At Your Service

Experimenting with Molecular Gastronomy

We were recently asked to expand our culinary horizons at Westfield. We were approached by an event customer to try and come up with innovative new culinary offerings, such as the Molecular Gastronomy trend. We were extremely fortunate to have Sous Chef Dan Johnson on our team. He had some experience with this culinary technique and was able to pull off some wonderful items for the event. I have asked him to share his experience in a guest author piece. - Chad Caplinger

Every Chef has had the same experience over and over again: “I have the BEST recipe for….” or, “Oh, you’re a Chef? I love the Food Network! Do you ever watch…(insert overrated TV show here)?”

With the proliferation of cooking shows and trends constantly flooding the television, everyone considers themselves a “foodie”. This of course poses a challenge for us in the industry. As Chefs and owners, how do we keep up with the times? How can we continue to impress our customers when we have to compete with not only our local competitors, but also with restaurants around the country? In an effort to satisfy a customer’s request, I believe I found the answer in one word: Innovation

I was approached with a request which I believe stretches to the edge of the culinary industry. A customer had recently visited moto restaurant in Chicago. This restaurant is known for its practice of molecular gastronomy. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the science of cooking. Originally it was the research of the chemical reactions that occur while cooking food. As researched continued, cooks began to realize that they could manipulate food to fit their artistic needs, as well as to take food to levels never thought to be possible. And moto has embraced this trend, turning their establishment into more of a laboratory than a kitchen and dining room. Their main focus is to “trick” a person into eating something that doesn’t resemble food at all, from edible menus to sushi rolls made to look like a burning cigar. The customer enjoyed the experience so much, that he wanted his guests of the event we were planning (all 150 of them) to have a similar experience.

Innovation was the theme as I approached this task. While I had done some experimenting with molecular gastronomy before, I was still nervous as to whether or not I could deliver.  Something like this had never been done before here at Westfield. We didn’t have the equipment, no history or benchmarking to start with, and no idea what would work for a catering scale of 150+ guests. We did have the courses though: Salad and Dessert. So I started with a basic dessert. I aimed to please those that would be looking for something normal comparatively. I settled on a Deconstructed Strawberry Pound Cake. A square of pound cake, on one side a mound of whipped cream, on the other a macerated slice of strawberry topped with a strawberry foam (Can be made with a whipped cream charger). 

Now it was time for that innovation to come into play. I knew that I wanted to incorporate spherification into this project. This uses two different chemicals to encapsulate a liquid into a sphere. I used two sizes; a small sphere to make chocolate, caramel, and cherry juice “caviar” for the dessert, and a 1 ounce size to turn balsamic dressing into an “egg” for the salad course. The final result was a salad resembling a birds nest, using a hollowed red pepper as the vessel, mixed greens and shredded Phyllo dough as a crouton component. On top the dressing was placed, and the sphere allowed the guest to break the “egg” over the nest, thus dressing their own salad. For dessert I made what I call Sunday Shooters. I layered the previously mentioned “caviar” into a 2-ounce shooter glass, topped with whipped cream. The guest would pour this over a bowl of ice cream. But we can’t just have plan old ice cream, can we? It was time for some liquid nitrogen. 

Liquid nitrogen is surprisingly easy to get. The hardest part is buying it in small quantities. But what I found is that after experimenting with different recipes, and then the actual event, I used almost all 180 liters that I had purchased. You can get liquid nitrogen at most welding gas supply stores. Since it is a liquid at -230˚F, I used it to make instant freeze dried ice cream. I also had what I call “Reverse Fondue”. The guest dipped fresh strawberries and pineapple into melted chocolate ice cream, then into liquid nitrogen for about 5 seconds. The result was and ice cream crust around the fruit, and in essence a cold version of a regular chocolate fondue.

We cannot avoid the constant changing in foodservice trends, and we will always be fighting to continue to please our customers, and provide the unique experience they are looking for. I hope that this article has provided insight into an aspect of the culinary world you thought was out of your reach.With a little innovation and an openness to new ideas, we as culinary professionals can be sure to keep our customers intrigued, and ultimately coming back for more.

Dan Johnson is the Sous Chef at the Westfield Group’s Blair Center conference facility, and contributes to all locations on the Westfield Campus. Dan has 6 years experience in the hospitality industry; studied at The University of Akron, and has developed his expertise in food preparations and cooking, kitchen operations and food safety.

Social Media for Hospitality Businesses

I have a hard time wrapping my head around all the ways we can use social media to interact with hospitality customers.  Wiley Cerilli, CEO of SinglePlatform, published an article, "Social Media Marketing: 5 Restaurants That Get It", which actually provided concrete examples of the social media methods that the featured restaurants successfully used to connect with their customers, including:

• Posting events, recipes and interesting stories
• Running specials for fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter
• Effectively using contests to increase customer following and email campaign list
• Creating ways to strategically engage with customers, through how-to cooking classes, creating drinks, etc.
• Go beyond Groupon efforts and LivingSocial to really invest in building relationships with customers by offering a free item to customers who do what you ask - book a reservation, subscribe to your page, follow you.

I found the article to be helpful in thinking about meaningful ways to engage the customers that are not limited to strictly promotional efforts.  The article offered ideas that engage the customer to interact in some way.

How are you engaging with your customers?  How difficult is it to keep up your social media outlets?  What has been successful for your operation? 

 

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn. Her day-to-day operational responsibilities include planning and management for corporate dining at the headquarters in Westfield Center, as well as event planning, audio-visual services and training. She has worked at Westfield for seven years, and has expertise in event planning and operations management.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Toledo in 1986.  Kris loves food, people and cooking. 

Interview: How One Restaurant Features Locally Grown Food

There are several benefits to owning and operating a local restaurant, including the ability to select the items featured on your menu, determine the quality and types of ingredients used, and purchase these products from vendors that best meet your needs. 

For hospitality and dining coordinators at Westfield Inn, planning a menu includes an investment in locally grown food. Following is a Q&A with Westfield Inn Chef Anthony Scolaro on the ways Westfield’s culinary team integrates locally grown food into its dining repertoire. 

How are products selected for the Westfield Inn menu? 

There is a lot of research that goes into making a decision to put an item on our menu. The culinary team comes up with items to test, then tests each item in a production setting. This is done to not only see how it sells, but how efficient it is to produce as well. 

After the testing phase is completed, we will look at feedback and decide whether the item would be a good fit for the menu. 

What locally grown food is used at Westfield Inn? 

 We use quite a few Ohio-made products. Our goat cheese is made fresh each week by Lucky Penny Farm in Kent, Ohio. We bring in a micro green blend of herbs from another farm in Kent, KJ Greens, that garnishes most of our plates. We also use a hydroponic mixed green lettuce that we cut straight from the root for each salad we make. Most of the produce we receive right now is from local sources as well. Our culinary team is also in the process of switching the entire campus over to Canton-based provider Park Farms Chicken for all of our chicken needs. 

How are these products purchased? 

We go through several purveyors for purchasing these products. They let us know what is in season and where we can get it from. Essentially, they act as a carrier for the local businesses to get their products out to restaurants and marketplaces. 

Why does the Inn offer locally grown products on the menu?

The motivation is fairly simple. We want to use the best products possible, support local businesses and promote sustainability. The local products we use are of the highest quality, grown and raised by local businesses throughout the state of Ohio.

What are the benefits of buying local?

Local products are consistently higher in quality than mass-produced and grown items. We are able use the freshest products available, which translates into a better product for our guests. 

It also somewhat forces us to cook and buy more seasonal items that we may not have used in the past. We like the fact that it supports the local economy and gives small businesses and farms an opportunity to make their name known — and we are happy to help them do it. 

The other aspect that I like about using local products is the education factor. You learn a lot about how things are made, where they come from and what it takes to produce them. It really gives you some perspective and a greater appreciation for what these businesses do. We often take that for granted, but working with the local products really helps us see the bigger picture.

We’d like your thoughts on locally grown food and products. How has your restaurant integrated locally grown products into your menu? How have these benefits your business and customers? Feel free to share your comments below!

 

Anthony Scolaro is the Chef of the new "Biddle's" restaurant and contributes to all locations on the Westfield campus.  He is in charge of scheduling, managing costs, developing menus, training kitchen employees, ordering, monitoring inventory and creating recipes. Anthony has 11 years in the hospitality industry and has developed his expertise in food preparations and cooking, kitchen operations and food safety.

Crocs Bistro: Preventing Slips & Falls in Food Service

Dave White from our Risk Services team shared this article on preventing one of the most common accidents in a kitchen or restaurant: "Non-slip goes Non-traditional", from the blog Speaking of Safety at www.speakingofsafety.ca.

In the article, Susan Main talks about the new Crocs Bistro: Kitchen Chef Work Shoe. Many foodservice employers require employees to invest in a non-slip shoe as part of their uniform.  In addition to non-slip shoes, there are several easy and inexpensive ways to prevent slips and falls:

 

• Cleaning floors regularly
• Cleaning up spills immediately
• Keeping floors free of water and grease
• Posting warning signs around spills or wet floors
• Using slip-resistant waxes to polish and treat floors
• Installing non-slip tiling or other non-slip floor products
• Using rubber mats in areas where the floors are constantly wet

 

The article also provides a link to a booklet from WorksafeBC, on "Health and Safety for Hospitality Small Business".

- Kris Hawk

Steps to Opening a New Restaurant Concept

Recently, the staff here at Westfield successfully launched a new dining concept at the Westfield Inn, a full-service restaurant named "Biddle's" after one of our early hospitality team members.

Many months in the making, the new concept involved many behind-the-scenes processes and steps that must be done well in order to have a successful opening. 

Here are the major steps to creating a new restaurant concept: 

1. Concept.  What are you trying to accomplish as a business? What type of food, feel, atmosphere, theme, and style do you want to put in front of the guests?

2. Menu. Does the food match the concept and the style of what you want the guest to experience? Since this is the product that you are selling, it is important to know what you are going to offer before making other desicions, such as equipment and service ware.

3. Equipment and Facility. Can you produce your concept and menu with equipment and facility on hand? Do you have the right equipment to produce the products that you want to sell? Does the dining room fit the style and motif of the concept you are going for? If not (as was our case) what do you need to do to get there, and how will you do it?

4. Planning for Capital Puchases. If you need to make improvements, as we did to our kitchens, then you have a whole new set of regulations and rules to follow. It is essential to have the right kitchen equipment to effectively produce the product. In our case, we did not have this, so we had to undergo a large remodel of our kitchen's main cooking line. Flow is very important to ensure efficiency in service. Fortunately, our culinary team was able to design a functional kitchen and select new pieces of equipment that made our kitchen much more smooth and workable. In some cases a design consultant can be brought in to help with spacial and equipment desicions.

5. Service Testing. It is never a good idea to sell a product you have never tried before, and the same goes with food. We spent months testing and retesting our recipes for quality and consistency. Also, testing allows us to figure out the most efficient way to produce the product in the quickest amount of time without diminishing the expected quaility of the product. It's important to do this so you don't end up sacrificing quality for faster times. If you launch without a well tested menu, things you may not have expected to be a problem may end up being one when you least expect it.

6. Getting Feedback.  Feedback is one of the greatest tools in the foodservice industry. It's one of the only ways we know what the guest is looking for in their experience. We gathered a ton of feedback from our testing and adjusted accordingly based on the responses that we got from our test subjects. Getting ahead of potential guest complaints is a big help to make sure you are giving the guest an experience they will enjoy.

7. Opening.  There are many more mini steps under all the umbrellas that I listed (I would have to write a book to go over them al!). However, the basic steps that I covered are the meat of what it takes to launch a new dining concept. We had a team effort on all fronts to accomplish our goal. We are currently open and "Biddle's" is serving A la carte lunch service 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. M-F.

Maybe we will have the pleasure of providing you with our great service in the near future. Stop by and see our new concept on the Westfield Insurance campus!  Email reservations to Inndining@westfieldgrp.com.

Anthony Scolero is the sous chef at Westfield Center’s Blair Center, Country Club and cafeteria. He is in charge of scheduling, managing costs, developing menus, training kitchen employees, ordering, monitoring inventory and creating recipes. Anthony has 11 years in the hospitality industry and has developed his expertise in food preparations and cooking, kitchen operations and food safety.

 

Eating Our Way through National Restaurant Association Show

Here we are at the NRA Show – meeting lots of restaurant and hotel owners and employees from the states and quite a number of international restaurateurs and hoteliers.   They all agree that insurance is a business necessity and want to know what sets Westfield apart from other insurers.  We’ve been able to tell our story – how Westfield owns and manages restaurants, hotel and golf courses, so our first-hand knowledge as operators also gives us the knowledge and empathy to design our Signature Series products to best meet and manage risks we face everyday.  We have enough uncertainties in the hospitality business, so our insurance coverage is one less thing we want to worry about.  Most inquiries from NRA attendees focused on employment practices liability insurance, liquor liability, and cyber liability. We'll address these topics in future blog posts!   

We also met several of our Westfield customers, who are very happy with their coverage and claims service.  The show also provides a chance to see what’s new in the safety area and we had some interesting conversations with these suppliers and how their products can help protect employees.

Monica, Kris, Eva and I are enjoying the show, sampling lots of different foods and finding some new products for our own restaurants and hotel.  Thanks to Eva Wardyla, from Westfield's St. Charles office, for helping out at the booth!  We also thank our Westfield agent who helped host at the booth on Saturday!  Very fun to taste all the new food and see all the new products and equipment.  Always something to wish for at the NRA show! 

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn. Her day-to-day operational responsibilities include planning and management for corporate dining at the headquarters in Westfield Center, as well as event planning, audio-visual services and training. She has worked at Westfield for seven years, and has expertise in event planning and operations management.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Toledo in 1986.  Kris loves food, people and cooking. 

Photo: Eva and Kris in the booth

Food Price Increases Require Greater Planning

Many of you have seen the news reports about rising food prices.  Add the cost of gasoline at over $4.00 per gallon and we have an unpredictable situation for our food service operations.  Weather has affected crops.  Corn is being used to make ethanol, which is limiting supply for food.  Fuel surcharges are being increased to accomodate the rising fuel costs. 

The news is filled with reports of record food price increases.  I have linked to a few articles for further reading:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/16/business/main20043737.shtml

http://blog.therestaurantbrokers.com/corn-shortfall-may-affect-food-prices/

http://www.nrn.com/article/menu-prices-rise-casual-dining-restaurants

The typical pricing model for any food service operation revolves around the cost of the food.  The selling price for any food item is determined by calculating the actual cost of the food necessary to prepare the dish.  The cost of the food is then multiplied by a factor which will get the dish to the budgeted margin.  For example, a restaurant that wants a 33% food cost with a dish that costs $3.00 will multiply by a factor of 3 to get a selling price of $9.00.  Any increase in food cost that is not carried into selling price will impact the profitability of the operation.

What can operators do to manage our expenses as prices rise?

Raise prices-  Nation's Restaurant News has several articles discussing the results of properties who have increased prices.  As grocery prices increase, the consumer expects some level of price increase when eating out.  We have to be careful not to raise our prices beyond our guests appetite for increases.  This is difficult to do in catering environments where prices are usually set for longer terms.  In a la carte dining, adjustments in pricing and menu mix can help with frequent changes in the menu.

Monitor your costs and specifications-  Many of today's inventory and reciping programs have great reports that help you track the increase in prices for individual items over a given time frame.  At Westfield, we use Cheftec.  This allows us to track product by vendor.  Many times just comparing two different vendors on items like produce and groceries can make a big difference.  Plan ahead to have product alternatives specs for each supplier in order to compare prices.

Rely on your suppliers- Recently we attended the food show of one of our suppliers.  Our hot dog of choice for the country club was featuring an $8 per case rebate for purchases made by May.  If we had not attended the show, we would have bought the hot dogs anyway.  With the rebate, we saved some money.  Our food suppliers share forecasts for pricing on a regular basis which can be referenced as new menus are created.

Focus on menu mix- The price of chicken has not increased as quickly as beef.  Menu mix can make a difference in the choices that are available.  Any menu that is well mixed will have items with lower than budgeted food costs and some with higher.  When focusing on menu items, pay closer attention to the ones with the greater margin.  These give more cushion as price increases.

Make sure specials are appropriately priced-  Since specials are created on a regular basis and offered much closer to the time that they are created and costed, be vigilant about the costing and pricing of these items.  Just like frequent menu changes, specials will help maintain your margin and be an indicator of value on your menu.

Monitor waste and preparation processes- Monitoring your production processes to reduce waste and get greater yields is a great practice at all times, and can be even more meaningful at times of inflation.

Vigilance is the real key to keeping your head above water during these inflationary times.  So gather your team around you and charge ahead.

 

Autumn Keller is the hospitality operations revenue center’s leader for Westfield Group. Autumn has general management responsibility for the Westfield Group Country Club, the Blair Conference Center and Westfield Inn. She joined Westfield in 2007, and has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 15 years at the largest public golf facility in Metropolitan Detroit. 

An Appetite for Risk at the National Restaurant Show

The hospitality and insurance teams from Westfield are excited to head to Chicago once again for the National Restaurant Association - Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.  We just love the opportunity to "talk turkey" with fellow members of the hospitality industry (since we manage our own hotel, championship golf courses and restaurants). And, with our insurance "hats" on, we can also talk with restaurateurs and hoteliers about their operations and the risks they face daily. 

The NRA Show is a chance to meet face-to-face with our customers so we can continuously increase our understanding of their needs and concerns.  Our first-hand hospitality experience, along with our insurance knowledge, are what enabled us to design insurance products that specifically address the unique needs of restaurants, hotels, golf courses and country clubs. (Learn more at westfieldinsurance.com/nrashow.) 

Please stop by booth #3061 - we'd love to meet you! Look for Monica Mamer, our hospitality sector leader, Autumn Keller, who manages our dining operations, golf courses and hotel, and Kris Hawk, our hospitality operations business development leader. We all want to learn more about what's "eating you up" from a risk standpoint.  

In addition to the "official business" - we're also really looking forward to sampling all the delicious food and checking out all the shiny new products and equipment on display!  

Are you going to the NRA Show? What is your favorite part of the show? Share your thoughts below!

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn. 

The Skinny on Healthy and Delicious Cafeteria Food

When running a corporate cafeteria, how do you satisfy thousands of different preferences each day and encourage employees to make healthy choices?  Through a fresh menu, a variety of offerings and some culinary trades to save calories without sacrificing flavor. 

Today’s cafeteria is challenged with a more sophisticated buyer. Whether it’s breakfast or lunch, cafeteria customers want fresh choices and fair pricing.  Sheryl Taylor, assistant manager of corporate dining at Westfield Insurance comments, “We eat with our eyes. You first have to capture the guest with the presentation.  Fresh, bright and, as we say on the salad bar window, YUM!  Then, oh yes, then you get them with the flavors. Nothing beats the warm, sweet flavor of roasted vegetables.  Something so simple, natural and healthy, served on the side of fresh prepared salmon and some fresh herbs ...YUM!” 

Here are 5 tips for a healthy cafeteria menu:

1.  Broad selection of ultra fresh fruits and vegetables, diced, sliced or whole.

The salad bar in a corporate setting is still a big seller. With an emphasis on choice and freshness, the salad bar is either a preference or a habit.  The ability to change entrees, offer a specialty sandwich or wrap of the day and exhibition cooking all can offer a tremendous amount of variety to the menu for the guests that dine with you every day. 

Brenda Roberts, Corporate Dining Leader at Westfield Insurance, noted, “We offer healthy choices everywhere food and beverage is available, not just in the cafeteria, but also in our snack vending machines, beverage vending and on all of our catering menus.  The healthy choices go beyond the walls of the cafeteria to make it easy to make a healthier choice.”

2. Items made-to-order for ultimate freshness and to meet customer preferences.

Freshness to customers is not only an attractive looking salad bar, but also the ability to have their meal made fresh, just the way they like it.  Blame it on Burger King and Subway.  Pre-packaged sandwiches and wraps don’t have the selling power of items made before your eyes.

3. Make small trades for low-fat, fat-free, lower sodium and no added sugar whenever possible.

Small trade-offs such as using less salt in preparation, which people can easily add to taste, using lower-fat mayonnaise and substituting agave or Truvia for sugar, all can contribute to healthier offerings without sacrificing taste. 

4. Breads with more fiber and no enriched flour.

Bread choices are another area to add whole grains to the menu and still offer diners a choice, from whole grain white to the popular sandwich rounds, bagel thins, all the 100 calorie options that are now marketed, many of which do not contain enriched flour or high sugar, yet do contain more fiber than white breads.

5. Fish, simply prepared, fresh v. frozen has more appeal.

A daily fish offering is very popular as diners shy away from beef and tire of chicken.   Fresh salsas, savory and fruity, are very popular with fish entrees, adding a tropical flair and deeper flavor blends.  Fresh fish, if available, is a sought-after offering.  

How are you bringing healthier options to your cafeteria? 

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn.  

6 Guidelines for Pairing Wines with Desserts

Most people know that white wines go well with chicken or fish, and red wines tend to pair better with red meats and pork. I don't know too many people that can pair wines with desserts. With Valentine's day coming up, this could be a fun way to try something different with your Valentine. Desserts are an interesting thing to pair wines with. You have to consider the sugar content and the alcohol content of the wine compared to the sweetness and richness of the dessert. I have some guidelines with examples to help.

1. Pair dessert with wines that are sweeter than the dessert. If you sample a sweet dessert and then sip a wine that is less sweet, the wine will suddenly taste flat or sour.

Example: Try some lightly sweetened fresh fruit with a Moscato d'Asti.

2. Match the weight of the wine to the richness of the dessert.

Example: Pair lighter-bodied wines having little or no oak with fresh fruit desserts. Late harvest whites with a little more body, perhaps aged in oak, pair well with caramel and buttery flavors. Full-bodied whites or ice wines are great with rich dairy desserts like creme brulee.

3. Carbonation makes wine versatile and refreshing. Sweet sparkiling wines are subtle enough to avoid overwhelming lighter desserts, while providing a nice palate-cleanser for richer desserts.

Example: A sparkling muscat is great with a delicate poached peach, and a sparkling Vouvray can keep a dense cheesecake from becoming overwhelming.

4. Fortified wines, with typically higher alcohol levels, stand up to rich desserts with flavors of nuts, caramel and chocolate.

Example: Sherry almost always pairs well with nuts. The tannin in port and port-style wines is a great match to chocolate.

5. Look to compliment, marry, or gently contrast the dessert's flavors with the wine.

Example: A lively wine with citrus notes, perhaps a late harvest riesling, will enliven a dessert that calls for citrus flavors. The caramel flavors of Madeira make it a nice pairing to a tarte Tatin.

6. Don't make your wine and dessert fight for attention. If the wine is complex, show it off with a simpler dessert. To highlight a dessert with many elements or flavors, choose a more straightforward wine.

Example: Save your finest wines for sipping with the simplest of sweets.

 

Anthony Scolero is the sous chef at Westfield Center’s Blair Center, Country Club and cafeteria. He is in charge of scheduling, managing costs, developing menus, training kitchen employees, ordering, monitoring inventory and creating recipes. Anthony has 11 years in the hospitality industry and has developed his expertise in food preparations and cooking, kitchen operations and food safety.