When holiday party guests discard their gloves and mittens, the best caterers are ready to offer toasty beverages for their cold hands to cup. It’s a challenge to keep the mugs full when hosting a sizeable event, which is why most caterers rely on large commercial percolators.

Serv-U offers percolators that are perfectly suited to brewing anywhere from 10 to 110 cups of hot coffee, however this is the perfect season to experiment with putting your percolator to work for more festive purposes. You can make your kitchen equipment serve double duty during the holiday season with recipes for hot mulled cider and spicy holiday punch.

Mulled Cider for 40

In percolator basket combine: 1 ¼ teaspoons allspice, a 6 inch cinnamon stick, 2 ½ cups brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Pour 10 quarts of apple juice or cider into the part of the percolator reserved for liquids.

Percolator Punch for 60

In percolator basket combine: 2 tablespoons allspice, 2 tablespoons whole cloves, 2-6 inch cinnamon sticks and 4 sliced lemons. Pour 6 quarts unsweetened pineapple juice, 6 quarts cranberry juice cocktail and 3 quarts cold water into the potion of the percolator reserved for liquids.

Percolators don’t just vary in their serving capacity, you also have a choice of materials and styles. There are basic aluminum coffee makers and fancier stainless steel models for more upscale events. Keep in mind that brewing time for percolated beverages is about 1 minute per cup. If you want cider for 60 guests, start percolating about an hour before they arrive!

Taking on a meal as important as Thanksgiving dinner requires major planning and preparation. More important than stuffing, yams or even pumpkin pie is the centerpiece of your table – the turkey. If it’s your first time trying to perfect the holiday poultry, compiling an arsenal of turkey cooking supplies may seem overwhelming. However, a simple roasted bird requires only a few basic kitchen supplies.

Roasting Pan The roasting pan you purchase to cook your turkey may not be a piece of kitchen equipment that you use on a daily basis, but the proper pan is a valuable addition to your stock of cooking supplies for holidays. Selecting the right roasting pan ensures a moist and golden bird. When buying a roasting pan, look for a shallow depth, heavyweight pan with handles. The pan should have good heat conducting qualities so the bird cooks evenly. Stay away from dark roasting pans; those will burn the roasting juices at the start of the roasting period, resulting in a subpar gravy. Fit is also important—the pan should just hold the turkey. If a leg extends over the pan, drippings will fall on your oven, but if the pan is too large you risk burning the juices.

What’s a turkey without basting? Throughout the roasting process, you will need to paint the turkey with a basting sauce using a basting brush. Both white nylon and bleached boar bristle brushes will work well to coat your poultry with a buttery sauce and are able to withstand oven temperatures of up to 500 degrees. While the turkey roasts, a basting spoon can be used to scoop up the juices and redistribute them on the skin. Serv-U offers stainless steel basting spoons in a variety of lengths. All spoons have easy-grip contoured handles with a thumb notch. Slotted and perforated varieties are useful for straining out solids to be discarded when the roasting process is complete.

A burnt or undercooked turkey can be the downfall of an otherwise outstanding Thanksgiving meal, so be sure to check the temperature of your bird, with an accurate meat thermometer. The Taylor brand is known for its precision temperature technology to alert you when the meat reaches 180 degrees.

Finally, when the roasting process is over, it’s time to sharpen up that knife and dig in. Carving the turkey is a much-anticipated process that should be approached with care in order to preserve the flavor and the texture of the meat. You are best to choose a sharp, thin bladed carving knife. Stain-free steel blades provide a clean and durable option for slicing your turkey.

By using top-quality equipment the fruits of your holiday roast should be plentiful. The centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal will be a cornucopia of thighs, wings, and breast meat, well worth the investment in quality kitchen supplies.

Are you looking for a creative way to get customers into your restaurant? How about having a recipe contest? Shows such as Iron Chef America and all of the Challenge shows on the Food Network have brought the idea of cooking contests to the forefront. When you also consider such food competitions as the Pillsbury Bakeoff and The National Chicken Cooking Contest, which both have large monetary prizes, it is easy to see that these contests are taking off. But don’t worry, you don’t have to offer your customers thousands of dollars to enter a recipe, putting their recipe on your menu, even for a short amount of time, is likely to bring in more recipes than you could imagine (just look at how excited the contestants on The Next Food Network Star got when they had the chance to have their recipe served at Red Lobster).

No matter what kind of restaurant you have there is a competition that would be perfect for you (this web site provides some great ideas). And it is easy to come up with some quick, straightforward rules and guidelines for your competition (this site provides some good baselines, as do the rules for other contests). All you need to do is pick a meal or ingredient that you would like to feature, create your rules, publicize your event with signs and advertisements in your local paper, and get ready to judge a lot of recipes.

Once you have some recipes you like you can either make them yourself to taste them or make it into a big event. A cook off competition, like what is featured on Food Network Challenge, would be a great way to get your restaurant’s name out and get people to know your business. There will be hoops you need to go through for this, so be sure to talk to your health department, but the attention it will bring to your business is worth it. Once you have the winning recipe you are going to feature make sure you publicize when you will be serving it, so people will know when to come in and eat.

Once you get them in the door, wow them with your ambiance, great service, and incredible food and they will likely turn into repeat customers. Your Serv-U representative can help you gather all the materials you need for the cook off and for everyday cooking and serving at your restaurant, so give them a call today.

As the seasons change, so should your cocktails.  And what cocktail is more closely associated with the holidays than egg nog (or eggnog, as the case may be)?  Right around Thanksgiving time, the creamy beverage shows up in grocery stores across the nation.  Egg nog in a carton is the only ‘nog that I’ve ever been exposed to.  In fact, it wasn’t until I read Michael Procopio’s post over at the Bay Area Bites blog that I realized that there is such a thing as homemade egg nog (the “real” egg nog).  Read his entire post here, including a funny characterization of Grandpa as the holiday pirate.

Now that I’m in the know, I can’t wait to give real egg nog a try.  Coffee shops, restaurants, and bars alike could benefit from this union of alcohol (high profit) and dessert (America’s sweet tooth).  Get curious customers splurging on your business’s latest winter cocktail by offering free samples or featuring a cozy picture near the register.

If you’re ready to give “real” egg nog a try (spiked or not), here’s Michael Procopio’s short introduction and recipe:

The rumor behind the word "nog" is that it derived from the English word "noggin"; a small, carved, wooden mug used to serve drinks in various taverns. The full name of this beverage might have been "egg and grog in a noggin", which does not sound especially appetizing.

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rum, bourbon, or whatever poison you prefer
4 egg whites

Procedure:

1. Beat egg yolks until pale yellow in color. Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar until it is totally dissolved.

2. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine milk, cream, and nutmeg and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and temper the hot milk mixture into the eggs and sugar. Return everything to the pot and cook until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from heat, stir in alcohol and extract, pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and chill in your refrigerator.

3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add one tablespoon of sugar as you beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk egg whites into chilled mixture.

4. Put your now fresh and somewhat safe beverage in the noggin or vessel of your choice and drink up.

And if egg nog isn’t your style, how about mulled wine or spiced cider?  Spread some good cheer and win over new customers with your restaurant’s seasonal cocktails.

I must admit that my favorite food this Thanksgiving was a side dish.  My mom's rosemary knots were so good that I asked her for the recipe and she kindly obliged.  For those chefs with a flexible restaurant menu, these might make a nice holiday addition:

(photo courtesy of "reeselighnin" of Flickr-land)

Rosemary Knots start with Potato Rolls dough:
 
2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 packages active dry yeast (I used the quick acting yeast and it worked great)
2 T. Sugar, plus a pinch
1 C buttermilk room temperature
6 T. butter, melted and cooled, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap
4 tsp. salt
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 C BREAD flour, plus more for work surface
 
1.  Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer.  Cook until knife-tender, about 15? minutes.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.  Mash potatoes: set aside.
2.  Cool reserved liquid to 105 degrees.  In the detached bowl of an electric mixer, whisk liquid, yeast, and pinch of sugar.  Set aside until mixture is foamy, about 6 minutes.
3.  Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment.  On low, add remaining sugar, reserved potatoes, buttermilk, 4 tablespoons butter, and salt.  Gradually add enough flour to make a slightly sticky dough.  Knead dough until smooth, about 2 minutes (it took me about 5 or so).  Brush a mixing bowl with butter.  Place dough in bowl; cover bowl with buttered plastic wrap.  Set aside to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
 
GARLIC AND ROSEMARY KNOTS
(makes 24)
 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 T chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
    Flour for work surface
1 recipe Potato Rolls dough (recipe above)
 
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment, and set aside (I just sprayed my pans with pam).
2.  Working on a floured work surface, cut dough into 2-ounce portions (I just pinched off racquet ball sized pieces with my fingers).  Roll each to an 11-inch length.  Dip each in oil mixture; tie into a knot.  Place knots at least 1 1/4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Cover with plastic wrap; set aside to rise until dough does not spring back when pressed with a finger, about 20 minutes.  Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before serving.

Update: If your Thanksgiving was anything like mine, you probably have a mountain of leftover turkey in your refrigerator (among other assorted T-day leftovers).  And after a few days, the plain turkey sandwiches get a little old.  But there is a cure for the leftover blues; today, I came across a great resource for using up those Thanksgiving foods before spoilage takes them.  Check out the ideas over at Serious Eats.  Though their jazzy turkey sandwiches look delicious, the Midwest has fallen into a cold snap and I think I’ll try the spicy turkey gumbo to keep me warm during these cold days!

If you have other suggestions for leftovers, please post them here.