Explore Eat & Enjoy
Restaurant Critic & Food Blogger
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH KFC!
A funny thing happen last night. There was an emergency situation with my neighbor. Her son was playing and broke his arm. Then her car battery was shot. She knocked frantically and I got my shirt and jacket and brought her and her son to emergency. My adrenaline was flowing and pretty hyper with hopes the little guy will be alright. I was somewhat hungry, not from hunger but my nerves was shot. I went to the local KFC. I ordered the chicken tenders as I didn't want to get all greasy in the car, something just simple and easy. I was pleasantly surprised that my order came with 3 nice pieces of chicken tender, a small coleslaw, a biscuit for 5 bucks with 2 dipping sauces and a small drink. Sitting in my car I was wondering about what happened to KFC. At one time they were number 1 in the country. There was some competition but not at the magnitude like KFC. Bojangles, Churches were small regional operations. Chicken not too bad, Roy Rodgers was fantastic but never knew what happened to the company. From a profitable standpoint, chicken has the highest profit margin. So, why not focus on the chicken business. Yes, KFC was going through changes from the original recipe, to crispy, whether it was a batter based coating to a very very crispy chicken that was very crunchy. But somehow, they haven't moved with changes. rather than focus on chicken purely, they started adopting various sauces from the South and sugar based sauces. My question as KFC sat limbo with their brand, Popeyes has slowly taken more market share and Chick-Fil-A has dominated the fried chicken market? My experience at KFC is often hot and cold. last night, the chicken tenders were fantastic. I had tried their chicken sandwich in competing with Chick- Fil-A. Critics raved the sandwich, then that's it. The organization has spent millions on advertising but any given day at lunch, the parking lot is empty while lunch time at Chick- Fil- A is packed to the gills? it is pretty apparent that the parent company has not given the attention that KFC needs. The overall impression of KFC is mundane to say the least, and the image is the same old Colonel's sign and walk-in. Market the new products, listen o consumers, adjust reinvent the brand and image and customers will come. Right now KFC is a prehistoric dinosaur waiting to die. Focus on the food first then worry about the building structure. Doesn't do any good to invest millions in restructuring in hopes that customers will come in droves. Customers come in droves because of the food. by Chef Woo can at www.chefwoocanmaryland.com. TRY THIS FIRST
All the articles that we've been reading about how much salt and sugar we're been ingesting each day has hit a dangerous level that I suggest a test you can take. You just have to take a one week test. I guarantee you that your taste buds will not deceive you. For one week, avoid fast food, prepackaged foods, snack food, all soda including diet soda as well as those sparkling drinks with artificial flavor and sugar induced coffee, latte etc.... In lieu of this for only one week, make a lot of fresh vegetables, chicken breast, avoid most carbohydrates and add salt and sugar below minimum moderation. Protein, use chicken breast, carbs, use brown rice, just 1 scoop or wheat bread for sandwiches. Everything used must be below moderation. You'll see after 1 week that when you go out to eat with the family on Friday night or decide to buy a prepackage frozen food item, or a fast food chain or fast food family style place, you notice how salty and sweet everything is. It might be a rude awakening but your body will never lie to you. And by the way, you are putting you health in jeopardy with all those diets if you haven't consulted a doctor. DIET=COMMON SENSE by Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #takeatest I WANT A CUP OF HOT SOUP NOW PLEASE!
Soup has come along way. From the days of soup as a remedy for the common cold and making you feel better to soup that looks like a bowl of stew, so think and hearty to the traditional tomato soup from Campbell's. with a nice grill cheese sandwich. To this day I still wonder what makes this the perfect match. BUT, did we know what goes into these canned soups, a lot of sodium, and other preservatives to increase shelf life? is there really nutritional value in these canned soups? For any item to be canned, the process of killing all bacteria is pasteurization. Unless we make homemade soup would be the best alternative. Home fresh ingredients slowed cooked with all vitamins in the soup. Back in the days when my grandma cooked homemade soup, she used the pork and beef bones and slowed simmered for quite awhile. never really understood as a kid what that was all about. What I found out years later that bones, along with marrow in the bones and have a good amount of collagen. Yes, collagen ingredients used in skin care products to moisturize your skin. Well, soup made from bones brings out the collagen. You'll notice it when you refrigerate the soup, its the gelatinous jello texture. This collagen in your soup is good for your joints in that it creates a natural lubricant when ingested. Today, food manufacturers are introducing soups made with bone, selling soup bases mad with bone and like everything its a slow introduction process. Examples of slow introduction was Soy milk, cashew and almond milk, probiotic Greek yogurts etc...…. by Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocanmaryland.com #soupbones THANK YOU MELLENNIALS!
It's not often I acknowledge the Millennial generation who now makes up the largest young generation. You guys have forced food manufacturers to provide what you want, preservative, fructose free ingredients, reducing salt and sugar and converting to all natural items. Some snacks and other unhealthy products are now being reevaluated by food manufacturers and redesigning the nutritional value from their non nutritional status that was bad for our body. Hot dogs my favorite but so unhealthy but taste so good, has now introduced for awhile uncured hot dogs. Uncured hot dogs means no nitrates or nitrites and substituted with celery juice or celery powder which is a natural ingredient. Whole wheat products are more the norm rather than the exception. Soda is on the decline, natural seltzer water is the norm. There's more selection of dairy products, seeing more soy milk, almond milk and cashew milks. As there is more pressure on food manufacturers, those items we grew up with is now being reevaluated. Super sweet cereal, Pop Tarts, and all those products that have ingredients we cannot even pronounce. Margarines as compare with Kelly Gold Irish Natural butter from farm grazed cows, the test is no comparison. The salt and sugar industry is coming under attack and rest assured they will try to combat this war. The selection of probiotics yogurt is so popular that now they occupy aisles just for yogurt. I guess we recognize that the pesticides and insecticides on our produce and fruits is doing damage to our colon and digestive track. Change will take time. Seafood is in jeopardy. The farm raised crave produces tasteless product. Wild seafood offers flavor but very costly. It's like paying filet mignon prices for seafood. As they continue to grain feed cows, the meat will be tasteless. Instead of quantity on how big they can generate more beef and focus on quality of meat, marinades will only enhance the flavor of the beef than overtake the flavor of a good piece of beef. Now, the restaurant chains are adding cheese, salty sauces making the steak so tasty. Enough is enough. The taboo with fish is , cheese is never a good combo, but now cheese is all over fish in everyway. Seafood is so expensive now, back in the day I ordered a piece of halibut at a restaurant. It was a huge portion and cooked properly. Now you get a thin slice of halibut and its overcooked. Cod has been replace by white fish, the days of flaky mild flavored cod are gone, you can still get cod but its pricey. The farm raised seafood will eventually catch up with us. Being in close quarters requires antibiotic being administered due to vulnerability of getting sick. Plastic pollution is made its way into the intestines of fish and shrimp, however microscopic it may be. but time is on our side, progress will be slow but not enough politicians are listening. Nothing new and our current administration is cutting back on every conceivable regulation to control the industry, Creating and sustaining jobs versus the livelihood of our food chain? By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocanmaryland.com #Thankyoumillennials India Garden Restaurant
5 Bel Air South Parkway, Bel Air, MD 21015 It's Friday night, I put in a good week, tired and looking for a place that will bring a smile to my face. Yep, I had the craving for Indian food. India place is located at the festival shopping center in Bel Air. Small simple place, a nice place to relax have a beer and enjoy Indian Cuisine. Looking forward to my favorite dish Lamb Korma made with nice morsels of lamb in a cream sauce with cashews and raisins. Tonight I wanted something light instead of lamb. Tiger shrimp korma. I did notice that on the menu it said Korma Nigiri with cardoman sauce. For the appetizer I chose the vegetarian samosa with curry potatoes and peas wrapped in a nice wrapper and deep fried to perfection. I ordered the Tiger Shrimp Korma Nigiri not knowing what to expect. I got a curry parsley sauce with cardoman, not at all what I expected. If was different and tasty but my heart was still yearning for what I was used to with cashews and raisins in a Korma sauce. The basmatic rice is always good. I finished the whole meal but did ask the waiter what happened to the Korma. He advised that some customers had peanut allergies so the restaurant offered this as an alternative. it was ok but I did miss the Lamb Korma with cream sauce, cashews and raisins. In light of this other than my dish wasn't present, I rate the restaurant, staff and other foods a 5 star rating. My dish was ok but my rating will not be affected. Good place, good fresh food, staff is professional and friendly. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #indiagardenreview Chef Woo Can says Watch Out Maryland Chinese Takeout!
Since coming to Maryland from New York, I had the opportunity to see what Chinese takeout was like in Maryland. Some places were ok, others were terrible and others were just ok and others I thought I was going to vomit. So, I'm here to announce that I will be on a crusade for the best Chinese takeout place. Now, there are neighborhoods that have only one takeout place and in those instances you have no other alternatives. The dead giveaways from the onset is how clean and organized a takeout place is. I will visit these places at lunch or dinner in the off hours and evaluate a dish by taste texture and aroma, uniqueness of menu, interesting dishes. I'll give you my honest opinion like I always do. My journey will take me to Harford County, MD By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #Chinesetakeoutreview FRESH DELIVERY MEALS? HERE'S A CHALLENGE! DO YOU DARE!!!!!!!
For the money you pay to have ingredients delivered to you with instructions to make gourmet meal, you can go to your local market purchase a couple of items and with my instructions save sooo much money. Remember the price you pay for delivery comes with shipping cost, labor cost, packaging. Challenge #1: CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLI 1 small pkg of boneless chicken thighs 1 head of fresh broccoli 1 garlic glove or 2 small bottle of oyster sauce (make sure there's oyster extract in it). You'll use about 1-2 tablespoon a slurry mixture of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and water. -a pinch of sugar Cost so far is under $ 10 dollars. But the key to know is its fresh and your preparing it, so you made the choices , not some stranger! Preparation: They say dark meat is gamey, however dark meat is tender than breast and not as chewy and tough as breast and cost is cheaper. Slice the chicken or cut in small morsels. make sure the size is uniform throughout. Consistent cooking is uniformed. Add some soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper with a 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to marinate. Set aside. Add a dash of white wine too. Prepare broccoli. Now the floret, is the best part but the stalk is just as good, just trim the tough skin on the stalk and slice thinly. Where you would usually throw it out, its now eatable. Cut florets evenly. Blanch broccoli to boiling water quickly until you see a emerald green color.. take out and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process. (This ensures a crispy but done broccoli). remember, stir frying will further cook broccoli, so it might not be completely cooked, just keep that in mind). Smash the clove of garlic, if fresh garlic not available than garlic powder will do. Ok combine the cornstarch with water. This is your slurry solution (thickener). Ok your ready to combine everything together. I use a nonstick pan. drizzle a little oil on pan at medium. Throw in the chicken and saute. until done. Add oyster sauce and a little white wine, stir constantly, add garlic and allow to fuse all flavors together. Stir fry all ingredients, add a dash of water then add slurry solution. Your done. You made a meal under 10 bucks and fresh. The rest of the chicken in a vacuum sealed bag for future use. What do you think? I'm curious. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #chefwoocanfreshdeliverychallenge |
Archives
January 2024
Categories |