SHOPPING CART
 Smart Pizza MarketingOct 20, 2017October is National Pizza Month! We are featuring a Kansas City company who is launching a food truck and using social media to build brand visibility. Click to read about their strategy along with some Custom Culinary® products that go great on pizza! |
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 Sustainable SeafoodOct 17, 2017It's National Seafood Month so we are featuring the company, Sea to Table, and a few of our favorite seafood recipes! Click to read more! |
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 Expedition: South AmericaOct 03, 2017We often talk about how the United States is the great melting pot of cultures. One could say the same about the cuisine of South America. Various cultures and cuisines have all played a part in influencing the food of this diverse continent. Click link to read more! |
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 National Honey MonthSep 28, 2017September is National Honey Month! Click to read about our culinary creations using honey! |
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 Oktoberfest USASep 21, 2017Oktoberfest is here! Click to read some of the Custom Culinary® recipes that feature beer and how Chicago local breweries are aiming to offer more authentic German-style amber ale! |
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 Rice BiodiversitySep 12, 2017September is National Rice Month. This spotlight feature is on Lotus Foods, a company that focuses on importing handcrafted rice from small family farms to the U.S. |
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 Side Dishes - From Side to StarSep 05, 2017Both independent and chain restaurants are now using innovative side dishes to their benefit to increase traffic and check averages. Click to read more! |
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 Farmer's Market PeachesAug 28, 2017August is National Peach Month. Click the link for peach recipe ideas beyond desserts! |
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 Hot AustinAug 17, 2017The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is this Sunday, August 20th. Founded in 1990, it has evolved into the largest family friendly competition of its kind - an estimated 10,000 people attend! |
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 Chicken Sandwich LTO'sAug 10, 2017Summer is a perfect time to feature healthy and fresh items as LTOs to test for future menu permanency. |
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 Soup-er NourishingAug 04, 2017Comfort food to each of us is different. Whatever brings you back to your childhood, home life, culture and upbringing becomes your comfort food. One of the most compelling comfort foods, and one that touches to some extent everyone, is a hot bowl of wholesome and nourishing soup. |
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 NACUFS 2017Jul 27, 2017The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) held their National Conference in Nashville, TN this year from July 12-15. Click to read a recap of some conference highlights! |
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 Pickled VegetablesJul 20, 2017Summer is a great time to make pickled vegetables. Click to read how pickled vegetables are reaching new heights! |
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 Crème AnglaiseJul 17, 2017Crème Anglaise is French for “English Cream,” a classic light custard dessert sauce. Click to read how Custom Culinary® can help you add Crème Anglaise to your signature dishes! |
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 Tropical Asian Heats Up!Jul 06, 2017America is the true melting pot. In today’s food world, we have access to almost any flavor or ethnically driven delight we desire. Increased global travel, the Food Network Effect and the shear diversity of our population have all played a part in this celebration of global foods, ingredients and flavors. |
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 Fast Casual Lobster RollsJun 23, 2017Summer is a great time to eat lobster! Click to read about places that serve great lobster while also giving back to their community. |
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 Ketchups with a KickJun 15, 2017Ketchup is an ingredient used across menus worldwide. Click to read how you can innovative this universal ingredient! |
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 Socially Responsible FalafelJun 08, 2017Monday, June 12th is International Falafel Day. Falafels are gaining popularity on America’s menus since they are a meatless option for veg-centric diners. |
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 Regional American BBQJun 02, 2017All in all, Americans as a whole are pretty savvy and passionate about food and dining, specifically around Regional American BBQ. |
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 Sriracha 2.0May 25, 2017Menu innovators are currently asking, “What will be the next Sriracha (a.k.a. Sriracha 2.0)?” |
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 Between the Bun StatisticsMay 15, 2017May is National Hamburger Month. Recently, Technomic Inc. released some eye-opening statistics validating the popularity of burgers in America. |
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 National Hoagie DayMay 05, 2017Friday, May 5th is National Hoagie Day. “Hoagie” is the name coined in Philadelphia for a big Italian sandwich and was declared the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia” in 1992 by former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell. |
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 AM Flavors on PM MenusMay 04, 2017Breakfast has come a long way in recent years from a creative standpoint. Sure, bacon and eggs or pancakes and French toast are still all-time staples, but chefs everywhere are taking this meal period to a whole new level. |
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 Veg-CentricApr 28, 2017More and more consumers, whether they are vegans, vegetarians or flexitarians are demanding vegetable dishes as their go to center-of-the-plate entrees. Consequently, chefs are becoming more innovative when it comes to creating vegetable-based dishes as their signature stars. |
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 VegWeek 2017Apr 21, 2017This week is VegWeek 2017, which was first launched back in 2009 by former Maryland Senator Jamie Raskin. He believed if people gave up eating meat one week out of the year, Americans could help protect the planet. |
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 Bacon, Bacon, BaconApr 11, 2017The 39th Pig Cooking Contest was held this past weekend in North Carolina – USA’s largest whole hog BBQ. It was also the 9th annual Baconfest Chicago event last month. It is primarily a tasting event featuring the most creative bacon dishes and beverages created by Chicago chefs and mixologists. |
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 Plant-Based PowerApr 07, 2017Custom Culinary® stands ready, willing, and able to help you put great tasting vegetarian options on your restaurant's tables. Click to read more! |
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 Mojo SauceMar 31, 2017As March (National Sauce Month) comes to a close, I wanted to post about Cuba’s national sauce, Mojo. According to Datassential MenuTrends, the growth on U.S. menus of Mojo sauce since 2005 has been 18%. |
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 Chicago RamenMar 27, 2017Did you know that March is National Noodle Month? To celebrate, I have been trying to gather a group here in Lombard to go downtown to slurp some ramen before the month comes to an end. |
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 Small Healthy Changes - Part IIMar 16, 2017Following up on Small Healthy Changes – Part I, which discussed our healthy recommendations for lunch, I would like to post Part II, which addresses dinner. |
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 Small Healthy Changes - Part IMar 13, 2017March is National Nutrition Month®. ChooseMyPlate.gov has a surplus of marketing materials and tools that educate people on the small healthy changes they can make every day to decrease their consumption of added sugars, saturated fat and sodium in alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. |
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 Clean CuisineMar 01, 2017Our 2nd culinary trend of 2017 highlights the proliferation and rapid growth of clean cuisines. |
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 Potato Lovers MonthFeb 24, 2017Potatoes have come a long way since instant mash potatoes. Today’s chefs are innovating their menus and experimenting with flavors utilizing different cooking techniques like roasting, smoking, frying, smashing, and more. |
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 Snacks - Healthy FutureFeb 17, 2017February is National Snack Food Month. Click to read about the latest trends in snacks. |
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 Breakfast SandwichesFeb 08, 2017Celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month with innovative breakfast sandwiches that go beyond the traditional ingredients. |
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 Welcome to Cuba!Feb 02, 2017Our 1st culinary trend of 2017 highlights the proliferation and rapid growth of the flavorful Cuban cuisine. |
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 Lobster BisqueJan 26, 2017The classic version of bisque is a strained broth known as coulis made from crustaceans (shellfish – lobster, crap, shrimp or crayfish). The term was coined because the classic version refers to how the shellfish is twice cooked (bis cuites). |
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 Future Trend: IoT (Internet of Things)Jan 23, 2017The general definition IoT is the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. How will IoT potentially work in foodservice? |
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 Low Sodium SoupsJan 10, 2017A relevant topic right now is the sodium reduction guidelines established by the FDA back in 2016. Their proposed voluntary sodium reductions were intended for a number of food categories; thus, the FDA is soliciting dialogue with the public to obtain feedback on their proposed two-year and ten-years targets. |
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 January: National Soup MonthJan 04, 2017Our team is ready to assist you in celebrating National Soup Month and jump-start your 2017 profitably. |
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 Foodservice Trends 2017Dec 22, 2016The Custom Culinary® team never ceases to amaze me when it comes to identifying relevant industry trends. Looking back on 2016, they had some great picks - Smoke 2.0, Hawaiian Hits The Mainland, Spice Beyond Heat, etc., to name a few. |
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 Spice Beyond HeatDec 19, 2016Hot foods are certainly not all that new, but the new wave of chili pepper–based dishes will balance pure spice with citrusy, roasted and piquant flavors. Aromatic spices like turmeric, cardamom, paprika, cumin, ginger and nutmeg will go hand in hand with chilies to deliver layers of flavor with more complexity than just heat itself. |
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 Smart Caterer's DelightNov 28, 2016The festive period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is acknowledged as a smart caterer’s delight. To best capitalize on this window of opportunity, both commercial and non-commercial operators have to plan well in advance of the holidays to make sure they organize the proper resources. |
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 Custom Culinary® November 2016 Trend: Spice Beyond HeatNov 23, 2016Our final culinary trend of 2016 highlights aromatic chili peppers and spice blends that deliver nuanced and layered flavors. |
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 Vegan at Your DoorstepNov 11, 2016Did you know that November is World Vegan Month, which was created by The Vegan Society? Currently 5% (16 million) of the U.S. population is vegetarian and half of those individuals are vegan. |
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 Millennial Marketing Touch PointsNov 03, 2016Millennials have become a key demographic in foodservice based on their eating-away-from-home behavior, thus it is important to study and familiarize your organization with their marketing touch points. |
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 Raising the BarOct 26, 2016Every restaurant owner out there is looking to find new ways to increase their check average. One of the net results of increased competition forces, and hopefully inspires, restaurateurs and chefs alike to "Raise the Bar". |
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 Food eVangelistsOct 24, 2016The typical “Food eVangelist” is an individual that is social media savvy and tends to engage online at least four plus times per week. They ask interesting and challenging questions since they have deep concerns about the food industry. |