Changing Seasons and a Changing Palate

As we wave our hands goodbye to hot sultry summer afternoons, fall is beginning to appear. The crisp colorful leaves have begun to twirl in the wind. Front lawns are coated in a gentle morning dew. There is a chilly stroke of a cool breeze in the early morning and evening. Autumn nights paint clouds cherry pink, allowing a blue moon to bashfully peak behind the setting sun. It’s an enjoyable time where we tend to have a good appetite; new flavors begin to tantalize our taste buds. Knowing when to introduce iconic pumpkin pies or chewy caramel apples into a restaurant menu or home kitchen is a tricky decision. How do we satisfy our cravings for warm flavors and spices without spoiling the season’s treats too early? Public Kitchen Supply suggests, gradually introducing autumn favorites to your palate.
Soups and stews are the ideal transitional meals for this time of year. When Jack Frost begins to nip at your nose it is time to grab the stock pot from the top shelf. On the coldest day of the week, create a hearty beef stew in a sturdy Browne-Halco stock pot. Chili is another great meal for all the Fall football games that tend to take over our meal times. While there are many different recipes for chili, the best include basic ingredients like kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, ground beef, and chili spices. On warmer days stick to family favorites allowing these cool weather foods to remain a delight.
Supermarkets make it incredibly easy to stuff our carts with caramels, apple cider, and whatever our stomachs call for, but should we be indulging before the leaves even begin to change? The immediacy of fall goodies make it challenging to keep these Fall treats at bay. When cravings begin to dictate the grocery shopping create a structured shopping list, reminding yourself that gingersnaps and apple pie is a better fit for a special occasion later in the season rather than a snack right now. When you decide to splurge for decadent fall sweets do so with style and purpose.
Fall is filled with fun holidays like Thanksgiving that give you the chance to show off your culinary skills. Bring fresh baked pumpkin spiced cookies to parties and watch eyes light up. Use half size cookie pans from Sasa DeMarle to create soft airy cookies. Spice a cheesecake with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to make this classic treat fantastic for autumn. Public Kitchen Supply recognizes food is often a strong indicator of changing seasons, making meals a great way to celebrate throughout the year, but the question remains: how early is too early?
As the leaves begin to tumble to the ground different emotions begin to arise, some crave fall while others clutch to summer. Creativity blossoms in the kitchen as summer's fire quietly fades to withered leaves and winter's welcome. Our appetites evolve from fruity, ice-cold popsicles to roasted almonds over a fire. Embrace the changing seasons by welcoming fall foods to your table. Let Public Kitchen Supply help you make the transition by stocking your kitchen with the tools you need to make those hearty stews or mouth-watering pies.

photo credit: Cameron Nordholm via photopin cc

How to Use FIFO Bottles

As an e-commerce site, we, at Public Kitchen Supply, have bestsellers. One of our most popular products, the FIFO Bottles, also creates the most intrigue. Often we are asked the questions: what's the difference between a FIFO Bottle and a standard squeeze bottle? And, how do I use this FIFO Bottle properly? You see, FIFO Bottles are not just standard squeeze bottles, they have a removable lid as well as a removable base. They offer benefits well beyond a standard squeeze bottle.

The removable base lid is what sets this squeeze bottle well apart from the competition. To use, simply take off the base lid, while leaving the top lid, and fill this squeeze bottle all the way up. As you use it, it'll work just like a squeeze bottle. When you go to refill it, you'll once again remove the base cap and fill it up. This little step is what makes these bottles so great. You never just pour new sauce on top of remaining sauce. That keeps the old ketchup (for example) continually at the bottom, never being used, and just getting older and older. By refilling from the base, rather than the top, with a FIFO bottle, it creates a "first-in, first-out" system; hence where these bottles receive their name. Fast dispensing, easy to wash, NSF Approved; perfect for a restaurant environment. The design of these bottles are for easy usage, but they also prevent waste. Using standard bottles, the amount of ketchup or other condiment that is tossed at the end of a bottle is ridiculous. Too much is wasted, but using a FIFO Bottle, this is prevented saving more than just the condiment, but money.

The clear bottle design allows you to see through this bottle with ease so you know when its time to refill it. When its time to clean it, remove both the top and bottom lids and voila, you have plenty of room for cleaning. Think about the time, money, and food you'll save when you switch to a FIFO Bottle system. Check them out on our website Public Kitchen Supply or give us a call if you're interested in more information about the FIFO Bottle System and implementing it in your kitchen.

Top photo credit: pablo_photo via photopincc. Side photo: Fundametal Designs.

How to: Pick and Cut a Pineapple

With each new summer, people wonder how to cut a pineapple correctly, and the truth is - there's no wrong or right way. There is an easy way, however, and we’ll walk you through it step-by-step.
Step One: Pick Your Pineapple –
Smell. Your nose is the most important tool here. When you pick a ripe pineapple it should, in fact, smell like a pineapple. It should have that sweet smell if it’s ready. The best place to smell for this is at the bottom of the fruit.
There are a few other tricks for picking the ripest pineapple, but smelling it is the tried and true method that most people swear by.
Step Two: Prepare Your Pineapple –
It’s highly suggested that, just like any other fruit, you wash your pineapple first with either warm water or with a fruit cleansing spray that you can find in your local grocery store. Though you don’t eat the outside of a pineapple, when you cut through the outside rind, any contaminates can be transferred into the pineapple itself, contaminating the fruit.
Once you’re done washing, pick your knife. We suggest a sharp and durable blade such as a Chef's Knife or a Cook’s Knife. The thicker blade of either of these two knives allow you to cut through more of the large fruit than a tiny steak knife or paring knife. You can find a great selection of knifes to select from in our cutlery category.
Step Three: Start Cutting –
The best way to begin cutting your pineapple is to slice off the top part of the pineapple, with the leaves, and then the bottom part. Slice as close to the rind as you possibly can to preserve more of the fruit.
Next, you’ll want to cut off the sides of the pineapple. This is best done by standing the fruit up and simply slicing down longways along the sides. It will probably take you about five passes to get all the sides off.
You’re almost done! Next you’ll want to slice your pineapple into rings. This helps you get the core out faster. Now that you've got your slices, grab a paring knife to cut out the core. Stack a few rings at a time to do this. Once the core is out, either keep it in rings or turn your rings into pineapple pieces by dicing it. For this, continue to use your Cook’s Knife or Chef’s Knife.
Voila! You’re done. It’s much simpler than people think especially with Public Kitchen Supply’s wide selection of high-quality cutlery to make the slicing go faster. If you’re looking for more than just the tools we've used here, simply visit Public Kitchen Supply on the web www.PublicKitchenSupply.com.

Tips & Tools for Summer Grilling

It’s the first day of summer which can only mean one thing… it’s time to start up your grill. Whether it’s inside your restaurant or a large backyard grill at your home residence, summertime is the time to have grill marks on your food.
While we, at Public Kitchen Supply, are sure you know all about grill safety and how to ensure your meat is ready for the grill. We’d still like to offer you a few tips on how to get ready for some proper grilling this summer season.
	First and foremost, clean your grill. Each and every time! You wouldn't continue to use a fry pan or a dinner plate without cleaning it between uses, so why would you do the same with a grill. One of the greatest kitchen tools for cleaning a grill would be a grill scraper, like our Update International - 4” Wood Handle Scraper.
Once you've cleaned your grill, make sure you have everything ready before you turn it on. Do you have your apron, turners, and tongs? Are they all ready and within reach for when you need them? Once you start cooking you don’t want to have to worry about searching through your kitchen drawers trying to find everything you need.
It’s a rule with grilling, just as it is with any cooking: a grill, like a pan, and the food needs time to warm up before you begin to cook. Both gas and charcoal grills need to be preheated before cooking. It makes your food cook more evenly, making everyone happy.
Those are just a few tips to get you started this grilling season, and as always, if you need any cooking utensils to start your grilling season, consider shopping with Public Kitchen Supply. We have everything from your aprons to your large cooking equipment like charbroilers!