Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Burnham Food Festival countdown begins

Is expected to attract thousands of tourists Burnham, a native of efforts to celebrate the food and drink of the Somerset around.

Burnham Food Festival to kick off on May 25, will see more than 60 companies displayed the best product in the county and five top chefs give demonstrations.

Event countdown officially began last Wednesday, when the stall demonstration chef and sponsors came together Takahashi Dayton furniture to celebrate.

The festival organizer Sarah MilnerSimonds, said: "Dealers came from all over the county to participate, which is great, we can meet them face to face, to taste some of their products."

The free festival will be located in Burnham Baptist Hall and Princess Theatre, running through the town, and the value-added Avignon Festival 'garnish'.

"The festivals organizers said Beverly MilnerSimonds,:" Spring Festival lined up epic!

"We put a lot of effort to promote producers we work with.

"These companies have been trading under one year, with a traffic of more than 2,000 is expected at the festival, we hope they will into sustainable business development and growth - growth and re-employment provides an opportunity."

The event will be once again a large the Burnham baking off competition, sponsored by the positive wealth creation, four categories amateurs, families and professionals.

Burnham brewing off, a new competition will be held to see who can produce the best farmhouse cider. It is open to home brewing and cross-Hotel, West Huntspill judgment.

The event also includes a large outdoor market in Victoria Street and taster sessions covering sugarcraft skills, brandy, cider, organic dairy farming and food foraging.

Members obtain a career in the food and drink taste

Participants also discussed the important role to play to help the sector realize its potential.

The Working Group heard from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Chairman Jim Moseley, the role of skills provides an overview of the the FDF shared with government departments increased by 20% to 2020 vision.

He stressed that the the proactive industry quadrupling the number of apprentices in the industry since the summer of 2011 working with the National Skills Academy to launch the first food and beverage engineering degree from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK.

John Stevenson MP of the All-Party Parliamentary Food and Drink Manufacturing Group Chairman said:

The right mix of skills to the UK food and drink manufacturing growth as a whole is a major contribution to the UK economy which is great who have successfully increased the number of their young apprentice, who had been tailored with the FDF create a new food and beverage industry requirements engineering degree and businesses the opportunity to meet. "

The FDF Chairman Jim Mosley said:

"In 2011, we committed to cooperate with the government to provide a 20% increase in 2020 in the food and beverage manufacturing. Improve our efficiency, stay ahead of the competitive advantages of our product and process innovation, and to promote economic growth through exports, will help us achieve our goals, but the key factor will be to recruit the most talented young people supported by the employer-led skills development we have in this journey, the number of apprentices in the food turned quadrupled, we now focus apprentice on the next phase of our commitment and our new food engineering degree in September 2014, began to drink last year.

Jo Swinson, Minister of Commerce, explained:

"More than the food and beverage industry in the past two years the number of apprentices quadruple is a fantastic result in the sector is a key driver of growth and one of the apprentices, will help ensure that we have a pipeline of talent , apply for funding through the government employer's ownership pilot (EOP) is also a great way to ensure that the industry in the future, to gain the skills needed to meet the demand. "

Telegraph food and beverage team celebrate a win-win

"Daily Telegraph" food and beverage team to celebrate a first Fortnum & Mason food and drink awards, held in the food mall Piccadilly shop win-win tonight.

"Daily Telegraph" wine writer, Victoria Moore, who joined the "Daily Telegraph" in 2010, was awarded the annual work weekend, some of the "Daily Telegraph" beverage writer. Left a deep impression on the judges, and the depth of her news and commented: "Victoria has a rare combination of talent: digging - and tell the know-how - a good story, but also wrote mouthwatering wine, makes you feel often lyrical description you have to try. "

Sunday Telegraph Stella magazine, cooking writer Diana Henry won the annual culinary writer. The judges praised the "Diana's fresh and approachable style, and consistently delicious and inspiring recipes.

The awards recognize excellence in writing, publishing and broadcasting matters relating to food and drink, the winner by a panel of expert judges, including Chef Angela Hartnett, Tom Parker Bowles, food personality, wine writer Fiona Beckett, telegraph cooking writer Xanthe clay. Chair, CEO Ivan Venters Fortnum & Mason.

10 category winners Christopher Hirst (The Telegraph "a pint pint column occasional contribution), who on his work in independent and magazines intelligent life and food blog Jack Monroe, who was awarded the the bagged food writer annual judge's Choice Award (Monroe, only 24 years old, won the majority of remaining cash-strapped mom in her blog) The following is her secret what the event will be incomplete increasingly popular Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, took home the TV Personality of the Year.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Attitudes of a Pro Bartender

As a bartender, you are often the most important face of the establishment for which you work, the person who comes into the most personal contact with the customer. So if one word sums up what your attitude should be, it's "professional".

No matter how bad you may be feeling, no matter if you had a fight with your partner before you left home, or your feet hurt, or your child is giving trouble at school, you have to put all that behind you, put a genuine smile of welcome on your face, and look forward to making everybody who comes up to your bar feel happy and special.

Wear clean, appropriate, smart clothes; it's particularly important to wear comfortable shoes as you are going to be on your feet for hours at a time. Make sure that you present a clean well groomed appearance, especially your hands, which will be the focus of attention as you mix and serve drinks and snacks. Hair should be neat and tidy, not flopping around, people with long hair may want to tie it back in a pony tail or barrette, this makes it easier to work and is more hygienic. Your employer will probably have a dress code which you should stick to.

It's very important that the bar is kept clean and well organized with supplies of cocktail makings fresh and ready to hand. Whenever there is a quiet moment, you should be cleaning, tidying preparing and polishing. This will carry you through those hectic times when the orders are coming at you one after the other like bullets flying in a shoot out! A gleaming, well presented bar encourages the customers to buy, and that is your job of course.

Of course, you need to offer a sympathetic ear to those people who think the bartender is their personal psychiatrist, but never get too involved in a conversation. Non committal sympathy is really all that's required; it's not a good idea to give your opinions on what a fool they have been!

It's important to give correct measures, and to pay attention to what the customer asks for. If he asks for a splash of soda, then a splash, not a deluge, is what he should get. And of course, it's vitally important to pay attention to giving correct change, if you are handling cash, and to keeping the account straight, if you are making up a tab. You should also work on cultivating your memory, so that when someone comes in and asks for"My usual" you know what that is!

You need to pay attention to the law. You should have a very responsible attitude to underage drinking, and don't be afraid to ask for and examine i.d. if you think someone is underage. Making a mistake or being neglectful in this area might get both you and your employer into serious trouble. And you should understand and apply both the law and your employer's policy on serving people who are clearly seriously drunk.

It's also your job to make sure that customers are not harassed, especially women on their own who aren't looking for company. The bartender should be that lady's protector.

If you see someone hesitating over the cocktail menu, don't be afraid to make a suggestion. Keep up to date with the latest trends in mixology (the art of mixing cocktails), but memorize the recipes of the old tried and true favorites like the Screwdriver, the Rusty Nail, and the Manhattan, the Pina Colada, the Bloody Mary and more, which customers will ask for again and again.

If you suggest something interesting and delicious, especially to younger women, who may not be experienced drinkers, the customer will feel that you are paying special attention to them, and hopefully a good tip will result. On the important subject of tips, they will of course form a large part of your income. Customers who haven't yet tipped you will notice your reaction to what other guests are tipping, so always look pleased and grateful even if someone leaves you a stingy, mean little amount. Never angle for tips, this just embarrasses everyone and makes you look bad. If you do a great job, the tips will flow.

Altogether, the attitude of a bartender should be service and customer oriented, highly professional, kind, responsible and hard working. Bartending may be just a temporary job between other jobs or when working your way through college, or it may be a serious long term career. Either way, your attitude to the job can make it a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Cocktail Mixing for the Beginner

Everybody enjoys sipping a cocktail, and there are literally thousands to choose from. Most bartenders have their own secret recipe that has the customers coming back for more. So how do you start as a beginner cocktail maker?

First, gather your equipment together. You need a good cocktail shaker, large but not too large to handle comfortably, stainless steel is generally the preferred material. You need a jigger, with which to measure ingredients, a muddler, for crushing sugar, a juicer, for extracting juice from citrus fruits, a long handled mixing spoon and last of all a fine mesh strainer. Of course, you will also need a sharp knife for cutting the fruit which so often features in tropical inspired cocktail offerings. As you get more experienced you will want to add to this collection, for example more than one size of strainer, a grater for nutmeg and chocolate toppings and so on.

The ideal cocktail is a balance between strong and weak alcohol, for example gin and martini, and sweet and sour flavors, for example sugar and lemon. Getting the right proportions is absolutely essential, as is consistency from drink to drink.

Start with a simple yet challenging cocktail, the Martini made with gin. Everyone has their own idea of the perfect Martini, personally I love a Dirty Martini (made with a little olive juice). Find a friend who likes Martinis, and practice making the most authentic offering. You will have no shortage of volunteers to be testers! Get a few classics like the Martini, the Highball, the Daiquiri, the Mojito, the Bloody Mary, the Margarita, the Pina Colada, and whatever you notice is a favorite in the better bars around your area, under your belt to give you confidence.

Once you have mastered these, check out some of the fancier cocktails, there are many recipe books and online recipes. It makes sense to use local ingredients where you can, for example, in the tropics, major on coconut, pineapple and mango, in colder climes, focus on warming brandy and chocolate concoctions and spicy mulled wines.

In general when you are building your own recipe, start out with the sweet element, then add the sour, then the weaker alcohol, for example curacao, and finally the strong alcohol. That way you can ensure you are getting the right balance. Don't forget the function of ice; crushed ice and whole cubes behave very differently, and the amount of ice you use will have a big influence on the way the drink tastes, especially as the customer gets down to the bottom of the glass. Too much ice can make the end of the drink insipid, you want to leave him looking forward to the next one, not feeling as if the drink was pretty weak and not worth the money.

Whatever you do, don't neglect presentation, try to match the glass and the decorations with the drink. A Martini definitely doesn't need a parasol and a couple of cherries, it should however be served in a good Martini glass. Pay attention to the temperature of the glass, nothing is worse than a chilled cocktail served in a warm glass fresh from the wash! A rim of salt or sugar, a twist of lime, properly crushed ice, all these are the finishing touches. Spend time working to make sure that you have mastered the art of presentation. Tropical cocktails look especially lovely if presented with a flower, but make sure the flower are washed, you don't want an ant running out onto your beautiful creation.

Mint and other herbs are currently very popular as finishing touches on many cocktails. Ask around local gardening friends to see if you can source small supplies of unusual things like lemon thyme and dill, which can be sensational taste enhancers and will really make your name as an expert. Remember these cocktail mixing techniques and you will be on your way to becoming a cocktail master.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Better indoor barbecue skills

If you're dying to grill, but can't because of poor climate or merely lack the room for any large outside range, then interior grilling is your most excellent bet. You can nevertheless get that "outdoor grilled taste" when grilling indoors among the a whole lot of other benefits. So what are some with the most excellent interior grilling tips, benefits, and tricks?

1) interior is safer. Use an interior electric powered grill to reduce using burning coals too the resulting smoke, meaning you can breathe less difficult without the need of worrying about affecting your health. The dripping weight in the grill is an additional possible danger which will end result in flare-ups, a specific thing an interior grill removes in the proverbial grilling equation. Some foodstuff blogs will frown on this, but its true.

2) period the meat to obtain that smoky, outside flavor. given that you aren't making use of charcoal but undoubtedly want that smoky, outside goodness, be certain to period the meat. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper prior to cooking, or create a "spice rub" with smoky-tasting ingredients, including smoked paprika or dried chipotle. utilize the rub evenly more than the meat and allow it arranged for a few of moments prior to placing the meat about the heat. There are lots of foodstuff blogs around with fantastic rub recipes.

3) pick from available versus make contact with grills. Open, ordinarily characteristic a lid for that contains steam, whilst make contact with grills are perfect for cooking fish, hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, and vegetables. make contact with grills could also be utilized to create panini sandwiches, and cook the meat in about half the time it requires for an available grill to work.

4) Heat the grill completely prior to dealing using the meat. guarantee the grill is correctly heated, typically to in between 375F to 400F, and remember to brush the grill with cooking or veggie essential oil prior to placing the meat about the grill. If making use of a make contact with grill, near the grill as lightly as feasible to stay away from squeezing all people yummy juices out.

That's all there would be to it! There is no must not take satisfaction in people clean grilled flavors any time with the year! when you can see, with some seasoning, the most suitable grilling surface area and also a high quality item of meat or veggie to grill, you can have that clean out-door taste nearly any time with the year. You will also fill your kitchen area with fantastic smells which will possibly draw everybody within the home for you begging to request "what are you currently grilling" and "is it nearly done". if you ever expertise this, know which you are undertaking it right!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Fall outdoor recreation this fall

Autumn! It's the perfect time to entertain outdoors - most of the errors are gone, the sun is not scorching even though it is warm enough to enjoy an afternoon or evening murals, and a good thing bounty to serve as outdoor dining .

Because the day is shorter in the autumn, autumn special attention to the lighting and temperature in outdoor recreation.

Illumination

The earlier sunset will afford you an ideal opportunity to bathe in the evening light outdoor spaces. Use a soft light, but heavy use of it. Try dozens of votive candle jars and glasses, to protect the flame from the wind, hurricane lamps or kerosene lamps. Create a comfortable lounge area, and with a glowing light.

Heating

According to climate and outdoor space, you will use to recover from the cold of the night will be different. If you have a yard (and allow the laws of the community), bonfire night is a wonderful set up an informal gathering. In the small garden, consider self-contained fire pit or chimenea.

For a more formal, you can install heating propane powered. These units provided in the heating power and price range. Or, drape attractive free throws, each chair for your guests, or blankets around their shoulders, to resist the night air.

Of course, you have to take into account the advantage of the fall of your decorating scheme and table set in wonderful colors and textures.

Color

The autumn color is deep and rich - brown, dark red, burnt orange, gold, dark green, the color of hay. Settings and tablecloths, fresh flowers, the central focus, and even food, repeated use of these tones. Scoop out the pumpkin and other squash and water containers, vases suitable for them. Large potted chrysanthemum, bright colors. Orange Chinese lanterns, bright rose fruit, stem red or orange berries, or chili. Packing vibrant maple vow of candlesticks or napkin ring around the sumac leaves. Sunflower head, can be scattered on the desktop, or to remain on the stems in a container.

Texture

Autumn texture, plain and simple. Play, if your gathering is informal - the corn roast, bonfire, jeans and a sweater at night. Cover your buffet table linen or cheesecloth, dish towels as napkins. Trade-off with apple or pear thick hemp rope to hang your wallpaper. Or use rattan placemats and wicker baskets. Terracotta Warriors and Horses pot dishes, great paper plate holders.

If you are held in an exotic outdoor dinner to sit down, linen tablecloth, hydrangeas and leaves a subtle texture. Will increase the unexpected elegance of your settings, try your indoor and outdoor dining table. Draw a small gourd used as a place card gold lettering. Blooming roses in crystal vase to decorate your table.

Whether you hold a harvest of rural dance or fashion sit-in dinner party of eight on the outside entertaining this autumn autumn!