Salad Bar

I always get ripped off at a salad bar, because I don't like a lot of stuff in my salad. Last night, I was invited out for Korean BBQ and we ate a ton of meat, so tonight it's just a salad.

I like salad bars because I can make it the way I want it. Similar to Subway, Chipotle, and a lot of yogurt places, you make it the way you want it. How can you not like it? It was assembled to your liking.

I always tell my clients, they don't have to be on any social networks if they don't want to. When they see other businesses having the Facebook and Twitter logos, they want that too, just going along with what everyone else is doing.

Do you have to have a YouTube account? No you don't. But YouTube is owned by Google and it can help you move up in Google search. How many of us scroll down to at least the 2nd or 3rd page of Google search results to find something? Not many... We might stick with the Top 5 perhaps?

My Whole Foods Market Salad

Romaine lettuce, baby corn, water chestnuts, cheese, Quinoa,

and of course artichoke hearts

Social Networking is like a salad bar, pick and choose what you want...

What kind of dressing???

Photo by Jay Terauchi

(c) Kahuna of the Kitchen

USPS, A Bit Late...

My Birthday was exactly 3 months after I received this card.

The postmark was May 2nd and would've reached my mailbox

on my Birthday.

Wonder if the card met up with the traveling gnome? I didn't get a picture of this card at the Eiffel Tower, The Great Pyramid in Egypt, Sydney Opera House, Angel Falls in Venezuela, or even Original Tommy's on Rampart and Beverly.

So what's up with that?

The Mystery Continues...

Jay Terauchi

(c) Kahuna of the Kitchen

Mahalo Hawaiian!

I keep telling my clients to focus on one thing and do it the very best. Don't try to be everything to everybody. It's the little things that will make a difference...

I have a trip booked on Hawaiian later this fall, occasionally I do get on the road. Last night, while searching for another flight, I noticed that the time had changed for the return flight. This morning, I received an automated call alerting me of the change, how to view it, and where to call if this is a problem. By the time I got to my computer, had already received an email with the updated info and where to print my itinerary. #Bravo

Hawaiian Airlines*

NEW

Airbus A330

I guess I'm used to receiving text messages from American Airlines after I've checked in and waiting by the gate to find out that my gate has changed. In reality, I'm standing at the correct gate, they're just sending me old information. #Fail

Don't you want to go here?*

As a marketer, Hawaiian Airlines does a great job selling paradise and the escape to our daily lives. Their website opens to a beautiful beach or tropical waterfall on Kauai. This is what a lot of companies forget when selling, they focus so much on the product, they forget to SELL the solution.

Now this is where I want to be...*

Sell the SIZZLE and Not the steak

and take care of your customers!

It works on social media too...

Mahalo Hawaiian!

Photo by Jay Terauchi

Kahuna of the Kitchen

*Photos courtesy Hawaiian Airlines

Cooking School Mystery Box

When I was in cooking school, I looked forward to the mystery box, a timed challenge similar to "Chopped" or "Iron Chef America" on the Food Network. You either have a secret ingredient or a variety of ingredients which to make an entree or multi-course meal in a given amount of time. Creativity plays a huge part in the success of this exercise.

Crème Brûlée

"Burnt Cream"

Today is National Crème Brûlée Day. Had a tweetversation with @thedailydish and @NaniWaialeale this morning about the mention of Crème Brûlée for breakfast. Well, it uses ingredients that are the same for many breakfast dishes...eggs, cream, vanilla, and sugar. Depending on how you these ingredients, you can create some incredible flavors that will make the palate dance OR cry...as in last night's MasterChef.

Social Media is the same...anyone can set-up a Facebook or Twitter account, be invited to Google+, upload a video to YouTube, and even post work experiences on LinkedIn. But if there's no direction or a goal in mind, it's just networks. Crème Brûlée is an amazing dessert or breakfast (as discussed this AM), but the ingredients could be used to make something else if you don't have a kitchen torch, maybe not as desirable as Crème Brûlée.

Had a conversation the other night, they didn't understand why people were not joining their Facebook and Twitter accounts. It was the right ingredients (Facebook and Twitter), but they didn't have a recipe to follow. Visually, his ingredients were sitting on the counter with no direction or plan. They didn't know that you need content or it's just a parking space...

You need to break a few eggs, whip up some batter, and you might even get burned when you turn on the oven. Otherwise, the ingredients stay as they are and the message doesn't get out.

Allez Cuisine!

(c) Jay Terauchi

Photo by CNN

Burrito without the Tortilla

I grew up in a diverse neighborhood and was fortunate to eat really good Mexican food. As I got older and did a lot of traveling, I didn't really know how much I would miss Mexican food. OK, really good Mexican food...

As social media is the new form of communication, food has changed also. About 7 years ago, I went to my first Chipotle and wasn't impressed with it. It was about 5 years later that my business partner told me that I should go back and watch their operation. I have to admit, I started to like the food, not that it was great, but it was FAST. They assembled the burrito, tacos, salad, or bowl in under a minute (depending on the line). I started eating the burrito bowl without the tortilla, it also cuts down on the time the tortilla is in the warmer.

Chipotle Chicken Bowl

$5.95

Just like the customers in line at Chipotle, social networkers want to get information right away. Twitter is like drinking out of a firehose, so much information at a fast pace, similar to what Chipotle does. It's not a great meal, but since it was made the way you want it and FAST, how could you not like it?

You decide what's inside...

Photo by Jay Terauchi

(c) Kahuna of the Kitchen