Campfires offer ambience and a great way to cook

A well-built campfire can cook up a lot more than ambience, wieners and marshmallows.

Looking to reduce travel expenses for franchisees and regional employees while still offering face-to-face contact, franchisors increasingly are replacing or supplementing their big annual franchise conventions in favor of smaller road-show tours.1 teaspoon chipotle chili powderAdd the beans, chipotle powder, garlic, oregano and enough water to just cover the beans. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook for another 11/2 hours, or until the meat and beans are tender.Start to finish: 3 hours, plus overnight soaking (20 minutes active)"Sometimes the people who need to come to these the most are the ones that can't afford to be there," Rotondo said. "You're preaching to the choir. This way, no one has to drive more than two hours. Our goal is 100-percent attendance."In troubled economic times, Moore said, franchisor-franchisee communications are more important than ever.Now top everything with a grill rack. The higher the rack sits, the slower the cooking process. Karlin recommends roughly 8 inches above the flame for high heat cooking, and 10 to 12 inches for low and slow cooking, such as a stew.The first road show will be in Panama City, followed by a 4,000-mile tour through Orlando, Fla., North Carolina, Detroit, Chicago and Memphis, Tenn. The last road show will be held in Las Vegas, to which the team will fly."The great debate in my field is gas versus charcoal, and I say wood," says Steven Raichlen, host of public television's "Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen." "Wood gives you both heat and flavor.""It's anything but business as usual right now anywhere," said Mike Rotondo, vice president of operations for Tropical Smoothie.Drain the beans and transfer to a bowl. Return the Dutch oven to the rack. Add the cumin and saute briefly until fragrant. Add the onion and salt pork or bacon. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.According to Dan Scales, Chief Executive Officer of Little Lady Foods, "The
additions of Brian and Heather to the Little Lady team ensures the Company
will continue its strong performance and growth while delivering
outstanding quality and consistent food safety to our customers and a safe,
rewarding workplace for our employees."We need to provide them the training, leadership and motivation.""I cannot think of anything that I have done in my career that has had a bigger impact on a large group as those conferences have," he said. "Being there in a small group to discuss strategy, hurdles, fears and successes is very impactful in keeping a big system like ours on the same page and communicated with."Rotondo of Tropical Smoothie agreed, saying: "It's business as unusual for us. It's like a Rubik's Cube, we have to twist it every day to find new ways to look at our business to best support and grow the brand. Companies are curled up in a ball, taking the punches. We're out there shooting away."Rotondo said Tropical Smoothie is partnering with a supplier company to help with logistics and defray some costs.1/2 cup chopped yellow onionrruggles@nrn.comNutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 343 calories; 112 calories from fat; 12 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 32 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 13 g fiber; 966 mg sodium.4 cloves garlic, choppedTo start the fire, pile crumpled newspaper or paper bags and twigs. And while paraffin fire starters available at hardware stores can help, dry twigs and paper should make lighter fluid unnecessary.The road shows also can reach a broader audience than traditional conventions, Rotondo said. Tropical Smoothie hosted a traditional two-day convention last October in Miami. The year before, attendees had to travel to Las Vegas for the annual confab.The first step is to check with your local fire codes. Some communities require fire permits even for small campfires. Permits usually are free, but may need to be picked up in person on the day you burn, so be sure to check local regulations ahead of time.About Little Lady FoodsOnce your kindling is burning well, start adding small logs. As the fire builds, you can increase the size of the logs you add. The fire will need to burn for about 20 to 30 minutes before it is ready for cooking, Raichlen says.This also is a good time to determine what you will be cooking and how large a fire you will need to do so. The size of the fire can determine the type of permit needed, and even the time of day you can burn.Prepare a medium-hot campfire fitted with a grill rack."This is an example of changing the way you do business to best support the needs of the people who are depending on you."If you will be cooking multiple dishes at once, you may need a larger fire in order to arrange the wood and embers in different areas to create warmer and cooler cooking zones."Brian has led large R&D and technical teams, successfully developing and
commercializing numerous fresh and frozen food products, while Heather has
been instrumental in developing talent, promoting and recruiting for
diversity and leading negotiations. Their combined experience complements
our flexibility and strength, as we grow our Company and our product
offerings in support of customer needs and emerging consumer trends.""We've not abandoned the idea of annual conventions, but in today's economy and in the environment that our franchisees are living in, we felt we had to change and modify the way we are doing business.The conference is free. Reservations are being handled by Angie Zimmerman, CiCi's franchise sales manager, at (972) 745-9316.Mary Karlin, author of "Wood-fired Cooking," says the goal is to build a compact fire that distributes heat efficiently. If at the beach, begin by digging a hole in the sand and lining it with rocks or bricks. When camping, build a tight ring of rocks or bricks.

(Recipe adapted from Mary Karlin's "Wood-fired Cooking," Ten Speed Press, 2009)

Author: Pervaiz Shallwani