• Last updated 2/16/10 by JackBlack

The Bean and the Hungry GoatHere's a question to ponder: what beverage, when consumed in moderation, intensifies a person's concentration, alertness, and increases their ability to process information? If you guessed a specific herbal tea, carrot juice, protein shake, or other "health food drink" (legal or illicit) you're wrong.  The beverage of course is none other than a good cup (or two, or six) of caffeine-laden coffee. Sometimes considered a "vice," coffee is reputed to do all these things and more; besides tasting good, researchers in recent years have done... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by msacks

One may find this hard to believe, but humans have been toasting things since the beginning of time. Man discovered early on that the only way to separate the edible part of the grain from the husks was to toast it. Deliberate toasting of the grain would make it digestible and improve its taste considerably. The early oven resembled today's seashore clambake; a pit was dug, lined with flat stone, and a fire was set. Then the cinders were brushed from the rock, which left the pit very hot. The baker would lay the stalks of grain on the rocks and roast them until the grain... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by rhershon

Whether we realize it or not, we are all publicists. We represent and promote ourselves and our businesses every time we interact with other people. The image we project is our brand, and our brand dictates how customers feel about our products and services. In any industry, but particularly in the restaurant/hospitality market, a powerful brand is the key to long-term success-especially in a highly competitive market. Public relations is not just for large organizations. In the long run it's far less costly and often more effective than print or broadcast advertising. A... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by jemmerson

At the age of twenty-four Jonnie Boer took on the position of chef at the Restaurant De Librije. A few years later Jonnie and his wife Thérèse bought the restaurant and soon after they received their first Michelin star. Four years ago the restaurant received its second star making Jonnie at 33 the youngest two star Michelin chef in Holland. Jonnie's style can be described as eclectic, daring and fearless. He has received notoriety not just for his great cooking but also for his commitment to using local commodities along side the more traditional goose liver and... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bmarvin

This is a continuation of our series on how to be more effective as a manager in a "people business." The first article in this series suggested that whether running your operation seems like being lost in the weeds or spending a day at the beach is strictly a function of your perspective. The beach is available to you but you can't see it from the weed patch. In the second installment, we looked at different models of management (the cop vs. the coach) and explored the idea that in the age of service it is our human skills that will determine the degree of our success.... read more

• Last updated 10/9/11 by Gailkav

  In Greece, food is much more than mere sustenance – it is an expression of the exuberant Greek character, as much a part of the culture and flavor of Greece as blue and white seascapes, twisting cobbled streets and the ‘wine dark sea’.   Tessa Kiros’ sumptuous, gorgeously illustrated book reflects all of that, all those centuries of ‘Greekness’, brought together in recipes for baklava, honey cakes and galaktoboureko. Just thinking about these foods and their redolent, romantic names makes you long to be looking out over the Aegean from a white washed sun... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by mvogel

One of the first lessons of any cooking course is learning how to make stocks.  Stocks form the basis of most sauces and soups.  A stock is basically the liquid that eventuates from simmering bones and/or meat with vegetables, herbs, & seasonings. Types of stock include beef, veal, chicken, fish, and vegetable. Let's peruse the stock making procedure. Virtually all stock recipes instruct you to start with bones.  I prefer a mix of actual meat and bones.  I find the meat/bone combo to yield a deeper flavor.   For a beef stock I use cubed chuck steak.  Never use tender... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by calexander

How many times have you walked into a gourmet food market and marveled at the many different olive oils on the shelves? If you are like most folks, you have one bottle at home that you use for pretty much every dish. Perhaps you have two, the second being in a beautiful bottle that decorates your kitchen counter or shelves and which you never got around to using. Olive oil is an important ingredient of any dish that calls for it and there are reasons for using a particular one over another. In choosing the right olive oil for a dish that you are preparing, I believe... read more

• Last updated 11/1/11 by Pete

America has come a long way since the days of jug wine, cheap, tasteless beer, and sweet sparkling "champagne."  I can remember, from my own childhood, holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas usually meant that the adults drank Cold Duck and Asti Spumante.  For those of you too young to remember, Cold Duck was a sweet sparkling red wine that was often used as an inexpensive celebratory beverage.  It was popular throughout the mid century but started to lose its appeal as American wine producers started to make affordable, quality wines and sparkling wines.  We... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by Nicko

Vegetables that are cut to resemble a small, slightly tapered cork, but instead of being smooth it is cut to have 7 equally large facets. read more