2023 KRG Recap: Top 8 F&B Articles
by David Klemt
For the second entry into our annual year-in-review article roundup we’re revealing the top eight food, beverage, and menu development articles of 2023.
From ChatGPT and advice from Chef Brian Duffy to articles from KRG Hospitality chef-consultant Nathen Dubé and mindset coach Jennifer Radkey, the articles below cover a wide range of F&B topics.
There’s even a look at Chef Duffy’s time on Food Network’s show BBQ Brawl with barbecue tips from our favorite pit master. It’s one of our favorite articles of the year, as well.
Cheers!
Can ChatGPT Write Food and Drink Menus?
After my “conversation” last month with ChatGPT about AI, I had another conversation during which I asked it to write me four menus.
Of course, I did this to prove a point. And upon reviewing the ChatGPT menus, you’ll likely reach the same conclusion.
Curious about how creative the AI-powered chatbot could be, I asked for four specific menus. As you’ll see, two are cocktail specific, one focuses on food, and one is a 20-item F&B menu for a specific event.
So, yes, ChatGPT can write food and drink menus. But there’s a caveat. I could leave you in suspense but that’s not very nice. Let’s jump in.
Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular cocktails from 2022.
Cocktail Menu
- Aperol Spritz – Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water, garnished with an orange slice
- Old Fashioned – Bourbon, sugar, bitters, and a citrus peel
- Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
- Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
- Moscow Mule – Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice
- Paloma – Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and soda water
- Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish
- Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
- French 75 – Gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup
- Mai Tai – Rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orgeat syrup
*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.
Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular spirits and alcohol types of 2022.
Cocktail Menu
- Gin and Tonic – Gin, tonic water, and a lime wedge
- Vodka Martini – Vodka, dry vermouth, and an olive garnish
- Bourbon Manhattan – Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters
- Tequila Sunrise – Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup
- Rum Runner – Rum, blackberry liqueur, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine
- Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
- Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
- Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
- Long Island Iced Tea – Vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and cola
- Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish
*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.
Click here to keep reading.
Prepare Now for Old Fashioned Week
It may be nearly two months away but it’s not too early to register your bar and team for Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week.
This year’s event, the fourth annual Old Fashioned Week, will take place from Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 22.
As was the case in 2022, the Southern Smoke Foundation will be this year’s beneficiary. In 2020 and 2021, Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week raised a combined $200,000 for the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.
Just last year, to add context, Old Fashioned Week helped make it possible for Southern Smoke to provide nearly $110,000 in relief grants to food and beverage workers.
Those interested in participating this year can register their venue for free via this link. Create an Old Fashioned LTO menu—or simply make standard Old Fashioneds with Elijah Craig bourbon—and Elijah Craig will donate $1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to $100,000).
There really couldn’t be a simpler way to deliver a fantastic, classic cocktail experience to guests while supporting a great cause.
Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest
There’s more to Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. You and your bartenders have the opportunity to participate in a cocktail contest, too.
From now until October 31, anyone who wants to throw their hat in the ring can submit their recipe for their own signature Old Fashioned.
The winner of the Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest will win $5,000. They’ll also have their winning recipe included in Elijah Craig’s 2024 cocktail recipe book.
Recipes can be submitted through this link. For contest rules and judging criteria, please click here.
To learn more about Elijah Craig and the Old Fashioned, check out episode 52 of the Bar Hacks podcast with special guest Lynn House.
Continue reading here.
Canadian Trends 2023: Technomic
Restaurant, bar, and hotel operators will find this year’s data-driven trend predictions from Technomic for 2023 insightful.
Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, some operators may be looking beyond North America for inspiration.
Per Technomic, Central and South American cuisines could influence menus in Canada this year. Other food trends that might take hold are “retro” health items, and all manner of pickled foods.
Of course, not every Canadian trend prediction involves F&B. According to Technomic, tech and the guest experience will play important roles.
To review last year’s Technomic predictions, click here. Now, let’s jump into Technomic’s 2023 predictions.
Guest Experience
Certainly, the guest experience should always be top of mind for operators, their leadership teams, and their staff.
In this instance, Technomic isn’t suggesting that the guest experience in general will be a trend. Obviously, with as important as it is to the success of any business, it’s a cornerstone.
Rather, Technomic predicts that guests will continue to feel the need to rein in their spending due to ricing costs and prices. However, the foodservice research firm also believes there’s still heavy desire for social interaction.
So, both those financial and social influences translate to the following: overdelivery.
Operators and their teams must ensure they position their brands well; make guests feel special every visit; and really dial in the guest experience. Specifically, Technomic suggests focusing on younger generations and menus with at least a couple specialty items that aren’t easy for a guest to replicate at home.
In other words, do whatever it takes to entice guests with memorable experience and quality menu items, and keep them coming back for more.
Follow this link to continue reading.
Kitchen Doctrine: The Holy Trinity
To some, the Holy Trinity refers to the Christian doctrine of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But what’s the Cajun Holy Trinity?
Well, that’s a whole different story with which some people may not be as familiar. However, it carries equal weight in certain kitchens of the world.
Lending its name from religious credo, the Cajun Holy Trinity was developed in the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. Chef Paul Prudhomme gets the credit for introducing the term in 1981, along its popularization.
Cajun or Creole cuisine evolved from French, Spanish, and West African immigrants. French traditions blended into a melting pot of West African, Spanish, and Native American cuisines. The French and the Acadians (French colonists deported from Acadia in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada) both influenced Louisiana’s cuisine. The Acadians became known as Cajuns to English speakers, and thus Cajun cooking grew out of necessity in Louisiana.
Mirepoix 101
The French contributed two staples directly to Cajun and Creole cooking: roux-based cooking and the trinity of mirepoix, or onions, celery, and carrots. In Louisiana, however, carrots didn’t grow as easily as bell peppers. So, bell peppers, typically the more bitter green version, replaced them.
Some cooks were so bold as to add garlic to the Holy Trinity, referring to it as the Pope. Other variants use garlic, parsley, or shallots in addition to the three Trinity ingredients. Unlike the elaborate French dishes using mirepoix, the Holy Trinity is more symbolic of rustic, family-style meals.
These ingredients are the first to go into the pot or skillet, creating a flavorful foundation for gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, and more. Often, by adding a bit of flour and whisking, a roux is built right on top of these sweet and colorful aromatics to form a thicker base.
The ratio is also overturned from the traditional mirepoix of two parts onion, one part celery, one part carrot, with three parts onions to two parts celery to one part bell pepper.
To learn more, click here.
Cointreau Wants to Know: Are You Making MargaRights?
Temperatures are rising and people are socializing, so Cointreau wants to make sure you and your team make Margaritas right.
In fact, they’re so serious about Margarita specs that they’re partnering with Aubrey Plaza educate the public. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Margarita, the iconic brand is launching the MargaRight campaign.
Challengers come and go but so far, the Margarita is the top cocktail in the US. This has been the case for many, many years. Of course, it’s also a popular cocktail around the world and has been number one in other countries as well.
Now that we’re a week away from the “official” start of summer, it’s paramount to make sure your Margaritas are MargaRight. For one thing, it’s the perfect summer sipper. For another, people are eager to socialize in restaurants and bars, and the Margarita is sure to join groups of friends as they hang out together.
But there’s another reason to ensure your Margs are on point: The wrath of Aubrey Plaza. More accurately, avoiding incurring Plaza’s wrath for putting MargaWrongs across your bar.
Margarita mix? Anger. No Cointreau? Fury.
To borrow a refrain from fanatics of another classic cocktail, it’s safe to say that Plaza would agree with, “No Margarita without Cointreau.”
The Original Margarita
Some, including Cointreau, support the belief that the Margarita’s creation traces back to 1948. For this origin story, Dallas socialite Margarita Sames is either the inventor of the Margarita or asked for a signature cocktail for a party she was hosting at her Acapulco home. Going further, another claim is that Tommy Hilton was a party guest and brought the recipe to Hilton properties, helping to make it famous.
Another claim is that the Margarita is simply a logical evolution of the Daisy. The mid-1800s tipple has a cocktail family named after it, and the Margarita, Sidecar, Cosmopolitan, and Daiquiri sprang forth from it.
Regardless of what origin story you choose to believe, Cointreau champions the original recipe: Cointreau, blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and a lime wheel to garnish. It’s this classic recipe that Cointreau and Plaza are adamant about for the MargaRight campaign.
Click here to keep reading.
BBQ Brawl: ‘Cue Tips from Chef Brian Duffy
Friend of the Bar Hacks podcast and KRG Hospitality Chef Brian Duffy is rocking it on season four of Food Network‘s BBQ Brawl.
And he’s dropping barbecue and cooking jewels while killing it on multiple styles of grill.
When we meet Chef Duffy on episode one of BBQ Brawl, he’s introduced as “The Renowned Restaurateur.” This makes sense given the fact that he has helped open more than 100 restaurants throughout his career.
Regarding grilling and barbecuing, Chef Duffy will use elements of whatever style he thinks will work best for a given situation. As he explains it, his barbecue “isn’t bound by the rules of any one style.”
I also want to point out that there’s what appears to be a 1950s-era Dodge Power Wagon, perhaps a Series 1 or Series 2 model, on Star Hill Farm, where this show was filmed. This isn’t relevant in any way to cooking, grilling, or barbecue. I’m just a Car and Motorcyle Guy® and I noticed the Power Wagon immediately.
Also, be sure to check out episode 33 and episode 53 of the Bar Hacks podcast to hear from the chef himself.
Alright, let’s check out some tips and tricks from Chef Duffy that he has shared on season four of BBQ Brawl. Like he said to the camera in the first moments of episode one, “Students, meet your pit master.”
Episode 1
If you want your food to be charred, you need to commit.
“You’ve gotta let it sit. Don’t move it,” says Chef Duffy. “Let that char happen.”
It’s just that simple. Patience is a cooking technique.
Dishes
Signature Tacos
- Mulita, a Mexican street taco made by dipping a tortilla in birria broth.
- Togorashi- and ancho-chili-smoked red Snapper taco with “a fun little slaw.”
Team Challenge: “California Smoke” menu (Fire delivery: Santa Maria grill)
- Cabbage, kale, Swiss chard medley with beans
- Scallops and smoked crab salad with preserved lemon gremolata and avocado (collaboration with Chef Larissa Da Costa; Chef Duffy prepared the smoked crab salad)
For much more, keep reading here.
The New Wave of Plant-based Foods
A key takeaway from the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show is this: a new wave of plant-based foods has made landfall.
In fact, given how many booths had plant-based items on offer, more waves will be crashing ashore. Plant-based items had a presence inside every building at McCormick Place in Chicago. For those who haven’t attended to show, McCormick Place has well more than two-million square feet in exhibit space.
There were, of course, the plant-based standards to which we’ve all grown accustomed. Burger patties, breakfast sausages, “chicken” nuggets, “pepperoni” pizzas… However, we now know there’s more innovation on the way.
Years ago, F&B experts declared seafood alternatives as the “holy grail” of plant-based foods. The race has been on to “crack the code” and offer seafood alternatives that look, cook, and taste like their animal counterparts.
One brand that appears to have reached their goal? New Wave Foods. And their staunchest culinary supporter? The revered and iconic Chef Brian Duffy.
Seismic but Sensible Shift
Those who are familiar with Chef Duffy know he’s unafraid to share his views on all things culinary, service, operations, and hospitality. The same people also know that he’s demanding when it comes to ingredients, distributors, and partners.
I say that to say this: Some people are shocked Chef Duffy is championing a plant-based food. However, I don’t share that reaction. Chef Duffy has never been anti-plant-based—he has been waiting for plant-based items to rise to his high standards.
During his 2023 NRA Show demo, the acclaimed and in-demand chef made shrimp-fried rice. Of course, he replaced shrimp with a plant-based alternative produced using mung bean and seaweed. That product is New Wave Foods Shrimp.
The demo proved so engaging that Chef Duffy was asked to repeat it on the final day of the show. I, for one, am not surprised—Chef Duffy is an incredible speaker and chef.
This seismic shift—not just in Chef Duffy’s embrace of plant-based foods but also throughout the industry—is sensible when you consider something said during the demo.
Boiling it down to the basics, Chef Duffy asked why operators wouldn’t want to offer high-quality plant-based items to their guests. It’s simple: Increasingly, this is what guests want. So…give it to them.
Continue reading here.
Say Hi to Your Mother Sauces for Me
A well-crafted sauce can elevate a dish, tying all the elements together, adding richness, texture, and colour to almost any recipe.
French cuisine in particular is renowned for its liberal use of flavorful sauces. Developed in the 19th century by French chef Auguste Escoffier, the five mother sauces are basic recipes that serve as the foundation for any number of secondary sauce variations. Each mother sauce is categorized primarily according to its unique base and thickener.
The five French mother sauces are: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Historically, Chef Escoffier originally designated only four mother sauces, and mayonnaise as a cold mother sauce, with Hollandaise below that.
Interestingly, when his book was translated to English, mayonnaise was forgotten or omitted; Hollandaise was listed as the fifth mother sauce.
Beginning culinary students and experienced cooks alike commit these five sauces to memory. They learn that by tweaking their basic formulas, all manner of great sauces can be crafted.
Please meet the five mother sauces below. I explain: how each is made; their basic uses; and some secondary sauces you can make from them.
1. Béchamel
Béchamel, or white sauce, is a simple milk-based sauce made from butter, flour, and milk.
You know béchamel as the white sauce that gives chicken pot pie its texture, or as the vehicle of cheesy goodness and binding agent in delicious mac ‘n’ cheese creations. The sauce can be found in everything from scalloped potatoes and lasagne to gravy iterations.
In classical cuisine, béchamel was poured over fish, eggs, or steamed chicken. While béchamel has a generally neutral taste on its own, the classic mother sauce adds a unique creamy texture that is both hearty and comforting.
My personal favorite base recipe is Joel Robuchon’s equation of one liter of milk, 60 grams of butter, and 60 grams of flour. It works perfectly every time.
To make béchamel, start by cooking butter and flour in a saucepan until it forms a substance called a roux. The roux is responsible for thickening the sauce. To remove the floury taste, cook the roux over medium heat for a few minutes.
When the roux is ready, slowly whisk in warm milk and simmer until it forms a creamy sauce. Strain the liquid after it thickens to get rid of any sediment, then add salt and pepper. (You can add other ingredients as well, such as bay leaves, nutmeg, onion, clove, or even cheese.)
With the addition of a few extra seasonings like salt, pepper, and cloves, béchamel is complete — though it may be used as a base for many other sauces.
Béchamel sauces include:
- Mornay: onion, cloves, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheese
- Alfredo: garlic with heavy cream
- Soubise: butter and caramelized onions
- Cheddar sauce (used for mac ‘n’ cheese or nacho-style sauces): whole milk and cheddar cheese
For more sauces and insights, click here.
Image: Alex Lion on Unsplash
