If You are having trouble seeing the following HTML newsletter Please visit http://personalchefnews.com/alaminute/sept08/


Official e-Newsletter of the American Personal & Private Chef Association

Official e-Newsletter of the
American Personal & Private Chef Association

Sept/Oct 2008

In this edition ...

This e-Newsletter was sent to you by American Personal & Private Chef Association. Please add info@personalchef.com or personalchef.com to your address book. This will ensure delivery into your Inbox (not your bulk or junk folders).

From Candy Wallace, Executive Director

According to a recent article in Specialty Food News by the NASFT, cost-conscious grocery store habits among U.S. consumers developed during the first six months of this year are destined to have a long-term impact on national shopping behavior. Some 82% of U.S. consumers in a nationwide survey said they intend to keep cooking at home instead of eating out, even after the economy improves and they have more money to spend. Also, 80% will continue to cook at home instead of buying takeout meals, and 78% are determined to make fewer trips to the store in order to save on gasoline.

Yet there’s plenty of evidence that more and more consumers don’t know how to cook! Particularly not healthfully, with wholesome ingredients. These are all good reasons to use the benefits and resources developed and provided by your professional association, because for personal chefs, flexibility and diversity of service may well be the watchwords in this down economy.

Being fully informed about market conditions and trends becomes crucial to your successful communication with clients and potential clients. That’s a strong case for attending professional continuing-education conferences such as the annual APPCA Summit.

I’m proud to announce the theme of our 2009 Summit, Feb. 22-23 in Las Vegas: “How to Survive and THRIVE in a Recession Market.” There, you’ll discover information, assistance, support and strength from your association, peers and what is developing into a knock-out educational program.

With the prices of gasoline and food spiraling ever higher, the business owner in the service sector must be ever-vigilant about his or her bottom line. Pricing for specific services and the cost of food must be communicated to clients and potential clients in a manner that offers service and comfort at a perceived reasonable fee.

For the 13th year, APPCA has assembled and will present its intensive, cutting-edge annual Personal Chef Summit that will, as always, be open to ALL personal chefs in the industry who wish to obtain information and skills that pertain to the operation of efficient, profitable personal-chef businesses.

Consider giving yourself the gift of attending this exciting, informative conference at the Tuscany Suites and Casino in February preceding the annual catersource Conference. We are currently assembling a top-notch agenda, so if there is something you are really keen on learning about, please don’t hesitate to let us know. More details appear in this edition of “a la minute.”

See you in Las Vegas!

Candy Sign

Personal-Chef Training through November 2008

The personal-chef segment of the foodservice industry has expanded enormously and blossomed into a recognized career path, with demand for high-quality food and service growing each year throughout the country. Join us at one of the following scheduled training sessions, where APPCA will deliver a dynamic two-day, high-intensity seminar or Webinar providing the best tools and educational materials in the industry for you to operate a successful personal-chef business.

Click here for more..

Join Us in Vegas Next February

APPCA is pleased to announce its 2009 Personal & Private Chef Summit in Las Vegas during the immensely popular catersource Conference and Trade Show. We’ll begin with a cocktail reception on Sunday evening, Feb. 22, followed by a full day of programming on Monday, Feb. 23 (which is also National Personal Chef Day).

Plus, if you can remain in Las Vegas after the Summit, our special arrangement with catersource allows you to take advantage of the not-to-be-missed complimentary trade show on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 24-25.

2009 Personal Chef Summit Agenda

Sunday, Feb. 22
5 - 7 p.m.         Welcome cocktail reception

Monday, Feb. 23
8 a.m.               Continental breakfast
8:30 a.m.          Special presentation
10 a.m.             Morning break
10:30 a.m.        Special presentation
Noon                 Luncheon
1:30 p.m.          Special presentation
3 p.m.                Afternoon break
3:30 p.m.          Special Presentation
5 p.m.               Successful personal-chef business Q&A
6 p.m.               Conclusion of Summit

Registration: $199, includes Sunday’s reception on Feb. 22 and all programming and meals on Monday, Feb. 23. To register for the 2009 Personal & Private Chef Summit, visit www.personalchefsummit.com or call (800) 644-8389.

Where we’ll be

Enjoy the beauty of Italy in Las Vegas! Tuscany Suites and Casino provides an exciting and enchanting atmosphere for the 2009 Personal Chef Summit, featuring roomy, 625-square-feet suites situated among curved pathways winding through 27 acres of plush landscape, pools and fountains. Tuscany Casino offers more than 800 machines and popular table games such as blackjack, roulette, Super Fun 21 and craps. Several on-property dining options include Tuscany Gardens, and across the street are Lawry’s The Prime Rib and McCormick & Schmick’s. Or, walk or take a short cab ride to the myriad choices awaiting diners on the nearby Las Vegas Strip!

APPCA has negotiated a room block for the low rate of only $85 per night on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, single or double occupancy (+tax), and $135 on Friday and Saturday. To reserve lodging, call (877) 887-2261 and mention the American Personal & Private Chef Association to receive our negotiated rate. Reservations must be made no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Time on January 23. (Your credit card will be charged the first night’s deposit plus tax.) For more information on Tuscany Suites and Casino, visit www.tuscanylv.com.

ACF Chefs Identify Prevailing Dining Trends

Candy Wallace, representing APPCA and the personal-chef industry, contributed to the 2008 American Culinary Federation National Convention in Las Vegas in July, where chefs from all dining segments learned and shared. The following reveals observations of chefs attending the ACF convention, gathered by Chicago-based Olson Communications.

As the largest organization of professional culinarians in the Western Hemisphere with approximately 20,000 active, student and retired members, the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) National Convention is far and away the biggest gathering of chefs in a single U.S. venue in any given year. This year’s annual meeting was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, July 14-17, playing host to upwards of 2,500 cooks, students and allied foodservice professionals. While there, Olson Communications spoke to chefs representing a range of industry segments and customer profiles to glean their insights on the state of U.S. foodservice today.

Fresh, Local and Sustainable

The National Restaurant Association looks no further than ACF chefs when conducting its annual menu-trends survey. That’s because ACF chefs have their collective finger on the pulse of diner demands, which are as varied as the diners themselves. Teresa Robertson of Oleanders Off-premise Catering Service, for instance, says her customers want “anything diet”; Dean Thomas of Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino notes increasing interest in smaller portions. Meanwhile, Joe McGarry of Bon Appétit Management Company echoes an observation of most chefs queried: demand for more local and sustainable foods.

Delivering on Diner Demands

Although shifts in consumer behavior don’t happen overnight, taking time to evolve and shape to impact a broad swath of Americans, ACF chefs have noted marked changes in their customers’ expectations in just the last few years. “Value” and authentic eating have new meaning today.

Culinary Visions Panel TM is a signature service of Olson Communications that brings the insights of the foodservice industry’s opinion leaders directly to its clients. Through a series of roundtable discussions and one-on-one interviews based on prevailing diner demands and industry trends, Culinary Visions breaks through the clutter and tells foodservice-solution providers what’s really on the minds of leading-edge chefs.

Mango Cake

A palate-specific recipe from
Claudia Cevenini, executive pastry chef
The Getty Center and Villa, Los Angeles
Yield: 1 9-inch round

This easy recipe offers a lighter cake option, as it lacks buttercream icing or frosting, but is delightfully moist and delicious. Serve with a mango/raspberry salad or lemon curd.

2¼       cups all-purpose flour
1½       tsp. baking powder
½         tsp. salt
12        oz. butter
2          cups sugar
6          eggs
1½       tsp. vanilla extract
3/4      cup The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Mango

Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients, set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer, using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs a few at a time and mix. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. (Do not over-mix.)
4. Combine mango purée and vanilla extract. Add to batter and mix until blended.
5. Spread into buttered or sprayed 9” round and bake at 300 °F until golden and a skewer comes out clean, approximately 40 minutes.
6. Let cool. Loosen the sides by running a knife around the pan and invert on a platter.

A Well-Seasoned Chef

With 30 years of professional culinary experience, Scottsdale-based personal chef Rex York fulfills his customers’ needs and then some.
By Lisa Shames

Rex York has come a long way from his days flipping burgers at Burger King. To wit: He’s cooked for several presidents, including Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (for a good story, ask York about his “almost” gin-rummy game with George Bush, Sr.), members of royal families and a ton of big-name celebrities. (In his book, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, David Letterman and Billy Crystal are great; Kenny Rogers and Arnold Schwarzenegger not so much).

Then there are the properties he opened up, including the Mirage Hotel and Casino and Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, and Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. York’s gotten his sea legs, too, as the first American-born executive chef hired by Norwegian Cruise Lines. It’s no wonder he says proudly, “It’s been an interesting career without a doubt.” Ready for a change of pace, York, for the last year, has been using his 30 years of professional culinary experience as a personal chef with his company, Seasonings By Rex, in Scottsdale, Ariz. While the celebrity sightings have gone way down, he says, “I’m having a blast doing this.”

APPCA: How did you get interested in cooking?
York: I was an only child. My parents owned a business in Illinois, and they sometimes came home late. So if I wanted to eat I had to learn to cook it myself. I had some good flops. I thought I had mom’s meatloaf down to a science, but I was wrong. It was so bad the dog wouldn’t even eat it.

APPCA: Why is cooking important to you?
York: I’ve been doing it for so long I just don’t know anything else. I’ve been very fortunate in where I’ve cooked, what I’ve learned and the people I’ve worked for. The biggest thing that I really like is the look on people’s faces when they get something and you see what I call “the wow factor.” They just look at you like, “Wow, this is fantastic.” It makes you feel good that you’ve done something right and people are very appreciative. I like pleasing people through food.

APPCA: Why did you decide to leave the traditional restaurant setting?
York: I was just tired. It was time to do something for myself. The mistakes you make are your own mistakes; they’re not somebody else’s. It was time to try it. You set your own hours, which is nice, so I’m home when I want to be home.

APPCA: Why did you choose personal chef as a career choice?
York: My wife and I were trying to find something for me to do. I went to Las Vegas for an APPCA Summit, and that pretty much sold me on it. I got to meet Candy and Dennis Wallace. I really liked what they said, and liked them as people. The more I heard, the more interested I got. I also got to know a guy named Tim Schlitzer of FoodRoutes.org. I learned a few things about organics from him, like where to look and how to shop with farmers in the area.

APPCA: Tell me about your involvement with farmers markets.
York: Farmers markets are huge, and so are a thing called CSAs [Community Supported Agriculture], where basically what you are doing is buying part of their farm. You pay up front and go collect your bag of food. It’s all fresh out of the field—tomatoes, zucchini, squash and herbs. You can’t beat it, and the farmers are willing to work with you.

APPCA: Is this something your clients ask for?
York: I just bring it on my own. It’s cheaper and it’s a better product. I don’t really talk about it too much. If they want organic, I’ll go organic, but I tack on a little extra charge. If they want organic proteins, the price really goes up, but I’m willing to do it for them. I‘ve just got to plan ahead. The more you can offer the better off you are.

APPCA: What’s the reaction when potential clients hear about your extensive culinary background?
York: It’s gone to my favor. It’s gotten me into a couple of places.

APPCA: What are some of the challenges of working as a personal chef?
York: Getting started. It can be tough to get your name out there. I’m a great cook, but marketing is not one of my strengths. It’s tough to crack the market, so you have to be really patient, and eventually it starts coming around.

APPCA: What are the biggest differences between a personal chef and one in a more traditional setting?
York: You’ve got more toys and equipment and in some places an unlimited budget for food [in a more traditional setting]. But on the other hand you’re held to costs: labor, food, scheduling, ordering and things like that. So it balances itself out. As a personal chef you know where to shop and how much you’re going to spend.

APPCA: What are the biggest misconceptions about the profession?
York: Just not understanding it. People I’ve talked to are confused about the service and how it works. But once you sit down and talk to them, it comes across pretty good. Depending on how you have it on your Web site or how you explain, it can be confusing.

APPCA: What skills make for a good personal chef?
York: The more background you’ve got, the better you off you are. I’ve come across so many different situations that, because of my experience, I know how to handle. I think everybody, before they come out of school and jump into becoming a personal chef, should work in a restaurant, hotel, resort or something for a year or so just to get some background on customer service and handling the guests. Just learning how to talk to people, that’s a big thing. When I was on the ship, I would walk into the dining room and talk to all the guests. That’s how you get better.

APPCA: What makes Seasonings By Rex special?
York: It’s what I can bring to the table, what I can offer. I get the oohs and ahhs having served presidents, kings, queens and celebrities, and all that’s fine and well and good marketing. But I also think I have a good, easy personality where I can talk to people and get certain information out of them so I can make it better for them. I’m good at making them comfortable. You can read their faces and tell when they’re confused about something and guide them though it.

APPCA: Describe the services you provide.
York: In addition to personal-chef services, I do cooking classes and private parties. In fact, a few weeks ago I did a birthday party for eight people at their house. It was supposed to be a traditional sit-down dinner where they wanted me to serve them and everything else. It was a beautiful home, probably about 10,000 square feet. They all started drinking wine, and no one left the kitchen. They were watching me and talking. I ended up doing the dinner family-style, laying it out on platters, and they were having the time of their life. It was fun and the interaction was great. I also do kids’ birthday parties, where I’ll bring pizza dough along with some chef hats and we make pizza. I teach them how to make it and then we bake it off and eat it. We talk and have fun.

APPCA: How do you stay current with the trends?
York: I’ve got my Web sites that I go to. I go out to eat and just watch current trends and adapt them if they look interesting. But I’m finding more and more people want traditional food in their homes. They’ll go out and eat a caviar-laced crostini, for example, but when they get home they want meatloaf, cabbage rolls, stuffed green peppers and braised food.

APPCA: If they want fancy, you can do that, too.
York: Absolutely.

APPCA: Where do you find inspiration?
York: By taking to the people. It’s fun to listen to their stories and the food they grew up with. It’s a nice inspiration to listen to them and fulfill something that they maybe haven’t had in 20 years. Like, if they have an old recipe that Mom you used to make for them when they were a kid, I’ll do it. It’s amazing how people have forgotten stuff and you can just bring it back to them.

APPCA: Describe what happens when you first meet a potential client.
York: I talk to them on the phone first and I get a pretty good feel for them and how they are. Then we’ll set up a date for me to sit down with them. I’ll ask them questions like, What do you like, What do you don’t like, Do you like spicy food, Can I cook with wine or liquor, Low-sodium or does it matter, Do you have any allergies, Are there recipes you want me to use that you haven’t had in a while? Then I’ll write up a menu and send it over, and they’ll either cross stuff off or say everything’s great. Then we set up a cookdate. It takes about three hours for me to cook, clean up after myself and get everything frozen with heating instructions.

APPCA: What advice can you offer those seeking a career as a personal chef?
York: Get experience. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve noticed with young personal chefs. They don’t know how to handle customers. It becomes all about them, and they think, “I’m a chef.” Well, no, you’re not. I still say I was a cook before I was a chef. I remember those days and remember starting out. Learn how to deal with people and how to handle situations, because you will run across them without a doubt.

For more information on Rex York and Seasonings By Rex, visit www.seasoningsbyrex.com.

A Day in the Life

Lauren McCabe of MealThymes Personal Chef Service in August, Mo., helps a client woo a love interest.

Proper planning makes it all go smoothly ...

Before telling corporate America what they could do with their incentives, I spent 15 years developing business and markets for the global telecom industry. This background has helped me promote my service, not only because I understand marketing and sales, but I also used to be part of the world that our clients now endure.

What I also took from my corporate experience is an appreciation for preparation and planning. In our business, this can make all the difference in the world. I try to do as much as possible the night before my cookdate, from checking my lists and equipment bins, to making sure I have all my electronic files ready to print. I don’t print them out the night before, however, as I invariably want to add something the day of.

One thing that really makes things run smoothly for me is a timeline. Once I have agreed on a menu with a client, I use my spreadsheet software to prepare a timeline. (click here..) I use it as a checklist to make sure I stay on schedule and don’t forget things. If anyone reading this wants to try using the same sort of tool, make sure it is something that works for you. Keep tweaking the format, as I do, as you streamline your service.

The cookdate...

6:00 a.m.          Alarm goes off. Hit the snooze button. Pull covers over head.

6:07 a.m.          Alarm goes off again. Hit the off button. Now the cats think it’s time for me to get up. Okay, must get out of bed. Even when you love what you do, mornings are not fun.

6:10 a.m.          Turn on coffee maker. So glad I set it up last night. Feed cats. Go into office and turn on computer. Return to kitchen while the computer boots up. I wonder how anyone did this before computers?

6:20 a.m.          Pour coffee and head into office to check e-mails and get ready for the day.

6:30 a.m.          I have about 30 minutes to respond to e-mails. The nice thing about checking mail so early in the morning is that most people are not at their computers and they don’t respond immediately. This makes it easier to get through all of them at once.

Also, I must check my calendar for what else is going on over the next few days. There are a few networking events coming up that I want to attend.

Today, I cook for John (not his real name). He is a single guy and a new client. He says he wants a personal chef because he is tired of take-out and frozen pizza. Secretly, I think he also wants to impress women-he wants them to think he can cook!

7:00 a.m.          Get second cup of coffee. Bring up Personal Chef Office to look at John’s menu. Today, I will be making the following:

           
He gets two servings of each dish. Probably more of the jambalaya, since it’s hard to make small quantities of this.

7:30 a.m.          Print menus, recipes, timeline and shopping list. Wonder again how any of this was possible before computers.

Jump in shower. Comb hair and pin back and up. Get dressed wearing my good chef jacket. This is the one I wear shopping - it has my name and company name on it. I will change into the cooking one at John’s place.

8:15 a.m.          Fully caffeinated and with all my printed material in John’s folder, I am ready to start my day. My equipment is already packed in the garage. I use Rubbermaid “Roughneck” plastic bins and a folding hand-truck to transport everything. I find these to be the easiest. One bin holds pots, pans, bowls and utensils, as well as one dozen cleaned and sanitized kitchen towels. One holds electric equipment such as a food processor, mixer and a multi-purpose stick blender with various attachments. The third bin is my mobile pantry: oils, spices, flour, etc.

Double-check recipes and inventory sheet on mobile pantry bin. I have affixed a plastic sheet protector to the lid so I can see the contents list. Each day, I can mark what I have used so I always know what’s in there. I still double-check inside.

Okay, not out of anything today.

9:00 a.m.          I am out the door. Bins in car, chef jacket for cooking in car, cooler in car. Check, check and triple-check.

9:30 a.m.          Arrive at T-Bones Natural Meats. Chat briefly with the owner and purchase bison and sausages for John’s menu. Terry has it all ready for me since I had e-mailed him last night. I love working with other small businesses!

9:45 a.m.          Arrive at grocery store, list in hand. Starting in dry goods, then on to produce, dairy and, lastly, the fish counter. Here in Missouri, we don’t have access to the fresh fish you do on the two coasts, so I am forced to go with frozen. One of the sacrifices I made when choosing to live in the rural Midwest.

10:30 a.m.        With my groceries loaded up and in the car, I am off to the client. I should be there in 10 minutes.

11:00 a.m.        Having gotten to John’s and unloaded, I am ready to go.

I worked in restaurants and country clubs for a while before starting MealThymes, so I follow some of the same procedures. First thing I do when I arrive at a client’s house is turn the oven on to 350 °F. This will ensure it is properly preheated when I need it. I also immediately start a pot of water heating. I always need it for something, and this saves me time in the long run. For hot water, I use one of those “multi-pots” with the pasta and steamer inserts. This lets me boil pasta and steam veggies all with the same pot. One pot, one burner: both mean less energy used and less clean-up for me later.

Now I take out my timeline and plan my attack. I set up my mise en place (MEP) for four recipes. The jambalaya will take the longest, and the vegetables that go in that can also be used in the sides for other meals. Raw vegetables get one cutting board, fish gets another, as does meat. No chicken in today’s preparation, so I don’t have to worry about that. When I do cook chicken, I usually reserve one area of the kitchen (if space allows) just for it.

12:00 p.m.        I put some rice on to cook in another pot with stock.

12:30 p.m.      MEP is done and I have hot water and hot stock on the stove. Everything is on schedule, so I take a moment to check my Blackberry. Respond quickly to an e-mail confirming a client assessment on Monday and call my significant other to remind him about the wine-tasting event tonight in the city.

For the next two hours I pan-sear bison steaks and finish them in that preheated oven, sauté orange-roughy filets, make a beurre blanc in a separate pan, stir jambalaya over med-low heat, assemble black bean and corn cakes and fry them in olive oil, and just have a grand ol’ time. The steaks are only cooked to med-rare so they won’t cook past medium when John heats them.

2:30 p.m.          With everything prepared and cooling, it’s time to plate and store. I will leave the fish in the refrigerator, covered in an oven-proof dish. The sauce and sides will also be stored in the fridge, in separate containers.

The black-bean cakes and jambalaya are both served with salad. The greens have been washed, dried and tossed with some fresh veggies and stored in the fridge. I quickly make a balsamic vinaigrette to go with his salads and store it in a squeeze bottle. A piece of masking tape serves as my label. I actually like using tape because it comes off easily when you go to wash the container.

Cakes and jambalaya are dished out into their own single-serve containers, covered, labeled and put into the freezer.

The steaks have now cooled enough in the refrigerator that I can safely freeze them. I toss some steamed veggies in the same sage butter and put them in quart-sized freezer bags. Roasted potatoes are put in the same oven-safe dish as the steaks, and all is sealed and put into the freezer with tape around all the things that go together. I know John will want to be able to just open the freezer and grab everything at once.

3:15 p.m.          Since I clean as I go, there is not too much to do at the end. I make sure everything is sanitized and put back into the Roughneck bin. Used towels are put into a plastic bag for easy transfer to the “bleach this” laundry bin at home. I take John’s folder out of my file folder and place his heating instructions on the counter. I write him a personal thank-you note and remind him to call me to book his next cookdate.

4:15 p.m.          Ready to go. I make one last check to be sure everything is back in its place. Another great day! I can’t believe I actually get paid to do this.

I turn back to look at his kitchen and giggle to myself when I think of him serving my food to some woman he is trying to “woo.” What will he do if she asks for the recipe?

5:00 p.m.          Arrive at my significant other’s house in the city. I put my cooler blocks (those blue ice things) in his freezer and my pantry bin in his garage. I have just enough time to shower and change for tonight’s wine event. I wear my dressy chef’s jacket to this since the other people there are exactly the type of people who can use the type of service I provide.

Leading Market Researchers Find More Evidence of Consumers Cutting Back on Dinners Out

The following, compiled from two recently released studies on the restaurant industry, speaks to factors affecting the purchase of prepared foods away from home. Some of the findings will offer value to personal chefs who wish to provide solutions to individuals, couples and families who, despite the economic downturn, continue to seek well-prepared, delicious, nutritious and affordable meals that they don’t have to cook themselves.

More than one-third of consumers (35%) said they are eating or buying dinners out less frequently than one year ago, reports foodservice consultants Technomic, Inc., based in Chicago. Money issues dominated the reasons for decreased patronage; 77% of those cutting back are doing so to save money, while 59% said they have less money to spend and 46% cited the price of restaurant meals.

“Consumers want to feel that their dinner experience is a good value regardless of the price point,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. “Special offers, promotions, family-pack and combo meals promote that perception. Beyond increasing the value proposition for consumers, bundling items in a combo meal helps operators to build add-on sales.”

The findings come from Technomic’s Dinner Occasion Consumer Trend Report, which provides an in-depth analysis of the dinner market in the areas of menu trends and consumer attitudes, preferences and purchase behavior. Other findings include:

Meanwhile, The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company based in Port Washington, N.Y., revealed in July the results of a study in which 34% of consumers stated they would not change their purchase behavior, which is down from April, when 42% said they would do nothing different. “This eight-point drop represents billions of dollars in sales that are not being injected into the normal shopping sectors for consumers,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst.

Another shift worth noting is where consumers tell NPD they plan to shop. In July, 41% of consumers stated that economic conditions would not affect where they shop. In April, that number was 44%. “This would suggest that we are starting to see signs that consumers are store and channel shifting,” said Cohen, “and it represents a huge opportunity for many retailers. Now is the time of year to make those all important ‘introductions’ to new customers and make overtures to an established customer base.  We will see which retailers know how to make new friends and hold on to their old ones.”

More consumers are feeling some “budget erosion” due to gasoline and utility expenses. The number of survey respondents saying they are putting more money toward paying their gasoline and utility bills was 66% in July and 65% in April. 

On the other hand, there hasn’t been much change in the number of survey respondents who say they are concerned about losing their jobs. That number has remained flat at 34%. 

“This is a very important number to watch, as it most directly reflects the state of the spending psyche of consumers,” noted Cohen. “As long as they feel comfortable about their continued employment, they will continue to spend.”  

SIDE DISH

Alton Brown on Sustainable Seafood. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and Food Network’s Alton Brown have joined forces to help clear up consumer confusion on what sustainability really is with a five-minute video that can be viewed online at www.alaskaseafood.org. Shot on location in the pristine wilds of Alaska, the video provides viewers with an insider’s look at one of the best-managed fisheries in the world. “Sustainability has been the cornerstone of Alaska's seafood industry for 50 years,” says Brown, host of Food Network’s “Good Eats,” “Feasting on Asphalt” and “Iron Chef America.” “Now, more than ever, we need to understand how quality seafood makes it to our markets and ultimately onto our plates.”

In-Demand: Gluten-Free Products.Gluten intolerance, also known as Celiac Disease, affects about 3 million Americans. According to the University of Chicago’s Celiac Center, 97% of this group is currently undiagnosed. More and more consumers are learning of their condition and turning to gluten-free diets for a healthier lifestyle. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Those living with Celiac Disease are unable to eat many types of bread, cereals, pastas, cakes and cookies. Although gluten-free alternatives are becoming more available and are gaining popularity among consumers, the market is expected to steadily grow. Gluten-free product sales have grown from $210 million in 2001 to approximately $700 million in 2006, according to Mintel research. Sales are projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2010. Healthy and flavorful foods such as hazelnuts, chicken, rice and fruits are naturally gluten-free. Nut flour has several applications in baked foods and can often serve as an alternative to gluten-containing flour derived from grain. Hazelnut flour, in particular, is high in protein and rich in antioxidants - the perfect addition to a gluten-free lifestyle. Gluten-Free Hazelnut Pocket Wafer from Schar USA Inc. is a new layered cookie available in a single-serve 50g wrapper. www.schaer.com/en/gluten-free-products/wafer-pocket/.

Pass the Bacon and Eggs. A new study published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition found that timing of dietary protein intake affects feelings of fullness throughout the day. The study concluded that when people eat high-quality protein foods from sources such as eggs and lean Canadian bacon for breakfast, they have a greater sense of sustained fullness throughout the day compared to when more protein is eaten at lunch or dinner. The new research funded by the Pork Checkoff and the American Egg Board evaluated overweight or obese men who followed a reduced-calorie diet consisting of two variations of protein intakes, both of which were within federal nutrition recommendations. Additionally, consumer research by the International Food Information Council shows that 92% of Americans cite breakfast as the most important meal of the day, yet only 46% eat breakfast seven days per week.

The Big Cheeses of 2008. The American Cheese Society (ACS) gave top honors to Carr Valley Cheese Company of La Valle, Wis., during its 25th Annual Conference and Cheese Competition held July 23-27 in Chicago. Cheese maker Sid Cook garnered the "Best of Show" prize for his Snow White Goat Cheddar cheese, which was singled out as the best of the best among the 1,149 cheeses submitted by more than 181 producers. Other noteworthy winners include "Best of Show" second runner-up Galax, Va.- based Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson and third runner-up Carr Valley Cheese Company's Cave Aged Marisa. For full competition results, visit www.cheesesociety.org.

Support Your Local Locavores. While family farms continue to decline across the country, the number of community-supported agriculture (CSA) businesses increased from 50 in 1990 to more than 2,000 in 2008, according to www.localharvest.org, an internet guide to organic and local food. CSAs are so popular that many in Connecticut and New Jersey have waiting lists. As the locavore movement (or eating only things grown or raised locally) continues to grow, a host of services are helping people eat with their consciences. Most services bring convenience to the world of local eating. The concept of CSAs, in which participants buy a share in advance of a farmer's harvest, then pick up a weekly box of produce, is also growing in many communities. MyFarm creates and cultivates an organic garden in your backyard, complete with drip irrigation. The MyFarm crew can even come to your home weekly to maintain the garden (including weeding and harvesting). Depending on which plan you're on, you may grow vegetables for other MyFarm customers who don't have a large enough plot to grow the variety they would like. Learn more at www.myfarmsf.com

© 2008 American Personal & Private Chef Association.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of content without permission strictly prohibited.