Versatility affords operators the ability to test new concepts
You’ve got a popular salad on your menu. So you decide to take some of the same ingredients and create a flatbread. That’s a success. So you decide to create a bowl. That works. Then a pizza and finally, a sandwich. Now you have not one, but five different menu options using interchangeable ingredients. Cost-effective. Smart and this versatility afford operators the ability to constantly test new concepts on a simple medium, without the high-cost risk. Many establishments have their own versions of these dishes that display their brand identity.
What Defines an “Interchangeable” Ingredient?
Properly stored cooked rice can be used to make just about anything. Soy sauce can be used to season any dish. Soy sauce with lime, lime zest, honey, a touch of rice vinegar and Canola oil makes a tasty marinade. But hold the oil and reduce it down and add a pinch more salt and pepper and wow, you’ve got a great drizzle.
Fast Food Restaurants Do “Interchangeable” Well
Fast food restaurants use interchangeable ingredients better than other types of restaurants. The typical size of the walk-in at a fast food place is often smaller in size. Take Shake Shack for example: The cheese that they use is included on six different types of burgers, a grilled cheese sandwich, and on two types of fries on the menu. BurgerIM uses their “house sauce” on several burgers, on chicken and even on a Falafel sandwich. The key is really finding one type of cheese or ingredients that work with different proteins and with different concepts. BurgerIM also has had a lamb burger on their menu for some time now. But the original version is lamb mixed with beef. They recently added a 100% lamb burger at customer request, but they are able to charge more for it and customers don’t seem to mind paying more.
Chefs Can Learn from Home Cooks and Other Chefs
In March of 2015, Buzzfeed writer Lauren Paul wrote about 23 items that a home cook should always have in their pantry. Every one of these interchangeable ingredients can be used to make multiple recipes. They include some already mentioned but the list is expanded to include things like nuts and Worcestershire sauce. Home cooks know the secret to stretching meals. Sunday’s pork roast becomes Tuesday’s tacos. Meatless Monday’s Mushroom Bolognese can be the base for lentil chili later on in the week.
On a blog for professional chefs, the private chef author discusses how, according to the USDA, over 133 billion pounds of food, totaling over $161 billion was thrown away in 2010 alone. “Since then,” he writes, “how much more waste do you think has occurred? The numbers are staggering!” These chef authors calculated that by using your leftovers to make stock, it will end up “Saving you an average of $2.50 to $5.00 per 32 ounces of stock.” And that “Using repurposed ingredients instead of constantly purchasing new ones can save hundreds of dollars per year!”
So, when you’re planning your menu, diversity is the key but so is familiarity. The same ingredients, positioned in different dishes, can create culinary magic and you save money.
Eat well,
Mary Kay
Mary Kay LaBrie
Mary Kay LaBrie is an avid foodie, accomplished home cook, and freelance writer and blogger. Her recipes have been published in several home cooking magazines. Mary Kay has a master’s in Management and Leadership from National-Louis University. By day, she loves to help people become the best they can be with her career in professional development. The rest of the time, she enjoys cooking, writing about new cuisine, and writing romantic comedy. Originally from Pittsburgh, Mary Kay lives in Clermont, FL with her husband, Dan, and golden retriever, Max.