Recipe of the Month: October

Deconstructed Crab Cake Toasts

Crab Dip Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup finely diced white onion
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. chipped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs – unseasoned
  • 1 lb. lump crab meat

Dip Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cup panko crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped scallions
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, corn, and salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the scallions and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat, place in a bowl to cool completely.
  4. Combine vegetable mixure with eggs, chiptole, mustard, mayonnaise and breadcrumbs. Stir well to combine.
  5. Gently fold in crab meat and transfer into a buttered baking dish.
  6. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  7. While the dip is baking: Combine panko crumbs, melted butter, finely chopped scallions, salt and pepper.
  8. After 15 minutes, remove dip from oven and top with prepared panko crumbs. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Cornbread Crackers

Adapted from taste.com.au

Ingredients

  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup instant polenta
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
  • Pinch of chili flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, extra

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Prepare the pan: grease a 6cm-deep, 9 cm x 19 cm (base) loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2 cm above edges of pan on long sides.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, cumin and chili powder into a bowl. Add polenta, sugar and salt. Season with pepper. Stir to combine.
  4. Make a well in the center. Add buttermilk, egg and oil. Stir to combine. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top.
  5. Combine crushed coriander seeds, chili flakes and extra salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over mixture in pan.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn, top-side up, onto a baking paper-lined wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Preheat broiler.
  8. Using a serrated knife, trim ends from loaf. Cut loaf into 2cm-thick slices. Place on prepared tray. Toast for 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned.

Get a year’s worth of recipes—check out our 2020 calendar.

5 ways to stretch your foodservice marketing budget

Like most foodservice marketers, you’re looking for ways to connect with operators and offer solutions to get them get through these unprecedented times. The challenge? Finding creative ways to reach them if your marketing budget has been impacted by COVID-19 related cuts. Here are a few low-cost tactics to reach operators while keeping an eye on your bottom line:

1. Sharable presentations and content

With far fewer face-to-face meetings, your sales team and brokers will appreciate any Zoom-friendly presentations you can offer. This is also a great time to create simple one-sheeters with recipes and ideas of how to use your products for takeout-friendly menu items.

2. Programmatic advertising

If you’re not familiar with programmatic media, it’s a way to purchase media on hundreds of well-known websites through real time bidding. While there are several tactics, the most well-known is retargeting (think of those ads that follow you around after you’ve looked at something online). This type of media buying is surprisingly affordable and can be a great way to meet your customers where they’re at online 24/7.

3. Case inserts

What better way to reach your current customers than with inserts right in the case of product? From information and a trial offer rebate on new products, to usage ideas and recipes, this is an easy and inexpensive way to engage with your top operators. (Just be sure to print on food-safe paper if the insert comes in contact with the product).

4. Paid social

A lot of foodservice manufacturers have begun to see the power in connecting with operators via social media, but many are still relying on organic posts and seeing only sporadic engagement for their efforts. For a minimal investment, you can boost posts to significantly increase the visibility of your posts. Better yet, invest in a paid social campaign to increase your followers so that future posts gain more traction.

5. Digital media

Gone are the days when you need to spend thousands on a print ad. Foodservice media partners continue to expand their digital capabilities, and many options are quite affordable, and through A/B testing, allow you the opportunity to see what messaging resonates with operators.

Looking for ideas on how you can stretch your marketing budget? Anita Nelson would be happy to strategize with you.

Brand-demic pivots that resonated

As the entire world is adjusting to this year of social distancing, brands have had to entirely reevaluate their strategies. The tone they go market right now is more important than ever and will likely affect consumer perception of them for years to come. Time is absolutely of the essence when it comes pivoting in response to the pandemic—and some brands have shined brighter than the rest in their response to this new normal.

Hotels.com, a company entirely based around travel and hotel stays, quickly pivoted their campaign focused on motivating people to get away and travel instead of being jealous of others’ travel to a very simple ad acknowledging and recognizing the current situation and emphasizing that people should just be staying home right now. The company is notorious for rewarding travelers for staying at hotels and chose to prioritize the health and safety of their customers over their own corporate goals.

Guinness, a beer brand often associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, ran an ad this spring emphasizing that people can absolutely still celebrate the holiday from home, despite how different this year feels. The ad showcases the history of Guinness and points out that while we don’t have parades this year and we cannot be cheers-ing at a pub, as long as you’re home with friends or family, you’ve already won.

Calm App, the leading app for meditation and sleep, was already a brand of significant importance in 2020 and the challenges people face, but took their brand a step further during the pandemic by developing Calm Together focused around minimizing the feeling of isolation and disruptions, and allowing people to connect with others or improve their own mental health. The app prioritizes caring for one’s mind and acts as a simple reminder for how people can best care for themselves and others right now.

du-nord-sanitizer

Du Nord Craft Spirits team loading hand sanitizer.

On a local level, a Twin Cities brand that swiftly adjusted not only their philosophy, but their actual production line is Du Nord Craft Spirits. The craft distillery was forced to close its Cocktail Room mid-March. Rather than dwelling on that closure and its potential financial impact, Du Nord promptly adjusted their production line to produce hand sanitizer. Not only was staff able to be brought back to work for hand sanitizer production and sales, they have also donated the much-need product over the past few months to organizations and groups in need.

While not all brands have acted as quickly or adjusted as successfully as others, these are just a few of the many that have stepped up not only their marketing, but also their production and community presence during this complicated time. When brands truly put their people and community first, great things can happen – even when most of the world is shutting its doors.

As foodservice marketers, how can you pivot your message to demonstrate operator empathy? If you need ideas, feel free to get in touch with Anita Nelson at 612-353-3410 or anita@infoodmktg.com.

Food Connections Spotlight: Julie Kendrick

“I’ve been coming since the first mastodon leg was cooked over an open fire and someone said, ‘This is creamy, crunchy and family-friendly!’”

Julie Kendrick, freelance writer/journalist extraordinaire, is a familiar face at Food Connections. She’s penned countless compelling stories—many of them about food—for HuffPost, the Star Tribune and Takeout.com just to name a few.

But enough chat, let’s hear from the pro herself.

For those who don’t know, can you describe what you do for a living?

I talk to interesting people about what makes them interesting and then write about it. I’ve interviewed celebrities (Walter Mondale, Maria Shriver), celebrity chefs (Curtis Stone), community activists (Minneapolis’ own Rose McGee), farmers, ranchers and genetic scientists.

Has your writing process changed during social distancing?

Not a bit. I’m the laziest writer alive, so I’ve always tried to wriggle out of in-person interviews, which require driving, pants-wearing and smiling at people when I just want to listen and take notes. So, I’m still right where I’ve always been, doing what I always do — calling people from the spare bedroom upstairs, eternally thrilled when anyone is willing to talk to me. This afternoon, I talked with a man in Austin who owns a “sober” bar called Sans Bar. We talked about what it’s like to be a (currently shut down) black-owned business that serves the recovery community. That’s for a story in TheTakeout.com. Then I talked with a Minneapolis-based “death doula” (it’s a thing) about what a day is like for her, for a story on NextAvenue.com. When I talk to people in other places, I always ask them about the weather. It’s such a dumb thing to do, but people love it (it was 100+ degrees in Austin today, for example, a fact I would not have known had I not interviewed that sober bar guy).

What’s been your favorite takeout meal?

No takeout, ever. No restaurant meals either, even before. In addition to being lazy, I’m also incredibly cheap. Man, you’re a tough interviewer — I’m really baring my soul here.

What have you been cooking lately?

This Sunday, I made English muffins (using the recipe from the Tartine cookbook, on loan from the library) and used them as a base for Eggs Benedict. The 2-minute Hollandaise from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats is so easy and good; you just need a jar and an immersion blender.

Thanks to inspiration from IN Food’s resident culinary genius Lori Gerdts, I’ve been making tons of sourdough crackers, using Sunrise Mills heritage flour (taken out in trade for writing the new back-of-label copy on their bags).

I’m always making a new batch of kombucha or sauerkraut to put in my fermenting crock. I make, parbake and freeze individual sourdough pizza crusts, and I’d say at least one pizza gets made here just about every day, using homemade tomato sauce, or, just recently, pesto made from basil from the garden.

And, almost every night, someone makes popcorn in the Whirley Pop. It’s the best dinner ever.

When did you decide that you wanted to make a living as a writer?

Early in my career, I worked in agencies as a copywriter. Then I started leading presentation teams, so all I wrote was introductions (“Thank you so much for the opportunity to present our pack of lies to you today …”). I did that a lot, back in the days when submitting something online scared people, at least the delicate, creative flowers at the agencies where I worked. I became an expert at hitting the “submit” button and not hyperventilating.

When the economy crashed, all that business went away. (Earnings for the month of December, 2008 = $200. Fun, familiar times). I was volunteering for a youth theater, trying to get coverage about a bullying prevention play they were doing. I approached the editor of MN Parent magazine and offered to write a story about the play for free. She took me up on my offer, and after that she started offering me assignments. I was astounded that someone would pay me to talk to a person and write about it. One thing led to another, and I’ve been a freelance writer for 17 years.

What/who made you want to write about food?

There are three kinds of people who are always fun to interview: farmers, scientists and chefs. Not sure what the throughline is there, but I guess it’s that they’re generally independent thinkers who create things instead of just talking about them. Also, everyone thinks they understand what people do in those jobs, but usually they don’t, so there’s always a new angle to explore.

What’s something you love about food writing?

Finding an unsung hero who is excited to tell their story. It’s even better when I can help that person find a national platform for their work, which I’ve been able to do a few times. It’s incredibly gratifying.

What’s difficult about food writing?

Keeping it fresh, because so many things have already been said. I mean, we’ve been eating since we’ve been here (quick Wikipedia check: about five million years), so a lot of adjectives have run out of steam. A while ago, I worked on a project for General Mills to add SEO content to their 200 top-searched recipes. I had to write a 200-word “story” about each recipe. I quickly learned that there are only so many different ways to say “creamy,” “crunchy” or “family friendly.” I just about lost my creamy crunchy mind, 40,000 words later.

Who’s a food writer or personality you admire?

I read a lot of cookbooks (library, cheap) and most of them are awful. You know a fun one? Surprise, it’s Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings. It’s clearly dictated to a lackey, because I’m not sure this woman has ever held a writing instrument in her hand, but it’s utterly without pretension and seems to capture her spirit of not giving a fig what anyone thinks about her. I made her split pea soup with hot dogs for a Soup Swap and it was great. Tyler Kord’s A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches, edited by Francis Lam, is fresh and original. Eddie Huang’s Fresh Off the Boat is a filthy, profane and very entertaining chef memoir. Chef Rossi’s Raging Skillet, ditto.

In terms of writing, everything Anthony Bourdain ever wrote was true blue and straight from the heart. He’s the food writers’ Hemingway, may he rest in peace.

I also love weird, old-timey books about food that I have to get on inter-library loan and wait months to receive. I just read The Girl from Rector’s, written in 1927; it’s about a NY restaurant that was a hot spot in the Gilded Age. My copy still had a stamp card with due dates in the back, and the last time it had been taken out was in 1946. I was in heaven.

Where do you find inspiration?

Even though I am, as previously confessed, lazy, I also am a relentless hustler for new material, so pretty much everything I see, eat or hear about gets evaluated – could this be a story? I pitched & sold that Whirley Pop story after making popcorn (dinner) one night and seeing “Monon, Indiana” stamped on the top of the popper. I wondered what that place was like (answer: population 1,748; one stoplight). I wondered if I could trim my own bangs during quarantine and wrote about that. My daughter wondered if it was a bad idea that she hadn’t worn a bra during the entire pandemic and I wrote about it (and got to interview a UK-based biomechanics professor / bra expert, proving that there is, in fact, an expert for everything). Whenever I talk to someone, I’m always sizing them up for their editorial worthiness. It’s my life goal to write about every single person I know and quote them at least once in a story. I’m getting closer all the time.

What’s your go-to beverage when you’re cranking out an assignment?

Usually just tepid tap water, whee, but if I’m especially stressed, I treat myself to Diet Coke. When I wrote the HuffPost story about Rose McGee giving away Sweet Potato Comfort Pies at the George Floyd site, I turned the story around in three days. I was in an absolute panic, wanting to make sure it was worthy of such a great woman. I drank two liters of Diet Coke in those three days, and I think I burned a hole in my stomach. But she was happy with the result and ended up being interviewed for Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, People magazine, Reader’s Digest … so I guess it was worth it, even though I’m just now coming down off that caffeine high.

Is there an article you’ve written recently that you’re particularly proud of? (I’m sure it’s hard to choose just one).

In February, I pitched, sold and submitted a story about Shop Dogs of Minneapolis for the Strib, and then it had to be put on hold until just now. I hope it makes people smile for a minute.

What’s the strangest thing (in a good way) someone’s ever commented on one of your articles?

Not necessarily good, but funny: When I wrote a story about goat meat, the HuffPost editor slapped on a snarky headline that made people mad — so mad that it was the #1 story on all of HuffPost for 24 hours (news flash: outrage sells). The editor was thrilled, but my Twitter feed exploded. I heard from angry world citizens who wanted me to know they’d always eaten goat meat (the point of the article, but no one read that far) and many, many incensed vegetarians who sent pictures of baby goats with captions like why Julie why? Fun fact: I have never eaten goat meat.

If someone wants to partner with you, how can they reach you?

Julie@KendrickWorks.com // 612-382-5333

Interested in getting to know even more great food-industry professionals like Julie? Join us at Food Connections! To get in on the food and fun, shoot us an email at info@infoodmktg.com, and join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to stay connected.

5 Ways to Connect with Foodservice Operators Digitally

In the midst of this global pandemic, digital communication has been the most valuable tool for keeping relationships strong and getting things done. However, in the world of a foodservice professional—one very reliant on in-person interactions—some outside-the-box thinking is required to create a fulfilling and worthwhile digital experience.

Here are 5 ways to continue connecting with foodservice operators during this uncertain time.

1) Showcase the personality of your brand.

Foodservice operators are unable to connect with manufacturing reps, brokers and DSRs given the inability to travel, attend tradeshows, and simply keep their businesses open. These are the most “real” interactions they’ll have with your brand, so utilize this moment as an opportunity to lighten up your messaging and bring more personality to the digital table. Pivot your content away from product promotions, and more into being a true partner helping operators navigate the situation at hand.

2) Expand your social media capabilities.

Going hand in hand with showing the personality of your brand, take this time to expand beyond traditional social media posts. Perhaps you create a Facebook Group where your operators can connect and share ideas with each other. Get your culinary chef on an Instagram or Facebook Live with takeout ideas. Explore having a leader in your organization post a LinkedIn blog, or even host a Twitter chat to see how operators are managing this crazy time. Don’t be afraid to get creative and test the waters when people are craving connection more than ever. Get the scoop on foodservice social media here.

3) Incorporate more educational mediums.

Education is key during this time, as regulations, laws and opinions change daily. Explore hosting a webinar or podcast – whether on your own or by tapping into media partners’ capabilities that already exist. There are several series out there already you can sponsor, host or advertise on. Oftentimes, sponsoring these educational placements also includes lead generation, giving you the ability to interact with attendees post-event via email and sales contact.

4) Take advantage of digital tradeshows.

Just because tradeshows can’t physically happen doesn’t mean all your work should go to waste! Now is the time to invest in a stellar digital tradeshow experience because A.) you will stand out amongst competitors and B.) given the cost savings for both attendees and exhibitors, there’s a great chance some online events will continue beyond the pandemic. Create interactive slides with videos and games, have a dedicated sales rep there to answer questions, and offer free product samples throughout. Once again, don’t forget that one of the biggest opportunities is not necessarily what you do during the show, but how you stay engaged with leads after.

5) Have FUN with operators.

One thing we learned quickly while working remotely is that “water cooler banter” tends to get left out. It’s easy to dive into an agenda, cruise through a meeting and be done when it happens over video chat. While the efficiency is amazing, you also lose the personal touch that is so key in business. Don’t be afraid to have a happy hour with your contacts, or even take just five minutes at the beginning of a meeting to catch up. We had an awesome virtual game of Jeopardy with our programmatic partner Choozle, and it was wonderful connecting with both our contacts and other agencies around the city.

BONUS TIP: Have some grace.

Don’t forget–the foodservice world has been flipped upside down. Businesses are struggling, they are dealing with a whole new way of serving food, and external factors continue to change. Have some grace–make sure to be real, authentic and a true partner. Lift them up and don’t fret if they skip signing up for your latest digital tool. By being truly valuable now, you’ll have truly loyal customers in the future.

Looking for new ways to connect with your operators? Let’s connect.

The power of sampling in foodservice

Ok, honest question: when was the last time you went to the grocery store on a big sampling day and didn’t try something? Did you get the cheese with the toothpick? Did you try a sip of that on-sale wine?

Bite-sized, big results

Sampling is a valuable tool used heavily in retail settings to drive awareness and purchase. However, it’s underutilized by foodservice manufacturers, and they’re in for a big opportunity by getting on board. When used properly, sampling can be a very powerful way to convert operators and create long-lasting sales.

According to a report on In-Store Sampling Effectiveness, sampled items in multiple categories showed an average of +475% cumulative sales lift on the day of the event. In addition, the data reveals significant potential for repeat purchases.

Send in the samples

Time and time again, we hear the same thing from operators: they’ll always try a product if it’s given to them. These folks are often hands-on, creative chefs themselves. If the product is right in front of them, they can use their imaginations and get a first-hand look at the potential it holds.

In fact, one operator we worked with loved his sauce sample so much, he switched distributors at a future restaurant just to be able to purchase it!

Go ahead, give it a try

If you’re a foodservice manufacturer and aren’t leveraging samples for your new products, here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Limit your samples: Control costs and drive urgency by making only a certain number available if promoting via paid media or email.
  • Give ‘em enough: If a sample’s too small, an operator may not get the full picture— make there’s plenty of product for them to work with.
  • Maximize leads: Ensure you’re capturing operator leads so you can follow up with a sales call or additional offers.
  • Priority mail: If budgets allows, force ship samples to a select group of high-potential operators and follow up with an email or phone call to get their feedback. Consider providing a full case so operators can also see the packaging, case size and storage.
  • Ready for launch: With new product launches, ensure you’re allocating a portion of your budget for broker samples. And if the product is refrigerated or frozen, provide them with a branded cooler bag for operator sales calls.

Speaking of samples: want a taste of how we can help you drive trial with a new product launch? Contact Anita Nelson at anita@infoodmktg.com to get started!

IN Food Takeout Roundup

Even though we can’t spend hours chatting at our favorite table, we’re still supporting the Twin Cities food scene by ordering our favorite meals to-go. Plenty of IN Fooders go by the “phones eat first” policy, so we’ve got a whole bunch of tasty meal snapshots from the past few weeks. Check out some of our favorites:

World Street Kitchen:

Since 2012, WSK has been serving up global flavors in street-food form. And their masterpiece is the Yum Yum Rice Bowl—available in gluten-free and vegan options! Another must-have is their Turk Hummus (will you ever eat hummus without roasted chickpeas again?).

Eatwsk.com

2743 Lyndale Avenue S

SotaRol:

Before the sushi burrito entered our lives, we thought there was no way to improve the California Roll. But if you want to enjoy all that sushi goodness while walking around a lake, the burrito version from SotaRol might just be your perfect food.

sotarol.com

50th & France: 5005 Ewing Ave S

Uptown: 2935 Girard Ave S

Eagan: 2000 Rahncliff Court

French Meadow Bakery & Café:

Picture this, you have to order food for an eclectic room full of eaters—the plant-based buddy; the burger aficionado; the picky one who only wants to eat pancakes. Where do you order takeout? The answer is French Meadow. Their sprawling menu has you covered from breakfast through that after-dinner dessert treat.

frenchmeadowcafe.com

Uptown | St. Paul

Crisp & Green:

With one located just a few short steps from the office, Crisp & Green is a go-to lunch spot for just about everyone at IN Food. If your social distancing diet has featured a few too many frozen pizzas, a salad from C&G will fix you right up.

crispandgreen.com/locations

Isles Bun & Coffee:

Never been to Isles of Bun? Walk in and say these three words: Puppy Dog Tails. Thank us later.

P.S. – If you go on a weekend morning, bring your Nintendo Switch—you’re gonna be in line awhile.

islesbun.com

1424 West 28th Street

Need a few other recommendations? Here’s a short list of other favorites. Which of your Twin Cities spots should we add?

Food Connections Spotlight: Dennis Becker Photography

In the fifteen years since Anita launched Food Connections, a networking group for individuals in every food industry niche you can think of, we’ve met some amazingly talented professionals. We want to take this opportunity to introduce a few of them, starting with none other than one of our valued food photographers, Dennis Becker.

Read on for an insightful Q&A from our fellow mushroom lover, Dennis.

Tell us about Dennis Becker Photography.

Dennis Becker Photography specializes in food photography for packaging, websites, and social media. Our studio is large enough to handle up to three sets, yet intimate enough to cater to single client jobs where confidentiality is important. I usually prefer to handle all propping needed for very specific packaging jobs, and we also have a large selection of props and surfaces for editorial content heavy shoots. We typically have an onsite digital technician for special retouching needed for most packaging jobs. All photography files are retouched, and color corrected for their final purpose before releasing them to the client.

How did you get into food photography?

After graduating with a degree in photography from Northwest College, I returned to Minneapolis to pursue a career in commercial photography. I was hired as an assistant at a studio that produced all kinds of photography with an emphasis on food. After working with a variety of clients at the studio, I realized that food photography was the area I wanted to focus on.

I began freelancing and after a while, I decided to take a full-time position as Senior Photographer at General Mills, concentrating on food photography. I shot dozens of cookbooks, packaging projects, and FSI’s (free standing inserts), those coupons found in the Sunday newspaper. Which reminds me that there used to be about a dozen ceramic Pillsbury Dough Boys, all with different hand positions that traveled around in their own little foamed-lined coolers to different photo studios, mainly for FSI shoots. They were pretty cool; the torso and head were separate, complete with a little white scarf. That was back in the film days before photoshop.

What is your favorite food to photograph?

Not really having a favorite food to photograph, I like capturing interesting food moments, whether it’s a drip of syrup falling off the edge of a pancake, steam coming out of a freshly baked broken biscuit, or sweat dripping off a chilled beverage. These moments show there’s life in the food—and usually means I have to work fast. My best food shots are when the food is fresh and alive, which in my mind’s eye is more important than getting the perfect composition or light. It’s kind of like a great expression on a model’s face. I enjoy composing editorial type images that convey a sense of place with the help of light and mood to inspire the viewer to want to be there. I also like to work in a graphic style of design where all the elements are square to camera, and the food is showcased as the only element that is organic and not square to camera (inspired by Donna Hay). Unlike most food shoot workflows, I prefer to have food on the set before the props, so I can study the food and find the best camera angle, then build a composition of props around the food to enhance the mood of the shot. If too much propping happens before the food arrives, there’s often a lot of revamping props and composition while fresh food is waiting on the set. The food is your subject not the props! You will often find me in the kitchen hovering over a food stylist making the food so I see can if there could be a better approach to photographing that food, like deciding not to cut into a pie (which was intended) and shooting it whole, or maybe showing the process of making the food instead of plating it. Studying the food while it’s being prepared helps inspire the prop and surface choices too.

What are 3 words you would use to describe your photography?

organic

moment

place

What takes a photograph from good to great?

I think what takes a good photograph to great one, are the small things that pull a viewer in.

It could be some crumbs or a sense that someone is there, like bread ripped open or something that’s a little off from perfect; it gives the shot a sense of reality. Maybe a beverage that’s partly gone, or a condiment that has been dipped into, tells the viewer there is some life in the shot. Or it can be imperfect light, like a shadow from something outside of the shot that tells the viewer there’s more to the story—like a wine bottle you don’t actually see. Those moments put the setting into context, making the shot look real and not so staged. I often look at the shot and ask myself, “…do I want to eat that and do I want to be there?”

Having a good relationship with a food stylist helps a lot, too, where I’m not afraid to go out of my lane, and they trust me in their lane once in a while. I will often ask a stylist and the client if they’re happy with a shot, and if the answer is yes, I’ll ask if I can try something else knowing we already have the shot. I might dig into the food or make some kind of mess to try to give the shot more of a sense of life—and often we will get a better shot. It’s worth walking outside the boundaries to see what more we can tell.

What are the keys to a successful shoot?

Being prepared for a photoshoot is the key to success. Having my own studio allows me to set up my cameras, computers and lights so there are no technical surprises during the shoot, and we can hit the ground running. I like to have plenty of prop choices, even if I am convinced that I have just the right ones picked out—I never want to come up short. I will meet with the food stylist and come up with a shot list, so we are on the same page as far as a shot order, ensuring we’ll make the most efficient use of our studio time. Staying on schedule is very important, and understanding the team members I work with, so we won’t get lost in time during the creative process on set. And it’s really essential to know who’s driving the team—sometimes it is the stylist, other times it’s the art director, or my favorite driver “the photographer.” This can be tricky when you have a new client and it’s hard to tell who’s driving—but this can lead to an accident. It’s always a team effort but only one can drive.

What can we find you doing when you’re not in the studio?

I have spent most of my life enjoying the outdoors in some fashion, whether it’s hunting, fishing, family camping, and most recently foraging for wild mushrooms. I co-authored, with Michael Karns (a local mushroom expert) and Lisa Golden Schroeder (a local food stylist and writer) “Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table,” a hybrid guide & cookbook about 13 species of Midwestern wild mushrooms that are easily identified, fun to find, and delicious to eat. The book stemmed from a blog story about foraging for wild mushrooms at 2fish1dish.com, a shared content creation site I produce with Lisa Golden Schroeder. We began 2fish1dish as a place to showcase our skills, telling visual stories about local agricultural subjects through great photography, rounded out with tales of the intriguing people behind each topic. We’re now expanding 2fish1dish to tell more of our own story of what we can do for brands—from creating inspiring photos or video and strategic recipes, to brand-driven copy that helps teach or provides important information for customers (in the case of food service) or home cooks.

If you could create the ultimate meal, what would be included?

My perfect dinner would have to be smoked ribs done just right, not quite, but almost falling off the bone with an impressive smoke ring—and of course Sweet Dixie Bar-B-Que Sauce straight from Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville (I order this on occasion). A side of not- too-sweet coleslaw, and a great homemade mac and cheese, and of course a Stella Artois… definitely a summer affair that might need a gin & tonic chaser!

If someone wants to partner with you, how can they reach you?

You can reach me at:

dennis@dennisbeckerphotography.com

dennisbeckerphotography.com

651-303-2190

Interested in getting to know even more great food-industry professionals like Dennis? Join us at Food Connections! To get in on the food and fun, shoot us an email at info@infoodmktg.com, and join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to stay connected.

Reminiscing a Cheesy Victory

Good news: April is National Grilled Cheese Month. And it gives us another reason to boast about one of our talented designers, Alyssa. Why, you might ask? Beyond being an incredibly skillful designer, she makes a MEAN grilled cheese. We’re talking about a “won the 2014 Best in Show at the Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown presented by the Grilled Cheese Academy” kind of good grilled cheese.

So, we (virtually) sat down with Alyssa to recap this victory—and once the office opens up, you can bet we’ll be enjoying some Limburger Leaps, the name of her winning sandwich, together.

Creating the Limburger Leap

One thing we’ve learned about Alyssa is that she thrives under pressure. She can have five projects due in an hour and you could not detect an ounce of stress. This seemed fitting when we learned about her process creating the Limburger Leap.

Alyssa said, “I knew about the contest for several weeks before entering. I was doubtful of my chances to win and put off entering until the last day. My entry was so last minute that I actually only did one trial run, then and adjusted the original draft of the recipe without testing it again before submission.”

The Inspiration Behind the Cheese

Considering the contest originated in Wisconsin—and that she’s a die-hard Packers fan—Alyssa wanted to create a game day-themed sandwich.

“You have to play the judges, right?”

She worked with her co-creator and twin sister to name the Limburger Leap after the iconic Lambeau Leap. “Once Limburger was in place, we knew that the other recipe ingredients needed to add complexity and balance out the pungent cheese,” she continued.

The Grill of Victory

After about two months of waiting, Alyssa arrived to work one morning in July to find the email in her inbox.

“I read it several times and still couldn’t believe it. Really, BEST OF SHOW?!?!”

Overjoyed she immediately called her sister to share the news. “I don’t really remember much else besides a blur of excitement that day. Our recipe had just won $10,000 in a national recipe contest!”

In the end, Alyssa and her sister used their winnings to take a trip to London and Paris the following summer and to help pay off the rest of their student loans.

If you’re looking to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month (because who doesn’t love a reason to eat grilled cheese?) and would like to try the Limburger Leap for yourself, here’s the recipe.

Foodservice Product Launches: The 7 Most Common Marketing Mistakes

After working with foodservice manufacturers for over 25 years, it’s safe to say we’ve been part of quite a few product launches. Here are the 7 mistakes we’ve learned along the way (so you don’t have to).

1) Focusing too much on product attributes.

What need are you truly fulfilling for operators? While a product might check all of the boxes on paper, it will flop if you’re not actually solving an operator pain point. There is so much that goes into product selection for operators beyond taste. Some questions to consider: Can low-skill employees use with ease? Does it store well on their shelf? How many menu items can it be used for? Take time to conduct operator testing to get their feedback.

  • Do your research with REAL operators and focus on solving their problem in your messaging.

2) Not bringing sales along on the journey.

The classic sales and marketing love/hate relationship. Your sales team, whether direct or brokers, are with operators every day. Understand what they need to be set up for success – whether that’s specific sales materials, a sampling program, competitive cutting guide, or contest. By aligning your sales goals from the start and giving them the tools they need, you’ll have a dedicated, reliable force to amplify your marketing communications efforts (not to mention, follow up with leads!).

  • Work closely with your sales from the start to align your efforts with theirs.

3) Spending too much on marketing communications before you have distribution.

Don’t fall into the trap of a beautiful, well-executed marketing communications plan that reaches operators, and then when they go to purchase the product they realize it’s not available to them. With only a few key moments to drive purchase with operators, you must make it worthwhile. Ensure you’re gaining distribution as you begin to market to operators.

  • Balance your efforts with an operator-pull, distributor-push approach. 

4) Putting all your faith in sales and brokers.

We know. We just told you that you should lean in more to your sales team. But at the same time, there just simply aren’t enough sales members to reach every single operator. Start to grow your direct-to-operator relationships through email marketing and social media so when you have a new product launch, you already have an audience. Not to mention, you receive valuable data on who your customers are. 

  • Build up your direct-to-operator relationships to supplement sales efforts.

5) Getting too fancy with messaging.

Have you seen the stoplight video? It’s a classic tale of trying to make something flashy, different and exciting, when at the end of the day, it’s a simple stop sign. A new product launch is exciting in and of itself. Don’t complicate the message by trying to pack every single product attribute into your headline or ad. While these differentiators are important, you must communicate that you are launching a NEW product.

  • Keep it simple, stupid.

6) Moving onto a new campaign too quickly.

Some product launches may be in the works for 5 years before they go to market. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone must know about this product, because you marketed it for a full quarter with a robust media plan and it was a main focus at a tradeshow (and it’s practically been your whole life the past 2 years). But don’t forget: most operators need to see a message at least 7 times before it sticks. With operators, they likely have to sample it and try it before they even consider purchasing. Build a communications plan that expands for at least a year. You may only have an exciting burst for a quarter or two, but then it’s time to weave into all aspects of your messaging. (Build awareness, drive purchase, encourage usage, and repeat!)

  • Expect to communicate for at least a year – plan how your campaign comes to life beyond your initial launch outreach.

7) Setting it and forgetting it.

Following our same theme as above, with all the work that goes into a product launch before, you shouldn’t be ignoring it after. Don’t forget to track analytics: paid media, sales data, digital analytics, customer service inquiries, sample requests, rebate redemptions, the list goes on. Stick to your launch plan and own it, but give yourself enough grace to pivot as needed. Not to mention, you’ll be better prepared for your next product launch down the road.

  • Track, track, track! The good, the bad, the ugly. Don’t be afraid to pivot halfway through.

Have a product launch coming up? We’d love to help. Reach out to Anita Nelson at anita@infoodmtkg.com or 612-353-3410 to chat!