El Restaurante Mexicano's Trendwatch

Working with a foodservice distributor

With the economic downturn continuing to make headlines, it is more important than ever for restaurant operators to take stock of all that makes their businesses tick.

In the following excerpt from the September/October 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano, editor Kathleen Furore asks consultant David Scott Peters, a restaurant expert who specializes in systems for independent restaurant owners, how Mexican restaurant owners and managers can work with distributors in ways that will help them save money and ultimately profit in today’s rocky economy.

ERM: I've heard that many restaurants, particularly small independents, don't work regularly with foodservice distributors. Is that a mistake? If so, why?

Peters: Many independent restaurant operators operate under the false understanding that the outdated practice of “cherry picking” their purchases from multiple distributors and big box discount stores is still the best way to save money. By cherry picking, I mean that they make their purchases from multiple distributors and retail outlets based on price, selecting each one for the prices on a few products.

While you might be able to save money on a few items, with each specific provider, each distributor you work with has to make a certain amount of money per delivery. As a result, they increase prices on products on such as janitorial, paper and supply purchases. You also have to remember your time has value, too. Every trip you take to a big box store to save money is very expensive when you look at the value of your time and what you could be doing to generate more sales, control costs and improve training. If you are sending an hourly employee to pick items up at a big box store, you can quickly see you may not be saving much in the long run because you have to pay for their time as well as to bring in another body to do the work they needed to get done to run the shift. Add to that the time it takes to manage the ordering and invoicing with multiple distributors, and you’ll find you're spending all of your time managing your ordering.

ERM: What are some of the most important questions restaurant operators/managers should ask when deciding which distributor(s) to work with?

Peters: This is actually a very complex question and there is no simple answer. Why? Because there are so many variables that go into selecting a distributor. They are basically a partner in your business, and their job is to make sure you have what you need to best serve your guests. In general, I would ask:

*Do you have or will you carry the main products I MUST have to operate?

*Will you provide me a bid sheet with prices once a week?

*If I pay COD or shorter terms, will you give me a price break?

*If I only place two deliveries a week, will you give me a price break?

*What is your policy if an item is out of stock? How will I be notified? Can I preset a substitution product or policy?

*What is your minimum order size for delivery?

*Will you provide me electronic invoices every week so that I can check prices?

*Can you hit my designated delivery window?

Oportunidades del Día de los Muertos

Day of the Dead offers promotional opportunities for Mexican restaurants. Below is a brief history of the holiday, as well as some promotional ideas.

El Día de Los Muertos is a tradition that combines Aztec, Mayan and Spanish beliefs about death, and is a time Hispanics remember departed friends and family members. The celebration dates to the eighth century, when the church decreed Nov. 1 as All Saints Day — "an attempt to replace the 2000-year-old tradition of the Celts and their Druid priests who combined harvest festivals and celebrated the new year on Nov. 1," a story by Judy King at www.mexconnect.com says. Around the end of the first millennium, the church, trying to cover the Celtic tradition, named Nov. 2 All Souls' Day — a day people dressed as saints, angels and devils and celebrated with bonfires and parades.

But the Mexican people, used to two-month celebrations honoring death, the fall harvest and the new year, had other ideas.

"For more than 500 years, the goddess Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Dead) presided over Aztec harvest rituals using fires and incense, costumes of animal skins, images of their dead, and offerings of ceramics, personal goods, foods, drink and flowers," King writes.

"When the church attempted to transform the joyous celebration into a suitably tragic image of death and a serious day of prayer focusing attention and reflection on the saints and martyrs, the people of Mexico did not fully adopt the early priests' ideas. By keeping their familiar ceremonies, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day evolved into the celebrations that today honor the dead with color, candles, and joy."

Today in Mexico, mid-October finds families, shop owners, bakeries, florists, and candlemakers getting ready to welcome the dead on their journey back to visit loved ones.

Incorporating the customs that are integral aspects of El Día de Los Muertos can generate business and publicity for Mexican and other Latin eateries during the Halloween time frame. Ideas include:

Create an ofrenda (altar) in your restaurant, and invite employees and customers to bring in photos of loved ones.
Offer special Day of the Dead dishes like Dulce de Calabaza (candied pumpkin) and Pan de Muerto (a "bread of the dead" that is a sweet, rich bread or coffee cake decorated with dough or meringues made to look like bones, skull-shaped candies and sweets.
Top restaurant tables with special paper placemats designed with snippets of information about this important Hispanic fall holiday.
Ask staff to dress in skeleton-themed or other Mexican apparel.
Notify your local newspaper (the food or entertainment editor, if the paper has a food and entertainment section) about any Day of the Dead specials or events. Make sure to do so two to three weeks before the holiday so there's time for the publication to mention your plans.

TrendWatch: Vanilla

Last week, we examined the role cinnamon plays in Mexican cooking. This week, the topic is vanilla—another important flavoring element used extensively in Mexican fare.

Vanilla’s Role in Mexican kitchens

Vanilla (vanilla planifolia)—the seed pod of a tropical orchid native to the Papantla area of Veracruz’s tropical highlands—is important to Mexican chefs.

The English word vanilla comes from the Spanish vainilla, meaning “little pod”; however, it was the French, not the Spanish, who persuaded the Totonacs to sell their long-guarded secrets and ultimately learned to cure vanilla. Although vanilla is now produced outside of Mexico, too, many culinary experts consider Mexican vanilla the finest in the world. Mexican chefs favor the vanilla extract labeled “legitimo de Papantla” and it is often specified by name on restaurant menus.

Besides the ubiquitous vanilla ice cream, other vanilla-flavored sweets include: tres leches cake, the cheesecake-like beso de angel, and a variety of flans. It is one of the signature flavors in rompope, which is frequently used as a dessert sauce in Mexico, where it is served over sweet corn cake and over cheese flan. Other popular, vanilla-flavored desserts include crema de vainilla—vanilla pastry cream—served with a cinnamon-flavored baked apple.

Although largely used in making sweets, the flavor of pure vanilla also complements seafood, chicken and vegetables. One example is the cola de langosta en salsa de vainilla—lobster tail in vanilla sauce—served with coconut rice.

Vanilla can also be used to flavor and scent butter for vegetables, or added to fruit glazes for grilled poultry (it works especially well in mango glaze). It can also be added to braising liquids for chicken, marinades for shrimp, and seafood fillings for crepes.

Mexican vanilla pods, or “beans,” with their intense flavor and aroma, are considered the best for liqueurs and coffee drinks. They are steeped in alcohol to make Xanath, the vanilla liqueur sold in Papantla. Vanilla is also an ingredient in the famous Veracruzano drinks called toritos, creamy aperitifs, the most famous of which is made with peanuts.

(Excerpted from a story by award-winning, Mexico-based writer Karen Hursh Graber, that was featured in the September/October issue of El Restaurante Mexicano, found at www.restmex.com.)

Cinnamon: An important ingredient in Mexican food

Cinnamon is one of the most important flavoring elements in Mexican cooking

Of all the spices the Europeans introduced to Mexico, cinnamon is used in the widest variety of foods and beverages. It is so important in Mexican cooking that Mexico is the world’s largest importer of Ceylon (Sri Lankan) cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicam), also known as “true cinnamon”—a different variety than the cassia labeled as cinnamon in the United States.

Cinnamon was first used in the New World as a flavoring for chocolate, and it would be tough to imagine Mexican chocolate without the distinctive taste of cinnamon today. Next came its use in moles, including the mole poblano.

Cinnamon, along with piloncillo, is frequently used in the sweet and sour poaching liquid used to reconstitute ancho chiles for stuffing. Cinnamon is featured in Mexican desserts, including rice pudding, polvorones (Mexican wedding cookies), chongos, capirotada and the beloved cochinitos ( or “piggy cookies"). After a satisfying meal, Mexican diners appreciate a cup of café de olla, the cinnamon-infused coffee popular countrywide. Other beverages flavored with cinnamon include horchata, ponche navideño (Christmas punch), tepache (a cold, fermented pineapple drink sold at street stands and market restaurants) and the chocolate flavored atole known as champurrado. Cinnamon tea is also popular, either as a hot drink or as a substitute for water in making sweet empanada dough.

Below are some ideas for adding cinnamon to Mexican dishes—great for the upcoming Day of the Dead and Las Posadas holidays!

* Use cinnamon to flavor whipped cream for a dessert topping on “Mexican brownies” made with Mexican chocolate, or to flavor unsweetened crême fraiche to drizzle over vegetable cream soups.

* Bake wheat tortillas sprinkled with cinnamon sugar to make sweet chips to serve with fruit salsas, or fill the same kind of tortillas with fruit, fry and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to make dessert “tacos.”

* Add cinnamon to your favorite flan recipe to make flan de canela, or add it to chocolate dessert sauce for a distinctly Mexican flavor.

* Use cinnamon sticks as stirrers in hot chocolate and sweet atoles.

(Excerpted from a story by award-winning, Mexico-based writer Karen Hursh Graber, that was featured in the September/October issue of El Restaurante Mexicano, found at www.restmex.com.)

Hispanic Cheese: A must for Mexican menus

Cheesemaking evolved into a regional occupation in Mexico, producing distinctly Mexican varieties of quesos

Nowhere is the importance of cheese more evident than in the antojitos and botanas sold in Mexico’s restaurants and food stands. Add to the list the innovative ways of using it in soups, salads, entrees and desserts, and it is easy to see why cheese—especially fresh queso—is an indispensable ingredient in Mexican cuisine.

Fresh Cheeses

The fresh cheeses include queso fresco, a spongy white cheese used to crumble over enchiladas, taquitos, gorditas and memelas. Another fresh cheese is panela, which keeps its shape when sliced and is commonly used for frying and grilling, especially as part of a parillada mixta, or mixed grill. A third type of fresh cheese is the ricotta-like requesón, used to make cheese spreads and to fill enchiladas and tacos.

Soft Quesos

The soft cheese category includes Oaxaca cheese (often called quesillo, and queso añejo, or aged cheese), which is a stretched curd cheese, kneaded and wound into balls. It is pulled apart into thin strings before being used to fill tortillas (as in quesadillas) or melted onto cooked food. The other soft cheese, queso añejo, is the aged version of queso fresco. While categorized as “soft”, it can actually become quite firm and salty as it ages and is used primarily as a garnish, grated over a variety of dishes.

Semi-soft varieties

Semi-soft cheeses are primarily used for melting, especially queso asadero, the one most frequently used to make queso fundido. Other semi-soft cheeses are Chihuahua, also called queso menonita after the Mennonite communities of Northern Mexico that first produced it, and the lesser-known queso jalapeno. These and the semi-firm queso criollo and the buttery yellow manchego are typically used as melting cheeses to accent a main dish, to stuff chiles, or to make crepes or cheese soup.

Firm options

The firm cheeses, queso cotija and manchego viejo, are usually used exclusively as garnishes. Manchego viejo has an intense flavor and is often shaved over botanas. Cotijo, a crumbly goat cheese named after the town in Michoacan where it originated, is served over beans and salads.

(Excerpted from the March/April issue of El Restaurante Mexicano, found at www.restmex.com.)

The Foods of Central America

Diners across the country are finding their way to the delicacies of Central America

Diners are discovering Central American cuisine at restaurants including Chicago's Irzazu (which features Costa Rican foods) and El Tinajon, known for its Guatemalan items like chiles rellenos and the Enchilada Guatemalteca, a dish that is layered with lettuce, chicken, cheese, pink pickled cabbage, parsley and slices of hard-boiled eggs. In this "sneak preview" of a story in the September/October 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano, you'll discover some of the characteristic ingredients and dishes found throughout Central America. You'll find a copy of the September/October issue at this year's Expo Comida Latina show.

Central American cuisine takes many cooking cues from its Spanish and Mexican heritage, while mixing in a bit of British, Chinese, and other historical influences. The interior countries rely on beans and nuts for protein, while coastal areas enjoy the natural bounty of seafood in rice dishes and stews.

Platanos fritos, deep-fried plantains, are fixtures on Central American menus, with each country giving the tasty treat their own special touch. Street vendors across Central America offer elotes, ears of corn that are boiled or roasted, slathered in butter, and sprinkled with salt, cheese, chile powder, and lime juice.

Flan is a dessert that can be found all across Central America, with slightly different ingredients and presentations depending on the country in which it is prepared. In some places it is served plain in small custard cups, while in the Dominican Republic it is filled with fruit chunks and drizzled with rum.

Also uniformly popular across Central America are tamales, the traditional Latin dish made of cornmeal dough and filled with meats, cheeses, and sometimes corn or dried fruits.

Tamales are enjoyed at high-end restaurants as well as from the carts of streetside vendors, and they are often wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks. Similarly, pupusas revueltos are cornmeal patties stuffed with any combination of beans, cheese or pork, and are popular in parts of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

(Excerpted from the September/October issue of El Restaurante Mexicano, found at www.restmex.com.)

Pasta Mexicana

If you think pasta is perfect only for Italian restaurants, you might want to think again!

The proliferation of pasta dishes is one of the most noticeable changes on restaurant menus in Mexico in recent years. The fact that it is an economical ingredient beloved by most diners makes pasta an ideal addition to Mexican and Latin-themed menus when served with south-of-the-border flair.

If you want to give customers an alternative to tacos, tamales and other more traditional dishes, there are several ways you can do just that with pasta:

*Top pasta with pesto made with cilantro instead of basil.

*Add chiles to pasta sauces (chipotle cream pasta sauce and roasted polano cream sauce are two examples).

*Fill ravioli with Mexican cheese and/or other fillings like tinga or huitlacoche.

*Pair Mexican ceviche with small seashell pasta to create a refreshing appetizer or main-dish salad.

*Garnish pasta dishes with fried strips of dried chiles (guajillos or moritas work well).

*Make your own pasta and incorporate finely chopped fresh Mexican herbs like cilantro and epazote; or add finely minced, dried chiles to the dough for flavor and color.

*Top pasta dishes with chiles, cilantro, chopped nopales, queso fresco or cotija for a healthy touch.

(Excerpted from the May/June 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano found at www.restmex.com.)

Sangria: The Ultimate Summer Refresher

Experienced mixologist Robert Plotkin offers his best kept secrets in the delicious world of sangria.

Margaritas might be the cocktail of choice for many Mexican restaurant customers. But sangria—an extraordinary blend of wine, fresh fruit, and an assortment of spirits and liqueurs—is a drink perfectly suited for Mexican and Latin-themed restaurants.

Made with moderately priced red wines —those from the Rioja or Penedes regions of Spain, or California Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon work well—sangria can be served in a pitcher or in single-serve glasses, making it an ideal option for large groups and individual diners alike.

Several restaurants have embraced sangrias with great success: Nacional 27 in Chicago promotes a sangria made with South American Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay; Rio in Las Vegas offers a white sangria built with a base of Pinot Grigio; Rosemary’s Restaurant menu features red sangria made with light-to-medium-bodied red wine, juices and dry sparkling wine.

Because sangria is so versatile, restaurant and bar operators really can’t go too far astray when making it. Famed Mixologist Robert Plotkin of Bar Media offers a few pointers to get the sangria going — things he calls “the best kept secrets to making America’s greatest Sangrias.”

*Keep it “Spirited.” Sangria’s wine and fruit base makes a hospitable environment for many different spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines. Try Cointreau, crème de cassis, peach schnapps, apricot liqueur, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, even Pisco (a Peruvian brandy.

*Keep it Fresh. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and limes are especially appropriate because their high acidity offset the drink’s natural sweetness and keeps the other fruit in the drink from discoloring. Also popular are fragrant fruit and berries such as peaches, nectarines, blackberries, strawberries and pitted cherries, as well as apples, pears or grapes. Muddle the fruit along with sugar or simple syrup before adding in the other ingredients.

*Let it Steep. This lets the flavor of the wine, fruit and spirits become fully integrated. If you make sangria in advance, add soft fruit, such as pears and strawberries just before serving to prevent them from getting mushy.

(Excerpted from the July/August 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano magazine found at www.restmex.com.)

Creative Tacos

Whether it’s for an appetizer or an entrée, tacos offer a creative way to introduce flavor fusions.

Anyone who travels to Mexico finds creative tacos on menus countrywide. The variety of offerings prove that these perennial favorites can be savory first courses as well as patron-pleasing selections on an appetizer plate.

At Chicago's Nacional 27, for example, Chef Randy Zweiban has created an Australian Lamb Taquitos appetizer with Australian lamb shoulder with agave barbecue sauce, carrots and jicama—-all wrapped in rice flour gyoza skins for a fusion-friendly twist.

And at Urban Taco in Dallas, Chef/Owner Markus Pinyero has turned a passion for Mexico City-style tacos into a healthy habit with Lettuce Tacos that come with a variety of fillings: al pastor pork with pico de pina and a pinch of cilantro; grilled red snapper, avocado lime crema and pico de gallo; and chicken al carbon, pico de gallo, tomatillo-serrano salsa and Manchego cheese. The tacos are also available in corn or flour tortillas.

Tacos are a good way for restaurants to experiment with new dishes and day parts. The Mexico City breakfast favorites—-tacos de canasta filled with potatoes, refried beans and shredded meat—-would make ideal brunch choices. The pork carnitas being considered as a new entree could be served in a special appetizer taquito to gauge customers' reactions to the item. And vegetarian tacos filled with potatoes, carrots and squash would make a nice alternative to the more common meat-filled tacos.

As Zwieban says, "The taco is a great vehicle to do different things with...it is a fun bar food; it is a great item for sharing plates and appetizers; and people understand it, so there is a comfort zone with customers."

(Excerpted from the January/February 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano found at www.restmex.com.)

Mexican fruit freshens menus

From your entrée to your salad to your dessert, the freshness of berries and fruits can add great flavor and health to your menu.

Mexico boasts one of the largest varieties of fruit in the world. From the mangos and papayas of the southern coastal regions to the apples and pears of the north and the central highlands, the country is blessed with an abundance of healthful, tasty produce that contributes to its culinary creativity.

With the focus on fresh, healthy foods driving the retail and restaurant industries today, it only makes sense for markets and foodservice establishments to freshen their offerings - especially during the summer - with refreshing Mexican fruit.

The produce most often associated with Mexico are the tropical products from the Gulf and Pacific regions—most notably mangos, arguably the national favorite. In restaurants, mangos flavor seafood and poultry sauces like mango chutney and mango-habanero salsa. Pineapple, papaya, coconut, guava, tamarind and passion fruit are other tropical favorites and are used in main dishes, appetizers, desserts and beverages. Examples include the papaya, grapefruit, mango and avocado salad at Le Bistro restaurant in Playa del Carmen and a shrimp appetizer with a tamarind, orange marmalade and tequila sauce at La Petite in Puerto Vallarta.

Fruit also stars in the delectable dish, chiles en nogada. The chiles are stuffed with a filling of pears, apples, quince and peaches, then topped with a sauce adorned with pomegranate seeds. Melons and berries, too, have a tasty place on Mexican menus. Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries also grow in Mexico and are used in dishes like the strawberry and arugula salad at Puerto Vallarta's popular Vista Grill.

Restaurants in the U.S. can use the following ideas, courtesty of Mexican food expert Karen Hursh Graber, to freshen menus this summer:

Use fruit in vinaigrettes to dress salads.
Make side dishes using seasonal fruit (a medley of mango, avocado, orange and papaya, for example).
Fill quesadillas with fruit and cheese (apples and pears work well).
Menu fruit desserts (try using a Mexican liqueur to flame a house special).
Create a signature cocktail, agua fresca or licuado using fresh Mexican fruit.

(Excerpted from the July/August 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano magazine found at www.restmex.com.)

Cuban food catches on in the U.S.

Specialities such as empanada gallega, ropa vieja and vaca frita are finding more and more takers amongst mainstream American diners who are attracted to spice & flavor.

Cuban fare is enjoying increasing popularity in America, as more and more diners embrace the unique flavors of this Caribbean island—flavors that are an enticing blend of indigenous, African, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Caribbean cuisines.

"Sometimes we have to educate people about the nuances of Cuban food," says Kristy Bigelow, a first generation Cuban-American, and the owner Cuba Cuba Cafe and Bar in Denver, Colo.

New fans of Cuban cuisine quickly learn it has very little in common with Mexican cuisine, in terms of key ingredients. It also generally lacks the spicy element of Mexican food, and is distinctly different from other Latin American cuisines, owing to its geographical and political seclusion from other Latin cultures.

Traditional Cuban cuisine is known as "criollo." Though there are small differences in the recipes from region to region, the staple ingredients of Cuban food include rice, beans, eggs, tomatoes, root vegetables like yucca and malanga, as well as chicken, beef, pork, and the island's rich variety of seafood. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in the juices of citrus fruits, like lime or sour orange juice, then roasted over low heat until the meat is so tender that it falls of the bone.

The Spanish roots of Cuba's culture are reflected in dishes like paella, arroz con pollo, and a little meat pie-like treat called an empanada gallega. The Cuban style of slow-cooking food also lends itself to lots of stews and soups, which usually include black and red beans and any combination of seafood, beef, chicken, and vegetables.

Popular dishes at Cuban restaurants in the U.S. include ropa vieja (shredded beef shank simmered in tomato-based criollo sauce until it becomes so tender that it falls apart like a pile of shredded fabric, hence its name, which means "old clothes”); vaca frita (slow-roasted beef sometimes marinated overnight and sautéed with onions, garlic, green pepper and spices); boliche (beef roast stuffed with hard boiled eggs and fresh chorizo sausage); and picadillo (a Cuban beef hash made with ground beef, onions, olives, garlic, oregano, tomato sauce and raisins).

(Excerpted from the July/August 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano magazine found at www.restmex.com.)

The Secret Little World of Tapas

U.S. diners are showing increased interest in foods from Spain. From tapas to paellas, diners venture from far and wide to sample unique flavors and get a taste for the culinary traditions of Spain.

Tapas—those small plates of various dishes customers order and share—are familiar to most U.S. diners today. But the story about how those "small plates" got their name says a lot about the medling of cuisine and culture—and about the spirit of sharing—that exists in Spain.

As explained by the Ole Tapas Bar in Los Angeles, “the word 'tapas' translates as a lid, and in old Spain the practice of placing a small saucer on top of a drink to keep out flies began with an order by King Alfonso X. While he was king, he ordered that all inns serve small bites of food while serving wine. He believed this would help promote good health and soon the tapas tradition was born."

From incredible selections of tapas to heaping pans of the saffron rice called paella to lesser-known dishes likde cordero and Queso Cabrales, restaurants throughout the U.S. are attracting a loyal clientele eager to discover what the cuisine of Spain is all about.

At Ibiza in West Haven, Conn., the tasting menu features Mojama (house-cured tuna, scallions, figs and extra virgin olive oil); Mollejas y Sepia (grilled veal sweetbreads, braised cuttlefish and onions, garlic and spiced olive oil); Fletan (salt-baked halibut, spinach, potatoes, raisins, tomato, pinenuts, smoked parika oil) and Cordero (braised baby lamb shank, albarina white wine, honey, garlic, onions over garlic mashed potatoes and chickpeas).

In Chicago and Las Vegas, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! welcomes customers with a menu that showcases the authentic tapas and paellas including the chicken paella with artichokes and thyme and the paella mixta with chicken, shrimp, monkfish, pork and green beans. The traditional peasant dish called caldero is served tableside in a caldero (cast-iron kettle) with rice, broth and seafood or meat.

"Having been born in Spain...to me the restaurants represent a melding of cultures, from the Basque region of my mother and the Gaician land of my father to all the rest of the regionas that make up the country," Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! Chef-Owner Gabino Sotelino says. "Here we represent Spain to you with all the color and inspiration of these cultures in our food, our decor, and our service."

It is that color and inspiration—along with outstanding flavor—that defines Spanish fare and makes it one of the Latin cuisines U.S. diners are beginning to embrace today.

Popularity of Peruvian cuisine on the rise

Perhaps you haven't seen Peruvian restaurants in your neighborhood, but it's only a matter of time. The flavors of Peru are making their way north, east and west in the U.S. and are worth a try.

Celebrity Chef Norman Van Aken of Norman’s, the acclaimed restaurant featuring New World Cuisine in Orlando, Fla., has called Peruvian cuisine one of the most enticing he’s studied. The Economist magazine has reported that Peru could “lay claim to one of the world’s dozen or so great cuisines.” And Goya Foods has expanded offerings within its Peruvian line.

With nearly 1 million Peruvians calling the U.S. home, it’s no wonder restaurants like Andina in Portland, Ore., are introducing customers to cebiches (a Peruvian version of ceviche) and other foods of this Latin American country.

Andina’s customers have come to appreciate the restaurant’s traditional and Novoandina Peruvian fare, Owner Doris Rodriguez de Platt explains.

The traditional dishes—prepared with ingredients and techniques from the Incans and Spaniards—include causas (mashed potatoes infused with key lime juice and pressed into a cake with fillings like morada, a smoked trout salad); solterito (a green bean and cheese salad); the Mixto Chorrillano Cebiche (made with mixed seafood and fish, celery, ginger and garlic); anticuchos (beef hearts marinated in Peruvian spices and grilled, then sided with boiled potatoes and corn); and Lomo Saltado (wok-fried beef tenders with onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, garlic and aji, served with rice and fried yucca).

The Novoandina cuisine represents the culinary movement known as Cocina Novoandina, conceived two decades ago by Peruvian gastronomers and chefs tired of foreign food’s influences in the country. Novoandina dishes use indigenous ingredients such as potatoes, squash, pepper and quinoa found in the Andes—“the bread basket of Peru.”

Popular offerings include Corderito de los Andes (lamb grilled and served with Peruvian yellow potatoes); Yuca Rellena (cheese-stuffed yucca with aji amarillo and cheese sauce). Offer Peruvian specialties in your store – your customers will appreciate your foresight into this great cuisine.

(Excerpted from the March/April 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano magazine found at www.restmex.com.)

Latin cuisines gaining traction in the U.S. : Brazilian food

While Mexican food might be the most popular Hispanic cuisine in the U.S., this is mostly due to familiarity. Once people start tasting the various flavors from South America, they will be introduced to a plethora of exciting tastes.

Mexican food remains the most popular Hispanic cuisine for American diners today. But fare from other Latin countries is gaining favor, as restaurants nationwide educate customers about the ingredients and dishes that hail from Brazil, Peru, Spain, Cuba and Central American locales.

For the next few weeks, el Restaurante Mexicano’s Trend Watch will take readers on a “tour” of the cuisines of these Latin countries. Up this week: Brazil.

Brazilian fare—everything from African-inspired feijoada to churrasco-style meats to the cachaca-infused Caipirinha—are becoming customer favorites at restaurants including Boi Na Braza Brazilian Steak House, Tucanos, Rodizio Grill, Fogo de Chao and Copacbana Brazilian International Cuisine.

Brazilian dishes trace their roots to the native Indians, the conquering Portuguese and the African slaves those conquerors brought, as well as to the indigenous ingredients found in the various regions throughout the country.

Popular dishes served at Brazilian restaurants in the U.S. include yucca; polenta; meat patties; plantains; the black bean soup called Sopa de Jeijao; cheese bread puffs; first-roasted pork, lamb, poultry and beef (including the Picahna com Alho, a special cut of rump roast with garlic); Joqueca (fish, scallops, shrimp, onions, bell peppers and tomato in coconut milk sauce); papaya cream dessert; and the Caipirinha cocktail.

Further Reading:
History of Brazilian food: http://www.sallys-place.com/food/cuisines/brazil.htm
Cooking recipes and suggestions: http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_recipes.htm

Take your restaurant bar to the next step: Fruit cocktails

The health trend shows no sign of slowing down, and people will always enjoy their after-work and weekend drinks. Fruit cocktails are a perfect way to satisfy the customer with a relaxing and healthy alternative.

Fresh fruit is all the rage in creative restaurant cocktails. If you’re looking for ways to freshen your cocktail menu, a visit to the produce aisle or your local produce market might be a good place to start. According to celebrity mixologist Willy Shine, bartenders from coast to coast are using fresh, healthy ingredients to flavor everything from margaritas to martinis. “This is a huge trend right now,” Shine told the New York Daily News in an April 14th story. “Restaurants are using all kinds of fresh ingredients and fresh sweeteners in their cocktail. And these good-for-you cocktails are really popular today.”

Amaranta Cocina Mexicana in Canoga Park, Calif. is one Mexican restaurant embracing this trend. General Manager and Master Bartender Frank Tognotti says his staff has moved away from using pre-made mixes and purees and instead muddles fresh fruit—raspberries, pomegranates, mangos, blood oranges, tamarind, cantaloupe, blackberry, strawberry and watermelon—directly into each seasonal margarita.

Vegetables are even playing a role at the bar. Tognotti and his staff muddle fresh cherry tomatoes with fresh cilantro in the Tomato Kiss (an on-the-rocks variation of a Bloody Mary) and the Cucumber-Tini (a martini-style cocktail made with gin, fresh cucumber juice and sugar). Qué rico!

(Excerpted from the May/June 2008 issue of el Restaurante Mexicano magazine found at www.restmex.com.)