Alcoholic Beverage Safety How it Effects Guests in the Food Service Industry

While we all learn by rote the principles of safety in an establishment that serves alcohol, not much is said in this environment about what exactly alcohol does. In dealing with customers, it helps to understand exactly what effect alcohol has on the system, which not even many drinkers of alcoholic beverages are aware of. Alcohol is a potent central nervous system depressant, with a range of side effects. The circumstances of consumption plus the amount consumed play a significant part in determining... Read more »

The Ten Minute Sushi Expert

OK, American restaurant entrepreneur: Do you want to jump on the sushi bandwagon, but you find the whole subject a little intimidating? Here’s a rough-and-ready guide to everything you need to know about sushi, so that Westerner and Easterner alike will find your sushi service an authentic experience. First, a glossary of sushi terms: Nigiri-zushi - This is the most well-known kind of sushi. It is comprised of a thinly-sliced piece of raw fish that sits either on top of or tucked into a small,... Read more »

Seven Mistakes in Designing and Decorating a Restaurant

A restaurant is able to offer a wide range of appeal to the senses. The quality of your food appealing to your customer’s sense of taste, the delightful smells wafting from the kitchen appealing to your customers sense of smell. But many restaurants fail on appealing to the primary senses, when the customer first enters and looks around to see what kind of place it is. Don’t underestimate the design and decor of your establishment; it sticks in the patron’s minds a lot longer than... Read more »

Many Different Ways To Go About Taking Care Of Food

If you talk to fifty chefs you’ll get fifty different answers on packaging. Yes, it is addressed extensively in the training materials and during the seminars. Believe it or not, it is not really a big deal. You just look at the options and decide what’s best for you and your clients. It is really not a big deal at all, and you could get fifty or more different answers here. There are typically three different types of packagaing. Disposables, Rubbermaid type, and pyrex… usually... Read more »

Tips On How To Vacuum Seal And Freeze Food In Jars

Do you reuse the bags? If so, is there an easy way of getting them clean & dry? I love the Food Saver, but am finding that if I freeze anything greasy (like stew for example) the bag is a major pain to get clean. If there is any trace of residue left the bag won’t seal properly. Any hints? I put the food into a ziploc bag, then press the air out of it and put that bag into the freezer bag. I then seal it. Also, when you wash it, turn it inside out before putting it into the dishwasher. Grease... Read more »

Why Some People Choose Their Freezer Wrap With Care

You can freeze a precooked ham that has been refrigerated and in its original wrapping. Be sure to overwrap the ham ensuring an air-tight seal (vacuum package, zipper bag with all the air removed, foil, butcher wrap, etc.). Ham has a quality freezer life of about three months so plan to use the ham by the 4th of July. With a lot of the food that you buy or get from family or friends and you would really like to freeze it just make sure that when you do that that you use the right containter. Some... Read more »

How Long Is Food Good For

Raw hamburger: has a refrigerator shelf life of 2-3 days after purchase. If you do not use the hamburger within 3 days, it should be frozen for future use. It can be frozen either raw or cooked. Hummus: It has the typical ingredients - chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Hummus can be refrigerated in a closed container for up to 5 days and can be kept in the freezer in an air-tight container for up to one month. If the hummus appears dry when you take it out of the refrigerator... Read more »

Restaurant Guide - Making Your Own Wine

One of the things that can put your restaurant on the map is serving your own in-house wine. Perhaps with some skill, you can compete with a name label. But even if your wine-making skills don’t put you in ranks with the top French vineyards, the point is that you make your own house wine! Wine-making supplies are readily available through most larger culinary supply stores, and it’s surprising how little is involved. Several selections of in-house wine can be a delicious and unique... Read more »

What Kind Of Food Preserver Do You Like To Use

We have a FoodSaver that I really enjoy to use when it comes to preserving food that i know i would like to eat later. But when you do get a foodsaver see that it is the one that you would like to work and would be easy for you to handle. I’m not real impressed with the roll storage, not bad for occasional use, but not real handy for production use. Adjustable seal times can be helpful. As long as it has a manual seal, adjustable seal time, and handles 11″ bag material, it will work.... Read more »

Refills For Vacuum Food Sealers

I was shopping for a vacuum sealer today. I sure was interested in a inexpensive source of bag for them. The units themselves weren’t too bad, but the price of the refills is outrageous. The rolls worked out to about a dollar per foot of material,which got me thinking how much I would have to save by buying bargain packs of meats and still come out ahead. Buck a foot seems high, but they are not cheap. You can easily re-use them though. I cut the bags a few inches longer than would be needed.... Read more »