Is Food Service Right For You

Working in the culinary arts can be demanding and stressful at times. With a larger than normal turnover rate, there will be times you will work short-staffed. The hours you work can vary from a brief three-hour shift up to ten and twelve hours a day depending on your position and the company you work for. Some operations may require you to work a split shift, usually three hours at lunch and three hours at dinner. You may also be required to work weekends and holidays; this is especially true in hotels, resorts, private clubs, and healthcare.

Few companies spend the time or financial resources for proper training, especially smaller operations. Starting wages are usually just above minimum wage, and many companies lack a decent benefits program. Don't let any of this deter you; these are minor challenges that can be overcome in time.

There will always be detours and roadblocks in any career. Those who are passionate about the culinary arts embrace these issues; nothing deters them. If you want to make excellent money and work in a job you love, sacrifices will have to be made, this is a fact you must accept

The following is a list of what I experienced in my career as a Chef and hospitality manager. If you stay in food service for any length of time, you will experience similar situations

The Health Benefits of Black Pepper

In the ancient world, peppercorns were thought to be fitting sacred offerings to gods, and at one time they were actually worth more than gold. The search for pepper, which was an expensive commodity took Vasco da Gama and other Portuguese explorers to the Indian coast. In the middle ages, peppercorns were so expensive that they were used as currency and rents could be paid with them, hence the phrase "a peppercorn rent." Now of course that phrase means that something is almost free. However in the middle ages, it meant just the opposite.

Black pepper has been used for its health benefits as well as to flavor food for centuries. Just one black peppercorn is packed full with vitamins and minerals such as iron, vanadium, molybdenum, selenium, copper, manganese and phosphorus. It contains vitamins K, C, B6, B3 and B2 as well as vitamin E. Of course, if peppercorns have been irradiated some of these vitamins, such as vitamin C will be reduced.

Healthy Snacking Tips For The Little Ones

If you are a parent there is one thing you know for certain, kids can eat, a lot! But do they really need to be snacking all day? The short answer is yes, but it is important to ensure that the foods they are snacking on are nutrient rich and not just foods with empty calories. It is important for kids to snack throughout the day to help them keep their energy up; kids have small stomachs and therefore need to eat smaller meals or snacks more often than an adult. Along with smaller stomachs, kids are doing a lot of growing and have much higher energy needs than an adult. You know their energy needs like running, jumping, bouncing around the house? These activities contribute to the need for more fuel throughout the day.

Not only do parents need to take close note of their little one's food consumption throughout the day but it is also important for your child's daycare center or school to include healthy snacks during the day to help maintain your child's energy level and be sure their nutritional needs are consistently being met.

Snacking every few hours throughout the day will help to keep your child's blood sugar consistent and hopefully your child's mood more stable throughout the day as well. Many meltdowns are a result of being tired and/or hungry. A snack could have been the answer to prevent that temper tantrum. A lot of times hunger is the reason for a grumpy or stubborn attitude from your child.

When creating snacks for your child remember to keep the portions "snack" size and not meal size; also making sure that your snacks are fiber rich and nutrient dense is very important. Parents and school teachers should try and incorporate a few of the food groups in each snack serving. 

What Makes A Cheddar Cheese Gourmet?

Although experienced cheese connoisseur probably already know the answer, many people who are simply interested in learning more about cheese may wonder what makes a cheddar cheese gourmet. The term gourmet simply refers to the quality of the cheese in question. You can expect to pay more for a gourmet cheese (sometimes a lot more) but you will have quality to match your payment. Gourmet cheeses are generally made through a different, more traditional, process and may even contain slightly different ingredients. Here are the main differences between regular cheddar cheese and the gourmet version of it.

Handmade

Although not all gourmet cheddars are handcrafted, the vast majority of them are. This is part of the reason that they cost so much more: they involve a great deal of additional labor compared to their mass-produced counterparts. Although traditionally, cheeses were handcrafted, it would be impossible to meet the current demand for popular options such as cheddar around the world if they were still made this way. It is a fact of life that the cheddar you buy in your local grocery store will be mass-produced using machinery. When you pay a few extra dollars, however, you will get better quality that is handcrafted, generally including every stage of the process including preparation, cutting and packaging.

Traditional Methods

We already mentioned that gourmet cheddar cheese is made by hand using the traditional methods, but what exactly are these methods? In order to make cheddar, you must complete a process called cheddaring that involves pressing and shaping the cheese in a particular manner. 

Four Things You Didn't Know About Cheese Curds

If you don't live in Wisconsin or Quebec, chances are that you haven't ever tried a cheese curd, let alone seen one in person. There are some other areas in the United States and Canada where they are popular (such as parts of New York, Vermont and the states around Wisconsin), but these are the two main locations. Because of this, most people don't know much about these delicious treats. They may know what they look like or the general idea behind them, but that is usually it. Here are four things that you probably didn't know about cheese curds, especially if you haven't had them before.

Their Origin

One of the little known facts about cheese curds is their origin. There is no set evidence, but legend says that they came about by accident when a nomad was traveling across a desert in the Middle East. He filled his saddle bag with milk but it was warm out so a few hours later when he was thirsty, he opened the bag and all that was inside was white curds and liquid. This happened because of a combination of the heat and the rennin from his bag and was reportedly the first cheese curds in history.

Squeakiness

Another thing you might not know about these treats if you haven't had them before is that they should be squeaky as this indicates freshness. If you have had them, you probably don't know why they squeak and instead simply enjoy the effect as well as the taste. 

Healthy Eating On A Budget - Tips To Make It Easier

In these difficult economic times, healthy eating on a budget is becoming a factor for many people. If expense is the main thing stopping you from serving healthy food, the following tips should provide you with some help for eating healthy on a budget.

Forget the Junk Food

Children (and often spouses) are often the ones to blame for all the junk food you come home from the grocery store with. Going shopping by yourself is the best and easiest way to ensure that you only buy what you need.

Plan Your Meals Ahead and Prepare a Shopping List

The more times you have to go to the store, the more likely you are to spend money on treats. At some time during the week, plan your meals for the next week. Before going to the store, have a look online for some cheap and healthy recipes. Write a shopping list and only buy the things on your list. If you can stick to your list, this is one sure-fire way to start your healthy eating plan and avoid over-spending on impulse buys.

Dilute the Juice

Water is essential for both children and adults and should be encouraged as a thirst quencher in every household. The body requires it on a daily basis and it provides the hydration needed to ensure that the entire body functions efficiently. If there are other drinks that your family enjoys such as fruit juices, buy them in the smallest size and save them for special occasions.

No Such Thing as Too Much Fruit or Vegetables

While certain fruits and vegetables are only available at specific times during the year, people often forget that they can be frozen. Buying your favorite fresh produce in large quantities is more economical and they can be frozen to use anytime you like. Splitting the cost with a friend and bulk buying is another way to get better prices. Make sure to thoroughly wash the fruit and vegetables and completely dry it before placing it in zipper bags to freeze.

What Is Preventing You From Building a Healthy Meals Budget?

Cleaning products, even the cheap ones, can be a big expense. Especially at today's prices. There are recipes on the internet that can be used to make cleaning products from household cleaners to laundry products. The recipes usually use common ingredients that makes them much cheaper in the long run.

The same holds true for beauty products as well. A few simple ingredients that are usually already on hand, such as sugar and salt make really good facial cleansers. Not to mention the fact that they are much cheaper and easy to put together.

Baking soda is a common ingredient that can be used to brush your teeth at a fraction of the costs. It can also be mixed with water to be used as mouthwash that does the same job as conventional products.

Look for ways to reduce utility expenses. Small changes, such as reducing thermostats, reducing water usage, and cooking in bigger batches can make big differences in utility costs.

Collect coupons for foods and other products that household uses on a regular basis. Coupons can be coupled with store sales that makes the products even cheaper in price.

Stock up on seasonal produce. It can be canned or frozen to get the cheaper price for the long run. Concentrating on eating seasonal produce affords a better balanced diet when the budget is tight.

Meat can be one of the biggest grocery costs. Reducing the amount of meat used in a meal makes the budget lasts longer. Things, such as only using half the hamburger to make that casserole, will stretch the meat budget and still give the desired flavor in the dish.

Eating meatless meals at least once a week is another way to cut meat costs. Meat can be substituted with beans or eggs to still get the protein in the meal.

Want to make a dish, but don't have all the ingredients? Instead of running to the store, look for substitutes that serve the same purpose. There are sometimes simple things that can be used in place of some ingredients. If buttermilk is needed in the recipe, regular milk and vinegar or lemon juice serves the same purpose.

Make some or all of the cleaning and personal care products. Look for ways to reduce utilities. Take advantage of coupons and other savings methods. Use less meat and prepare some meatless meals. Learn what ingredients can be substituted to give the same effect as other ingredients. All of these methods can reduce costs to make eating healthy more affordable.

Although this is a good list to start, it is not exhaustive. Can you think of other ways that reduce costs in other areas to afford more healthy meals?