill pickle slices and scallions before serving.

World Series Feature: Nat's Stadium Steak & Gravy Fries Sandwich

This recipe is not for the faint of calories. The most tasty of ballpark grub usually comes with a hefty box-seat-sized caloric value. Just balance this beast with a smoothie later…

Medium Rare is a steakhouse with postings throughout the DC metro area. If there’s one thing that steakhouses love more than steak…it’s butter. And on my last visit to the Nat’s stadium (albeit for a Phillies matchup) this humdinger was a messy meaty butter bomb. The gravy, rich and silky. The roll, butta-toast. The thinly sliced seared steak, butta-basted. Hell, the fries might even have been drizzled in a bit o’ butter.

Steakhouses have this ability to deploy butter without making their offerings come across as greasy. It’s magic and this sandwich is a magicians hat trick. Best eaten during the 7th inning stretch and with loads of napkins.

Steak and Gravy Fries Sandwich 

serves 2 

Ingredients

Steakhouse Gravy:

2 tablespoons butter, cubed 

1 teaspoon garlic, peeled and minced 

1/4 cup yellow onion, peeled and minced 

1/3 cup red wine 

1/4 cup dijon mustard 

1 cup beef broth 

1 tablespoon cornstarch, diluted in 2 tablespoons water 

salt and pepper to taste 

2 tablespoons peanut oil, avocado or another high smoke point oil

10oz. strip steak, the thicker the better  

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter 

sprig of rosemary 

sprig of thyme 

1 tablespoon butter 

2 6inch crusty long rolls, split 

1/2 bag frozen french fries, cooked following packages instructions 

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onions and sauté for just 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and slightly translucent.

2. Deglaze pan with wine, whisk and simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until wine has reduced by half.

3. Whisk in dijon and beef broth and simmer for an addition 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and thicken sauce with your cornstarch slurry, whisking frequently. Once spoon coating thick, season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Liberally season steak with salt and pepper and once the oil is pipping hot carefully add in your steak.

5. Sear steak on both sides for 3 minutes (for medium rare). Remove the pan from the heat and add in the butter and herbs.

6. Spoon butter over the steak, glazing, only for a minute or so. Remove the steak from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

7. Return the pan to the heat and add in additional butter. Once melted, place rolls in the pan, split side down to toast. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

8. To assemble the sandwiches top toasted rolls with sliced steak and fries. Spoon or drizzle gravy, generously, over each.

Weekend Review: Getting Healthy

It is estimated that 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. Partner that with a yearly average spend of about $33 billion on weight loss products...I think we can safely say that healthy eating is a top priority for many of our customers.

I spent the better part of last week (and most of this week) buried in Keto recipes. This is one of many projects that I've taken on that appeals to the diet trends. Be it Low Carb, Whole30, Paleo or Keto...the health seekers are actively searching for creative ways to incorporate these trends into their daily meals.

It's not easy...dieting

I am sure many of you have started and promptly quit a diet. It is not easy. Those that are in it for the long haul or those looking for a more stable start, turn to the web for inspiration and motivation.

Showing customers that you or your products can be included, creatively, into their diet preference builds trust. It also attracts more diet seekers to your site and product through SEO.

But...we're not a health food 'thing'.

Shouldn't matter. I'm not on a diet but I do provide and create content that is. It's not all that I do, but I gladly explore and develop. Diversify, my good food friends.

Diet content will not automatically put you into a 'health food' category. Adding some creative pieces to your existing arsenal of content will only engage more people. Or, better yet, retain customers that are exploring diet trends- seeing that you have options that support their new food focus.

Diet-curious Content: The trends on the trend

What's attractive, buzzy or sticky to those looking for dieting inspiration?

• A taste of the familiar. Having to modify your eating habits sooo drastically is not good for early diet adopters. Giving them recipes or cooking tips that fit into the diet, while mimicking everyday grub (or even guilty pleasures), is a big bonus. Think keto friendly waffles or low-carb pizza.

• Easy Peasy. The time crunch issue, when meal planning and prepping, has not changed. Customers still need options that can be prepared quickly, easily... all while still tasting good. Think 30 minute meals, shakes and smoothies.

• Balancing Breakfast. Breakfast can be a pain point for dieting customers. Many of the quick and easy 'out the door' options (oatmeal, granola bars, cereal) are on the 'do not consume' list. Getting creative without taking up valuable morning minutes is golden.Think about 'make the night before' options-things that just need to be reheated or can be eaten asap.

If you're looking for some assistance with developing healthy, diet trending, catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.

Culinary Content Weekend Review

Playing with food is my favorite and today we'll look back on all the creations that came out of the lab last week!

Up first...Pappardelle with Summer Greens and Artichoke Walnut Tomato Sauce.

Pasta dishes, recipes and images are always a hit with the hungry public. Evergreen as can be, Utilizing seasonal ingredients and interchanging trends keeps this content fresh and engaging.

Second... Cantaloupe, Basil and Prosciutto Salad.

Easy, simple and delicious is a staple trend in our fast paced world. Keeping content approachable (under 10 ingredients and under 30 minutes for prepping and cooking) builds confidence with your audience...The 'I can make this!' approach to customer engagement.

Third....Crafting your own Cheese and Charcuterie Platter.

A little education goes a looooooong way with building customer trust. And How-to's are a great way to tell a story, educate and promote your product. Picking engaging, trending topics (like this one for creating a cheese and charcuterie platter) to 'how-to' drives more people to your site and your products.

Fourth... Garden Gimlet

Say you have a great product, but it is really only seen to have a singular use. Like one of the ingredients for this recipe, bloody mary mix. Get creative. Show that these cornered ingredients don't just have to be regelated to their original/stereotyped use. And sometimes, it can be as simple as switching up a couple of ingredients to showoff the possibilities ...In this case, gin for vodka, adding in fresh lime juice and garnishing with a garden/pickle blend of veggies.

Fifth...Habanero Marinated Fish Tacos

There are few things as tried and true as a great taco. Reel 'em in with fabulous content around evergreen popular food categories. This recipe is a great example of applying the first 4 listed methods of engagement into one tasty bit of content: trending topic, simple/easy, how-to's and creative ingredient use.

Lastly...Creamy Blueberry Popsicles

What's the weather like in your target demo? Hot as an oven? Pouring down rain? Freezing cold and snowing? Customers search for weather appropriate food topics all the time. Keeping tabs on the weather and having a little stockpile of weather related content puts your brand at the tippy top of the search.

If you're looking for some assistance with developing catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.

Frozen Treat Trends…What’s HOT in Cold

With all these idiots out there licking grocery store containers of ice cream, let us not reflect on their stupidity but on, rather, the frozen treat trends being licked. 

The coolest ice cream concepts are coming from the hottest places…

And as I type that, I think that sounds like an absolute no-brainer. Not ice cream licking level duh, but kind of obvious. 

What I MEANT to imply is that these toasty regions are really pushing the creative frozen treat envelope.

Kulfi, Falooda

&

Mumbai Ice Cream Sandwiches

Kulfi is a frozen treat speciality hailing from the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. This dessert is ice cream blown up x10-think custard vs. traditional ice cream. Super dense, super creamy and flavored in all the manner of regional flavors; rose, mango, cardamom, saffron, pistachio, date…delicious. 

Falooda is this ice cream sundae meets milkshake mash-up …with a twist. Get this…the FILLINGS(!)…rose syrup (traditional falooda is pinkish), sweetened vermicelli (like a noodly rice pudding), sweet basil seeds, milk and an ice cream topper. Think of the digital head turning that’ll happen if you put this beaut on your insta/blog? 

Mumbai Ice Cream Sandwiches… K Rustom is an ice cream sandwich shop operating in a tiny space, near the Mumbai waterfront, with just a couple of chest freezers and scores of hungry customers (loyalists since 1953). What makes this spot so trend worthy is the style and flavors of their sandwiches. Over 50 flavors of handmade ice cream is smushed in between 2 wafer cookies…This wafer cookie substitution, I feel, is a better ‘sandwich’ vessel than the typical cookie cookie. It adds a lovely crunch without competing with the flavor of the ice cream. And the FLAVORS…rose ripple, green mango, ginger lemon, saffron, pistachio, saffron + pistachio…marvelous! 

Patbingsu,

Halo Halo and Baobing

Patbingsu, the next big thing, this monster frozen treat trend is coming out of South Korea. And like the other two headliners, fall into the ‘shaved ice’ category.  Patbingsu can range from casual to ultra fancy with a regular rotation of toppings. The traditional Patbingsu calls upon ingredients like sweetened red beans, chopped fruit, sweetened condensed milk and fruit syrup all topped on pillowy snowy shaved ice. 

Halo Halo is a personal fav trend to watch coming out of the Philippines. Halo Halo translates to ‘mix mix’ in this stunning scrumptious carnival in parfait form. Shaved ice is mixed, layered and topped with boiled sweet beans, gelatin, tapioca, rice pudding, ube (purple yams), condensed milk, cereals (some US chefs are adding in things like Cap’n Crunch) all topped with ice cream. 

Baobing is having some star-chef powered culinary crossover at the moment. Chef Stephanie Izard, from the famed Chicago restaurant group behind the notable Girl and the Goat, opened up a baobing spot just recently. 

This dessert is not necessarily a ‘new’ thing for it’s creators (coming from China and Taiwan)-historically, potentially, being one of the oldest frozen treat recipes on the planet. Ice shavings  are mounded into a massive heap before being topped with condensed milk, adzuki beans, mung beans and tapioca balls. A rotation of seasonal fruit is a popular addition for an all-year-round sweet treat. 

If you're looking for some assistance with your frozen treat recipe development or developing catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.

Scarfing on Summer Salads

Checking out the summer salad trends…

Cooling, easy, healthy and flavorful…all the things you want when the temperature spikes and the produce market is overflowing. We’ll discuss the buzziest, trendiest and SE…OMG (iest) food on the planet… to discover what’s new in salads.

The Green Stuff

Stretching this category a wee bit…teehee

In the weeds…

This two-for category is going to cover the backyard variety and the back alley variety.

Since ganja, maryjane, pot, more marijuana lingo, etc… has hit mainstream consumership as a beneficial health remedy the culinary crossover is unsurprising. CBD is a hot topic in cooking and is finding a salady home via infused oils (olive, grapeseed, coconut and avocado oils, just to name a few). CBD extract is not known for its fab flavor, so creative masking techniques (a la creative vinaigrette recipes) are piquing interest in the community that supports and uses. There is also a BIG online component to this as well…very trendy with social and search.

The backyard bitters (aka. weeds) are getting some love this season. The foraging trend has ebbed into this really great sustainability/eco-friendly piece. The rise in the reduction of agro chemicals (pesticides, weed killers, etc…) has naturally given rise to a weed epidemic. Lucky for us, so many of these weeds are actually quite tasty and chefs are taking advantage (plus, bonus points, for helping out the farmers with their weed problem). Creative culinary recipe development is popping up (weed pun) using dandelion, sorrel, purslane, plantain (not the nanner) and lamb quarters.

Strange and Unusual

Salads are getting a bit…weird

Weird but tasty…

The culinary trends that have dominated the savory/hot food categories are tossing up in the salad bowl. And, for salads, that’s kinda different.

Smoked lettuces, vegetables and fruits are dominating the popular flavor profile spectrum creating a rich and robust diversity to salads. Think smoked citrus vinaigrettes, smoked berries as toppers, smoky avocados as fillers and smoked root veggies as meaty alternatives.

Funky, fermented and sour are also strong flavor contenders in the salad category. The good-gut ferments like kimchi, kombucha , kefir, miso and raw cheeses are just the tip of the funky iceberg (lettuce-ha ha ha, dad jokes a plenty today).

The meatless meat fun is branching into the salad realm as well. The monstrous popularity of the Impossible Burger, that spanned a number of spinoffs (the Archie Bunker of food stuffs), is making moves on salads. Creative types are thinking outside of the taco salad box too- think meatless kofta topped mediterranean salads or meaty yet meatless antipasta courses.

Exploring Far off Flavors…

without leaving your kitchen

Passports not needed…

I love love love that the Asian greens are popping in popularity with salads. These far-east flavorful greens are some of my personal favorites for culinary development, hot or cold. Here are some of the trending lettuces, sprouts and cabbages to get your hands on; Tatsoi, all the Choys (bok, gai, sum and yau), water spinach, Chinese celery, gai lan and mizuna. Trend on the rise!

Follow the Spice Trade Route for inspiring salad flavors. From Northern Africa, Middle East, Asia and Mediterranean Europe, these are the grand slam trends in salads. Fragrant cardamom, ginger, coriander, sumac, turmeric, cumin, tamarind and exotic peppers (think Szechuan peppercorns) are spicing up every where from vinaigrettes to pickled vegetables. Look for the country specific spice blends like; Berbere (Africa), Baharat (Middle East) or Chaat Masala (India).

If you're looking for some assistance with your summer salad recipe development or developing catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.

How to Tell a Food Story

Every food has it’s origin story.

Was it Nonna’s cookie recipe that inspired you to start a cookie company?

Is it your family’s farm that started you selling pickles and jams online?

Were you always fascinated by the corner store butcher that made you want to create your own charcuterie?

Any external factor or internal passion can be ‘that thing’ that propels us into our given food field. And people want to hear about it…

Heck, take me for instance, I fell in LOVE with recipes as a kid. My family cooked, not really COOKED cooked, but made really tasty things and I was always inserting myself into someone’s kitchen.

No one in my family worked in restaurants, no one went to culinary school or even talked about the term culinary arts. But I was still propelled to discover it.

I remember the exact day that I knew I wanted to become a chef. I was standing outside of my high school with all the other freshmen and sophomores, waiting for the bus, when an upperclassman friend approached my huddled group.

He was wearing…a chef’s UNIFORM!!!

Now, at this point , I knew OF chefs- they were on TV… Julia, Galloping Gourmet, Yan. I had never made the connection before, that, there could be chefs among us. And here was Nick, 16 (of course not a real chef, yet), wearing the tall toque, white coat, checkered pants and shiny black shoes!

He had enrolled in the Culinary program at the vocational school, attached to the high school, and was showing off his new uniform.

Light bulb moment …………..I COULD BE A CHEF??!!! I could play with food and recipes for A LIVING?!

I enrolled in the program the following semester and the rest, as they say, is history.

That little 300+ word blurb I just provided is a perfect example of an origin story. A way for you to get to know me. A way for you to feel a little connection with me.

This connectivity, that ‘getting to know you’ feeling, is crave worthy for our customers.

It is sound marketing practice. Connectivity leads to trust and trust leads to community (more customers). Simple.

Ways to achieve connectivity through food story telling….

1.) Your food story should be nice and a little funny

Nice, as in kind, happy and up-lifting.

Your food (story) should not make people cry, that kinda thing works for shows like ‘This is Us’ not food. Find the good in the story and begin with that. Lead with nice.

Grandma Nonna Jean’s cookies were the highlight of the holidays! Every year the grandkids would jockey for position by the oven door to be the first kid to nab the prized peanut butter chocolate chip double fudge wonders. It’s a wonder that any of us still have fingerprints. Juggling was my cookie cool down method but Joe (brother and business partner) would immediately stuff his cookie into his mouth, I’m surprised THAT man has any feeling left in his face (it explains A LOT).

2.) Your food story needs characters

Name your starring characters. The customer connection lives with the people behind the food, not just the food itself.

Bobby ‘The Beef’ Wickowsky owned, operated and manned the counter at Beef’s Butcher, our family’s neighborhood butcher shop in Meattown, Tennessee. Mr. ‘The Beef' Wickowsky’s claim to fame was his smoky kielbasa……

As a little weeny, Kicking Kielbasa owner Jack Knife was given his first job mopping floors at Beef’s Butcher…

3.) Your food story must paint your food in a delicious light

As much emphasis as you put into the characters of your food story, the same courtesy should be given to the food.

There is nothing like vine ripened tomatoes picked fresh, grown bright red and juicy in the warm SoCal sun. The recipe behind our Tomato Basil Jam is as heirloom as the tomatoes on our farm. Each small batch is slow simmered with garlic, basil and olive oil before adding just a touch of local honey to draw out the natural sweetness…

4.) Your food story needs to have a home (and be shared)

It’s one thing to put in the effort of writing down your food story, it’s another thing for customers to be able to find it. These are the tricks I like to employ to help spread the story and get the message out there.

• ‘About Us’ Page: A perfect platform and location for your food story (and an easy way to backlink to your site).

• Product Descriptions: Multiple products have multiple stories, adding a little blurb in the product description section, that is unique and engaging, is a great way to increase the frequency of customers putting that item in their checkout basket.

• Email Campaigns: This goes hand in hand with the About Us page, food stories are email gold and a great way to reengage customers or create new.

• Blog or Social Posts: Food stories show the care and passion behind the product and that resonates big time with your social audience and blog subscribers.

• Thank you notes: You should always thank your customers. I like adding in a little ‘did you know’ piece in that popup thank you message or emailed receipt. A great way to keep customers engaged and encourage future visits.

If you're looking for some assistance with your food story or developing catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.