Renee's Gourmet: FOOD SERVICE

ENSURING FOOD SAFETY

Preheat chafing dishes before using them
If the serving environment is warm, chill all protein-based salads on ice
Keep all foods away from the sun
Always supply all the proper serving utensils
Always discard marinades that have been used on meat before cooking; do not baste meat with them while cooking, and do not pour used marinade over cooked foods; instead, use fresh, unused marinade for basting and garnishing
Wash all produce before handling or preparing it, including fruit you intend to peel (like oranges or melons)
Either keep it hot (meats, 141°F), or keep it cold (produce and chilled foods, 41°F); otherwise, don't keep it at all!

BLANCHING

Use plenty of water to avoid crowding your vegetables
Throw some salt into the blanching water to enhance both the colour and flavour of your vegetables (use about 1 cup of salt per gallon of water)
Once blanched, "shock" the vegetables by submerging them into an ice bath (a combination of ice cubes and cold water) in order to prevent further cooking due to residual heat
Do not let blanched vegetables sit in ice-water for too long

COOKING WITH ASPARAGUS

If you're looking for asparagus that tastes sweet when served cold, use large spears
Peel or scrape all thick spears before using; do not peel spaghetti asparagus
If overcooked, asparagus will be watery and flavourless, so watch over it closely while cooking
Try serving cooked, cooled asparagus spears as an appetizer or side dish with a mustard & roasted red pepper dressing

DEFROSTING MEATS

The best way to defrost frozen meats remains the tried-and-true slow overnight method: just place the frozen meat in the refrigerator and leave it until the next day - you don't even have to open the package
Faster thawing methods are less preferable, because they do not allow the meat to reabsorb its natural juices

COOKING WITH FRESH FISH

If you find it hard to tell when fish is done cooking, look for signs that it's firm and opaque; it should still be juicy and flake easily when pressed with a fork
Do not cook fish past this point, as it will become dry and overcooked
Whether grilling, broiling or poaching fish, cooking time is usually less than 10 minutes, unless you're using a very thick filet

COOKING MEATS TO PERFECTION

Even after removing cooked meats from the heat source, you'll find their temperature continues to go up; this happens because the crust of the meat remains hotter than the inside, and it will conduct heat into the meat's interior until the temperature is the same throughout the whole cut of meat (the process is called carryover cooking)
In order to compensate for carryover cooking and create a perfectly cooked piece of meat, prevent overcooking by removing all meat from your heat source before it actually reaches its optimum cooked temperature (ideally, between 5°F and 10°F less than the target temperature)
Put cooked meat on a warm plate, tent with foil and let rest for a few minutes; after carryover cooking has taken place, you'll have a perfectly cooked piece of meat, ready for serving

MAKING PICTURE-PERFECT RIB CHOPS

To serve rib chops your customers will rave about, offer eye-pleasing lollipop chops, where the meat is nice and round next to the bone; to achieve this mouthwatering look easily, just follow these simple steps:
The lollipop-chop effect is easily achieved by tying the meat; simply put kitchen twine around the meat for each chop
Draw the twine tight enough to make an attractive circle with the meat, but avoid tying it so tightly that the meat bulges up in the middle
It's easiest to tie the ends of the twine at the point where the meat attaches to the bone
Simply cook and serve!

MAKING MAGNIFICENT MERINGUE

Making meringue is not rocket science; in fact, you'll find that unless your egg whites contain bits of egg yolk, they will beat into foam quite easily and nicely
For perfect meringue, use a dry, clean whip and bowl; a recently cleaned copper bowl will work best
Stop beating when your meringue is smooth and glossy, yet stiff; you might have less volume in your meringue, but it will hold better if you stop at this point
Stabilize your meringue by adding a pinch of cream of tartar
If using sugar in your meringue, choose granulated sugar, dropping it in one spoonful at a time and dissolving it completely before using the next spoonful

MAINTAINING YOUR FRYER

By properly maintaining your fryer on a regular basis, you will actually extend its life. Here are some pointers:
Filter the oil often - at least once a day
Ensure the fryer is covered while not in use and overnight
Aim to maintain the temperature of the oil around 350°F; avoid higher temperatures, because they can break the oil down more rapidly
Before loading the baskets with anything frozen, remove them and set them on a counter in order to keep water and ice away from fryer oil
Clean the oil often by removing particles floating on its surface with a skimmer screen
Also take out particles that have fallen into the cold zone using a fryer scoop
Use a boil-out compound and follow its directions to boil out the fryer on a weekly basis; then rinse and wipe dry

BAKING EVENLY WITH YOUR CONVECTION OVEN

Because convection ovens fan moving air onto food, they allow it to be heated more rapidly and are thus up to 30% faster than regular ovens; help your convection oven do this better by optimizing your routines with these simple pointers:
Keep the door closed as much as possible; opening it to check on the food lets out heat, which wastes considerable energy and time
Try setting your convection oven to bake at a lower temperature, around 25°F lower than usual; the extra wait is worth it, delivering higher-quality results - simply test and experiment this method with your menu items to gauge its effects entirely
Ensure frozen foods are completely thawed before baking; foods that are still frozen in the middle will bake unevenly
Distribute all the trays of food you are using evenly inside the oven, and ensure equal spacing around them - place the first tray in the very centre of the oven, then add the rest around it, as well as above and below it
Never use aluminum foil in your convection oven, as it will hinder the proper distribution of the air and result in less efficient, less even baking; you also want to avoid foil-related accidents, like getting it caught in the fan, having it block the fan, or worse, burning out the oven motor
Never set a convection oven to temperatures higher than 425°F
If using an electric convection oven, remember that they are more efficient than gas ovens but you MUST preheat them 50°F higher than the indicated temperature, then lower to the indicated temperature before inserting the food
Clean ovens often to make them more efficient; clean the sides, fan guard and blades regularly; make cleaning easier by catching drippings into a sheet pan at the bottom of the oven; let the oven cool and wipe after use with soapy water; use a degreaser in appropriate cases.