My wife and I have very different methodologies when it comes to cooking. I go out of my way to keep my ingredients simple, to let the flavor of the food shine as much as possible, with only minor ingredients that highlight the flavors of the key components of a dish. My wife goes recipe searching until she finds something that challenges her baker’s sensibilities, usually with a fairly extensive ingredient list and some fairly complicated steps thrown in the mix for fun. She says she does this because I do such a good job of making simple dishes. I think it’s just because her primary cooking influences are Puerto Rican, a culinary style that’s ingredient and method heavy.

I’m not complaining, my wife is an exceptional cook. I almost always have a problem tearing myself away from her dishes, and this one is no exception. As a matter of fact, I believe this is the best thing she’s ever graced my palate with and is a recipe I’ll be begging her to make often in the future.

This pork loin is oven roasted in a spicy-sweet glaze of herbs, cloves and brown sugar that to me embodies the flavors and aromas of late fall and winter. The house filled with a wonderful and heady perfume long before the dish was done, but I’ll go to my grave insisting that it was well worth the torturous wait to get to the finished product. It really doesn’t come any better than this.

Note: My wife adapted this from a recipe on the Food Network Website that was courtesy Le Central French Restaurant. The original recipe was for Pork Loin with Mushroom Fricassee, and called for a few additional steps, though I doubt these would have made an earth-shattering difference in the dish. The fricassee called for several varieties of mushrooms we didn’t have, and were skipped for this meal.

Continue reading: Simply the Best Pork Loin Recipe Ever

Texans are aware of one truth of life that other states are just now figuring out. We’ve known for a long time that salsa goes with everything Y’all. No joke. It’s good on just about anything you can think of. Of course chips, but have you tried it on a hot dog? How about over pasta? Yeah, it goes anywhere.

Salsa is the second most popular condiment in the US. (Believe it or not, mayo is #1 by a very large margin.) Salsa beat out ketchup as America’s favorite tomato based mealtime accessory in 2006 and shows no signs of giving up its place at the top. When the folks at Truco Enterprises, home of On The Border restaurant’s retail line offered us a chance to try out their new all natural Cantina Style salsa, we jumped at it.

Before I get to the review, first the disclaimer. The chips and salsa being reviewed were provided to me without charge by Truco with the understanding that I would give an honest review and have  the opportunity to give one lucky reader the same samples that we received. All opinions are my own and those of my family.

And it’s a good opinion. Oh yes. It’s a very good opinion.

A few bullet points about the new Cantina Style Salsa from the Manufacturer:

1. It is vinegar free—you can cook with it—unlike other salsas on the market
2. No preservatives
3. All natural
4. Totally thin chip dip-able

All true. I’ve looked at the label. Just salsa ingredients. That’s a good thing.

Aside from being all natural, what makes this salsa exceptional is that it’s a more traditional style thin salsa. Thin salsas have the advantage of not causing thin chips to break, but they also have a much more even heat distribution. Chunky salsas have chunks of jalapeños. In a thin salsa, the peppers are chopped much finer, so no surprise blasts of super-hot peper in every few bites. This makes the Cantina Style salsa ideal for cooking, especially when you need to moderate the heat levels.

Just take a look at the salsas pictured below. On the left is On The Border’s Traditional Style salsa, and the Cantina Style is on the left. you can tell just by looking at them that the Cantina Style is thinner:

So you ask “Thin is good, but how does it taste?”

That’s a good question, and our collective answer is: “It’s fantastic!”

If you love lime and cilantro, this is the salsa for you. It’s sweeter than other salsas, but has no less tang or zing. It’s subtly smoky with just enough heat to keep my very jaded taste buds happy. There’s no risk of getting to the end of a bowl o find only a few large chunks of jalapeño and onion. Just like a certain brand of coffee, this stuff is good to the last drop.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. One of you lucky stiffs have the opportunity to try it for yourself. Leave a comment here before Jun 27th 2013 for your opportunity to win a sample pack of On The Border Salsa and chips to go with it. (Continental U.S. Only, please!)

The winner will receive:

• 2 Bags of On The Border Cafe Style tortilla Chips
• 2 Bags of On The Border Cantina Thins tortilla chips
• On The Border Original Salsa in both mild and medium heat
• The new All Natural Cantina Style Salsa in both mild and medium heat

That’s enough chips and salsa to handle your own fiesta!  You’ll have the chance to try the salsas side by side and see the difference for yourself. Trust me, you want to. So leave a comment!

Of course, if you don’t want to wait that long, go grab some and give it a shot while you wait to see if you’ve won.  You’ll want to win even more if you do, because you’re not going to be able to stop with just one. I’m serious. It’s that good.

A good cup of coffee can be a key component to getting the day started right for many people, but can be surprisingly hard to find. Give your customers coffee they will sip and savor and you may find a new set of repeat customers. Bunn is built upon a foundation of five generations of entrepreneurs who understood the weight that a good cup of coffee can carry and that shows through in the quality of Bunn coffee maker parts, the ideas that go into their design and the importance they place on supporting their products and their customers.

The Technology Behind a Bunn Cup of Coffee

Bunn has devised their coffee makers to be as easy to use as possible so that you can get your coffee going and walk away to let the coffeemaker take care of the rest. Bunn’s coffee makers provide you with an LCD display that allows you to get your coffee settings just where you want them. They self-adjust to accommodate changing water pressure and even change the flow rate and brew time to account for high lime areas. Some restaurant equipment parts that Bunn offers include carafes equipped with an RFID chip. Whether you need a single cup of coffee or you need to be ready to serve a full house with plentiful refills, Bunn will keep the coffee coming and keep it fresh, hot and to the specifications that your customers expect.

Quality in Every Cup

Nearly every aspect of Bunn’s machines is designed to consistently produce excellent coffee. Their cold brew lockout capability helps you to rest easy knowing that each cup is brewed to the highest standards.  Freshness and age of the coffee can be tracked with their RFID chips so that you know you’re not serving anything but a piping hot, fresh cup of coffee. Automatic warmer shut-offs help you to make sure that your customers never have to wince at a scalded cup of coffee. Even coffee extraction is programmable on these machines so that you get coffee made the way you want it.

Support You Can Drink To

Bunn stands firmly behind their products and supports their customers to make sure that every cup of coffee dispensed from their coffee makers meets the high standards to which they hold themselves. Whether it’s the coffee dispenser, temperature or water quality systems or other Bunn coffee maker parts such as the filters and grinders,  Bunn aims to achieve the highest customer satisfaction possible both domestically and internationally. They even offer free training classes on their products to help make your use of their machines as seamless as possible and supply you with the tools to make full use of the Bunn’s coffee making technology.

Bunn takes the worry out of providing great coffee to your customers. A single glance at one of Bunn’s coffee makers can tell you if the coffee’s hot, fresh and ready to go. You don’t have to waste time brewing multiple pots before you get it right. Bunn will get it right for you. Their service, ingenuity and commitment to excellence mean that you’ll be able to make sure your customers start their day off right with a great cup of coffee.

Patty Ballard is currently a Restaurant Events Coordinator and has owned a restaurant franchise of her own.

Image Credit grfx_guru on Flickr

Bean dip is a San Antonio favorite. It’s such a distinctly Texan recipe that the very first Texan entry in Clementine Paddleford’s Great American Cookbook is For Bobbie Coleman’s  Texas Bean Dip, and was served to Mrs. Paddleford just a few miles from my home, in the Alamo Heights district of San Antonio. She declared that bean dip “True Texas Cuisine.” We Texans couldn’t agree more.

This version is a kitchen-sink kind of bean dip. the ingredients are everything you’d expect to see on a quesadilla or other Tex-Mex classics, all added to a single pot and simmered with a little love… And then of course, we tossed in some bacon, because everything is better with bacon. Even in Texas. We used a store bought salsa for this dish, but you could definitely use some fresh, homemade Pico de Gallo and homemede refried beans for a fresher version.

A warning though. This recipe makes a LOT of dip. You’re sure to have leftovers unless you’re feeding a crowd, which makes this perfect for Game-day. if you do have leftovers though, just whip up some tacos for dinner and use it on those. that’s what we’re doing!

Whip up a batch and let us know what you think, we’d love to hear from you!

Continue reading: Bean and Bacon Dip with Salsa, Sour Cream and Cheddar

If business in a restaurant is good, the kitchen gets pushed to its limits. Broken and faulty restaurant equipment can make for a difficult day; the good news is that most kitchen equipment is easily fixed with the right replacement parts. Learning about the available quality parts before these unexpected situations occur will make for a much easier and faster solution.

Choosing a Premier Parts Manufacturer

If repairs are done in house, it is important to use the appropriate quality parts for the task. Choosing an established and reputable manufacturer of equipment and parts goes a long way towards maintaining properly working equipment. A reliable restaurant equipment vendor will have a wide selection of Winston parts available to fit all repair needs. Winston Industries has manufactured industry leading restaurant and kitchen equipment and parts for over forty years. Known for their storage, fryer, and kitchen data products, Winston has an extensive line of premium replacement parts for their products.

Stop Using the Equipment at the First Sign of Malfunction

It is not uncommon for even perfectly functioning equipment to have some minor quirks such as unusual sounds or vibrations. Some wear and tear is to be expected given how much these devices are used. Kitchens are chaotic at times; spills and collisions happen. If equipment starts to perform differently or display other hiccups, it is vital to have the machine inspected by a certified repairman. Even small quirks can be signs of a major problem or have the potential to turn into one. Some minor repairs can be accomplished in house by someone who is familiar with the basic function and parts of the equipment. This equipment is valuable; it is a good bet to err on the side of caution when in it comes to repairs. A certified repairman will quickly figure out and solve the problem, saving time and money in the process.

Perform Regular Maintenance

All restaurant and kitchen equipment should be cleaned and inspected on a regular basis. Failure to do so increases the risk of food contamination and food borne illness, not to mention potential sanctions from health inspectors. Routine cleaning and maintenance for Winston parts and equipment includes checking for leaks and rust, rinsing and clearing deposit build ups, and removing any debris. The use of a kitchen friendly disinfectant is advisable. Keeping the owner’s manual is essential; always consult the manual for information regarding maintenance procedures. Improper cleaning and maintenance can damage or ruin valuable equipment. Following proper safety procedure is a must, especially when working with fryers and other dangerous equipment.

Consider an Extended Warranty on Valuable Equipment

Winston and other kitchen equipment manufacturers offer a full one year warranty on all products. Bear in mind that warranties can be voided by improper and insufficient cleaning and maintenance. Be sure to never throw out any parts or equipment in the event that breaks occur while the equipment is under warranty. Damaged parts are often required in order to take advantage of free repair and replacement. It is easy to dismiss an extended warranty as an unnecessary expenditure, particularly when a product is new. This “unnecessary expenditure” is a smart investment, one that can prevent a significant financial hit down the line.

Patty Ballard is currently a Restaurant Events Coordinator and has owned a restaurant franchise of her own.

Almost everyone loves cheesecakes, right? And with good reason – a well made cheesecake melts in your mouth and pleases your palate like no other confection. If you are in Singapore and are looking for a great cheesecake shop, try Obolo Bakeshop to start off.

This bakeshop offers a wide variety of cheesecakes for you to choose from. For example, you might be hankering after their New York Cheese cake which is great for strawberry lovers. They also have Blueberry Cheese, possibly the best example of a true classic. Others might be craving Mango Passion or Cookies n Cream Cheese instead. Their Salted Caramel Cheese might not be as well known as the other types but you should try it too just to see if it meets your standards. You can also try the Nutella Cheese to round off your cheesecake preferences.

You can visit Obolo Bakeshop in Singapore today to try their products – or you could simply go online and visit their site to see pictures of the cheesecakes they are selling. You can even use their website to order your preferred type of cheesecake actually.

One reason to visit the bakeshop is also to get an idea of how to make a cheesecake just like theirs. Tasting is paramount when trying to master any recipe. Bakers who have a fantastic palate will be able to discern what ingredients were used to make the cheesecake they just tasted. You can use a cheesecake cookbook to figure out how much of ingredient was used though if you are in doubt as to the measurements. Some cooks are intimidated by the prospect of making a cheesecake because they think that the process is very complicated. True, some steps in the recipe may require more patience and skill but that is part of the fun of making the best cheesecake (aside from eating it that is.)

If you are eager to try making your own cake, it is always important to have the right tools on hand. First, you should buy the best ingredients. Get a high quality cream cheese that tastes great and eggs. Use quality equipment such as an electric mixer and baking pans. You should also have a reliable oven that will maintain temperature just where you want it without temperature fluctuations.

If at the start you don’t wind up with a smooth batter or maybe if your cake base seems to crack, don’t despair. You probably just need practice. One reason your batter could be lumpy is if you rush the beating of the batter. You can choose between beating the batter manually or using the electric mixer. You should also monitor the temperature at which you bake your cake and cool it down. If the cake seems to have cracked in certain places, just use the frosting to cover up those areas. Lastly, do cool your cheesecake in a refrigerator that has a constant temperature setting.

Be patient with learning how to bake a cheesecake and you might become skilled enough to be as good as the bakers of Obolo Bakeshop.

Author’s Bio:

Mac Woo is the chef-owner of Obolo Bakeshop; one of Singapore’s leading patisseries cafe, handcrafting its award-winning cheesecakes and macarons daily.  Along with June Lee; these two aspiring architects turned self-taught pastry chefs, started this 100% home-grown brand in 2004; infusing their design training into creating exciting and innovative flavours.

Image Credit mvbalaji on Flickr

Appetizers should always be something familiar. Sure, you can (and should) jazz it up a bit, but whatever it is, it should be easily identifiable to your guests.  Also important is that it should be something that isn’t going to cause you a ton of stress on the day of your party. Combine those two ideas and you have the inspiration behind Candied Bacon Egg Salad on Crispy Wonton Spoons. This dish is my entry in the “Sliced” recipe contest hosted by Saucy Mamma Mustard.

The “sliced” competition is sort of a bloggers version of that show on the Food Network with a similar name, except that instead of only having 30 minutes, we get a few days notice of our secret ingredient. Trust me, in terms of a food blog, only having a few days to get something done, photographed written and edited make the 30 minute deadline on that TV show sound pretty luxurious!

The nice folks at Barhyte Specialty Foods provided us with a collection of three different varieties of Saucy Mama mustards to use for the competition. We have to use one of these mustards in each dish, plus the secret ingredient. For this round the secret ingredient was…

Wait For it…

Bacon!

But why just use bacon when you can use candied bacon?

Candied bacon has mustard, so I could have just stopped there. But if you’ve been following along with us for any length of time you’ll know we couldn’t stop there. we needed a way to get that gorgeous bacon to you in a nice, safe and delicious manner. Originally I was going to use wonton cups, but on a whim i decided to see if I could use the same technique to turn the same idea into something a little more playful.

I started by tracing a ceramic Asian soup spoon’s shape onto paper. Then I cut that shape out of 12 wonton wrappers while the bacon was cooking.

Place each one of the cut out shapes onto a ceramic or metal spoon. Brush with oil (Or bacon grease, which is what we used… Because it’s a bacon competition.) Sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Wallah! you have a cute little edible spoon, all redolent in bacony goodness.

Of course, you can use a wonton cup or a filo cup if you don’t want to go to this much trouble. Heck, you can serve this on crackers. As long as the delivery method is finger friendly, you’re all set!

From there, just whip up a simple egg salad with some of that gorgeous candied bacon in it. Top with some green onions, a slice of hard boiled egg and another little bit of bacon. you’re all good to go.

In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s a functional spoon. to fully demonstrate this, I present our resident hand model (Also known as my lovely wife) showing the usability of the finished wonton spoon.

Here’s the best bit. All of the individual ingredients for this dish can be made up to two days in advance as long as they’re stored separately in airtight containers. That leaves you with nothing to do but assemble them on the day of your party. That will save you a little stress, and that’s a good thing

I also get to give away the same sample pack of mustards that I’m using for this competition! Check the details after the recipe. This is seriously good stuff, folks. you need to win this!

Continue reading: Candied Bacon Egg Salad on Crispy Wonton Spoons ~ A Contest And a #SaucyMama Giveaway

If there is one business opportunity that gives you the chance to laugh all the way to the bank, it is the food and drinks business. Most pubs and restaurants will be working on a 65% gross profit or higher.

Those companies that make the majority of their products from raw ingredients could be touching 80% as their GP. Of course, just because you are able to bank a high gross profit, doesn’t mean that you are going to be successful. As you can see, revenue doesn’t have to be particularly high to start netting some serious profits!

Here are 4 factors that will help make your business a smash hit…

Cash Flow

In business, cash is king. If you have cash flow, then you have the ability to employ staff instantly when you need to increase capacity. At the same time you have the ability to invest in high ROI marketing campaigns that will take your business to the next level. Businesses that do not start up with enough cash are going to struggle. Even if they are turning over huge amounts of money, they might not be profitable due to the time it takes to get cash flowing in unity.

Before you begin your business you need to be realistic. In fact, don’t just be realistic; have a contingency fund. Have around 15% extra cash than you think you need. This will give you some breathing room on the rainy days.

Location & Delivery

Location is one of the single most important things when it comes to running a great food business. You could have the best product in the world at a ridiculously low price, but if you are not in a prime location for that product, then you won’t make the grade.

The location of a food business can literally make or break it. Of course, if the business could offer delivery profitably, then it should be offered. This is a chance to increase revenue massively, without increasing the monthly overheads by much.

Some businesses rely entirely on their delivery service revenue, so this could make a huge difference to the size of your operation.

Product Quality

Reputation is everything in business. If you company can get a good reputation for supplying high quality products, the chances of success are going to increase even further.

Make sure you constantly trying out new recipes and even offer limited edition products to get your customer’s taste buds pulsing. Don’t be afraid to check out what the competition is doing if you are struggling for ideas.

Business Processes

Your business processes need to be kept clutter free at all times. One of the major expenses of any food business is going to be employees. If you spend time setting up systems and processes that are simple, employees will be able to get more done in a shorter amount of time; it will save your company money. These processes could be anything from managing payroll to fulfilling take-away orders. This can be done by using applications like restaurant point of sale software.

Alex is an online writer that has been involved with online blog writing since 2007. During his time as a writer he has managed to get over 100 blog posts published on a huge variety of blogs. His recent submissions include posts relating to how to raise finance for property development projects and what the future holds for the economy.

This gorgeous dish almost never existed. It was, quite frankly, never intended to exist. For the first installment of #theSaladBar monthly blogging group I’d planned a lovely little salad with frisée, strawberries, blueberries, some fresh cheese and a yogurt dressing. Unfortunately the end of the school year left our schedule in tatters and many of my ingredients inedible.

That doesn’t mean I’d leave the lovely Wendy Wofford-Garcia hanging on the first week her new group was supposed to post our salads. She’s a sweet lady and a fellow San Antonian. I had to come through.

Even though my original plans had been foiled, I knew we could pull something off, and a rummage through the pantry found us all the ingredients we needed for a spectacular fruit salad featuring the star of the month, blueberries.

You won’t find any heavy syrups or artificially-colored fruits and berries here. Everything about this salad is crisp, sweet, and amazingly light. Brown sugar and honey sweeten up the tart berries a bit and add a hint of molasses to the cantaloupe. (Trust me, it’s a good thing. An incredibly good thing.)

Everything else here is simply what nature gives out. Sweet, cool melon, tart, tangy blueberries and surprisingly succulent pineapple with a hint of honey.  This was such a hit that my wife and youngest son devoured half of it within a few minutes, and I don’t expect the rest to last until morning. Yeah. Its a winner.

You need to try this. Really.

Continue reading: Blueberry, Cantaloupe and Pineapple Salad #TheSaladBar

Whether you are choosing wine for yourself, for a gift, or you are hosting an entire dinner party, making the best selection can be difficult. With so many different wines to choose from, it can be hard to know which one will be the best. Experience is often one of the best ways to become more skilled at selecting wines, but there are a few things you can do now to give you more confidence with your choice.

Different Types Of Wines

One of the easiest things to understand about wines is the difference between white and red. “White wines” and “red wines” are the two most basic types of wines. In the winemaking process, white wines are made without the help of the grapes’ skin. Red wines, on the other hand, combine the juice and the skin to produce a heavier product. With only the juice and natural sugars in white wines, they are generally sweeter in taste. Depending on the type of meal you will be serving, you may be looking for a sweeter or heavier taste.

In the case of meat, red and white wines generally have a more specific place. Red meats and sauces, which are often heavier in both taste and texture, often go best with red wines. White meats, such as white fish and chicken, are often paired with white wines, complimenting the light taste with a fresh sweetness.

Wines are often further classified as to their level of sweetness. Depending on the quality and make of various red and white wines, they might be more or less sweet. Wines that are “dry” or not sweet will be given a lower rating, while the sweetest of wines will be given a rating of a 6. As you make your selection, you will want to consider how sweet or heavy a wine might taste in combination with your main course.

Tannin And Acidity Content

In addition to sweetness, wines are also described in terms of bitterness and acidity.  “Tannins” can be very important, especially in red wines, for creating a noticeable, bitter taste. A higher acid content, on the other hand, can make the taste more tart or sour. With an acid content that is too low, the taste might become flat. With the right combination of acidity and tannins in your wines, you can get the taste you are looking for with any meal.

Reading The Label

When selecting wines, it can be very important to take the time to read the label. Wines are labeled with important information, often including the type, flavor, and quality of the wine. Different grades are given to wines based on different factors. With a higher grading, you can expect to have a higher quality. Many people recommend 80 points as the bottom line for quality wines.

Just like the fat content in milk, wines are also often labeled with their alcohol content. These labels are generally given as percentages, comparing the alcohol content to the entire volume. A percentage under 10.5% generally indicates a light body, meaning that it has a low alcohol content. Anything over 12.5% indicates full body, which means a high content of alcohol.

As you compare various qualities and experiment with different types, you can become an expert at choosing wine.

Article courtesy of Chuck Withers of the Two Guys Wine and Travel Blog, follow him on Twitter @twoguyswine for more updates on wine, travel and many more international delights.