2014 Food Trends

The food industry has become much more than nutrition. The culinary world fills not only our stomachs but our need for entertainment. It is necessary for businesses to be aware of up and coming trends, failure to invest in the “next big thing” can result in financial turmoil along with a loss of business. Being ahead of trends is important for consumers too, don’t waste time with outdated diets. As we begin to enter a new year Public Kitchen Supply investigated the top five food trends to look forward to in 2014.

Upscale dining is no longer just for special occasions. In 2013 we found people enjoy a taste of the finer things in life on a regular basis. Restaurateurs and food lovers should be aware that many culinary companies are cashing in on the fine dining experience. Expect chain restaurants to tailor their menus for multi-course meals at an affordable price. Companies like Olive Garden and Applebee’s have already picked up on this trend offering full course meals that most people can afford. For a fine dining experience that is unique to your palate look for smaller businesses that own one or very few restaurants.

Artisan food is typically hand made following practices that have survived the test of time.  In 2014 artisan foods are expected to boom in their popularity. It’s important to note that true artisan foods are hand crafted and do not use industrialized methods. Look for foods that stress culinary appearance, simplicity and craftsman ship. You can typically find this type of cuisine at farmers markets or by purchasing high quality locally grown products and doing it yourself.

Specialty diets like eating gluten free became prevalent in 2013 and is only expected to increase next year. This is a great trend for people who have celiac disease or a wheat allergy. If your body is not afflicted by wheat you probably don’t need to cut it entirely out of your diet but it is beneficial to limit the amount of gluten in your diet. Having gluten-free products on your menu is a great way to bring in customers who do have special dietary restrictions.

Culinary chefs are expected to favor cauliflower this year serving it up many different styles. Expect to see cauliflower grilled, roasted, fried and everything in between. Part of cauliflowers popularity is the health benefits associated with it. It is a great source of potassium, phosphorus, protein, manganese and vitamin C. Try incorporating this power vegetable in classic side dishes like mashed potatoes but replace the potatoes with a head of cauliflower, this is a delicious and healthier choice.

The Paleolithic diet, also known as the caveman diet, is comprised of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, fungi and roots along with seafood and pasteurized meats. It is meant to resemble the diet our ancestors had during the Paleolithic period. The diet avoids processed foods along with grains, dairy, refined sugar and refined salt. The caveman diet is thought to be healthy because it consists of a healthy balanced diet that is easily found in nature.

Following culinary trends is a great way to try new recipes and foods. Incorporating trends in your restaurant can bring in new business. Venture into the unknown by sampling these 2014 ideas, you may find something you like! For more culinary tips and fantastic cookware visit our website at: PublicKitchenSupply.com.

End of 2013 Trends

As the New Year approaches Public Kitchen Supply examined the most popular end of 2013 kitchen trends. Remodeling is a great way to make the old new again, home owners picked up on this helpful hint. Public Kitchen Supply found stainless steel, Eco-friendly materials and touch active appliances to be especially admired this year for their adaptability. Ring in the New Year with these smart trends.
Stainless steel provides a sleek uniform look that will fit well in any kitchen. Appliances constructed out of stainless steel appear professional are very durable. Saturn’s One Door Reach-in Refrigerator is a great example of a stainless steel appliance. This refrigerator has a digital thermostat, allowing you to choose the temperature you want the fridge to be externally. The Saturn’s One Door Reach-in Refrigerator features 3 adjustable shelves allowing for easy organization.
Energy conservation has been a very hot topic in 2013. The first step in environmental awareness is recognizing where resources are wasted, one of the most common areas is the kitchen. Products like the Turbo Air - M3 Series Freezer result in profound savings for both the environment and your wallet. The M3 Series Freezer combines two trends; it is environmentally friendly with a stainless steel construction. This is an excellent appliance for commercial and residential kitchens. The Turbo Air- M3 Freezer will result in substantial savings over time. When an individual makes the choice to conserve energy their efforts results in substantial savings over time. Public Kitchen Supply strongly recommend the Turbo Air – M3 Series Freezer for people wanting a stylish freezer that is energy savvy.
Touch active appliances are another great kitchen addition, consider investing in a Rubbermaid - Milano Thermostatic Auto Faucet. The Auto Faucet SST is user-friendly and very reliable. It uses surround sensor technology promising activation every time. The Thermostatic mixing valve guarantees the water temperature remains comfortable. The Auto Faucet SST has a 3 year battery life with an optional AC power adapter. Touch active appliances eliminates cross-contamination and reduces the spread of germs. It’s easy to see why touch active appliances have been sought after in 2013.
Stainless steel, Eco-friendly materials and touch active appliances are all great kitchen additions. If you didn’t get the chance to utilize these trends in 2013 be sure to add them to your kitchen next year! For more information on the products featured above visit our website at Publickitchensupply.com

The Benefits of Prep Pal 3.0

It’s easy for kitchens to become disheveled, especially when cooking multiple dishes at once. Organizing your kitchen allows you to find ingredients and cooking utensils quickly. Knowing the exact location of your food and cookware dramatically reduces your time in the kitchen. Manage kitchen chaos with the Prep Pal 3.0 Label System. In this blog Public Kitchen Supply will discuss the many benefits of a label making system.
The Prep Pal 3.0 is a great way to keep your kitchen running smoothly. It eliminates hard-to-read handwritten labels and possible human error. It is incredibly important to label food in the kitchen, failure to do so may result in wasted money, cross contamination or serving expired food. The Prep Pal 3.0 automatically calculates a foods expiration date and can easily categorize ingredients. Print custom labels that fit your kitchens unique needs. Both residential and commercial kitchens should be aware of potential allergens when serving guests. Labels can easily mark allergy alert items.
ITD’s Prep Pal 3.0 is unique because it uses a thermal printer rather than a standard ink-jet printer. Thermals printers do not smear ink or leave leftover residue when printing. The printer will print approximately 51 labels in 60 seconds. The labels for this system come in a variety of sizes and in a variety of adhesives. Choose between water-proof, adhesive free and permanent adhesives so your labels fit exactly what you need.
Labels go beyond organizing food. If you own a business use the Prep Pal 3.0 to make name tags for your employees. Label personal equipment to prevent confusion and potential theft. Prep Pal requires little to no training so employees can organize prepped food without trouble. The Prep Pal 3.0 works on most POS machines and any Window-based PC or tablet.
Systematizing your kitchen without the proper tools is difficult. Using high quality labels clearly indicates the location of each item in your kitchen. Furthermore, labels eliminate the need for redundant questions and misplaced utensils. Take the headache out of daily food prep with the Prep Pal 3.0. For more information and ITD products visit our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com

What is a Labor Law Poster?

Owning and operating a business is a huge responsibility. As an employer you are responsible for your safety and your employees. It is the employer’s job to inform employees of labor laws and employee rights. A labor law poster is a great way to present employee rights quickly and efficiently. Businesses need labor law posters because they are required by state and federal law. It is mandatory that employers post both federal and state labor laws in their state. In this blog Public Kitchen Supply will explain the importance of labor law posters and how they affect your business.
Labor law posters protect businesses from lawsuits. The United States Senate passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, also known as OSHA, employees are required to provide a work environment free from safety and health hazards. OSHA conducts about 40,000 inspections every year to insure work environments are safe and comply with federal and state laws. If a business fails to meet OSHA’s regulations it may be fined up to $250,000 if it is owned by an individual or $500,000 if it is owned by a corporation. If an OSHA inspector determines a business is in imminent danger the inspector can request the employee to remove employees until the threat is taken care of. If an employee fails to comply, OSHA can request a court order to remove the imminent danger. OSHA inspections are random and unannounced, prompting businesses to constantly be aware of company safety.
It’s important to note that labor law posters are constantly changing and each state has a separate poster. Certified Safety has created a Federal and State Labor Law Poster Combined. This poster conveniently displays both state and federal labor laws. The Federal and State Labor Law Poster Combined makes it easy for store owners to comply with OSHA laws without hassling with multiple posters. Ensure all of you employees have a full understanding of their rights. Certified Safety can custom make posters upon request. If you have Spanish speaking employees you must post labor laws in a language they understand.
Labor law posters are a necessary product for employers. Protect your business from hefty fines and debilitating law suits. At Public Kitchen Supply it is our duty to provide the very best kitchen safety equipment. For more tools and information on labor laws, OSHA regulations and kitchen safety supplies visit our website at Publickitchensupply.com "OSH Act, OSHA Standards, Inspections, Citations and Penalties." Occupational      Safety and Health Adminstation. United States Department of Labor, n.d.      Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

Sasa Demarle Macaroons Recipe

Want to make delicious macaroons for your friends, family or customers but don't know how? Follow this recipe as adapted by Sasa Demarle to make perfectly round, delicious macaroons. These treats look like little sandwiches, but are sweet and cakey. Each mat is able to make 10 macaroons as each macaroon takes one top and one bottom of the cakes. This recipe will teach you how to make the cake mixture as well as the cream filling.
Ingredients You'll Need:
For the macaroons: 1 Cup -- Egg Whites 2/3 Cup -- Sugar 1 tsp -- Egg White Powder 1 1/4 Cup -- Almond Flour 2 Cups -- Powdered Sugar	For the filling: 1 2/3 cup -- 66% Dark Chocolate 3/4 Cup -- Heavy Cream 1/3 Cup -- Light Corn Syrup 1/3 Cup -- Butter 1 Each -- Vanilla Bean

Recipe:
First for the macaroon mixture: 1. Whisk the one cup of egg whites, 1 tsp of egg white powder, and half of the sugar into medium-sized peaks. 2. Continue whisking together the mixture and add the remaining half of the sugar. If you wish to make your macaroons colored, now is when you would add in your choice of food coloring. Be creative and make them blue, green, purple, red or yellow. 3. Fold in pre-sifted 2 cups of powdered sugar as well as the 1 1/4 cup of almond flour until the mixture is able to fall back upon itself. 4. You should have a decent mixture at this point and are ready to begin baking. Pipe into a Macaroon Silpat, filling every one of the molds. Make sure that each of the molds has something in it, even if it's just filled with water so that it bakes evenly and is able to be transported to the oven. 5. Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes at 300°F.
While the macaroons are baking, work on the macaroon filling. 1. First, bring the 3/4 cup cream, 1/3 cup corn syrup and 1 vanilla bean to a boil. 2. Once boiled, strain out the single vanilla bean, and take the remaining liquid and pour over the 1 2/3 cup of chocolate. 3. Mix together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is creamy and smooth. 4. Next add the 1/3 cup of butter. Ensure that the butter is pre-softened so that this step goes a bit smoother. Take the mixture, with the softened butter, and emulsify with a hand blender until smooth. 5. Pipe this mixture onto one of the macaroon shells using a pastry bag from Update International, put another shell on top to make a sandwich. 6. Store in the freezer or refrigerator overnight. Thaw before serving.
Recipe and images adapted from Sasa Demarle.

How to Re-Use Kitchen Waste

Throwing away food is frustrating and a quick way to lose money. Often times we unconsciously throw away parts of food that would work well in an array of different dishes. Stop filling your trash can with wasted ingredients and instead explore some new interesting recipes. In this blog Public Kitchen Supply will offer a few suggestions on how to save food and money.
Soups and stews are an excellent want to save leftover ingredients. Use potato peels, the tips of celery and carrot peels to make a delicious vegetable soup. Stock pots are a great way to combine all of these ingredients into a warm hearty soup or stew, we suggest the Browne Foodservice 12 quart stock pot. This stock pot is part of Browne-Halco’s Thermalloy line insuring the pot’s handles will stay cool, even when on a hot stove. The “stay cool” technology prevents user burns, a great safety feature. Onion peels are another great ingredient for stocks and broths as it gives broths a hint of flavor and color at the same time.
Apple peels and orange peels make a naturally healthy tea. Steep apple peels or orange peels in hot water with cinnamon and a trace of vanilla. This simple recipe is incredibly easy and makes a sweet drink. Use Update International’s 6” vegetable peeler to safely remove apple peels. Update International’s 6” vegetable peeler features an easy spin carbon steel blade honed to a perfect edge then attached to an incredibly comfortable handle. The handle has been coated with plastic so it is easy to grasp. The vegetable peeler is completed with a blister card ensuring soft cut free hands.
Coffee grounds are a fantastic way to deodorize hands and cutting boards after cutting onions or garlic. Coffee grounds are also a great a plant fertilizer. Every month place 3/4 cup of coffee grounds into your garden. The coffee’s acidity is incredibly helpful for plant growth and deters insects like ants and slugs. Coffee has a surprising number of uses ranging from a car air freshener to counter cleaner. These do it yourself tips are a great way to save money.
The kitchen is filled with hustle and bustle making it easy to throw away left behind food. The next time you’re cooking take a minute to pause, breathe and save. Following a few of the methods above will quickly turn into savings. For more food saving tips check out our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com.

What You Need to Host a Successful Dinner Party

The next time you’re hosting a dinner party consider the power of presentation. When preparing for a party it’s easy to forget the small details, especially when it comes to food and drinks. At Public Kitchen Supply we found some fantastic products that will amp up your party, leaving your guests happy and impressed.
Every host or hostess should have a reliable serving tray. Serving trays are an excellent way to greet and interact with guests, offering everything from appetizers to drinks. We recommend Carlisle’s Textured Serving Platter for its unique textured design, break resistance and its ability to withstand temperatures up to 212°F. Use serving trays to easily pass around food to large crowds or organize a meal. Serving trays allow you to prepare the main course without guests growing impatient.

How to Clean Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

You know that you're supposed to clean all fruits and vegetables before consumption, but do you know the best way to do this? While everyone has different theories on which is the best method, we, at Public Kitchen Supply would like to share some of our favorite methods. There are a couple different methods that you want to decide between. It depends on what you have available in your kitchen, which you think cleans best, and what type of fruit or vegetable you are cleaning.

First, let's debunk a thought process some people have. Some people feel that they do not need to clean fruits or vegetables that have an outer layer that you don't eat. For example: cantaloupe, oranges, and avocados. All three of these have outer shells that you do not ingest. Because these are thrown away, rather than eaten, people think that you don't need to wash the outside layer. On the contrary though, you still do need to wash these just as much as those that you do ingest like tomatoes or apples because as you cut through the outside, whatever bacteria is on this layer gets transferred into the part that is eaten, contamination your food. Make sure you wash all of the fresh vegetables and fruits you get, regardless of where you get them from.

Which Thermometer Do I Use?

With a variety of thermocouples, thermometers, probes and other gadgets, you have to ask yourself which one you need to use in which situation. There's pocket thermometers, meat thermometers, frothing thermometers, and refrigerator/freezer thermometers. When you consider which tool you need in your kitchen first you need to consider what you are cooking or baking, and then consider the biggest differences between the tools including displays, range of temperature, accuracy, and speed of the reading. All of these must be taken into consideration when you're choosing your temperature control tool.

First, consider the pocket thermometer, they are typically smaller in size as well as quick and easy to use. Most of them are like the Taylor Tru-Temp Digital Pocket Thermomemter. This one has an instant-read function, a stainless steel stem and includes a range of -40°F - +302°F. The small size of these thermometers help you to get into the meat of food. Items such as chicken, steak, roast, or even sides that you want to be at an exact temperature. While this one, as it is digital, comes with an on and off switch to preserve the battery, this is not something you need to worry about with a dial thermometer. Both options, however, are acceptable and based on preference.

How to Clean Kitchen Knives

Chefs should know how to properly clean their kitchen knives. A knife’s cleaning method is unique to its manufacture, style and material. In this blog Public Kitchen Supply will discuss the different cleaning techniques and what typically works best for professional knives versus commercial knives. Cleaning your knives properly saves money and extends a knife’s longevity.

Professional kitchen knives require more care compared to commercial knives. Do not let food dry onto professional knives, when you are finished using it make sure to rinse the knife or wipe it off with a soft towel. Immediately removing left behind food prevents erosion. This is especially important when using serrated knives like Mundial’s 5” Black Serrated Steak Knife. The knife’s handle is made out of polyacetal and shows the forged blade. Professional Knives like Mundial’s 5” Black Serrated Steak Knife should be washed by hand using hot soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge.