Tribute to Alain Passard
28-11-2014
In our humble opinion a chef can’t get a better tribute! Eight chefs who have ever worked for and are inspired by Alain Passard, have jointly catered a dinner in honor of his cooking style. Initiated by Le Fooding and sponsored by San Pellegrino. ‘Alain Passard et les Arpégiens’; Björn Frantzén, Sven Chartier, Mauro Calagreco, David Toutain, Tatiana Levha, Bertrenad Grébaut, Marc Cordonnier and Ludo Lefebvre.
Reunion: Chefs tell about Alain Passard’s cooking style
Vegetables, respect for the product, watching and listening to the product, the product of this moment has the most flavor, be careful with heat and a fine balance between fat and acid. A great tribute to Alain Passard.
Great tribute
Great idea to organize a similar tribute to a Dutch chef around the presentation of a magazine or book, like the ‘Lekker’, the GaultMillau (from the Netherlands), ‘Grootspraak’ or around a special edition of Delicious.
Small hospitable gesture: Leave it at Hyatt
27-11-2014
The Grand Hyatt Melbourne has launched its ‘Leave it at Hyatt’ service, enabling visitors to safely store their belongings on site, ready for their next stay.
We have been writing about small hospitable gestures for quite some time now and this is one great example. ‘Leave it at Hyatt’ is facilitating frequent visitors to travel lighter or in case they are a bit over packed for one return flight, to pick their luggage up the next time. According to the Australian Business Traveller, regular guests can fill out a form and leave items at the reception (all within reasonable proportions of course). When they return, guests can get their items delivered to their room. Clothes can even be dry-cleaned if requested!
The ‘Leave it at Hyatt’ service is creating repeating visits and brand loyalty
A similar service like ‘Leave it at Hyatt’ is sometimes offered at wintersporthotels. Having the ability to leave skies and ski shoes at the hotel enables the guest to travel lighter. On the other hand, hotels are assured that the guest will return! Nice small gestures. What small hospitable gesture can you offer your guests? ^Marjolein
Storytelling by Hotel Casa 400
26-11-2014
Hotel Casa 400 launches storytelling website ‘Home To 400’ and shares its history by the motto “Mi Casa es su Casa ‘.
In 1957 Gabbe Scheltema, Frits Bolkestein and the late Nol South took the initiative to introduce a successful student hotel concept from Copenhagen in Amsterdam in Copenhagen. They wanted to offer a solution to the lack of student housing and wanted to solve the increased demand for hotel rooms in the peak summer season as well.
“With us behind every room a story”
The hotel pays tribute to the founders and 57 years of history by launching a unique website with stories from students, staff and visitors of Casa 400. The accompanying video for instance tells the story of the housekeeping staff, but there are also extensive written stories about (former) residents.
Expanding the storytelling website
Besides stories that are published already the website will gradually be supplemented with stories of all students, employees and guests. It is one of the best examples of storytelling in the hospitality industry nowadays.
Shopping via hotel television
26-11-2014
Guests from hotel The Dylan in Amsterdam can virtually shop in stores around the hotel via the tv screen in the room. Luckily the hotel is positioned in the shopping area ‘The 9 streets’, with a lot of boutiques.
Once the order is paid, distributer PostNL makes sure that it is delivered in your room within one hour. Return items that don’t fit can easily be dropped off at the hotel reception. The service is a collaboration between The Dylan Amsterdam, 9straatjesonline.com and PostNL.
Room Shopping
The www.9straatjesonline.com website offers virtual visitors the opportunity to browse online through the range of 40 boutiques without taking one step out of the door. The Room Shopping concept launched earlier this year with a temporary ‘Room Shopping Package’. Although the package is not available anymore, the unique Room Shopping service remains. The initiative is a nice extension of the hotel’s service as well as a strong promotion of the shopping area.
Breathometer Breeze; a mobile breathalyzer for smartphones
25-11-2014
Breathometer Breeze
The first mobile breathalyzer for smartphones is now available in the Netherlands. Through the Breathometer app the Breeze informs users quickly and accurately on their blood-alcohol results. The Breeze is designed to stimulate occasional drinkers to maintain control over their alcohol consumption and make safer and healthier choices.
User friendly gadget
The Breathometer Breeze turns a smartphone into an accurate breathalyzer within seconds. The Breeze works through a wireless Bluetooth connection, has no warm-up time and is always ready for use. The advanced sensor technology allows precise and fast results possible. If used daily, the battery will last for about 16 months. The Breeze comes with a money belt clip, a key ring holder and a separate mouthpiece for hygienic sharing of the Breeze with friends.
A combination of ‘nice and need to know’
Distributor Tipping Valley BV introduces the Breeze from Breathometer Inc. The Breeze is a nice gadget. A combination of ‘nice to know’ and ‘need to know’. The Breathometer app provides the blood alcohol level quick and accurate on the smartphone screen. In addition, the app provides the function ‘home safely’. The app shows how long it takes until the alcohol is gone from the blood and when people are sober or ‘back to zero’ again. The app can even assist in arranging a taxi through Uber or a local taxi company. In the future, it is also possible to find local restaurants via this app or book a night in the nearest hotel. The app is available for iOS and Android smartphones.
Blackjack with taste, Vino Casino
25-11-2014
Last Sunday at the ‘Wine Weekend’ wine fair I spotted the ‘Vino Casino’ game. ‘Vino Casino’, as you can see in the picture is a specially developed BlackJack table, representing a large world map and different vintages on the side.
Blackjack with taste
The game begins with a wine tasting, without seeing the label. Through smell, taste and look participants need to indicate the country / region and the age of the wine. Blackjack with taste thus! The casino chips, which are distributed in advance, must be deployed on both the country and the age groups. When the country or year is correct the number of casino chips is doubled. You can agree in advance how many bottles to taste at this blackjack table. The one who has the most casino chips at the end of the flight, is the winner.
For staff parties or during a tasting
This game is perfect to teach your staff or guests more about wine, in a fun and playful way. It gives a competitive element to a tasting and selects the real ‘wine connoisseur’ among your friends and colleagues. ^Bram Kosterink
A Christmas wreath as dessert for the whole table
24-11-2014
Desserts shared by the whole table, like a Christmas wreath from meringue, is one of the fine examples you can come up with for Christmas. If you have great examples you’re willing to share, we love to mention it as inspiration.
On a regular basis we hear that the ideas we show at our website are not in line with the daily reality of the restaurant or hotel entrepreneur. There is too little time to bring ideas, with your own twist, in practice. Earlier this year we have written about the trend in Bistros to serve desserts for the whole table. Like a giant profiterole or chocolate balls which are broken at the table. It provides a lot of commotion at the table and is very easy to adapt to your own capabilitees!
Inspiration from colleagues and Pinterest
Chefs with Michelin stars are sharing inspiration, Grant Achatz (among others from Restaurant Alinea in Chicago) for example inspires us regularly with video’s like this one about his menu with as dessert the chocolate ball. Inspiration other chefs can use for their own dishes. Pinterest can be another source of inspiration.
A Christmas wreath as dessert
Wherever you look for inspiration, sharing a dessert with the whole table is special and cozy in the Holiday season. Last month I made a huge long profiterole, filled with lemon curd and sour cream and fresh fruit for a party. Profiteroles can be made in all kind of shapes, so it’s easy to adapt it to Christmas. Last weekend, I made a Christmas wreath from meringue with raspberry sauce, fresh red fruit and some holly leaves as decoration. Easy and fun to eat! ^ Marjolein
Signature cheeses; chef Edwin Kats makes Noble cheese
21-11-2014
Create your own cheese. Mirjam van Hest offers chefs and businesses this opportunity. Interested? Feel free to contact her. Last month we wrote an article about the company of Mirjam van Hest, Mir’s Heart & Soul, and about the Amstel Cheese she designed with Chef Rogér Rassin (chef at the InterContinental Amstel Hotel and its restaurant La Rive). In this article you can read about how Mirjam got the idea for her business, how the Amstel Cheese is co-created and the flavour notes of the cheese.
Noble cheese
Recently, she made a cheese with Edwin Kats, chef-owner of restaurant Noble in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. Mirjam uses Dutch milk from cows which are grass-fed in the area between Heusden and Altena as the base for her artisan, extra creamy farm cheese.
Edwin Kats about his Noble cheese
“After I had literally earned my Michelin stars as chef in the Netherlands, I wanted to achieve more and look further. That is why I worked for more than four years as Executive Chef in Lebanon and China. I’ve seen and learned a lot. My new challenge is to make as many people possible, enjoy that knowledge. Making this cheese in cooperation with Mirjam van Hest is one of the ways to show my experiences. I’ve added a lot of herbs and spices from my voyages. The Noble cheese ensures a unique taste experience. The Noble cheeses is a delicious dessert but is a surprising appetizer as well and I have used the cheese in a couple of wonderful recipes.”
The Dutch recipes Edwin Kats created with his Noble Cheese are here! See here where you can buy the cheese.
An Airbnb with as host the KLM
21-11-2014
KLM listed an MD-11 as ‘Spacious Airline Apartment’ on Airbnb
The Dutch carrier KLM has teamed up with Airbnb for a promotion in which aviation enthusiasts can win a night’s stay in Amsterdam. The lodging would be inside one of the airline’s just-retired MD-11s. It’s listed on Airbnb as a ‘Spacious Airplane Apartment’ in Amsterdam. Airbnb says the Wi-Fi equipped two-bedroom lodging option also comes with two kitchens, a living room, eight “small” bathrooms, 116 windows and “a giant cockpit panorama window”. Unfortunately flying is prohibited. The Airplane Apartment is available for three nights only, Nov. 28-30 2014.
A new Dutch delicacy; the ‘speculaas kroket’
20-11-2014
For all those who visited the Netherlands and did taste one of our most famous delicacies, the kroket, Febo created a special ‘kroket’ for the festivities around ‘Sinterklaas’. A kroket with a spiced biscuits filling. Their video explains it all! If you check #speculaaskroket on Twitter you will a lot of reviews on the taste.
