Ok, for starters, we’ll start with a quick one to get our season of Nautifish going. This appetizer is light yet very sumptuous and satisfying with its tangy cocktail sauce. The shrimp is a nice departure from heavier hors d’oeuvres served during the winter months and the taste awakens people’s spirits. To give the starter a little extra punch, serve it in a brightly colored glass to reflect the light attitude of the season. Give his wholesale food distributor a call if you want more ideas like this or check back soon for another recipe with Nautifish.

Ingredients:

Nautifish 16/20 Peeled and Deveined   5 Each

Spring Mix                              1 oz.

Ken’s Cocktail Sauce              1 oz.

Edible Orchid                         1 Each

Preparation Instructions:

Place spring mix in a martini glass. Ladle cocktail sauce over greens.Arrange shrimp around the rim of the martini glass. Decorate with edible orchid.

We are now in the season of Lent. For those who observe this season, it is a time to prepare for Easter Sunday which this year falls on April 4, 2010. As with any tradition there are usually food traditions that follow. This wholesale food distributor has you covered when it comes to food trends.

Some of the traditions of Lent include fasting as well as forgoing certain types of foods such as meats. There are everything from French, Spanish, Greek and other types of Lent recipes out there and depending how you observe lent, you’ll take a different approach to your menu.

As a restaurant operator, you’ll want to take a close look at what you are offering during this season. If you offer items that are typically served during lent, you’re more apt to keep customers coming in and keep them happy as they’ll have various options to choose from.

This is also a good time to bring up the many uses of our Nautifish line of seafood. There are many options an operator or chef can implement during this season. In the coming weeks you’ll see many recipes from our own Chef Jeff Merry for the Lent season. He’ll be blogging about these recipes on a regular basis. In the meantime, take a look at my interview with Chef Merry about the various types of seafood options there are out there and what we’ve produced to help operators with ideas through this season.

Valentine’s Day is approaching very quickly. If you have not yet put together your menu for the weekend, you’re running out of time. Yes, Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday so in our opinion, this presents a big opportunity for you to get three days of foot traffic into your restaurant and get some sales under your belt during what may be a slow season for you. Plus,. I think people right now are craving a little excitement and are really looking forward to Valentine’s Day this year.  Make them feel like they made the right choice by coming to your place for that special day.

The Dijon Crusted Rack of Lamb is one item we are showing this season. A great special to have on your weekend menu and one that you just might want to keep on there for the future. This wholesale food distributor has you covered.

Dijon Crusted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients:

-Progresso seasoned bread crumbs        1/2 cup

-Minced Garlic                                                   2 Tbsp

-Rosemary Chopped Fresh                          2 Tbsp

-Salt                                                                       2 Tsp

-Black Pepper                                                    1 1/4 Tsp

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                      4 Tbsp

-New Zealand lamb rack                                 1-7 bone

-Roland Dijon Mustard                                  1 Tbsp

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 2 Tbsp of olive oil toss and set aside. Heat skillet with remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season rack with remaining salt and pepper. Sear rack on all sides, remove from skillet and coat with Dijon mustard and seasoned bread crumbs. Cover bones with foil and place rack back into skillet and place in oven. Cook for about 15 minutes or until desired doneness.

This wholesale food distributor has some great advice for Valentine’s Day weekend. That’s right, the weekend. This year Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday which opens up the opportunity to draw more customers than usual into your restaurant. By planning ahead and promoting the festive nature of the day, you can maximize the potential for hosting couples and families with children. Since Valentine’s Day is on a weekend day, more people may be inclined to go out. With a little creativity and preparation, your restaurant can host a variety of different patrons all day long and all weekend long ranging from parents looking to have fun with their kids to couples looking for a romantic bite to eat or to friends meeting up for a few drinks.

One promotion you may want to consider is a Valentine’s Day brunch. This would be a perfect addition to your Valentine’s Day menu since brunch is traditionally reserved for special occasions and served on Sunday. A menu ordered brunch can be fun, cost effective and provide great food choices for kids and adults. A menu that includes a few special food choices for children such as Valentine’s pancakes will draw families who do not want to leave their kids at home. The same menu can be tailored to appeal to the more sophisticated tastes of couples and parents by including standard breakfast foods such as eggs, bacon, fruits and pastries.

Your restaurant may also consider a serve-yourself buffet including special items geared toward Valentine’s Day. This can include almost any type of food served throughout the day like quiche, roasts, cold seafood, and different types of breads and desserts of all sorts. To keep the menu special you can look to include Mimosas and a holiday drink for kids. An inexpensive kid activity, entertainment like a juggler, magic or a movie can help make the dining experience exceptional for families. An additional promotion like giving a flower, toy or another type of take away item will make the visit to your restaurant memorable, keep your patrons happy and bring customers back in the future.  

Our own Paul Elias recently caught up with our Chef, Jeff Merry to talk about what operators can do to maximize the Valentine’s Day weekend business.