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Yes, this trend did seem to start with granola parfaits - or yogurt parfaits - whatever you wish to call them. Then came requests for more whole wheat breads and muffins, and recently the request for gluten free meals jumped off the charts. And now the trend seems to be moving toward breakfast tapas, the big breakfast is slowly moving into something we can say “used to be” breakfast. It is time we, as your aviation catering sources, look for new menu ideas outside the normal overused and over-ordered items. Breakfast is no longer just for early risers and early flights. It's the perfect solution for mid morning or late nights, served like tapas. The service style can also be changed on board. Breakfast granola parfaits can be delivered to the aircraft set-up similar to a buffet presentation. The toppings can be individually presented and the passenger can have an interactive meal by building a parfait to his or her individual likes and dislikes. How many times have your passengers eaten the last bite only to wish they had another couple berries, a last bit of fresh crunchy granola in that final bite. What fun to put out an assortment of toppings based on the specific likes of the passengers; raisins, nuts, berries, vanilla or flavored granola (we now do a chocolate cocoa granola), dried fruits, and honey. This wouldn’t work for the crew sitting in the cockpit since the glare shield isn’t the best buffet area up front, but you can use the same menu idea, just use a different serving technique and presentation. Why not consider the breakfast burrito also for a Brunch, lunch or late night menu item? Add the classic sides of shredded lettuce, diced tomato and guacamole and spicy oven roasted potatoes as a side dish instead of a filling. Top the burrito with enchilada sauce, shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. We are getting frequent requests for chicken and egg stuffed burritos which would also make great brunch and lunch menu items. The Breakfast Sandwich
Now that I have you thinking about the changes coming into the breakfast arena, let me plant a few suggestions for something that are sure to please both your passengers and flight crew. The Vegan Option I will start with a vegan option. Blueberry French toast or cranberry and orange quinoa; and gluten free - as in shrimp and grits or oyster and bacon, egg sandwich on gluten free bread. Either one can be topped off with a reinvented Bloody Mary made with flavored Vodka’s and served with a jalapeno on the rim. Any of these reinvented breakfast foods should appeal to the Millenials. Frittatas and breakfast pizzas have also been reinvented. Using gluten free breads or changing the traditional dough to a flatbread, simply add sautéed mushrooms, perhaps wild exotic mushrooms, spinach, ham (whether parma or prosciutto, black forest or Canadian style bacon) and eggs. The eggs can be scrambled, hard cooked or even dropped on top of the flatbread pizza like a fried egg that will cook as the pizza is reheated to serve. Although crepes are not new to some parts of the globe, Nutella stuffed crepes, fruit filled with a fresh fruit coulis sauce and whipped cream, scrambled eggs with meats and cheese and a nice light white wine sauce or crepes cooked into a bowl shape to hold a quiche mixture for baking can all be brought back to indulge our passengers and flight crew. Hot Cereals What about hot cereals? Did you know that Starbucks is credited with the explosion of sales of oatmeal? Step outside the box and request oatmeal to be topped with chopped figs and dates, pistachios, diced fruit leather strips, cajeta caramel (goats milk caramel) and flavored butters such as a cinnamon butter, a pistachio cream butter, a cashew butter to name a few. Step outside the normal here, and try an Indian spiced oatmeal or even a fig and gorgonzola oatmeal. Muffins, Pancakes and Waffles Muffins, pancakes and waffles are also taking a place in the new trendy menu options . . . served as miniature preboard or tapas and full size entrees. In the interest of being healthier, more savory toppings, stuffing’s and components are used. Bacon and other dried meats are finding their way into muffins, pancakes and waffles and eaten with your hand rather than on a plate. Tastefully Yours now offers a breakfast muffin made with an oatmeal and cornmeal base, filled with chopped meat and spicy cheese. It is a great hand-held breakfast meal. What I find especially wonderful is that they can be eaten hot or cold.
For those of you who really want trendy, give some thought to these ideas; a Breakfast Tiramisu, a tortilla Espagnole with a smoked paprika aioli (I just love smoked paprika), shooters, sunny side up quail eggs with smoked duck bacon and wild mushrooms on toast points, mini French toast stuffed with foie gras, bite size corn beef hash cups topped with a lightly fried quail egg. Order bite size potato (or sweet potato) Latke’s with smoked salmon and a quail egg, allow 2-3 per person. Small bites for breakfast, as appetizers or a late night snack like these allow anyone the opportunity to get creative and showcase seasonal and local products. We at Tastefully Yours offer a mini stack of blueberry pancakes, mini bacon cups filled with scrambled quail eggs and finely diced fried potatoes and mini waffle bites with crispy fried chicken pieces drizzled with maple butter. Your catering sources have the ideas...just ask for their suggestions.
I am including a list of a few new menu items that the restaurant chefs have added to change the image of breakfast recently. You may want to request that your catering source prepare one or more of these to see if you can become a rock star with those you are planning meals for on board.
Your passengers are seeing the face of breakfast change as they travel the world. You and your crew are seeing the changes as you indulge in restaurant trends. So why shouldn’t your in-flight meals reflect the same changes? It's time to 'upgrade' your morning offerings and step into the next generation.
Let me introduce myself . . . My name is Paula Kraft and I am founder and President of Tastefully Yours Catering, an aviation specific caterer, located in Atlanta, Georgia for 35 years.
Currently I am an active member of the NBAA Flight Attendant Committee Advisory Board and the NBAA International Flight Attendant Committee, Women in Corporate Aviation, Women in Aviation International, National Association of Catering Executives, International Flight Catering Association, the International Food Service Association and the International Caterer’s Association. I have coordinated training programs and clinics for NBAA and EBAA conference attendees for over 10 years, created mentoring programs for caterers and flight attendants to broaden their aviation culinary skills, and to assist them in adapting to the unique challenges and constraints found in catering for general aviation. I recognize the need for training and have worked closely with flight departments, flight crews, schedulers and customer service reps at the FBOs to ensure that catering specific training provides information and skills necessary to reduce risk while assisting them in their job duties that include safe food handling, catering security, accurate transmission of food orders, and safe food production, packaging and delivery. I fell into aviation catering quite by accident. I was the in-house caterer and bakery supplier for Macy’s department stores in Atlanta when catering was ordered for a Macy’s customer which was soon to change my life. After the client enjoyed the catering provided, I was summoned to the client’s corporate office to provide several of the items delivered through Macy’s to the executive dining room. Within a week, I was providing food for the flight department and my first order was for the President of a foreign country (as I was too be told soon after). So, here I am, some 35 years later, still loving every minute of every day in aviation catering.
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