Fresh Kiwifruit Coulis
INGREDIENTS:
2 ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit, peeled and diced
2 ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit, peeled and diced
4 teaspoons Sugar
via Panna Cotta With Fresh Kiwifruit Coulis.
January 22nd, 2010
What’s Your Food Styling IQ?
There's a lot more to food styling than meets the eye. No really, there is! Food stylists have lots of sneaky tricks up their sleeves from fake ice cubes and glue to special cooking techniques. Do you know how they do it? Find out!
via What’s Your Food Styling IQ? – Chef’s Blade.
Chef Brad's Blog Post, Food Information Blog | 
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January 22nd, 2010
Cooking Schools
According to BLS, in 2008, workers over 25 with a 2-year Associate’s Degree earned, on average, $736 a week. Compare that to high school graduates, who made just $591. The unemployment rate for this group is also 2% higher – a very significant gap when it comes to unemployment figures.
via CookingSchools.
January 22nd, 2010
How to Talk Like A Food Stylist
Every business has its own set of words and phrases that are used exclusively in that arena. Food styling and food photography are no different. Here are some frequently used words and phrases.
via How to Talk Like A Food Stylist – Chef’s Blade.
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January 22nd, 2010
Celebrating Citrus
Citrus season brings a necessary and amazing wallop of pizazz to these bleak winter days. It’s like a burst of fresh air, with a hint of zest. I love going into my local grocery store and seeing the absolute abundance of all these different types of citrus: a true feast for the eyes!
via Celebrating Citrus – Chef’s Blade.
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January 22nd, 2010
Greek Salad Pita Sandwiches
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 397; Total Fat 20g; Carbohydrates 45g
Pair these flavorful pita pockets with a bowl of soup for a light evening meal. Fresh tomatoes and peppers offer a welcome winter burst of vitamins C and A, while the Feta cheese helps you meet your daily calcium needs. For extra protein, toss sliced grilled chicken in with the veggies. You can save time by making the filling up to two days ahead of time, but assemble the sandwiches immediately before eating to keep the bread from getting soggy.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Photograph By: Tina Rupp
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
- 397 Calories (20%)
- 20g Total fat (31%)
- 7g Saturated Fat (37%)
- 33mg Cholesterol (11%)
- 775mg Sodium (32%)
- 45g Carbohydrate (15%)
- 7g Fiber (29%)
- 13g Protein (26%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com
January 21st, 2010
Recipes for Success Part II
Now that you’ve created a standard recipe book, it’s time for you to test it out, for this specific task you need to create a budget, as this may be quite expensive but there are some considerations that you can use to lower this expense: –Involve vendors and suppliers, they also have a budget for sampling, and you’ll get part of what you need to perform the tests. ==While testing, make sure to have your whole kitchen staff present, this helps as training, involvement and commitment. You can check out the rest of the article at http://hospitalitynow.blogspot.com
Recipes for Success Part II
–Do it right the first time, focus on what you are doing; otherwise you will be cooking the same recipe several times.
–Follow your own instructions, if it doesn’t work that way, change it promptly and make sure you write down the new procedure, this will save you time and money.
==Plan in advance all ingredients that you will need, as emergency purchases denote lack of organization.
==Have everything in place, chopped, sliced, minced (mise en place) as 50% of the success of every recipe relies in this step.
==Measure every single ingredient, don’t leave it to imagination, and remember that this will result in a consistent cost for pricing.
==Have someone writing down any change that may happen.
If you can, record a video on each preparation, this is a powerful training tool for future hires.
January 21st, 2010
Recipes for Success Part I
This is probably the best tool for any restaurant, this term is not new, but commonly forgotten. Summarized, a standard recipe is created as a guideline for a dish to be cooked exactly the same way over and over, has no variations and helps you to keep your cost under precise and strict control. As this is an extensive subject, I’m writing it in 3 parts, the first one is creating, the second is testing and standardizing and the third is costing, hope you enjoy, and please, if you are a Vendor or Supplier, abstain for promoting services and products. I’ve seen through the years many mistakes while creating, testing and executing standard recipes: –The Chef spends quite some time on creating a master recipe book, and one week later you can find it in a dusty shelf. You can check out the complete article at http://hospitalitynow.blogspot.com
Recipes for Success Part I
–Creating recipes without a reliable scale.
–A cooking procedure is not written.
–No photo of the dish is taken.
–Not planning recipes with your whole kitchen staff present, this can lead to misinterpretation.
–Not testing a recipe.
–Having standard recipes, but not costing them properly.
–Not updating costs.
–Not knowing basic cooking terms (can confuse staff).
January 21st, 2010
Successful Private Events
Planning a meeting or private events for a Group (on the Hotel side) can indeed look as a very simple task, but it’s not, it is a whole new operation that can be even more profitable than the regular F&B operation, and many mistakes are usually made such as: Planning a couple of days prior to the meeting or event. For the whole article, please visit http://hospitalitynow.blogspot.com
Successful Private Events
Under estimating location capacity.
Poor coordination and execution, resulting in chaos during the meeting.
Mise en place not ready.
Poor illumination during event (if the event is at night).
Shortage of employees to service the event.
Not having a pre-convention to detail and confirm every single aspect of the event.
Not enough supervision during event.
Not following up with the Group Leader after the event.
Lack of satisfaction measurement, remember that what cannot be measured, cannot be improved.
Not planning a coffee service during dessert, remember that this is the closure of a successful or a failed event, this is your grand finale, even it sounds very simple.
January 21st, 2010
Brunswick Stew
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 445; Total Fat 25g; Carbohydrates 29g
Rich and comforting, this winter stew delivers a healthy helping of vitamin C and niacin—the latter helps the body process cholesterol and produce energy from carbohydrates. As rabbit may be hard to come by at the grocery store, the following nutritional information assumes you'll use chicken. The traditional version, made with rabbit, is leaner, with only 10 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Photograph By: Romulo Yanes
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
- 445 Calories (22%)
- 25g Total fat (38%)
- 6g Saturated Fat (28%)
- 86mg Cholesterol (29%)
- 523mg Sodium (22%)
- 29g Carbohydrate (10%)
- 5g Fiber (19%)
- 28g Protein (56%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com
January 20th, 2010
How to Sharpen & Hone Knives – Chef’s Blade
The key to the proper and efficient use of any knife is making sure that it is sharp. A knife with a sharp blade always works better and more safely because it cuts easily. Knife blades are given an edge on a sharpening stone and maintained between sharpenings by honing them with a steel.
via How to Sharpen & Hone Knives – Chef’s Blade.
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January 20th, 2010
Chicken Mushroom Soup with Leeks
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 281; Total Fat 11g; Carbohydrates 15g
Raw winter weather calls for warm, comforting dishes like this robust soup. You can use any type or combination of fresh mushrooms—all are high in antioxidants and essential minerals. Although the recipe calls for reduced-sodium chicken broth, the total sodium content in the soup is still moderately high. If you are watching your salt intake, use sodium-free broth or homemade chicken stock and salt the soup to taste.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
- 281 Calories (14%)
- 11g Total fat (17%)
- 2g Saturated Fat (9%)
- 41mg Cholesterol (14%)
- 1172mg Sodium (49%)
- 15g Carbohydrate (5%)
- 2g Fiber (7%)
- 27g Protein (54%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com
January 19th, 2010
Crispy Skin Fish Fillets with Wilted Escarole
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 449; Total Fat 31g; Carbohydrates 6g
This protein-rich dish is very low in carbs but fairly high in fat. Not to worry: Most of the fats are the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind, along with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. You don't have to give up fresh greens just because summer lettuces are not in season: Escarole (a type of endive) is available year-round and its sturdy texture and slightly bitter flavor make it perfect for wilting. It's also an excellent source of vitamin K, which helps build strong bones and a healthy heart.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
- 449 Calories (23%)
- 31g Total fat (48%)
- 5g Saturated Fat (23%)
- 92mg Cholesterol (31%)
- 105mg Sodium (4%)
- 6g Carbohydrate (2%)
- 4g Fiber (16%)
- 35g Protein (70%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com
January 18th, 2010
Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 317; Total Fat 13g; Carbohydrates 12g
The tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork, making it a good choice for those watching fat and calories. Here, a spicy rub seals in the juices and heightens flavor. A ruby-colored pomegranate sauce adds a sweet-tart accent, along with an antioxidant burst. Roasted cabbage or Brussels sprouts would make a nutritious and seasonal accompaniment.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Photograph By: Romulo Yanes
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
- 317 Calories (16%)
- 13g Total fat (21%)
- 4g Saturated Fat (20%)
- 117mg Cholesterol (39%)
- 384mg Sodium (16%)
- 12g Carbohydrate (4%)
- 1g Fiber (2%)
- 35g Protein (70%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com
January 15th, 2010
Real-Estate Deals Exist for Restaurants
It’s hard to spin a down economy as an opportunity. But the challenging retail environment has a bright side: Many operators are finding that it’s a great time to renegotiate a lease or to open a restaurant in a desirable neighborhood on the cheap.
Beverage News, Chef Brad's Blog Post, Food News, Hotel News, Industry News | No Comments »