This past Friday The National Restaurant Association announced its’ official partnership with the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. The NRAEF officially joined October 16th of this year with the plan to reduce unemployment rates for military spouses. The partnership connects military spouses with more than 390 partner employers who are actively recruiting, hring and promoting military spouses in portable careers.  

Rob Gifford, the executive vice president of the NRAEF said, “We are thrilled to support those who currently serve, those who are veterans and, no through this partnership, military spouses. This is another win to support military members and their families in the transitioning into our industry and providing them with pathways to advance into long-term careers. 

Last week we shared with you the saved by the bell themed pop up restaurant, Saved By The Max, coming to West Hollywood starting May first. Over the weekend, it was announced that you can order tickets to the pop up starting this week on Friday November 2nd.   

To book your Saved by the Max tickets simply go to savedbythemax.com. We’ll make the link available below.  

And well, if you didn’t think pop ups could be weirder. Let’s leave it to the fine folks of Japan who have opened a two-week pop-up restaurant based solely on inmates last meal requests. A Tokyo based art collective Chim arrow up Pom has a whole menu based on last meals of death row inmates. The Ningen Restaurant was located in Tokyo’s red-light district with Its last meal served last night on October 28th. 

You may have never heard of Dorcas Reilly before, but you sure have eaten one of her most loved, or hated, dishes. Miss Reilly was the creator of the green bean casserole. She and her coworkers were tasked with creating recipes in the Campbells soup test kitchen. In 1955 Miss Reilly came up with what was originally called the “green bean bake”. The original recipe called for Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, black pepper, fresh green beans, and French’s fried onion strings. Her recipe was created in Campbell’s test kitchens in 1955. Miss Reilly passed away last week at the age of 92.   

Dorcas Reilly created hundreds of recipes for the soup company and her original recipe is still printed on cans of cream of mushroom soup. The Campbell’s company predicts that about forty percent of today’s cream of mushroom soup sales are purchased specifically to make green bean casserole.  

Today we remember Dorcas Reilly, storied Campbell employee & creator of the iconic Green Bean Casserole, who passed away earlier this week at age 92. Her incredible legacy will live on in more than 20 million American households this Thanksgiving.

This week on the podcast front. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio has the most listened to episode. You may remember Christopher Kimball as the bow tie wearing host of PBS’s America’s Test Kitchen. He has transitioned into his own thing, bringing you a multi-media experience with Milk Street. In the latest episode of Milk Street Radio, they speak with Chez Panisse founder and Chef Alice Waters.  

Also, in podcasting, I am sending you to Cat and Clouds podcast where you can learn all things coffee. From sourcing to running a coffee business. Hosts, and master baristas, Chris Baca and Jared Truby discuss all things specialty coffee. I had a chance to spend some time with Chris at last year's Coffee Thinkers event and he is just a tremendous guy.  You can find them at catandcloud.com 

Any important links can be found below, click through to check out any of those podcasts on your favorite podcast player. 

That is all of the food, drink, and dining news I have for you today. Be sure to subscribe to get all of the latest news. 

Remember, Food Is Life, and Life is great. Take care.  

Links:  

Savedbythemax.com 

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio: https://goo.gl/UoTxtm 

Top Podcast episodes of the week: https://goo.gl/WP9VdB 

Coffee podcast by Cat & Cloud: https://goo.gl/rNtPjF 

It is Friday and you know what that means. It means you are already in the weeds for tonight's’ service chefs, so get your mise en place together.  

Recently, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, Kroger announced it would be selling ‘ugly’ produce in an attempt to cut down on food waste.  

Hannaford, Price Chopper and Market 32 started experimenting with ugly produce earlier but has since discontinued the program. Hannaford used the ‘misfits’ moniker as a trial starting in May of 2016 in 14 Albany NY area stores citing the lack of interest from the customers. A spokesperson for Price Chopper and Market 32 cited the lack of consistency and quality for their reasons to discontinue selling the ugly produce.  

Kroger will give it a go under the store brand name Peculiar Picks. Kroger is the largest grocery store chain by revenue in the US with 2800 stores and 122.7 billion dollars in sales.  

Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar fame is expanding her empire with a new outpost in LA this weekend. She just wanted to be closer to LeBron.  

The pastry chef will open her new dessert spot Milk Bar along with a retail store, dessert classroom, production facility and distribution center in Fairfax. The LA milk bar is the 15th store Tosi has opened as part of Momofuku Restaurant Group.  

Milk Bar LA is a 4000 square foot giant in a strip mall that previously housed a Baskin-Robbins and a laundromat. Her first dessert class birthday cakes will be available on saturday as well with a ticket price of 195 smackers. That hefty price tag does come with some solace, since the proceeds will be going to a charity: Cookies for Kids Cancer.  

Along with the 4000 square foot space, Milk Bar will debut their first ice cream truck where guests can get her famous cereal milk soft serve.  

If you stop in this weekend, don’t forget to get a crack pie.  

In late December Chef Roi Choi will open the doors to Best Friend, his latest eatery and his first in Las Vegas. The LA chef is known for Kogi BBQ truck, A-Fram and Locol. Choi describes his Best Friend concept as a “remixed and remastered collection of the evolution of our Los Angeles- it's food, its music, it’s culture. Chef Choi gave a sneak peek to the entrance of Best Friend at Park MGM hotel.  

They are timing the opening of Best Friend to coincide with Lady GaGa’s residency at Park MGM’s theater. So, all you little monsters will have a place to eat. Choi said he can “explore different things and ball out a little bit”. The restaurant bar will be about 9000 square feet and have an open kitchen, DJ equipment with a few subwoofers and feature higher end ingredients.  

This week Austin has been under a boil water notice after flooding contaminated the water. Residents and businesses were asked to boil water before using it in cooking, brushing teeth etc.. Some of the hardest hit were restaurants early in the week. Several had to close for a day or two.  

In the spirit of this funky, friendly town, several breweries have stepped in to help local coffee shops. In one case Govalle brewery was boiling 230 gallons of water at a time along with filling several of their holding tanks and shipping it to area coffee shops.  

“We’re in the business of boiling water and being a good neighbor,” says Jeff Young. Jeff is the owner of Blue Owl Brewery. His brewery can boil up to 1000 gallons of water in their steam-heated kettles.  

For more information on how breweries are helping out in Austin check out the article on Austin’s Eater Page. 

Have we run out of restaurant ideas? This Pop up leans towards yes. 

Chick-fil-a has released a new frosted key lime drink as a limited run only in Austin, TX.  

So, if you are in the Austin area stop in and get your drinkable key lime pie at a Chick-fil-A. 

The drink is made from lemonade, vanilla, a sugar-free lime flavoring, soft serve along with turmeric and spirulina.  

The food network is celebrating 25 years and they had a big old bash with some of their best celebrity chefs. Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurnatiis cooked some of their favorite foods for fans of the network. The party was held on the rooftop of Pier 92.  

Also, in attendance were Ina Garten and Alton brown tending to food stations as well.  

The party featured live music and a statue of a birthday cake. There was no mention of Mario Batali attending who made his career as one of the first serious chefs on the network.  

Top Chef Head Judge Tom Colicchio has gotten into the hardware business. He is now selling. “Quality and affordable cookware.”  

Chef Colicchio is not just slapping his name on any old cookware and calling it good. He became an investor in the cookware company Made In.  

Made In Cookware is an American company with their production facility in Austin, TX. Their goal is to provide high-quality cooking equipment at affordable prices.  

Chef Colicchio was so impressed with the company he became an investor and stocked his home kitchen with their wares. He is also planning on stocking his upcoming New York Restaurant with them as well. 

Speaking of Chef Colicchio, Bravo TV dropped the all new trailer for Top Chef season 16 today. In the trailer we see all of the usual suspects, Tom, Gail, Richard Blais, Graham Elliot (the only chef with brighter glasses than me) and my favorite, Padma are back for some more amazing culinary adventures. Season 16 starts off in Kentucky, but later in the trailer we see the cheftestants have made their way to Maccau. The celebrity guest judges are too many to name, but we did see an appearance by Emeril and Chef Eric Ripert.

Welcome to the culinary Insider for October 17th. I am Ryan Parker 

For all of you fans who love Iron Chef, or Iron Chef America. Rejoice.  

Netflix is unleashing a brazen copy of Iron Chef with its new show The Final Table. 

There will be twelve teams of two chefs who travel the world and compete in a kitchen stadium setting to make it to the final table. 

The Chefs will be judged by a panel of chefs, celebrities and food critics from each of the countries they travel to. 

The trailer for The Final Table is available right now on Netflix, and will begin airing on November 20th. 

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April Bloomfield acclaimed Chef and former partner of The Spotted Pig is speaking out nearly a year after former business partner Ken Friedman was accused of sexual harassment in the restaurants they ran together. 

Chef Bloomfield says she “failed a lot of people”.  

After the story was first reported in the New York Times in January, Chef Bloomfield issued a short statement and apology.  

She has since started the process of splitting with Friedman, and in a new interview with the Times says, “I feel horrified that I’ve done wrong by them.”  

Some former employees described her relationship with Friedman as “tough”. Bloomfield describes the relationship by stating, “I felt like I was in a position where he held all of the cards.” 

 She then describes a situation where Friedman allegedly threatened to revoke her work visa over a disagreement about wall posters. 

Chef Bloomfield says she is in therapy, and executive coaching.  

Friedman is currently being sued by the Ace Hotel for misrepresenting earnings at its restaurants the Breslin and John Dory Oyster Bar. 

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Last but not least. If you didn’t think Halloween couldn’t get any better, skittles has a surprise for you.  

Mars Wrigley, skittles parent company is releasing “Zombie” skittles. With the tag line: Most taste delicious but some taste like rotten zombie” who wouldn’t want to scoop up a bag of these.  

But Hold your Horses. They are not being released until October 2019. So you will just have to wait a bit to get your hands on these. 

That is all of the food, drink, and dining news for today. Be sure to subscribe so you can get all new episodes of the culinary insider. 

Remember, food is life, and life is great. See you next time.

Welcome to the Culinary insider for October 16th 2018. I am Ryan Parker 

Last night on The Cooking Channel Alton Brown brought back one of the most beloved food shows ever.  

Good Eats: Reloaded aired on the cooking channel. 

Alton dusted off 13 episodes of Good Eats. The new episodes of Good Eats feature material from the original episodes with reworked sketches and recipes.  

Also, in the episodes are the current version of the show features a current version of Alton Brown. Who looks a bit older, but a heck of a lot healthier.  

In an interview with Eater Brown said it was hard to confront seeing images of the old Alton versus the new Alton. “...the “now” me is on screen with the “old” me, which is a difficult thing to confront- your own age and mortality. 

The original intent of Good Eats: Reloaded was to make some small changes to recipes and update to the way Alton likes to do things now.  

He admits that after going through the episodes, there is on average 65 percent new content.  

If you’re a Michigander If you like Faygo pop. If you’re an Insane Clown Posse fan and if you’re over 21 then do some Michigan breweries have fantastic news for you.  

Seven different Faygo based beers are being brewed just for you. The riches are in the niches I suppose. 

Traffic Jam and Snug Brewery is making a Red Pop kettle Sour. Founders Detroit is making a Scotch Cherry Whoop Whoop inspired by the Faygo classic Rock n Rye Pop just to name a few. 

All seven beers will be available at the Detroit Fall Festival October 26th and 27th. 

In more beer news. Your beer might be getting more expensive thanks to climate change.  

Researchers in China and an environmental scientist from University of California Irvine used models of economic activity and climate change for areas that grow barley.  

They are predicting a price jump of $4.34 for a pint of beer, at minimum by the year 2100.  

That is all of the food, drink and dining news for today. 

Remember to hit the subscribe button so you do not miss any new episodes.  

Welcome to the Culinary Insider for October 15th 2018. I am Ryan Parker. 

Good news for the restaurant industry. Third quarter sales growth is the best since 2015.  

Nation’s Restaurant news is reporting same store sales were up 1.2 percent in September. Marking the first time since 2015 all three months in a quarter had positive sales growth.  

The bad news is traffic declined in the third quarter by 1.2 percent compared to the same time last year. Rising menu prices and soft numbers from last year's hurricane season attribute to the increase in overall sales. 

Saturday Ocotber 27th marks Austin’s 9th annual tequila festival. The festival is held at Casa Chapala Mexican Cuisine and tequila bar in Austin. Tickets are on sale now ranging from 35 dollars to 65 dollars. 

All guests receive a souvenir tequila snifter, Agave trail guide book, ten tasting tickets, a swag bag and a trip to the famous Casa Chapala’s taquiza taco bar.  

Dominique Crenn is hosting the world's best chefs at her restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Crenn a mainstay in the San Francisco food world is partnering with American Express to put on a dinner series with chefs from around the world 

Starting November 19th,  the dinner series will seat 40 people between two seatings at 450 dollars a person.  

Tickets go on sale for the first night today. 

The James Beard Foundation names an award after legendary food writer Jonathan Gold. The Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award honors new writers who are telling stories of their cities and regions.  

Jonathan passed away this year in July. He was an acclaimed writer for the los angeles times, LA Weekly, and Gourmet magazine. His writing about the Los Angeles food scene was rewarded in 2007 when he won the Pulitzer Prize.  

We hold true, here in the U.S, the inalienable right to eat what some consider the food of the gods. We believe pork belly is a truly American dish. We treat it with reverence. Truth be told pork, in particular, the meaty, fatty belly is loved and used in cuisines all over the world. It is no less American than it is Korean, Phillipino, Japanese, or Taiwanese.

History:
Some argue hogs were domesticated in China around 4900BC. Romans raised two types of pigs, one with a larger frame known to have lots of lard to render. While a smaller pig was raised primarily for its' meat.

It is said Queen Isabella insisted Christopher Columbus transport 8 pigs on his journey to Cuba in 1493. They were hardy animals that could survive the trip with minimal care, and could provide meat in an emergency.

Hernando de Soto brought the first 13 domesticated pigs to the Americas in 1539 when he landed in Tampa Bay Florida. Within three years, his herd had grown to almost 700.
Pork production headed North and West as the exploration of the country grew. By the 1800's Cincinnati was the largest pork-producing city in the world. It earned the nickname: Porkopolis.

As pork production grew, methods were used to raise leaner animals and prevent disease. The idea was to produce more offspring at a cheaper rate. This created infinite pork on the market, but at a cost. The cost wasn't financial, it was in taste. Through the mid-1900's and early 2000's pork became known as the "other white meat". It was evident in color, texture, and flavor.

In the late-2000's the trend returned to heritage breeds; the Large Black, Old Spot, Tamworth, and Ossabow which is a direct descendent of the Spanish Iberico hog. This is where the culinary world steps in.

Culinary Uses:
Chefs from all over have succumbed to the versatility and sheer awesomeness of the pork belly. In the United States, most Americans only know of its' processed form, bacon. Believe me, bacon is wonderful, but there is so much more to pork belly than bacon.

It's skin, with a fatty cap that covers a layer of meat can be used in a variety of ways. Pork belly lends itself to curing, roasting, sauteing, grilling, and braising.

When cooked correctly, the belly will give up a lot of its fat to the flesh hidden below. Keeping the meat juicy and flavorful.
The belly can take on the flavors of whatever it is cooked in, and still have the distinct flavor of pork.

The clips you heard in this episode were called in by Simon Majumdar, Author of Fed, White, and Blue: Finding America With My Fork. You can find it at amazon.com or visit his website simonmajumdar.com.

And Laura Morrison, a new friend of Food Craftsmen.

Thank you both for sharing your thoughts on pork belly.

See you next time on the food craftsmen podcast. Remember, food is life and life is great.

Basil has a nickname, “The Royal Herb”, or Saint Joseph's Wort.
It has been cultivated in India for over 5000 years.
Basil comes from the greek word Basileus, meaning "king".

The pungent flavor of licorice combined with clove permeates the air when it is first picked. The soft, tender leaves lend themselves well to so many applications. Basil can be added to salads, crushed with pine nuts, oil, salt, and shavings of parmesan cheese to create a classic pesto, or added directly to your Margherita pizza.

Basil is prominent in Mediterranean cooking, although, I know when you think basil, you think Italian. So many times we cut a quick chiffonade and toss it into our tomato sauce, and never give it a second thought as to what else it could be used for.

There are over 160 varieties of basil cultivated around the world. Most Mediterranean varieties are what we are familiar with; Genovese, Purple Ruffles, Cinnamon, Lemon, and Globe.

Southeastern Asian cultures use purple basil, Thai basil in soups like Pho, or steep the leaves in milk to create interesting flavored ice creams.

Lemon basil has a strong citrus flavor due to a chemical called "citral". It is widely used in Indonesia served fresh alongside fried fish, raw cabbage, green beans, and cucumbers.

Storing:
Although basil is delicate, you can preserve the flavor all year long in a few different ways.

Freeze it. Plunge fresh basil leaves in boiling water for no more than two seconds, then shock in ice water immediately. Dry the leaves thoroughly. Place them in a zip-top bag, and freeze. The basil should hold nicely for up to six months.

Dry your basil.
If you have a relatively stable climate area in your home, say a basement, or cellar. Cut the basil at the stems and tie bunches of them together. Find a place in your basement, and hang your basil upside down. The color will turn from a beautiful bright green, when you are using most common Mediterranean varieties to a very dull, army green. The basil might appear almost black.

One of my favorite methods of preserving is to place fresh basil into a blender with extra-virgin olive oil. Puree it until smooth, place in silicon ice trays, freeze until rock hard, and then store them in zip-top bags.

We've released our Summer Kitchen Gear Guide. Find out more at http://foodcraftsmen.com/gearguide. 

Learn how to sauté mushrooms like a pro. Sauteing is not a difficult skill to master in the kitchen. Mushrooms however, take a bit of attention to detail. This week I share with you how to saute mushrooms and why it's important to master this basic skill for your sauteed mushroom recipes.

This technique works for various types of mushrooms:
Shiitake mushrooms
Oyster musherooms
Button mushrooms etc.

The key to really amping up your mushroom recipes is to make sure you have perfectly sauteed mushrooms that are not oily, limp, or greasy.

As a bonus we have included a free guide on choosing mushrooms so you can get started right away.

Do you have a skill you'd like to master in the kitchen?
Leave me a message at foodcraftsmen.com/contact or a voicemail message at https://www.speakpipe.com/ryankparker