Cheers! Salud! Gan Bei! Sláinte! Prost! Cin Cin! Sante! Who says toasts are only for beverages? If you’re looking to raise your gelato dish rather than your glass, here are some important tips before you take on creating delicious alcohol-infused frozen desserts. The inherent challenge when using alcoholic beverages in frozen applications is that the… Read more »
To clear the air once and for all, it’s true, “you eat with your eyes.” Consumers make a subconscious decision the instant they see or smell food about how much they anticipate enjoying the taste. However, sometimes these perceptions can be misleading. More often than not, patrons are influenced by pictures on the menu and… Read more »
Imagine you are walking through the aisles of your local grocery store, and you find yourself in front of two choices of salmon: one of them is a vibrant pinkish-peach color that looks like it was just plucked out of a freshwater stream; the other carries a similar bright and juicy pink-peach color but not… Read more »
A good base is essential in the production of artisanal gelato. With it comes many advantages, such as an extended shelf-life, a consistent level of quality and a well-balanced mix that guarantees the total hygiene of the product. A base also accentuates any added flavoring and simplifies production in an efficient and systematic way. Most… Read more »
The concept of the nut can be way more broad and complicated than you imagine. We dug deep into the scientific aspect of it not only to find out more about the health benefits they bring to the human body, but also to understand the myths and curiosities about them. Dr. Michael Greger, a leading… Read more »
The frozen dessert category is growing and evolving every day with numerous additions to the category in all facets of business from grocery shelves to QSRs. Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, frozen yogurt and custard are only the cusp of what’s out there, but constitute the BIG 5 of what shops are outputting. However, consumers are… Read more »
When it comes to cocoa, the Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, summed it up right saying, “Cocoa, the food of the gods and the electuary of lovers, has captivated humanity with its exotic flavor and sensuous mouth feel. The world would be a poorer place if not for heavenly cocoa!” Chocolate has and continues to mesmerize… Read more »
As the evening rush comes to an end each night, you take inventory of the leftover pans of gelato, the blinking lights on the soft serve machines indicating which flavors are low and the dipping cabinet’s nearly empty ice cream buckets. You determine what needs to be produced and hesitate as you make the move… Read more »
Pectin is an interesting little ingredient. From simple jams and jellies, to high-end pastry and everything in between, pectin allows for fruit-based desserts and dessert components to have that perfect gel texture. The name sounds like something you would find on the periodic table – though not scientific, pastry chefs would agree that it is… Read more »
Pastries are sophisticated and elegant desserts that demand high expectations from customers. They aren’t the easiest to craft and understand, often taking years of culinary schooling to perfect. Pastries often have unpronounceable names because of their provenance, but these delicacies are big players in the food industry and thus deserve a basic understanding.With similar names… Read more »
For the specialty dessert connoisseur the difference between a top-notch creation and an average one can be miles apart. Although the ingredients, base, recipe, process and equipment play a critical role in the final result, there’s one product category in particular that’s often misunderstood and forgotten that can make all the difference – texture improvers…. Read more »
Let It Rest Letting a frozen dessert mixture rest after you’ve combined the ingredients (i.e. base, flavors, liquid, etc.) will help achieve optimal flavor. The ideal timeframe is 24 hours if possible. After you’ve let it rest, blend it for a few minutes to ensure nothing separated and then feed into the frozen dessert machine… Read more »
Weird shapes, hard shells, awkward textures and the odd scientific name gourd – all point to a classic case of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Gourds are a family of familiar fruits that no matter the season, offer some of the most delightful dishes despite their outside appearance. From pumpkin and squash to… Read more »
Paul Child once said to Julia Child, “You are the butter to my bread, you are the breath to my life.” A beautiful quote and sincere statement of love with a lot of truth to it, because bread just isn’t as wonderful unless it’s accompanied by true, creamy, melt-in-your mouth butter. Butter is a quintessential… Read more »
Going Against the Grain: Not all consumers seek healthy options Healthy and wholesome options in QSRs continue to gain momentum as calorie count postings reveal the sometimes scary numbers behind the meals offered, but there’s always the consumer who frankly doesn’t care. Yes, there are still consumers who want to indulge and enjoy the grease,… Read more »
Health-conscious consumers make up a greater share of today’s market. This raises a necessary concern among chefs and food establishment owners, as there is a constant battle of producing delicious desserts and baked goods while cutting calories and increasing nutritional value. While this task may seem daunting, there are excellent substitutions on the market that… Read more »
Some of my fondest childhood memories stem from spending hours in the kitchen with my Italian aunts and grandparents, baking sweet treats we would share on special occasions or just for dessert after Sunday dinner. At the time,there wasn’t much of a concern that the desserts we made were healthy; they just had to look… Read more »
If the culinary world had a boxing match, the headliner would be fresh ingredients versus powdered/concentrate ingredients. Trending are locally sourced, organic ingredients, which we can all appreciate, but are the alternatives really all that bad? In the culinary world, every ingredient out there serves a purpose. Today’s underdogs, the powders, concentrates and innovative ingredients… Read more »
From Mike Tyson to Ellen DeGeneres, more and more people are adopting a vegan lifestyle. The reasons are not always political or social, but are often the result of allergies or lactose intolerance. Also, consumers are taking note of studies that show a vegan/vegetarian diet can help lower cholesterol, risk of heart disease, blood pressure,… Read more »
First, what is yogurt? According to culturesforhealth.com “yogurt is the product of beneficial bacteria fermenting milk and turning it into a thickened, acidic food that will stay fresh longer than milk itself, and that contains millions of bacteria that are welcomed by the human digestive system.” Yogurt is produced using two primary forms of bacteria…. Read more »
Creams are abundant in the pastry, baking and frozen dessert world. Each variety of cream such as whipping cream, light cream and sour cream serves a very different purpose and has its own unique properties. The key is to not get them confused and understand what and when a type of cream can be used… Read more »
The immune system is an intricate and complicated system that defends the body from a wide variety of viruses, bacteria, toxins and other dangerous pathogens (“germs”). While the immune system is hard at work all day, every day, the tendency is to not pay it much attention until it fails – most commonly during the… Read more »
The word “fat” immediately conjures negative thoughts for most people. In reality, fats are an inescapable, necessary and often healthy part of a balanced diet. The key is to identify the types of fats found in our foods, and to recognize that some are far better than others from a health perspective. While the body… Read more »
A tall glass of milk with cookies, milk for your morning cereal, milk in your daily coffee … milk as we know it is getting a run for its money, as cow’s milk is moving over to make room for a wide variety of alternative “milks.” While nondairy milks initially emerged on the market largely… Read more »
Tools of the Trade – Gelato & Soft Serve 1. Plastic Buckets/Cambro® Look for buckets or containers that are a durable plastic that will not crack or break. Be sure the size is appropriate for your recipes—usually about 5 quarts for a standard gelato recipe (1 pan), and up to 12 quarts for larger soft… Read more »
While most often found scrambled, poached, boiled, deviled, coddled or fried, the egg is a staple part of our diets and is also a key component in pastries and frozen desserts. How humans identified eggs for their nutritious benefits and functions in the kitchen is somewhat of a mystery—likely a result of trial and error… Read more »
Working in a kitchen environment is fun and fast-paced; however, there are many risks in daily kitchen life. The following guidelines will help you create a safe, functional operation that protects your employees and produces safe food products for your customers. Avoid Injuries Workplace injuries cause a range of problems, including injured personnel, loss of… Read more »
To think of vanilla as a simple, basic flavor is to highly underestimate its complexities and sophistication. From the great lengths we go to in harvesting vanilla beans, to the broad range of flavor intensities and distinct properties, it is clear that true vanilla is fit for the finest of palates. To satisfy the wide… Read more »
“Take a piece of chocolate twice a day while symptoms persist.” Isn’t that what you wish you’d hear during visits to the doctor? Well, good news for those of us who have been self-medicating with chocolate all along: There are actually valid reasons to follow this advice while maintaining your healthy lifestyle. Many recent studies… Read more »
Chocolate: The word alone invokes pleasure for most of us. Its crisp, smooth texture with rich and bold flavor creates an always-satisfying experience. “Simple Magnificence: The Cacao Bean” walks us through the origins of chocolate’s fundamental ingredient – the cacao bean. The process flow diagram ( below) provides an overview of how cacao beans are… Read more »
What Is Kosher? The word “kosher” is derived from Hebrew and translates to English as meaning “proper” and “pure.” In a general sense, kosher may refer to any person, thing, food or situation that may be deemed acceptable according to certain standards. While originally used in Judaism to describe ritual texts or practices, nowadays kosher… Read more »
As diets and societal trends have evolved, so has our use of wheat flour–a principle grain and staple food item in our everyday diet. The Economic Research Service (ERS) division of the UDSA estimates that U.S. per capita consumption of wheat flour averaged 137 pounds in 2008. This number is down from 225 pounds per… Read more »
There are many alternative sweeteners available to provide consumers with the sweet taste they crave, without the calories or carbohydrates that natural sugar adds to food and beverages. Sucralose, stevia and aspartame are a select few among the long list of substitute sweeteners available in the marketplace today. With so many offerings and multiple claims,… Read more »
As we scan our local grocery stores and eateries, it seems that more and more product labels and marketing materials are boasting pro- and prebiotics. If you’re like most people, we’re left asking ourselves, “Since when did I order bacteria with my frozen yogurt?” Turns out you’re not alone, and a closer look at these… Read more »
They say that variety is the spice of life, and there certainly is a lot of variety among spices. While some such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger have become familiar household names, a few spices remain fairly elusive and unknown to the general public. Some of these often underutilized spices offer incredible flavor and an… Read more »
When it comes to gelato production, the answer to this question is not always an easy one. What are the main differences between the hot and cold processes? Is one better than the other? Can I do either in my shop, with my equipment? Will the choice between the two affect my bottom line? You’ve… Read more »
Swimming pools and sunshine are just two of the things that summer brings, as fresh fruit starts to appear at farmer’s markets and on seasonal menus across the country. As you enjoy some cool strawberry gelato, relax with warm cherry pie or bite into a juicy watermelon, it’s hard not to think about the health… Read more »
Many of the foods we know and love today are combinations of natural components that may otherwise not naturally get along with one another. For example, oil and vinegar make our favorite salad dressings; however, these two liquids want nothing to do with one another and will separate at the first given chance. In order… Read more »
Everyone needs a little sweetness in their day, and while sugar is a very basic and familiar ingredient to most of us, a lot goes into that scoop you put in your coffee each morning. Sugar is an integral component of any bakery, pastry or frozen dessert product, as its molecular structure and chemical properties… Read more »
During times like these, getting the most for your money is important, but what about getting the most for your body as well? There are many nutrients and dietary components that occur naturally in our everyday foods that provide great health benefits. Capitalizing on these benefits, more and more food companies are now offering supplements,… Read more »
