How Fried Gnocchi Got Steve Ziegler on The Rachael Ray Show
On July 27, 2015, one of WebstaurantStore’s own was featured on The Rachael Ray Show when his hilarious fried gnocchi fail went viral. Steve Ziegler, our product knowledge expert and social media specialist, was filming a video for our blog on how to make deep fried gnocchi with buffalo sauce when he discovered that one should NEVER fry gnocchi. To see why, check out the video below.
We sat down with Steve to talk to him about his experience with Rachael Ray and how it feels to be a viral video sensation.
Q: How did you feel when you were asked to be on the show?
A: It was kind of exciting because everybody knows who Rachael Ray is, so it seemed like a really interesting and fun thing to do.
Q: Why do you think the original video went viral?
A: Because I’m so good looking. I think we can all agree that’s the real reason. No, the original video went viral because the internet loves when unexpected things happen in a video, and they love real laughter. People seem to love the way I laugh.
Q: What was your reaction after seeing yourself on TV?
A: Relief that I didn’t completely mess up. I thought I’d look a lot worse than I did, and I didn’t stutter too much or anything like that so I was pretty happy.
Q: Did you do anything to prepare?
A: I had to buy a jewel-toned shirt at Rachael Ray’s production assistant’s insistence. I also got a haircut which was too short, and that was about it.
Q: How did the process from invitation to filming go? Were there any unexpected steps in the process?
A: Their production assistant actually reached out in several different ways to get ahold of me. She sent a message via our YouTube account and she called several customer service people here at WebstaurantStore. So I suddenly got an influx of messages from customer service reps in Pennsylvania and Nevada all within the same day, so I knew it was serious. After that, we figured out the logistics of when they were going to tape the show, which was back in March. Then I just had to go up to the studio in New York and be there on time.
Q: What was your favorite part about filming the show?
A: If you watch my reaction when I eat the gnocchi that the chef made, it’s a completely real reaction. It was super-duper tasty. It was so good, I’ve made it twice since in fact. My kids love it, my girlfriend loves it, it is really good.
Watch Steve's segment on Rachael Ray and learn how to make some delicious (not deep fried) gnocchi!
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Becoming a YouTube Chef
It's no surprise that social media marketing plays a crucial part in drawing attention to restaurants and menus, but what can you do to market yourself as a chef? Showcase your talent and exercise your creativity by starting your very own cooking show on YouTube. We'll walk you through creating content for a YouTube cooking channel that will have viewers flocking to your page to follow along. How to Start a YouTube Cooking Channel A successful YouTube channel takes a lot of work, but we've broken down how to start your YouTube cooking show into these simple steps: Watch a lot of YouTube cooking shows. Check out what others are doing, and see where you could add something new to the market. Form your concept around something you’re confident that you can do well with a unique perspective. Figure out how you will brainstorm, test recipes, film, and edit. Write up a schedule that works for your life and stick to it. Regular uploads (once per week or more) will help you retain followers. Create a storyboard for each show before you film. Practice talking viewers through the recipe, and think about what shots you want to get of your dish. Consider what will be most helpful and most enticing to your audience. Map out your video on a whiteboard before filming to stay organized. Create social media profiles to promote your channel. For example, post still images of your recipe on Instagram, or ask your followers to suggest new recipes on Twitter. How to Make Cooking Videos To launch a YouTube cooking show, you'll need to produce high-quality videos that your viewers can follow in their own kitchens. Below, we've included some of the recording essentials and key details you'll want to include for your cooking videos. Cooking Video Supplies Here is some of the equipment you'll need to film cooking videos: Camera: Whether it's your phone or a digital camera, you'll need a device with high-quality recording capacities and internal storage to capture the videos of your recipe. Tripod: To keep your shot steady and properly angled, use an adjustable tripod that can hold your device as you film. Lighting: Professional-looking videos need to be well-lit so that viewers can see the details of your recipe. You can use ring lights or professional studio lighting to make sure your kitchen is illuminated well enough for your camera. Microphone: Most cameras have built-in microphones, but they may not be as crisp as a professional option. If you're adding voice-over to your videos, an external microphone would be a great addition to your recording kit. Editing Program: Once you have all of your footage, edit the recording together to create the final product that you'll upload on your channel. Some of the commonly used editing programs include PowerDirector 365, Apple iMovie, Animoto, Lightworks, and Adobe Premiere Pro. Cooking Supplies: Make sure your cooking supplies are all clean and gathered before you start working on your video. This makes the filming process run smoothly and can help produce a professional finished product. How to Film Cooking Videos Once you have your filming equipment gathered and set up, your storyboard will help you collect the footage you need to put the video together. Follow these steps as you begin filming your YouTube cooking video: Set up your cooking supplies. Organize your cooking supplies and ingredients in a way that lets you flow from one logical step to the next while keeping your space tidy. Film an introduction. Record a small clip introducing yourself and the recipe you'll be teaching. Show the necessities. Grab footage or a still image of the supplies and ingredients your viewers will need to follow along with the video. Record the recipe. First, you'll need to decide if you'll be recording the prep straight through or grabbing individual recordings of each step. Recording without stopping allows very little room for error but lets the viewer follow in real-time. Individual recordings can be time-consuming but then you can re-record and stitch together only the best footage. Show off the final product. Finish by recording the dish coming out of the oven or refrigerator before you serve it. You can grab a video or still image of the dish plated and ready to serve to close the video. Edit the video and upload. Transfer all of the footage to a computer and edit together the clips. You may choose to add captions and voice-over to get it presentable before uploading. The easier it is to follow along, the better. How to Create Content for YouTube To gain a loyal base of subscribers, you should upload at least one video per week. However, you shouldn't rush and churn out non-descript recipes. Viewers want to see a unique twist on each dish you do because that's what will keep them interested. Here are some tips for planning your YouTube content: Create a content calendar. It’s easiest to keep your subscribers’ attention when you’re producing content for them regularly. Mapping out your videos on a calendar will help you stay organized. Try to account for running out of ideas as you plan your content. Creativity comes and goes in bursts, so consider producing more videos when you’re full of concepts. Keep an eye on trends. Just like with foodservice trends, you'll want to stay informed on what consumers want. Tune in to your competitors' channels and YouTube's trending page to see what people are watching. But, as always, put your own spin on these concepts to create original content. Ask your viewers what they'd like to see. Create a relationship with your subscribers so that you can create content that you know they'll be interested in. They can leave comments on your videos or social media accounts with ideas for you. Skills You Need to Start a YouTube Cooking Show Creating cooking content for YouTube means practicing your techniques and recipes frequently. You'll spend lots of time testing dishes, brainstorming plating techniques, talking to cameras, and thinking about each step in your recipe. Aside from basic cooking techniques, you'll want to make sure you can teach the recipe as you perform it. Break down your recipes into easy-to-understand steps. The key is to stay engaged with the camera throughout the video to bring in viewers and keep them watching. On top of being a great chef and teacher, you'll also need filming and video editing skills to compile your video and upload it for the world to see. How to Gain Exposure for Your Channel Joining the YouTube community will allow you to connect with hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people who love food as much as you. Each of these people is an opportunity for engagement and exposure that your channel needs to succeed. 1. Encourage Users to Like and Subscribe Including these helpful reminders in your videos calls your viewers to action. YouTube's algorithm favors videos with many likes and views, so high rates of engagement could help you be featured on other users' "recommended" feeds or even the trending page. 2. Engage with Your Subscribers Get to know your viewers by reading their comments and responding to some of them. Not only will this help your subscribers feel connected with you, but it can also help you gain insight into what your audience likes about you. Communicating with your audience could give you valuable feedback that you wouldn't have otherwise. 3. Collab with Other YouTube Creators Reach out to other YouTube hosts and set up collaborative projects. Most of the time, “collabs” include creating one video for each YouTuber’s channel, in which the visiting user gains exposure to the other’s audience. This allows you to interact with a whole new group of viewers and learn from fellow creators. How to Make Money on YouTube There are two main ways that you can make money from your YouTube channel: video ads and sponsored content. 1. Getting Ads on Your YouTube Videos When you gain enough subscribers and watch hours on your channel, you can “monetize” your videos, or allow YouTube to put ads on them. You earn money depending on the format of the ad put on your content, the price of the ad featured, or other factors set by YouTube. 2. Getting Sponsorships for Your YouTube Channel If you can grow your channel to have several thousand subscribers, product brands may start contacting you for sponsorship opportunities. Generally, a brand will ask you to use their product in your video and will compensate you according to terms set before you create the video. The bigger your base of viewers, the more attractive your channel will be to brands looking to promote their products. Becoming a Full-Time YouTuber For some people, creating a YouTube cooking show can change the path of their career. Growing your channel to a few hundred thousand subscribers could give you the opportunity to turn YouTube into your full-time job if your videos generate enough revenue. Be Prepared for the Time Commitment While YouTube gives you schedule flexibility, running a successful YouTube channel and its supporting social media profiles is practically a 24/7 job. Subscribers may want daily content on other platforms because they can’t get enough of your unique perspective. Learning how to balance your work with your personal life is a challenge that many full-time YouTubers face. When you work from home and your job is to be present on social media, it becomes difficult to know when to stop working. This is something to keep in mind if you want to pursue YouTube as your full-time income. If you want to explore opportunities for more creativity in your cooking career, consider starting your own YouTube cooking show. This endeavor could help you hone your skills, earn some money, and may even change your career. After working on YouTube full-time, some users find even more success by transitioning to network television. Having a successful YouTube channel is a big time commitment, but your dedication could take your cooking career to the next level.
Oil for Deep Frying
You can find fried foods on the menus from all kinds of establishments. Whether you own a burger place, an Italian restaurant, or you want to try frying a turkey as a holiday special, knowing what oil to use in your fryer and how to maintain it is key for producing high-quality fried foods. In this article, we will tell you how to select the best deep fryer oil, how often you should change it, how to filter fryer oil, and even how to dispose of your oil once it becomes unusable. Shop All Fryer Oil Filtration Accessories Click any of the topics below to read the section that interests you: Best Frying Oils Specific Oils for Popular Fried Foods How to Choose the Best Oil Changing Deep Fryer Oil Cleaning and Filtering Fryer Oil Disposing Deep Fryer Oil Best Oil for Frying Due to its high smoke point, vegetable oil is the best oil for deep frying. Canola oil and peanut oil are other popular options. While vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil are the most popular oils for deep frying, there are several other oil options you can choose: Grapeseed Oil Soybean Oil Lard Corn Oil Cottonseed Oil Healthiest Oil for Frying The healthiest oil to fry with is olive oil. Another great option is avocado oil. These oils are high in monosaturated fats, which is considered to be a healthy fat in comparison to polyunsaturated fats. Peanut Oil for Frying Peanut oil is low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. As a result, it is a healthier alternative to other frying fats like shortening and lard. Although it is made from peanuts, not all peanut oil is considered an allergen. Highly refined peanut oil is safe for many people with peanut allergies, while cold-pressed, expelled, and extruded peanut oils are considered allergens. Vegetable Oil for Frying Vegetable oil is an ideal oil for frying because it is a great all-purpose oil and can be used for deep-frying, pan-frying, or sauteeing. Vegetable oils are not all the same as some are made up of 100% soybean, while other vegetable oil blends are made of a mix of soybean, sunflower, corn, and more. Since it contains different blends, vegetable oil’s smoke point can range from 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Canola Oil for Frying Canola oil is a lower-fat alternative to shortening and lard, and it is more affordable than many other cooking oils. Plus, it is easily accessible, making it a popular selection for kitchens everywhere. Corn Oil for Frying Corn oil makes an excellent oil for deep frying thanks to its high smoke point of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Corn oil is a type of vegetable oil that has a dark yellow color and neutral taste. Since corn is so abundant, corn oil is an inexpensive frying oil option. Best Oil for Pan Frying Olive oil is the best oil to use for pan-frying. Coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, and butter are also great oils for pan-frying. Back to Top Best Oil Choice by Foods Below are the best oils to use when frying these popular foods to deep fry: Best Oil to Fry Chicken The best oils to fry chicken are vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. Their high smoke points and neutral tastes make these oils best for frying chicken. Best Oil for French Fries The best oil to fry french fries is a neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. These oils also have a high smoke point, which is ideal for making sure your oil doesn't burn too quickly. Best Oil for Frying Potatoes The best oil for frying different types of potatoes is a neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as corn oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Best Oil for Frying Shrimp The best oil for frying shrimp is peanut oil. Peanut oil gives shrimp a delicious, rich flavor, while also having a high smoke point which is ideal for frying. Back to Top How to Choose the Best Oil for Deep Frying If you’re unsure of what kind of oil to use in your deep fryer, there are two main factors to consider: smoke point and taste. Oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which the oil starts to break down while it is heated. At this temperature, the oil will start to smoke before it eventually catches fire with increased temperature. When oil begins to smoke, it starts to taste “off” and loses much of its nutritional value. How Can Oil’s Taste Affect Food in a Deep Fryer? Because deep frying requires your food to be submerged in oil for its entire cooking process, using oil with a strong taste can impact the flavor of the food you’re frying. For example, olive oil is often recognized for its distinctive taste that is desirable in dishes like pasta or as a dressing for salads. However, its robust flavor may not pair well with many traditional fried foods. Why Vegetable Oil, Peanut Oil, and Canola Oil Are the Best for Deep Frying Vegetable oil, peanut oil, and canola oil are ideal for use in deep fryers because of their high smoke points. With vegetable oil's smoke point ranging from 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit, peanut oil’s smoke point at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and canola oil’s at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, these three oils can remain stable throughout your frying process. Most frying occurs between the temperatures of 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you must use oil with a smoke point of at least 400 degrees to avoid contaminating the taste of your food and putting yourself at risk of injury. Vegetable, peanut, and canola oils' neutral taste also make them excellent candidates for deep frying. Is Canola Oil Better Than Vegetable Oil? Canola oil is thought to be a better frying oil than vegetable oil. While they have the same smoke point range, canola oil has a more neutral taste than vegetable oil and is also considered to be the healthier option of the two. Back to Top How Often Should I Change the Oil in My Deep Fryer? How long you can keep oil in your deep fryer depends on what you’ve been frying and how often, the quality of the oil, and how clean your fryer is. While there is no one-time limit that applies to all situations, it is simple to know when to change your deep fryer oil. When to Change Fryer Oil Change the oil in your deep fryer when: It smokes at lower temperatures than usual Darkens in color Begins to smell off-putting Becomes thickened and foamy at the surface These are all signs that your oil is breaking down and is no longer usable. This being said, do not wait for all of these signs to change your oil. Any one of these changes can make your oil difficult or unsafe to work with, so it is best to keep your oil fresh. Can I Leave Oil in My Deep Fryer? While it is best to store oil outside of your fryer when it is not in use for long periods of time, you can leave oil in your deep fryer for short periods. That being said, it is important to first filter the oil to ensure that any food debris does not spoil while in the fryer. Additionally, you should always keep your fryer covered and cool when it is not in use because light and heat are two of the major factors in oil spoiling. Ideally, you should store your oil in a cool, dark place. Storing filtered oil in an airtight container that does not let in light can help extend the life of your oil and save you money. Back to Top How to Clean and Filter Deep Fryer Oil Before you can clean and filter your deep fryer oil, you must make sure that the oil is cool. Hot or warm oil could put you at risk for burns and could damage your filtering equipment. Once your oil is cool, use a skimmer to remove any floating food debris from the oil’s surface. How to Filter a Small Batch of Deep Fryer Oil Drape cheesecloth over a chinois. This will help to remove small bits of food debris. Position your chinois over a funnel and storage container. Make sure that the container is large enough to catch all of the filtered oil. Pour the oil slowly through the cheesecloth and chinois. Now your oil is clean and ready for re-use. How to Filter a Large Batch of Deep Fryer Oil If you have a larger batch of oil to filter, you may want to consider investing in a fryer oil filtration system. In many cases, these machines will remove the oil from your fryer, filter it, and then return the oil to the fryer. Manual fryer oil filtration machines save energy because they are powered by hand. Electric fryer oil filtration systems power the transfer and filtration process with electricity and are more efficient. Back to Top How to Dispose of Deep Fryer Oil To properly dispose of used cooking oil from your deep fryer, pour your oil into a sealable bag and put it in the trash. Always check your bags for rips or punctures before transferring the oil, because even a slow leak could create a mess in your trash bin or dumpster. Alternatively, you can find disposal centers that recycle the cooking oil. Some areas have organizations that collect oil for recycling, and they may even pay you for your contributions. If this is not available in your area, you can look into oil collection services for restaurants. These organizations will come to your business and take away your oil for you. Can You Pour Oil Down the Drain? No. While it may be tempting to dump your cooking oil down the drain, disposing of your oil this way could be against your local ordinances. Never pour deep fryer oil down your drain, even with hot water. The fat particles in your oil may solidify and block your pipes, causing major problems with your plumbing system. Back to Top While deep fryers are great for cooking an array of popular concession stand foods, choosing the right oil and knowing how to maintain it can be tricky. If you have fryers in your commercial kitchen, you know the importance of keeping the oil fresh and clean, so your food can come out as well as possible. When your oil changes color, odor, or becomes foamy, be sure to filter it. If filtering no longer returns your oil to usable condition, put it in a sealed bag in the trash. Now that you know how to select, filter, and dispose of your deep fryer oil, you can confidently serve high-quality fried foods.
Types of Pasta
Pasta may very well be one of the most popular carbohydrates in the culinary world. It can be served on its own with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs or paired with a homemade meaty tomato sauce. It's also a central element of casseroles and soups. Other creative uses include tossing it into salads for a heartier main dish. With so many different types of pasta, you can choose from a wide array of noodle types with striking designs, various sizes, and different textures for your menu.Shop All Bulk Pasta Use the following links to explore the different types of pasta. Types of Pasta Noodles Cooking Pasta Fresh Pasta vs Dry Pasta Pasta Terms Types of Pasta Chart Pasta Color Comparison