Choosing the Right Crockery For Your Restaurant

Choosing which range of crockery to use in your restaurant or hotel can be a daunting task given the variety of patterns, shapes and sizes of crockery available on the market today.

It is important to choose a pattern of crockery which will suitably reflect the style and atmosphere you are trying to create in your restaurant. However, there are a few other points to consider which are just as important, if not more so, than how your crockery will look on the table.

How durable is your crockery?

Crockery being used in a commercial restaurant or hotel will be used constantly on a daily basis, being served to numerous tables and enduring many dishwasher cycles in its lifetime.

When choosing your crockery ensure that the range you choose is durable enough to withstand life in your kitchen, dining area and dishwasher. Some of the cheaper ranges of crockery may seem like good value at the time of purchase but if this range is more susceptible to chipping or scratch marks you could find yourself having to restock some of your crockery sooner than expected. Sometimes spending a little extra on your crockery initially can save you more money in the long run!

What size of crockery suits best?

You should ask yourself this question while bearing a few things in mind. Firstly, what are your portion sizes going to look like on your new range of crockery? Should you consider smaller or larger plates for serving your dishes?

Secondly, from a practical point of view when storing your crockery in your kitchen or storeroom, will this range of crockery fit on your shelves easily and allow you to store enough for future use? You should also check that any new range of crockery will fit in your dishwasher if this is how you intend to wash it this way.

How versatile is your crockery?
Your new range of crockery may be used to serve multiple dishes from across your menu - potentially serving pizza, steak, pasta dishes as well as desserts and side dishes!

When choosing a new range of crockery you should try to visualize how each dish would potentially look on the new range. Seeing the crockery first hand rather than seeing an image in a catalogue can give you a much greater appreciation of how well your new range will work in your restaurant!

Finally, choosing the right pattern of crockery!

When you have established what you want from your crockery the next step is normally choosing which pattern best reflects your style of dining or what you are trying to achieve in your restaurant. New trends and patterns of crockery are emerging all the time and choosing the best pattern of crockery for your restaurant should not be a hastily made decision.

Seeing the crockery on the table before committing to buy gives you a much clearer idea of the pattern and sizes of the plates, etc. rather than only seeing the crockery in a catalogue before buying.

Choosing a new range of crockery, whether it is for a new catering venture or to freshen up your restaurant, can be a difficult decision to make but one which you should look forward to with excitement as you try to prepare and present your dishes on a new and inspiring platform.

Instant Fresh Breadcrumbs From the Freezer

Breadcrumbs are a really useful ingredient for lots of recipes: a coating for breaded fish fillet, for homemade chicken nuggets, as a filler in Italian frittatas and meat-loafs, or a topping on savoury pies. There is no need to buy packets of breadcrumbs especially for these recipes. With a bit of luck you already have the materials to make your own instant breadcrumbs sitting in your freezer.

Bread from the freezer
Often the recipe only calls for a small amount of breadcrumbs. In this case, see if you have any white bread rolls in the freezer. One frozen roll, blitzed in the food processor provides enough fine breadcrumbs for most recipes. Or if you have no rolls how about a sliced loaf? A few slices taken from the end of that will provide a generous amount of crumbs.

Frozen v. Fresh bread
There is a great advantage of processing frozen rolls and bread slices straight from the freezer rather than fresh. Fresh bread tends to clump and gives you lumpier crumbs. Frozen bread is easier to blitz into even, fine crumbs. By the time the bread is processed it has more or less defrosted and can be used straight away when the recipe demands fresh crumbs.

Toasted breadcrumbs
If you need toasted crumbs spread the processed out on a baking tray and pop them in the oven for ten minutes or so. Turn them once in that time and keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Otherwise toss them in a dry frying pan over a high heat for a minute or two, to dry out and colour.

Leftover crumbs
Any leftover crumbs can be re-frozen straight away in an air tight container or bag to be used next time. It often makes sense to process more bread than you need, so that you can freeze some ready-made crumbs to save time next time you need them.

Freeze ends of loaves
This is also a great solution for leftover crusts and ends of loaves, or that one lonely roll left after lunch. If you pop them into the freezer, at the stage when they are slightly dry (but obviously before they get mouldy!), you can keep them frozen until you next need breadcrumbs.

Grating crumbs
Ever wondered how to make your own breadcrumbs if you have no food processor? In the old days cooks used a grater to make their breadcrumbs. Some people still prefer this method, as they don't have to then wash up the food processor. It works best if the bread is dried or frozen as fresh bread tends to crumble.

Using Yeast - Why Your Bread Isn't Rising

I know, it's disappointing.

You've followed the recipe carefully but still, your bread hasn't risen properly.

It's easy to feel disheartened and be tempted to give up.

Don't!

You just need to learn how to handle the yeast.

I'm going to tell you the four commonest errors that people make when working with yeast and, of course, I'll tell you how to avoid them.

Once you understand a bit more about the yeast, you'll be able to make bread that rises beautifully.

A Quick Check

Before I do that, can we just check what type of yeast you're using?

Bakers' yeast is available in different forms:

Fresh yeast - this needs to be mixed with sugar and water to activate it before adding it to the dough.

Dried yeast - As for fresh yeast, this needs to be activated with some sugar and water before you mix it into your bread.

Instant dried yeast - This can be added directly into the bread mixture.

Wild yeast - For making sour-dough, which requires a specialised baking method.

I'm going to assume that you're not making sour-dough. I'm also going to assume that you've followed the instructions on the packet of yeast, activating it before use, if necessary.

Still having problems? Read on.

The advice below applies to all 'ordinary' bakers' yeast, whether fresh, dried or instant.

The Four Common Errors

Novice bread-bakers commonly make at least one of the following mistakes. If your bread isn't rising, these are the likely causes.

Luckily, once you know about the problems, you can easily avoid them, so here they are:

1 Working at the wrong temperature

Yeast is a living thing. It's a micro-organism. You are relying on it being alive enough to reproduce, digest the flour and produce carbon-dioxide gas.

Yeast can only survive within a certain temperature range.

Using water that is too hot or too cold can, at best, slow the yeast down. At worst, you can kill the yeast completely.

Mix your dough with water that is a little hotter than your hand. If it feels warm and comfortable to you, the yeast will love it.

While we're on the subject of temperature, it's a good idea to let your bread rise in a warm place too.

Warm (but not too warm!) yeast will reproduce rapidly and get to work making lots of carbon dioxide bubbles that'll give your bread the lift it needs.

2 Adding the salt at the wrong moment

Salt is needed to strengthen the gluten strands that give your bread a great texture. It is, however, detrimental to the health of yeast.

Many recipes omit to mention that it's better not to let the salt come into direct contact with the yeast. Some people add the salt in with the other dry ingredients, right alongside the yeast, thus slowing it down or killing it.

It's better to add the salt last so that it is less concentrated when it meets the yeast.

3 Using old yeast

As yeast gets old, it becomes less virulent and eventually dies.

If your packet of yeast is out of date, the chances are it's not going to perform very well.

Sure, it's worth a try but if your loaf isn't rising then consider the fact that your yeast might be dead.

Buy a new packet of yeast.

4 Rushing things

Bread baking is not a quick process.

Yeast takes time to get going.

It is dormant when dried so it needs to wake up. Then, it needs to reproduce, so that there is sufficient yeast to inflate the whole of the dough. Then it needs to break down the starch in the flour to make simple sugars and then it will produce carbon dioxide, which is what you need for rising.

So give it time!

I usually reckon it takes about an hour for my dough to double in size after I've first mixed it. Then, after kneading, it might take another hour to rise sufficiently for baking.

If it's a cold day, it might take longer.

My tip for loaves is to bake them only when the dough has reached the top of the tin. It'll rise more in the oven but at least you've given it a good head start.

Simple?

There's a lot of science behind bread baking. Once you know about it, you can use it to your advantage.

Remember:

    Work at a comfortably warm temperature.
    Keep the salt away from the yeast
    Use yeast that is within its use-by date
    Give it time!

With those tips in mind, your bread will rise nicely.

Boosting Business With an Automated Sushi Maker

Japanese food is among the most celebrated and valued cuisines around the world. It is unique and uses a wide variety of ingredients unseen in most other countries and cultures. Examples of popular dishes include sashimi, tempura, noodles like soba and ramen, and perhaps the most popular of them all, sushi. The last is easily the most recognizable Japanese delicacy and continues to gain popularity in countries all over the world.

Its popularity is the reason behind the growing number of restaurants offering the dish in traditional and new variations. If you plan to start a sushi business, you may want to think about investing in a new sushi maker machine. The following are tips to keep in mind when starting your own sushi bar or restaurant.

Why should you offer this food item?

Like most other western cultures, hamburgers, pizza, steaks, and pasta dominate the Australian food scene. Although already popular in its own right, offering this delicacy might give you an edge over others because it is a change of pace. There might already be some established restaurants offering the same, but the demand for it continues to grow. All you need to do is find the right location, offer the right variants of the dish, use the right sushi maker machine and you can be on your way to success.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to do is scope out the competition. Visit some established sushi bars and restaurants. Check out and sample what they have to offer and see what makes them so successful. Do they attract customers because of the quality of the food they serve? Do patrons come in regularly because of the overall ambience of the restaurant?

Another thing to think about is their food production setup. Which will be more beneficial to your operation - an in-house expert sushi maker or a machine? Think these points over because they can shape how you draft your business plan later on.

Choosing a Location

Where you choose to set up shop will affect your business in the long run. It is important to scout for all possible options before settling. Think about your target market - usually people who eat out frequently and do not mind spending a few extra dollars on quality food. Aim for high traffic but trendy and accessible location. These are the kinds of places that will attract people who will enjoy your offerings most.

Food Selection

You cannot start a sushi business without knowing exactly what will go on your menu. Sushi is more than just the typical California Maki. There are four major types - three traditional Japanese varieties and the more familiar western-style variety. Once you have a trial menu in place, it is time to start looking at your options for sushi machines. How you prepare your food will influence overall productivity in the kitchen and the quality of the dishes you serve to customers.

How To Get The Best Out Of Your Electric Oven Functions

Most ovens these days include Conventional Cooking, Closed Door Grilling, Fan Forced Cooking, Defrosting, Fan Assisted Cooking, Bottom Element and Top Element so we will discuss these functions below.

Conventional Cooking:

Conventional Cooking is the traditional static cooking mode using top and bottom elements with no fan. Our grandmothers cooked delicious meals using conventional cooking and it is still a very good way to bake heavy cakes such as banana, mud, Christmas and fruit cakes. As there is no fan the conventional mode distributes heat unevenly with the top being warmer than the bottom shelves so it is good for cooking desserts such as pavlovas, meringues and sponges at lower temperatures. It is also great for large roasts.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE CONVENTIONAL COOKING FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Roasts
Delicate Pastries
Pavlovas, Meringues & Sponges
Cakes including Banana, Mud, Christmas, Fruit Cake,
Slow Cooking Cakes

Grilling Mode:

This is a traditional grill function with heat radiating from above. This function is best for grilling/browning the top of food. Most new ovens include closed door grilling which is a safer alternative to the old closed door grilling. If your oven has a fan grill function you can do multi level grilling so you could cook sausages and chops on the top level and baked potato on the bottom level.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE GRILL FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Grilled Vegetables such as Asparagus, Eggplant, Capsicum,
Sausages, Hamburgers, Chicken, Beef
Bacon
Fish
Burritos
Garlic Bread
Melted Cheese on Toast
Pasta Bake

Fan Forced Cooking:

The fan forced function is the new standard, everyday cooking function. The fan at the back of most modern ovens is surrounded by a triple ring heating element that will evenly distribute heated air throughout the oven so there are no 'cold' spots. The hot air is produced as soon as the fan is switched on so the food starts cooking at once making it quicker as you don't need to pre-heat your oven. Also as the heat is efficiently distributed to the food cooking temperatures can be lower than those used for conventional ovens. This is perfect for multiple baking (e.g. you can cook muffins on one shelf and biscuits on another) where an even temperature is required. This function is the best for general cooking and readymade meals but it is no good for meals with special cooking requirements such as pizzas, flans or grilled recipes.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN FORCED FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Almost everything!

Perfect for foods that need to be tender or rare on the inside and well done on the outside such as lamb, roast beef and whole fish.

Defrosting:

Defrosting in the oven involves the light and fan being on but no heat. Defrosting in the oven is better than the microwave as this mode does not dry or par-cook food. The only disadvantage compared to a microwave is that defrosting is a slower process in the oven.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE DEFROST FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Anything that is frozen and needs to be defrosted

Fan Assisted Cooking:

If you're asking yourself 'what is the difference between Fan Forced and Fan Assisted Cooking?' you are not alone! Both of these functions are suitable for many of the same meals. Fan Assisted Cooking uses the top and bottom element with the fan at the rear pushing the heat around. When using the fan assisted function the oven will need to be pre-heated for the same amount of time as a conventional oven so cooking times are not reduced. The cooking temperatures, however, are usually the same as fan forced ovens.
If your oven has both fan assisted and fan forced cooking functions you would use the fan assisted instead of the fan forced if you are cooking food that requires either top or bottom heat concentration.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN ASSISTED FUNCTION INCLUDE:

As with fan forced, almost everything will cook well in fan assisted cooking mode. Foods such as bread (i.e. it needs to be cooked through but cooks well with top and bottom heat concentration) are better in fan assisted than fan forced cooking mode.

Bottom Element:

This function uses the bottom element only. Suitable for slow, gentle cooking such as that required for stews and casseroles. Bottom element with a fan is great for foods including quiches, pastries and pizzas.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE BOTTOM ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Stews
Casseroles
Quiches
Pastries
Pizzas

Top Element:

This function uses the top element only. It is suitable for 'au gratin' style cooking for a firm crust.

MEALS TO COOK USING THE TOP ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:

Potato Bake
Cauliflower with cheese sauce

We have covered the most popular functions on electric ovens but this list is by no means exhaustive. You may also have Rotisserie function, Pizza function, Fan Grilling, Bottom Element with Fan Forced, Bottom Element with Fan Assist, Top Grill, Fan Forced and Bottom Element, Half Grill, and Quick Start/Pre Heat. Depending on your typical cooking style you may or may not need these additional functions. For the average home cook the oven modes that we have outlined are more than sufficient.