Streetsmart project in Amsterdam
19-11-2013
Sandra Chedi (Amstel Botel) and Bert van der Leden (Supperclub) are entrepreneurs in Amsterdam’s hospitality industry that took the initiative to launch Streetsmart Amsterdam. The initiative asks restaurant visitors to pay one euro on top of the bill to prevent people to get homeless. If the project is successful in Amsterdam it will be deployed nationwide. Check streetsmart.nl for a list of all participating restaurants. For the occasion a book with recipes of chefs from Amsterdam is published as well.
Sugar Factory American Brasserie
18-11-2013
Saturday night, 11 PM, New York City. As expected, the bars, restaurants and cafes in the meatpacking district and throughout Manhattan are bursting with people. But what I did find to be unexpected, were the insane crowds at Sugar Factory American Brasserie, I mean eating desserts is not exactly my idea of a crazy night out! The Vegas native restaurant with a focus on sweetness opened in the Meatpacking District April 2013 and has not had a silent moment since! They feature a “normal” menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner but the crowds get wild for the candy store at the front, the endless desserts and the candy cocktails. We know New Yorkers love places that are new, unique and fill a specialized niche and this is exactly what sugar factory does. Where else would you go for a fishbowl of gummy bear cocktails (or any other cocktail inspired by candy), chocolate fondues with 6 special types of chocolate and 15+ types of dippers or specialty desserts as red velvet pancakes or specialty variations of the classic sundae? If you are planning to visit New York, get on that reservation because they are hard to get and will remain that way for a while I expect!^Leonie van Spronsen
Build your own burger at McDonald’s
18-11-2013
McDonald’s is testing the concept of ‘Build your own burger’ in Laguna Niguel, California. Consumers can make a choice between different toppings and create their own customized burger. The new Dollar Menu gives consumers the opportunity to choose from five types of sandwiches and different sauces and toppings. McDonalds thinks that customization is an opportunity and wants to respond to the shifting eating habits and compete with the other major players in the market. Whether the concept will be implemented is the question.
Tilburg Frying
14-11-2013
Tilburg is a town in the South of the Netherlands. On the eve of ‘Tilburg Sings’ Sjors Kleinsman suggested to organize a more appropriate event in the city: ‘Tilburg Frying’. It was a kind of a joke, until he thought: ‘that’s not such a bad idea at all’. A thought for a new culinary event was born, ‘Tilburg Frying’! Best cafeterias of the city, who will present their finest products. Homemade snacks, fresh fries, wonderful sauces etc. Sjors Kleinsman will do everything to make it a real happening.
Fish Tales by Bart van Olphen
14-11-2013
With Instagram videos of 15 seconds, the Dutch fish expert Bart van Olphen shows dishes, tips and tricks about cooking with fish. With this, he wants to demonstrate that it is easier to cook with fish than most people think and in the meantime raise awareness of responsible fishing. Chef Bart van Olphen committed to consuming sustainably caught fish and is author of a couple of Dutch fish cookbooks ‘The Fishes Cookbook’, ‘The Dutch viskookboek’ and ‘Working with fish’. And it’s the first Instagram cooking show!
Lidl pop-up restaurant at Michelin-star level
14-11-2013
Restaurant Dill opened on September 13 in Stockholm. London-based chef Michael Wignall** made the menu and organized the kitchen. A 9-course menu was prized at an astonishing € 55,-, and the restaurant was fully booked from day one on. Too good to be true? Yes it was! It appeared to be a marketing stunt for Lidl. Only four ingredients (including liquid nitrogen) that were used for the preparation of the courses weren’t part of the supermarkets assortment.
Culinary artworks
13-11-2013
Samantha Lee, mother of two children, makes beautiful artworks of dishes. Samantha Lee started creating these artworks to ensure that her children never skip their lunch. It is a great way to let your children eat vegetables and fruit. The creations range from animals and Hello Kitty to cartoon characters.
Gluten-free festival
13-11-2013
Increasingly we’re noticing more attention to gluten-free products. McDonald’s has recently joined the trend with a gluten-free bun. But we spotted a gluten-free pizza at Domino’s pizza in London in 2012. The gluten-free products provide a good example of transparency. Both companies ensure that the bun and pizza crust are gluten-free, but they also indicate that they are prepared in a kitchen where gluten are processed, which mean that traces of gluten can be found in the meal. The only way to avoid this is to fully dedicate your restaurant to gluten-free meals. Read more…
Inspiration from NOMA
12-11-2013
By Julia Soldic.
Last Thursday, November the 7th, we were at a lecture of René Redzepi (Noma. Copenhagen) about his new book ‘A Work in Progress’. Organized by Babooka, a bookstore in Leiden and LeidsLekkers to herald the Restaurant Week in Leiden. During this lecture René rapidly exchanged reading passages from his diary with images and videos of his restaurant and chefs. Julia Soldic, a Norwegian who recently graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague, has had an internship of a few weeks at Noma in 2012. She was at the lecture with us and writes in her column below of her experience and leaves between the lines a number of ‘learnings’, such as encouraging creativity and the importance of team building and contact with your guests.
Dutch’ Game
12-11-2013
There are barely any products available from wild goose. Approximately 10% of all shot goose are left in the nature, a much larger percentage is partly used. ‘Hollands Wild’ finds that inacceptable food waste and wants to use the goose meat sustainably. Earlier we wrote about small producers that process goose meat into products like Gans Lekker and Schiphol goose croquettes. ‘Hollands Wild’ will focus on bringing the individual initiatives together in producing a sustainable goose meat connection from hunter to producer, including the collection, chilled transport, storage and distribution of goose meat. With this connection they are able to provide the growing demand for natural, sustainable meat.
