Rachel Litner Associates

The IACP Takes On New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate to admit this but over the years I’ve only made it to one IACP conference, though I’ve been a big fan of the association forever and have always loved their content and seminars. But last week the event finally came to NYC in my ‘backyard’ –so I was psyched for the chance to return.

As I expected it was great on so many levels. Some conferences can feel stale by the second or third day or their topics are just basic and uninspired, but there was nothing plain vanilla about this one. Super knowledgeable, passionate speakers like Ruth Reichl and Marcus Samuelsson delivered fresh, surprising, and truly engaging ideas.

And on a personal note, attending felt a bit like a homecoming for me since I ran into so many friends I hadn’t seen in a while, including those from IFEC as well as the now disbanded Association of Consumer Trends (ACT) –formerly CTFI. Plus, being there really drove home the idea of the diversity of food for me. I’d be talking to a food writer, a stylist, a videographer, a producer, and an editor—each who had such different specialties, but we all connected through food.

From the lecture rooms to the hallways several common themes repeatedly popped up. The first was the impact of technology on food. Although tech has of course been huge for a while now, there's been an explosion of food apps and digital platforms in the past year. So the question on everyone’s mind was how this shift will impact the craft. The overall consensus seemed to be that as long as these new platforms help to enhance it without replacing the hands-on art of cooking and eating, they’re a great addition.

Another recurring topic, which mirrored this year’s theme, The Fashion of Food, was how food is continuing to evolve way beyond the kitchen into the worlds of fashion, theater, art, pop culture, and more. Chefs are no longer just chefs but bloggers, writers, TV stars, business moguls, and social media celebs. The industry has become one giant melting pot as food, its ambassadors, and its followers seamlessly overlap and it’s really such a great time to be a part of it all.

Even though I’ve been in this business forever and have been to countless food-related conferences and events, few have inspired me as much as this year’s IACP. And that has as much to do with the people as the presentations.

"Rita Held spotting" at Carmines

 

Me with the Cuisinart gals (from left: Mary Rodgers, Beth Gardner, Teresa Corvino & Rebecca Sullivan)                                                                                           

Cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum
(2nd from right) & fans

A Taste of Chicago

As always, the Housewares Show was a whirlwind of activity—great products, fun people, and of course it was all about the food. One of the biggest questions on the floor was ‘Where did you go for dinner?’ So this time around, I thought I'd share some of the experiences I had after four nights on the town with my RLA associate, Dan (and others).

We have two very different palettes (my idea of adventurous eating is ordering something besides sea bass at a seafood restaurant),while Dan has never met a piece of wild game he didn’t like!) so our choice of dishes varied. Our overall experience at each restaurant was very much the same,though.  Here’s a taste of what we each tried:

Our foodie tour started off Friday night at Le Colonial, an upscale French-Vietnamese place on North Rush Street where I had to jump right into some exotic choices. After navigating the menu I found a few things that weren’t too intimidating, and ended up with the Cha Gio (crispy shrimp spring rolls) appetizer and the Ca Hop (steamed Chilean Sea Bass) as my entrée. What struck me most was how perfectly the food matched the style and ambiance of the restaurant, which had the feel of a tropical, 1920s speakeasy. Dan went for the Ca Song (tuna tartar with wonton crisps) and the Vit Quay (ginger marinated roast duck with tamarind sauce). A decadent dessert of crème brulée ended our Asian feast with some welcome French flair.

The following night we checked out Park Grill on North Michigan Avenue, and although the food was good--especially since we were starving after so many hours working the show--I was most excited about the location. This neighborhoody spot is right in the heart of Millennium Park and the famous Cloud Gate sculpture (known by locals as “the Bean”), which I finally got to see for the first time after so many years coming to Chicago. I had a Kobe burger and fries that never tasted so good. Dan got his meat fix with a beef Carpaccio appetizer and the grilled filet mignon. Dinner ended on a sweet note with another amazing crème brulée we devoured before heading to the Park for a photo opp.

                                                        The Bean in Millennium Park


Sunday’s dinner was the highlight of the trip at Girl & the Goat (Stephanie Izard's restaurant). The press around Girl & the Goat has been phenomenal and we had to book almost four months in advance, but it was definitely worth the wait. Tons of little plates kept coming all night, filled with fabulous flavors. Some of my favorites were the chickpea fritters, the roasted cauliflower with pine nuts and mint, the pan fried shishito peppers, (not to mention the Napa Chardonnay I washed it down with). Dan of course gravitated towards the stranger, gamey items like the braised beef tongue, smoked goat rilette empanadas, the whole roasted goat leg, and the crispy duck tongue – which I bravely tasted and survived! Everything was fantastically fresh and simply wonderful.

 

(L to R: Crispy Duck Tongues and Smoked Goat Rilette Empanadas)

      
(l. to r.- Confit Goat Belly and Whole Roasted Goat Leg)


Our feeding frenzy ended Monday at Crofton on Wells, where we dined with a big, lively group that went perfectly with the easy atmosphere and the enticing menu, which featured Continental-style cuisine with imaginative twists. I stayed on the simple side with an Atlantic Black Cod, as Dan finished up his fearless picks with veal sweetbreads and New Zealand Venison in a Guinness reduction. And with that, we were ready to head home happy, exhausted and definitely well-fed! After all that, I think I had cereal the next day for dinner!

A Seafood Showdown at City Crab

Although a great deal of my job and life revolves around food and housewares, I sometimes get so caught up in the work that I forget about one of the main reasons I love this business. But I was recently reminded of it again at a great event I went to last week at City Crab in New York’s Gramercy Park/Flatiron district. Sponsored by DailyCandy and Thrillist, the restaurant hosted an East Meets West Seafood Showdown where guests were able to sample a 5-course test kitchen dinner paired with wine or signature cocktails. Each course took classic seafood dishes and created an East and a West twist on them. After each round, guests got to vote on their favorites and the winners will make it on to City Crab’s upcoming new menu. These were the contenders:

• Soups: Maine lobster bisque vs. dungeness crab bisque
• Tuna “salads”: Deconstructed tuna Nicoise vs. Asian pear tuna tartare
• Mussels: Surf & Turf (pancetta & lobster) vs. Thai (Thai coconut, rock shrimp)
• Sea bass: Pan-seared vs. Asian-spiced
• Desserts: Flan vs. green tea crème brulee

 

While I admit when it comes to seafood I prefer to stick to the basics, I still loved listening as people debated their favorite dishes and compared foodie stories. Eating and sharing food with a passionate group of people is always a good thing and I really enjoyed being a part of it. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more engaging foodie events from DailyCandy and Thrillist, including the Five-Course Seafood Rematch, a follow-up to this event on April 3^rd.

                   
(L to R: Whitney Meers, DC; Julie Orchier;

Rev Ciancio, Thrillist)

Mr. Roboto Gets a Byline

Robotic journalism has arrived.  In a recent New York Times article, Steve Lohr writes about a technology start-up in Illinois that’s come up with a computer program that can write news articles. Right now, the company’s software can take information from sports statistics or financial data, and turn it into a story using a specific set of algorithms.  One of the owners of the company predicts that in five years his technology will win a Pulitzer Prize.

What’s wrong with this picture??  Whatever happened to the writer connecting with the reader?  This whole concept kind of freaks me out, to tell you the truth.  I’m not knocking efficiency, and totally get that now, more than ever, journalism is both an art and a business.  But this business model is taking the art right out of the equation, and it’s insulting.  This software merely relays information in a mechanized fashion – barely a step above box scores or a stock ticker – and comes nowhere close to connecting with readers.  For the sake of readers and writers everywhere, let’s hope that this glorified paper mill never wins a Pulitzer.

ProPublica’s Latest Venture: “Reporting Recipes”

I’ve been a fan of Paul Steiger’s for years, so when the former WSJ managing editor left the newspaper in 2007 to start ProPublica, an online venture devoted to covering stories that would spur change, I thought it spoke volumes about where journalism was heading. Now ProPublica has expanded its approach by sharing what it calls “reporting recipes,” case studies that show how a news organization can prompt change through journalism.

Here’s a case where a brick & mortar newshound who spent most of his career in print found a voice within a new web platform. A platform that serves a definite purpose and is evolving with the times. This is worth checking out

http://www.propublica.org/feature/why-were-giving-away-our-reporting-recipe-304

What NPD Says about our "Daily Meal Clock"

Here are some more good nuggets from last week’s “Eating In” webinar presented by The Food Institute, based on a new survey from The NPD Group:

Breakfast takes about 24 minutes from start to finish (5 minutes to prep, 5.2 to cook, 13 to eat)

• Despite a rapid increase in breakfast meals purchased at restaurants, 76% of breakfasts are still eaten at home using products from the supermarket.  (This is especially interesting because there’s such a big push for breakfast food these days from all kinds of companies.  Even Subway came out with a breakfast sandwich recently.)
• Home-prepared breakfasts cost about a third of breakfasts bought away from home.

People spend more time eating lunch than any other meal.  Lunch averages 44 minutes (7 minutes to prep, 9 minutes to cook and 28 minutes to eat).

• And for all you PB&J lovers out there, guess what the most popular sandwich is? Ham, with PB&J in second place.

Dinner takes about 60 minutes from start to finish (11 minutes to prep, 16 to cook, 23 to eat and 11 to clean)

• Taste is still the top motivation driving dinnertime food and beverage choices, followed by convenience.
• Almost 60% of decisions on what to serve for dinner are made within an hour of the meal and another 26% are made the same day. So, consumers need to have all the necessary ingredients at home before they decide what to make or they will likely fall back on the option of bringing home a prepared meal.

 

Making the Most of Being Immobolized

Breaking my foot was not on my list of things to accomplish this winter. But lo and behold, it happened. With my foot in a boot and crutches, everyday tasks such as getting a glass of water (or wine), talking on the phone while cleaning, or cooking has become a delicate balancing act. However, there are some tricks that have made the process go a lot smoother.

 In the kitchen, it’s all about consolidating trips: trips to the refrigerator, cabinets and stove. I take everything out at once and sit down during meal prep to cut mega amounts of veggies and fruits for cooking and snacking. Since I can’t exercise, I’m trying to stock up on as many healthy munchies as I can. By the way, Kellog’s “chocolatey drizzle” 90-calorie breakfast bars are great to satisfy your sweet tooth. I can’t live without my chocolate.

For a much more comprehensive resource on real menu planning on one leg, check out this post from Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn:  Recipes To Make While Standing On One Foot. There are some great tips and ideas that work for anyone looking for easy, interesting recipes – even without the crutches!  

"Eating In" Insights from NPD

What a great webinar I sat in on yesterday! The Food Institute presented “Eating In,” based on a new 2,000 household survey from The NPD Group that was packed with insights and stats about the challenges consumers face around mealtimes, and what food manufacturers and retailers can do about it. NPD is one of the first websites I turn to when looking for housewares and cooking trends, so I figured it would be an hour well-spent. And I was right.

The overall premise of the survey is that consumers are looking for meal solutions, not just product info that can’t be translated into practical applications.

Here are some of the points that struck a chord with me:

• The average cost per person of an in-home meal is $2.36 vs. $6.37 from a restaurant.

• Convenience is still the golden rule for home cooks (as if we haven’t heard this stressed enough over the years).  Mealtime starts before the pantry door is opened and it isn’t finished until the dishes are done. That’s a key reason that menus have become simpler and the definition of an “eat-at-home” evening meal has expanded to include the full range of options: ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat, ready-to-cook, and scratch ingredients.

• The web continues to play a critical role in the way consumers plan their meals and in reaching the people who influence the decision-making.  Consumers are trying to do more pre-planning when it comes to meals and they are looking for help – which makes online planning tools and recipe widgets more important than ever.

• As for reaching the decision-makers, we all know that moms are a huge target market. What we don’t hear as much about is that they are primarily basing their meal decisions on requests from their own family members. NPD says that family requests are the most valued source of meal-planning ideas, trumping cookbooks and store flyers.  Which is why Facebook and Twitter should always be factored into the marketing equation since they are used by moms and kids alike.

• Mealtime planning gets especially complex for families at dinnertime, when everyone is on a different schedule and has varying food preferences to boot. How can moms bring all these variables together and still come up with a meal that’s healthy, flavorful and prepared quickly? Enter the web, and a call to develop more online planning tools for families that make it fun – even educational – for family members to contribute to meal planning.

 

Walking the Housewares Show...Virtually

                         

                                              

I’ve never missed a Chicago Housewares Show- until last month when I broke my foot by slipping on ice while walking the dog. At first, I couldn’t imagine not being there. There were so many people I looked forward to seeing, not to mention checking out what’s new and well, just being there.

Luckily there were lots of “eyes and ears” at the show and people to fill me in. One of them is Bev Bennett, an author and recipe developer who has a great way of bottom-lining everything. Here’s her take on the key trends at the show:

Overall, the show was a greater reflection of green, easy, aspirational cooking, and home entertaining, since fewer people are eating out these days. For example:

·         Most cookware companies introduced nonstick cookware without Teflon but marketed it as green or eco-friendly, not diet cookware

·         Water bottles and filtration are big

·         Slow cookers are evolving. Some aren’t even called slow cookers anymore but are designed with more versatility to handle broader cooking applications

·         Indoor electric stovetop grills, griddles and waffle makers are prominent

·         There’s more evidence of healthy eating with make your own yogurt kits and grind your own grains (shades of the 70’s)

·         Lots of make your own soda sparkling water equipment – not necessarily new but available in greater numbers

A Big Demand for Small Plates

Small plates are everywhere. In new menu offerings at restaurants, holiday recipes, party themes, food trend articles, you name it. And for good reason. They offer great variety and give us an excuse to share our dishes around the table - which is more fun anyway. Tapas-style menus are among my favorites, but that's also because I love bread so I get the best of both worlds. Anything that has to do with Meditteranean food is at the top of my list, for that matter.

Here are just a few recent stories about small plate offerings and trends that caught my eye: 

Restaurant of the Future? from The Wall Street Journal 

2010 Trend: Artisanal Breakfasts from Food & Wine

And, among the latest small plate menus worth checking out, of course, there's Bugaboo Creek Steak House (check out the sharable starters)  and The Office Beer Bar & Grill, to name a few.