Like Restaurants, Some Food Retailers Now Require Reservations
With retail outlets reopening this summer, reservation platforms are offering new services to ease overcrowding and wait lines. The high-end restaurant reservation platform Tock will be enrolling several retailers in the coming weeks. Tock’s new tool lets customers reserve 15-minute increment slots for receiving or picking up retail products. This feature helped Tock enroll over 1,100 international restaurants since March, and Tock CEO Nick Kokonas said the platform currently handles about $2 million a day in sales for takeout and pickup orders. According to Kokonas, Tock has been contacted by “everyone from automobile dealerships to grocery stores to farms” to help with reopenings. One of its newest clients is a women’s apparel chain using the service for styling appointments.
OpenTable also unveiled their grocery tech solution, aiming to help businesses reduce wait lines and mitigate crowd control issues in stores. The company says the tool is available for grocery stores, major retailers and “restaurants turned pop-up markets.” At Resy, chief marketing officer Victoria Vaynberg says the company is rolling out front and backend tools such as its Automated Capacity Monitor, which allows restaurant managers to set an online limit on capacity in dining rooms to comply with local occupancy regulations. Another feature, the Open Date Alert, allows restaurants to notify subscribers of reopening dates for particular regions and restaurants. The Mobile Waitlist feature also lets guests join a live queue when in close proximity to a restaurant, which helps reduce crowding.
Survey Reveals What Global Home Cooks Are Buying Under Quarantine
Researchers from the University of Antwerp surveyed 11,000 shoppers in 11 countries to find out how the pandemic has reshaped their cooking and eating habits. Customers in almost half of the countries surveyed reported buying fewer salty and sweet snacks, despite the fact that stress can increase cravings for these foods. The surveyed revealed that many home cooks are satisfying their cravings by baking more at home. Mostly women responded, stating that they have tried several new recipes and have been making more creative use of leftovers. Some reported that once they regain confidence in the food supply at their local supermarkets, they may go back to their old cooking and eating habits.
Consumption of meat, fish and alcohol remained largely unchanged during the pandemic, according to the survey. However, every country reported a higher consumption of fresh, canned and/or frozen fruit and vegetables, likely spurred on by health concerns related to the coronavirus. Countries surveyed included Australia, Belgium, Chile, Uganda, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Greece, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The ongoing survey is currently expanding its reach to 25 countries, and new research results will be released at the end of June.
Want More Eggs? A Primer On Raising Backyard Chickens
If your local grocery store is rationing eggs or you just want to save some money, raising chickens could be a good move. Food writer Tamar Haspel has been raising backyard chickens for 10 years and shares some tips. First, consider the climate where you live. Chicken breeds that do well in cold weather usually don’t like the heat, and vice versa. Next, plan out a chicken coop. If your area gets cold in winter, consider putting it near a source of electricity so you can run a water heater. Above all, the coop should keep your chickens safe. Baby chicks grow quickly in six months, then begin competing for food, so the coop should give them ample space to keep squabbles to a minimum. Varmint-proof walls are also a necessity (1-inch chicken wire works), but don’t forget to the floor: sturdy wire mesh will prevent predators from digging into the coop from below.
The coop should also be convenient for you, so eggs can be collected and the feeder refilled quickly. Chicken poop breaks down easily, and if you use plenty of litter, you’ll only need to shovel out the coop about once a year.
Chickens typically lay eggs for about two years, but they can live for ten years. Keep in mind that at some point, your chickens may become dinner. But they are worthwhile for the eggs alone. A laying hen can lay a dozen eggs in about two weeks, and during that time hens will eat about three pounds or 80 cents’ worth of feed. So a dozen eggs is worth at least twice the cost of the feed. In places like Brooklyn, where egg prices are even higher, the eggs can be worth even more.
Stocking Up On Canned Goods? Chefs Name Their Top Picks
With more people cooking at home during the coronavirus lockdown, shelf-stable foods are more popular than ever. Sales of Goya’s canned foods have increased by 400 percent. If you’re looking for the best-quality pantry items you can find, professional chefs have some recommendations, including everything from top-notch tuna to shelf-stable asparagus. Michael Schall, co-owner of Bar Camillo and Locanda Vini e Olii in Brooklyn, says his restaurant chefs are “addicted” to the oil-packed anchovies from Agostino Recca, which are so good they often snack on the fish right out of the jar. Connecticut chef and farmer Phoebe Cole-Smith is also a fan of the Agostino Recca anchovies, while Nick Perkins, partner at Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly restaurants says that Cabo de Penas is his restaurant’s go-to when it comes to tinned fish. “They’re just old school and really solid,” said Perkins, calling out his favorites, the Cabo de Penas’ sardines.
If you’re looking for fruit preserves, you may want to take the advice of Annie Shi, co-owner of Manhattan’s King restaurant, and get some Kayanoya Yuzu Fruit Preserves. Shi likes to mix these high-quality preserves into a variety of cakes and desserts. Among other sweets, Smitten Kitchen founder Deb Perelman suggests Lyle’s Golden Syrup from the U.K., especially drizzled over pancakes or hot cereal. Julie Cole, chef at Nom Wah Nolita, even recommends her favorite canned soup: Campbell’s Cream of Celery. Cole claims it is “the Ferrari of canned soups.” To see more than 50 pantry staples preferred by chefs, read more here at Eater. Or see the full story here at New York Magazine.
Meat From a Vending Machine May Be Here To Stay
In 20156, when Joshua Applestone introduced vending machines at his butchery, Applestone Meat Company in upstate New York, a global pandemic not on his mind. “I wanted to eliminate one stressful thing from people’s lives: getting to the butcher shop before it closes,” Applestone said. The refrigerated vending machine allows customers to select and purchase meat cuts without human interaction.
Now, due to social distancing rules amid the coronavirus outbreak, Applestone’s meat vending machine is serving as a model for other butchers and grocery stores. Customers enter the storefront to find vending machines filled with various cuts of beef, chicken, lamb and pork. After selections are made and a payment card is swiped, the appropriate door opens so that the meat can be retrieved in a contactless transaction. “We thought society might take a while to warm up to these machines,” said Applestone, “but for the situation we’re all in, they’re the perfect solution. A lot of technology makes things more complicated. But vending machines? They’re here to help us.”
Shorter afterward, Kevin McCann of McCann’s Local Meats in Rochester, New York, opened his meat vending machine. McCann, who is a friend of Applestone’s, was surprised at how quickly customers grew comfortable with the vending machine, adding “the response has been unbelievable.” .
Online Grocery And Delivery Sales Up More Than 100%
In the past month, more than one-third of Americans ordered groceries online for the first time ever. Online grocery spending has also increased nearly 50% each week since coronavirus lockdowns began in mid-March. To capitalize on shifting buying habits, online retailing giants Amazon, Walmart, and Target have all invested more in grocery sales. Walmart been slower to grow than Amazon and Target, despite being an established competitor in online retail. But Instacart has emerged as the online grocery leader. Instacart’s chief advantage has been partnering with numerous grocery chains, while its competitors mostly sell their own grocery products.
FreshDirect and Peapod have not had as much success, according to Earnest Research, a firm that tracks credit and debit card transactions. FreshDirect operates primarily in large cities like New York, and the company has suffered from staffing shortages due to COVID-19. Peapod also had to make untimely cutbacks just prior to the outbreak, which has proved to be poor timing in the continuing online grocery race.
Delivery In Bulk Is New Normal For Home Cooks
Quarantine shopping has expanded the market for bulk purchases of basic items like coffee, butter, beans, and canned goods. A new survey from the world’s largest grocery store chain, Kroger, reveals that 39 percent of its customers have purchased more ingredients in bulk than they did before the pandemic. Canned soup sales increased 63 percent in March and April compared with last year. As consumers limit grocery store trips, bulk buying has contributed to limited availability of certain items like pasta, flour, and some cuts of meat.
Many shoppers say they have turned to bulk purchasing because they now have more people at home to feed, more meals to cook, and more groceries to buy, especially with restaurants closed or limited to takeout. Shoppers like New Jersey resident Stephanie Ormaeche (pictured) say bulk buying is cost effective and reduces the monthly restaurant bill. She and her husband aren’t used to buying two shopping carts worth of groceries but now feels the need to as she limits shopping trips. Others like Vincent Ader in Chicago see increased grocery shopping as an opportunity to get creative. Ader buys herbs in bulk as a way to experiment with new flavors. His meals typically use the same core ingredients, and the variety of herbs now allows him to vary the taste of each meal.
Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation by Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih
Chef Jeremy Umansky, owner of the acclaimed Larder deli and bakery in Cleveland, Ohio, has been aging meat and curing food with koji for years. Likewise, co-author Rich Shih has extensive food preservation experience and is Exhibit Engineer for the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) in New York City. In Koji Alche_my, the two preservations explorers demystify the science and techniques behind using koji to ferment and culture a wide variety of umami-rich foods from soy sauce and miso to sake, cheese, and charcuterie. They explain how to cultivate this fungus, Aspergillus oryzae_, as well as how to harness it in applications such as speeding up the curing, brining, and aging of meat with improved flavor.
Koji Alchemy includes an introduction by celebrated fermentation expert Sandor Katz as well as 35 recipes for various ferments, pastes, and foods like Popcorn Koji, Roasted Entire Squash Miso, Korean Makgeolli, and Amazake Rye Bread. In this primer, both home cooks and professional chefs should find plenty of inspiration and all the information needed to create all kinds of new and interesting cultured preparations.
‘Murder Hornet’ Both Feared and Eaten In Japan
In the Chubu region of Japan, the Asian giant hornet sometimes called the “murder hornet” is enjoyed as a culinary delicacy despite its deadly sting. Grubs are often preserved in jars, pan-fried or steamed with rice to make a dish called hebo-gohan, while whole adult hornets are fried on skewers until light and crispy. Live murder hornets are soaked in spirits to make the distilled beverage shochu. The hornets release venom into the beverage, which turns dark amber in color upon aging.
In the United States, where murder hornets were found last fall in Washington State decimating beneficial bee populations, scientists are much more focused on eradicating them. Some believe their culinary potential being overlooked. In Tokyo, the giant hornet appears on menus in more than 30 restaurants. Shota Toguchida, owner of a Chinese restaurant in the city, sells his own homemade shots of hornet liquor for 2,000 yen, about $19.
Quarantined Americans Are Cooking More Seafood
As stay at home orders and restaurant closures push more Americans to cook at home, people are turning to seafood more than ever. Supermarket sales of fish increased 37% in the first few weeks of April compared to last year at the same time, according to Chicago-based research firm IRI. Restaurant sales, on the other hand, have plummeted far below average, which is usually two-thirds of fresh seafood sales overall. Commercial fishing boats along the Atlantic coast have been forced to dump unsold fish, and weather issues also contributed to reductions in seafood production. “We’ve had an awful, just a terrible spring,” said Ernie Panacek, general manager of the commercial fishing dock at Viking Village on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
If grocery store sales continue to rise, they may help offset the losses. “People are still hungry for their seafood,” Panacek said. “They can’t go out and get it at the restaurants, and they’ve got to eat.” Consumers are also buying fish that restaurants often don’t, such as Spanish mackerel, silver dory, and blue catfish, all of which have sold out at Pierless Fish, a Brooklyn restaurant supply company. The owner, Robert Demasco, recently reinvented Pierless into a fish delivery service, saying, “I probably sold 30 pounds a day of collars.” Demasco added, “I bought shad roe. I ran out in a day, and I had 60 pounds. I was like, really? You guys know what this is?”
