Rice Cooker

There are so many options on how to make rice. Brown or white rice can be cooked on the stovetop, baked in casserole dish, prepared in the microwave or in a rice cooker. Test which options fits your palate.

Brown rice has natural oils that give it a shelf life of about six months. For longer storage, place it in the refrigerator or freezer. You can put the cooked rice in a shallow container, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen in the freezer for up to six months.

It is advisable to add 2 tbsp of water for every cup of rice that you reheat. Cover and heat on the stovetop or in the oven for about 5 minutes or until heated through. If you’re using a Microwave, we suggest to cover the rice and set on high for about 1 minute per each cup of rice or until heated through. If the rice is frozen, then set the Microwave on high for 2 minutes per 1 cup. Fluff with a fork.

My favorite rice cooker is  the Crestware Commercial Rice Pot Cooker, 30/60 Cup Capacity, Extra Heavy Duty Inner Pot and Lid and comes with a Measuring Cup & Spoon. It is an exceptional value.

Pizza Delivery Bag

The flashiest restaurateurs want in on pizza and so do some of the most classically trained, critically acclaimed chefs. Why pizza? It’s the economy stupid, pizza is the  perfect product as it costs less money and results in less pressure. You’re concentrating your entire restaurant on one thing rather than soup and pastry chefs.  Patrons like the new trend as they search for the right ambiance and the perfect pizza crust.

Cash Trays

These cash trays are crafted in a contemporary style that adapts well to many decors and is distinguished by its smooth, sleek, uncomplicated lines. Cash in today.

Some of the common folk refer to the cash trays as tip trays. Whatever works for them. Just remember that using a tip tray would probably be a good means of letting people know you’re interested in getting a cash tip.

Tip Trays

Display Stands

1.  You Will Increase Your Sales

 When you use display stands to show off your latest pastry or dish, you’re going to show people what they can expect when they order that dish.  So often, menus don’t have pictures on them, so the stand helps them make a decision based on what they will actually receive, rather than what they think they’re going to get.  That leads to more sales, especially when you showcase higher priced items.  If the customer is going to be spending a lot of money, they should find out what their spending it on, right?  Also, if you’re serving directly from these stands, as you might with pastries, seeing that others have bought up the rest of the pastry might be incentive enough for a customer to try it.

2.  You Will Show Off Your New Items

 Instead of having to explain the new items on your menu, you can show them off.  By attractively arranging your new pastries or other dishes, people get to see what it will look like and they will be able to imagine what it tastes like.  In fact, you might want to include a few samples at the base of the stand so that people can taste the new item too, and then be inspired to order one for themselves.

 3. You Will Protect Your Foods

 If you want the open air approach at a bakery or a café, the display stand helps to protect the foods from germs in the air as well as bugs.  Cover up the goods after they’ve already had a chance to cool from the oven so that you’re not trapping in moisture as well.  If you want to display hot items, you might want to use glass topped chafing dishes instead.  These tend to hold up better and they will keep the food warm and ready to eat.

With display stands, you can start showcasing the delicious tastes of your restaurant.  After all, being put on display should be a positive thing, not a highlight of your flaws.

Always follow procedure and use quality donut screens, donut baskets, donut cutters and anything else that is part of the equation in producing successful donuts.

PROBLEM

Excess fat absorption

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter temperature too hot (or too cold)
• Frying temperature too low
• Batter too slack (or too stiff)
• Over expansion before turning
• Not enough mixing time
• Break down of fry fat

PROBLEM

Toughness

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Overmixed
• Batter too slack

PROBLEM

Spreading

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter too slack
• Frying temperatures too low

PROBLEM

Balling

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter too stiff
• Batter too cold
• Overmixed
• Donut turned in kettle (too soon)
• Cutter setting too large

PROBLEM

Misshaped

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter too slack (or too stiff)
• Frying fat too deep
• Faulty cutter-sleeve-plunger (nicks and worn spots will cause poorly formed donuts)
• Donut sticks to screen
• Cutter setting-doughut size

PROBLEM

Cracking

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter too stiff
• Undermixed
• Batter too cold

PROBLEM

Rough crust

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter too stiff
• Undermixed
• Batter temperature too cold

PROBLEM

Poor volume

PROBABLE CAUSES

• Batter temperature too hot (or too cold)
• Batter too slack (or too stiff)
• Not enough mixing time (or too much)

Donut Screen

Getting the word out is one of the hardest things to do for any business owner.  But when you’re running a busy and successful restaurant, it gets all the more difficult.  In order to make sure your employees and your guests know what’s changing in your store, you might want to invest in a simple piece of communication technology – a bulletin board.  Sounds too easy, right?  You might be surprised at how useful this piece of cork really is.

Employees Know What’s Going On

When your menu changes, would you rather talk to each individual employee on their own or would you rather post up the changes in the employee timecard area and know that you’ve saved yourself time while also educating your crew?  The answer seems pretty simple.  You can hang calendars, schedules, and even menu changes on the bulletin board, helping everyone stay up to date on their jobs as well as on what’s expected of them.  You can also allow employees to post notes to other employees on the board to help facilitate discussions about shift changes.

Customers Know What’s Going On

But a bulletin board in your entryway is a great way to help customers see if your restaurant is for them.  By posting your menu, the prices, and your daily specials, people can easily look at this area, make a decision and either leave or get a table.  Many restaurants now put a glass enclosed bulletin board on the exterior of their building to accomplish these tasks.  Some people who are in the area might not be ready to eat just yet, but having the knowledge of the restaurant will help them make plans for later.

Fun Ways to Use a Bulletin Board

You can also use a bulletin board to highlight special employees or events at your restaurant.  Perhaps you have a charity event that you want guests to come to or you might want to showcase a special guest or entertainment group that’s going to be coming to town.  Try to make this board exciting and new each week to keep people coming back to see what else you can offer them.  Make sure the items posted are colorful and also clearly legible.  You can also use laminated pieces of paper to use again and again, instead of printing new signage.

Your bulletin board can do all the talking for you – and that’s a relief.  It’s much easier that talking to everyone individually or trying to coerce employees into a long drawn out meeting.

Enclosed Bulletin Board

How many times have you been to a party, only to arrive at the buffet that’s been picked over long before you got there?  Heck, the serving utensils are already gone and the chefs are packing up.  What kind of fun is that?  Instead of throwing a shindig that runs out before your guests do, you need to start looking at an economy chafer to fit all of your serving needs.  But what can you expect from an economy chafer?

Economy Chafing Dish

Space, Space, and More Space

Unlike the little serving platters that you put on your table, an economy chafer can hold an entire roast without breaking a sweat.  Well, of course, it’s supposed to sweat a little because it’s also keeping your food warm.  With a place for a solid fuel source, this chafer is going to not only hold an entire main course (and could easily fit some of your smaller guests – you can try this after the fuel can is out and you’ve all hit the bar a few times), but it will also make sure that you don’t run out of dinners for the back tables.

Hot Stuff Stays Hot

With a tightly sealed top, your economy chafer is also going to make sure that each bite is hot enough to pass inspection…by your discerning mother.  Though people will be pulling off the top to serve themselves, the deep dish is going to keep meats hot and even your larger portions of side dishes bubbling.  You might also want to try out some hot desserts in the chafer like a nice fruit crumble or even a chocolate fondue.

More Ways to Use a Chafer…Without Getting Burned

But you can also use that economy chafer for serving up salads and other cool dishes.  Of course, you don’t want to use the fuel then, but when you put ice trays underneath the chafer, things can stay fresh and cold for hours. 

You can also use the chafer for dry items that you simply want to present in a more decorative manner than using plastic plates (not that your decorative ones aren’t lovely, of course).  Line up cookies and breads in the chafer to make an instant impression with your guests.

Finally, you can use the economy chafer as a backup ice cube tray if you’re serving drinks that need to be on the rocks.  Just be sure to add an ice scoop or tongs to make sure you guests know that you’re not serving them ice chips as the main course.

In addition to a bottle of your favorite beer, you’ll need a few basic ingredients and kitchen tools to whip up a batch of the batter. This recipe will make enough batter to coat 11/2 to two pounds of fish or assorted vegetables such as mushrooms, onions and zucchini.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces beer
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

AbleKitchen.com Mixing Bowl

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Whisk

Making Beer Batter

1. Create beer batter with the correct consistency and texture by following these simple steps.
2. Add the flour, pepper and paprika to a large bowl.
3. Gradually stir the beer in with a whisk. Add more beer if you prefer a thinner batter.
4. Beat the batter until it’s smooth.
5. You can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to one week as long as you mix it occasionally.

Coating and Frying Tips

Use these suggestions to simplify the coating and frying process and achieve the perfect crust. Although most items can be fried in oil at about 365 degrees until golden brown, specific times will vary depending on the type of meat or vegetable you’ve coated and the type of fryer you’re using.

Coating

1.            For a crispier crust and to help the batter adhere properly, dredge the item in plain flour before dipping into the beer batter.

 2.           Set up a “dredging station” with bowls of flour and beer batter on wax paper to simplify clean up.

Frying

1. Consider frying with an oil that won’t break down at high temperatures. Try canola, peanut or sunflower oil.About.com: Deep Fat Frying Tips
2. Keep the coating crispy by using a new batch of cooking oil once the oil becomes dark or thick, starts smoking excessively or gives the food an odd flavor.
3. Fry the items a few pieces at a time to prevent the oil’s temperature from dropping.
4. After each batch fries, drain it on paper towels.
5. Transfer each batch to a cookie sheet in a 200-degree oven to keep it warm while the other batches fry.