Menu Development Chill Out Salads are moving year ‘round these days By Jeremy White, Editor in Chief It’s February, traditionally one of the coldest months of the year in much of the United States, and many of your customers are thinking ...

If you’re in Chicago and “the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie,” you can bet that most of the time that pizza is of the deep-dish persuasion. What is this pizza called Chicago deep-dish, and what makes it so different from ot...

Menu Development Mushroom Madness By Carol Kroskey Look beyond cultivated white mushrooms to add flavor, texture and variety to menu items Diners who like mushrooms really like them, giving operators a chance to promote specialty pizzas like the &ldq...

No question that it’s pretty darn easy to just open a jug, jar or can to take care of your salad dressing needs. However, in this day and age of going artisanal, it’s time to take a look at putting together your own salad dressings. And t...

Gourmet toppings for pizza? Where do I begin? I suppose I could start by recounting something I read recently about a pizzeria in New York City that is big on seasonal gourmet toppings such as brussel sprout leaves, shaved porcini, black truffles and...

This is the time of year that many of us (especially those of us living in the Midwest) go bananas over fresh tomatoes. If I had the time, I would write another cookbook called “101 Ways to Use Fresh Tomatoes.” So this time of year I...

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, was a piece of work himself, but the sandwich was born when he came up with the idea of putting meat between two slices of bread so he could continue to play cards without interruption or without getting the cards ...

From parsley and Parmesan to lemon slices and dustings of powdered sugar, plating food is an art form that delights guests. I want to teach you some plating techniques and let your passion for food shine through. I’m sure you’ve heard it ...

Probably the two words that best describe fusilli are “spirals” and “springs.” However, as it happens when Italian words are put under the microscope of translation, something else always shows up. So, for example, in the...

This is such an easy dish to put together. The various components –– chicken, pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts –– can be prepped ahead. Making the pesto sauce takes a bit of time, but there are several very good ready-to-go p...

The importance of and interest in foods that speak with a Mediterranean accent has never been stronger. And it is a lot more than basic popularity or diet that continues to drive this trend. Mediterranean-inspired dishes are marked by a depth of flav...

Dining trends come and go. One day all the rage is about Thai influences, then our palates are on to hot sauces. But Mediterranean fare is never far from the spotlight thanks to its enviable combination of bold flavors and big health benefits. The go...