Creating Healthy Kid’s Meals

Healthy children’s faire seems to be on everyone’s minds these days, from meals prepared at home to school cafeterias to restaurants. Kids are notorious for being picky eaters, making it difficult to tempt their tiny palates with simply a plate of vegetables. However with a little creativity many meals can be made-over to be lower in calories and fat, without skimping too much on the tastes kids crave.

Did you know that Serv-U has an entire department on their website dedicated to school supplies? Visit our school supplies department to find everything you need to create healthy, fresh and flavorful meals in your school’s cafeteria.

What is your school or restaurant doing to ensure that children receive meals that encourage dietary variety and balance?

Save 10% with Summer Savings

Looking for a way to save money this summer? Shop our limited time Summer Saving event. From now through August 15, 2011, save up to 10% on qualifying purchases from Servu-Online. Save big on restaurant supplies and bar supplies when you shop servu-online.

Join our e-mailing list to receive additional special offers via email from Servu-Online.

Food Trucks Proving They Are Not Just a Fad

Food trucks continue to become an increasingly popular trend for both chain and independent restaurants. Industry experts note that many businesses are to the point of launching their third or fourth vehicle, suggesting that the food truck industry is way past the idea of being a fad.

Some of the notable advantages to operating a food truck include their appeal to social-network-savvy consumers, they can serve as a test outlet for brick-and-mortar restaurants and they serve as a moving billboard for the brand.

If you are interested in venturing in to the industry of food trucks, experts state that most food trucks can be purchased for around $100,000, or leased from between $3,000 to $4,000 per month. The average cost for wrapping a truck in a brand image alone can run from $24,000 to $75,000. However choosing to purchase a remodeled used truck can be a money saver.

New Smartphone App for 2011 NRA Show

The National Restaurant Association launched a new smartphone app for 2011 NRA Show attendees. The new mobile app is available for iPhone and Android platforms, and allows restaurant industry professionals to get the most our of their 2011 trade show experience.

The mobile app allows trade show attendees to browse the exhibitors by category or locations, view interactive maps of the exhibit floor and see event and education session schedules and speakers. The app also provides public transportation information and schedules to and from the show.

Visit the NRA’s website for more information on where to download the app. The 2011 NRA show is scheduled to take place May 21-24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Branding Lessons from America’s Next Great Restaurant

The recent TV show, America’s Next Great Restaurant, provided viewers with a nine-week crash course on everything they ever wanted to know about opening their own restaurant chain. If you missed out on the nine week series, below are ten takeaways that can help you create a new fast-casual restaurant concept from the ground up.

1. Make a powerful first impression with your brand identity.
2. Keep the focus on the food.
3. Deliver on category drivers.
4. Pay attention to details.
5. Make sure you have the right people.
6. Be different, but not too different.
7. Choose what NOT to do.
8. Engage your employees with your brand.
9. Know your brand DNA and stick to it.
10. Be inspired AND inspiring.

For more information on the lessons learned from America’s Next Great Restaurant, check out Denise Lee Yohn’s article on QSR Magazine’s website.

Commercial Cookware Buying Guide

Looking for new commercial cookware for your restaurant? Servu-Online has a great selection of commercial cookware to choose from. Servu-Online offers commercial cookware made from stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum and carbon steel.

Stainless steel cookware: Stainless steel commercial cookware is easy to clean and requires little maintenance. Stainless steel does not react with food, and is virtually resistant to rust, stains and corrosion. The primary fault of stainless steel commercial cookware is that it does not conduct heat very well. Stainless steel commercial cookware tends to develop hotspots. For that reason, it is important to get "encapsulated" stainless steel cookware. This means the bottom of the pan includes a layer of copper or aluminum to ensure even heat distribution.

Cast iron cookware: If you need to cook food on a low, steady temperature, cast-iron cookware will serve you best. Cast iron heats up and cools down slowly, which means it retains heat better than any other metal used for cooking. That is why cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens are perfect for outdoor cooking. The metal heats up and stays that way for a long time, even when the temperature around it constantly fluctuates.

Carbon steel cookware: Woks are usually made of carbon steel because it heats and cools so quickly and evenly. Carbon steel cookware also needs to be seasoned before the first use, and it requires a little more work to keep it in good shape.

Aluminum cookware: Aluminum pots and pans are excellent lightweight heat conductors. Hard-anodized aluminum goes through a process that hardens the aluminum and gives it a grey finish. Cast aluminum cookware is another variation that is thicker and stronger than regular pressed aluminum.

Nonstick cookware: Nonstick coatings on the interiors of pots and pans can make cooking and cleaning very easy. Good nonstick cookware will have several layers of nonstick coating. Decent pots and pans have at least three layers, and the best will have up to seven. The added layers of non-stick coating will ensure a smoother surface and longer lasting pans.

Extending the Life of Your Cutlery

Below are a few tips on how to get the most out of your cutlery.

Storage:

• Do not store your knives loosely in a drawer as they will bang against each other, causing scratches, not to mention the blades will become dull.  
• Use a knife block, or, if you must use a drawer for storage, use blade guards for protection.

Cleaning:

• It is important to rinse and wash your cutlery as soon as possible after use.  While most cutleries are dishwasher-safe, hand washing is recommended.
• Caution must be taken before washing cutlery in a dishwasher. For example, never mix stainless-steel cutlery with silver cutlery in the same wash; this will contaminate the metals and cause discoloration of your cutlery.
• Don’t put wet cutlery away; it will cause corrosion of the blade.

Sharpening:  

• Sharpen cutlery regularly, as soon as you begin to notice a dulling edge.  Regular sharpening will keep cutlery in good shape.  
• Dishwasher detergent can weaken the blade of your cutlery so again, practice caution when using a dishwasher, or simply hand-wash your cutlery.  
• Sharpening your cutlery is very important; dull knives are more dangerous than sharp knives, as you must use more pressure and thus may lose control over the knife.

Care Tips:  

• It is never a good idea to cut on glass, metal or other hard surfaces; use a wood cutting board or plastic cutting board to keep your cutlery from getting damaged.  
• You should never use cutlery for something other than the purpose it is intended.
• Corrosive materials, such as mayonnaise, can stain the blade of your cutlery.  Rinse cutlery immediately after use.  If stains do occur, clean the blade with a non-abrasive cleaner and wipe off immediately.

To ensure the greatest use from your cutlery, follow these simple tips.  If you don’t, you may find yourself replacing knives often and losing money.

 Name this pan: it’s a shallow rectangular shape, oven and broiler safe and can also withstand freezing cold, scrubbings and machine washings. Of course, it is the sheet pan. Whether you operate a bakery that moves sheet pans of sugar cookies in and out of your oven, a fine dining restaurant that cooks half sheet pans of roasted vegetables beneath the broiler for the dinner rush, or a catering business that freezes sheet pans full of chocolate-covered strawberries until they are ready for dessert—you probably use this versatile pan.

The list of qualities to look for when it’s time to replace commercial sheet pans is short and sweet. In order to stand up to the heat of your broiler and the chills of your freezer, sheet pans should be durable, and warp and rust resistant.

Lincoln Wear-Ever pans are well-known among the professional community for their sturdy 3003 Aluminum construction. The sheet pans have a sturdy closed bead edge design with 1” sides, making them suitable to both baking and roasting. The natural finish on Lincoln Wear-Ever sheet pans is long-lasting and easy to clean.

Serv-U also carries National Sanitation Foundation certified heavy gauge sheet pans. These Vollrath sheet pans have an open bead edge design, so the surface will not hold water. They are constructed of 3004 extra dent resistant aluminum alloy and are also easily cleaned.

Sheet pans are sold in a range of sizes. Serv-U offers full size sheet pans, half size sheet pans, ¼ and ¾ size sheet pans and the option of solid or perforated. Pick the proper sheet pan and your kitchen can handle any recipe.

Understanding the oil that moves through your commercial fryer is crucial to fryer maintenance. If you seek to maximize the fryer’s useful service life, and continue to churn out fry baskets full of crispy cuisine, focus on the fryer oil. The first in a series on commercial fryer maintenance will introduce you to the most common culprits responsible for degrading your fryer oil.

One major offender is water. Ice crystals from frozen fare are often melted in the oil, in addition to the naturally stored water that some foods release. Solid sediment from the food can also degrade the fryer oil. Salt, spice and batter are the most common forms of sediment. You can minimize the release of water and solid particles by not loading the fry baskets directly over the fryer. Shake off as much excess breading as possible prior to immersing a bloomin’ onion in your double fryer. When sediment particles do appear, use your fryer skimmer to remove the floating particles.

Air and light are also problematic for the oil. It’s easy to position a floor fryer in a cool, dark part of your kitchen. Make sure to store a countertop fryer away from sunlight. Always use a fry basket cover and invest in an overnight fryer cover to increase the life of your oil

Excessive heat is also a factor in fryer oil degradation. High temperatures during start-up hurt the life of your oil and high temperatures during cooking impact the quality of your food. No one wants fish that has been thoroughly fried on the outside, but undercooked within the crispy shell. Calibrate thermostats regularly to ensure accurate temperatures. Rapid changes in oil temperature hasten deterioration.

Avoid introducing water, sediment, air, light and excessive heat to your fryer oil and you’ll prolong the life of the commercial fryer in your kitchen and increase the bounty of flawlessly fried foods in your restaurant.