The Most Popular Types of Tea

There are many kinds of tea. The most common are black, green, white, pu-erh (red) and oolung (blue) tea. These are the basic information you should know about each of them.

Black

It is well-known tea - undergone a process of full fermentation. The brew may have a dark intensive color, but more often is vivid reddish. Black teas come from the many Indian, Chinese and African plantations. The most aromatic tea comes from the Darjeeling district in northern India. Known and appreciated are also teas from Assam and Ceylon. Black tea can be sold in the form of leaves, broken leaves, powder and dust. Manufacturers often enrich leaves with fruit pieces, nuts, chocolate, vanilla, caramel or rum. These colorful mixtures have lovely smell and great taste.

Green

Green tea comes from the same plant as black. The only difference is that the green tea has not been undergone a process of fermentation. Freshly harvested leaves are subjected to evaporation, drying and curling. In many regions, high-quality green tea is produced with a classic ancient method of doing all the things manually. The taste of green tea is more bitter than black and the brew has a lighter, lemon yellow color. It is highly appreciated thanks to numerous health properties. Infusion of green tea is rich in vitamins C, E, B, minerals and tannins. Increasingly popular are becoming flavored green teas with addition of flowers or fruits.

White

Tea produced on a small-scale mainly in China. White tea harvest takes place in early spring when the plant wakes up from hibernation. During the production process it is subjected only to a wilting and drying. Chinese teas are considered as a delicacy among teas. The white teas tend to be enriched with fruit flavors.
 
Pu-erh

Red tea of Chinese emperors from the province of Yunnan is famous for its health properties. It reduces body fat, regulates cholesterol level and supports digestion, hence known primarily as a "slimming tea". Gives a dark brown, "dense" infusion of earthy flavor.
 
Oolung

Oolong tea, known also as blue is a half-fermented tea being produced in China and Taiwan (Formosa). The Formosa ones are fermented a little longer, hence their brew is a bit darker than the Chinese.

Source: Ezine Articles

The Best Recipes To Cook With Pasta

If you're looking for some great recipes which are quick and easy to make to expand your home based cookery skills then you can't go far wrong with pasta recipes. There are a great variety of dish recipes including low calorie and low in fat recipes to make at home.

A great recipe with pasta to get started with is tagliarini (This is egg noodles cut in to long slender pieces) with courgettes, prawns, mint and chilli. Tagliarini is slightly narrower than tagliatelli and a great pasta.
Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan and add some prawns frying until they have browned. Next mix in some celery, onion, garlic and mint and continue frying until the prawns have gone a slightly darker brown colour. Cook for a further three minutes after adding some cherry tomatoes.

•    Mix in a dash of lemon juice and add some chopped courgettes cooking for another five   minutes.
•    Pour over half a cup of white wine and bring to the boil heating for a further 2 or 3 minutes.
•    Cook your tagliarini according to the instructions on the packet. It should be 'al dente' (firm but not hard) and this takes around 2 minutes in boiling water depending whether you use fresh pasta dried pasta.
•    Add the pasta to your prawn mixture and then mix in some vegetable stock and butter followed by a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
•    Blend well together over a gentle heat until ready to eat and well mixed.
•    Season with salt and pepper (freshly ground is best) and serve!

Recipes with pasta are also great for the fridge and you can easily re heat pasta the next day. Pasta dishes can be speeded up if you are in a rush by using salted water to boil your pasta with and steaming your vegetables over the boiling pasta pan - if you have a steamer!

Source: Ezine Articles

Great Ideas For A Weekend Brunch

 
Nothing is more relaxing or enjoyable than a delicious weekend brunch. Whether you are eating out or at home, having brunch is a wonderful way to celebrate the weekend, appreciate great food and enjoy the company of friends.

The word brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch, and is eaten mid morning, usually between 10 and 11 am. It has become fashionable during the last few years among those who work during the week and like to sleep late on Saturday or Sunday. For some families and couples, it is a regular weekly event while others often arrange to meet friends at this time. It is not uncommon for some people to spend 2 or 3 hours over brunch, and it provides a great opportunity to socialise and catch up after a busy week. There are many cafes and restaurants which cater for this market, although some people prefer to have it at home.

Brunches tend to be quite substantial as the meal usually replaces both breakfast and lunch. Calorie content is not generally a high priority, but there are lighter choices for those who are watching their weight.

Typical breakfast dishes are very popular, including cereals, porridge and muesli. A full English breakfast, complete with eggs, toast, bacon, sausages, hash browns and tomatoes is also a common favourite. Egg lovers are well catered for with dishes such as the deliciously calorie laden eggs benedict. Omelets, poached or scrambled eggs are healthier and equally appetising alternatives.

Those with a sweet tooth are also well catered for. Pancakes or crepes with toppings such as maple syrup, blueberries or lemon juice with sugar are a traditional favourite. Other sweet items include waffles and pastries such as croissants or brioches.

Bagels have also become very fashionable lately. There are numerous varieties including those topped with poppy, sesame or pumpkin seeds or made with cinnamon and raisins. They are usually served with cream cheese and other fillings such as honey, jam or smoked salmon.

Of course, no good brunch is complete without the appropriate beverage. Juice, hot chocolate, tea and herbal tea are all popular options, but for most people, the drink of choice is coffee. The coffee should be freshly brewed, very strong and have a distinctive aroma which stimulates the appetite. Special occasions can also be celebrated by drinking champagne or sparkling wine.

After the meal has finished, it is common to spend the rest of the day relaxing or doing some light activity to work off the food. If the weather is good, a leisurely walk is a popular choice. Many people find this time essential for recharging their batteries before the working week resumes.

Source: Ezine Articles

Top Tips For Making Perfect Salads Every Time

Salads are simple to make but knowing a few clever tips can ensure that your homemade recipes are amazing, both in terms of appearance and flavor. If you want to make a tossed salad a day before serving it because you are going to have a lot of other recipes to prepare, how do you keep it fresh?

To do this, combine the greens and then divide it between big bowls. Completely cover the greens with water and refrigerate. Drain the water off the next day and serve. It will be fresh and crisp. Use vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, radishes, cauliflower, bell peppers, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Do not add tomatoes until you are just about to serve the dish.

How to Keep it Chilled

If you want to keep your recipe fresh and cold, fill a sealable plastic container with water and freeze it. Then put this frozen container in a bowl and put your salad on top. It will keep the dish cold and fresh. You can also put the bowl with the salad into a larger bowl containing crushed ice. Serve it on chilled plates.

If you want to make your recipe appear bigger, put an inverted plate or bowl into the serving bowl and pile the salad on top. Nobody will see the inverted dish and the bowl will look full. This is a good trick if you are catering for a buffet or party and appearance is important.

Wash greens before storing them to keep them fresh. Just take out the core and hold the head core side-up under running water, then drain it on paper towels, wrap loosely in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Do not cut leaves with a metal knife or they will go brown. Use a plastic knife or just tear them with your fingers.

Combining the Ingredients

Toss the ingredients together rather than stirring the salad, so you do not bruise or break anything. It is a good idea to make everything bite-sized so people can use a fork to eat the salad. Be careful not to use too much dressing because this detracts from the flavor of the produce. Using too much dressing also adds a lot of fat and calories and makes the salad soggy.

Vegetables should be al dente if you cook them. Overcooked vegetables can be mushy and this is not a good texture for your dish. If you are adding pasta, cook that al dente too. This allows the pasta to absorb some of the dressing and not go mushy. Dip sliced pears, bananas and apples in lemon or lime juice to stop them turning brown.

Dressings to Die For

You can process half an avocado with a cup of vinaigrette in a food processor for a quick and delicious dressing or make vinaigrette by combining one part of lemon juice or vinegar with three parts olive oil. If you are using yogurt instead of sour cream in a dressing, do not use so much vinegar because the yogurt has its own natural acidity.

You can use orange, mango or pineapple juice as a dressing. Just add some honey and nutmeg, as well as some oil, and serve over mixed greens or seafood.


Source: Ezine Articles

Cake Decorating Guide - How To Make The Perfect Birthday Cake

Want to create the best looking birthday cake for your child's next birthday party? There are a number of steps that you can follow to make sure that you create the perfect cake each and every time. Here is a simple cake decorating guide that you can use to create the best looking cake possible for your kid's upcoming party.

1. Baking the cake. This is probably the easiest step of them all because all you have to do is follow the baking instructions that are provided with the cake mix that you purchased. Sometimes cakes can end up being a little dry. If you want to avoid this, consider adding a tiny bit more of some of the wet ingredients that are used in preparing the cake. One great way that you can increase the moistness of your cake is by adding another egg to the recipe. When the cake has finished cooking, allow it to cool overnight. Consider placing the cake in the refrigerator in order to achieve maximum cooling results.

2. Ice the cake. Before you attempt to do any decorating, make sure you ice the cake completely and smooth out any lumps and bumps that might exist. This initial icing layer should be allowed to cool before you continue with the drawing process. Again, place the cake in the refrigerator in order to let the frosting set up firmly.

3. Prepare your drawing tools. Having a well organized work space with your drawing tools ready and waiting will help make the cake drawing process go much more smoothly. Place all of your drawing accessories and tools in one place, place the cake decorating bags in another, and place the excess colored icing in another. Consider placing your cake decorating bags in tall glass jars, tip end down, to keep them organized and prevent icing messes.

4. Create the easiest decorations first. Draw borders and other large items first since these will be the easiest items to draw. Large bottom borders, top borders, and other large items can be drawn on in order to provide a starting point for other more detailed decorations and drawings.

5. Practice on other surfaces. Before you draw directly on the cake, consider drawing on another surface in order to get the drawing or decoration just right. When you are confident that you have it down, then go ahead and draw on the cake. You can use a cookie sheet or another flat surface as a practice area for your drawings. After each practice attempt, simply scoop up the icing with a spatula and place it back into the cake decorating bag.

6. Use accessories. There are plenty of common kitchen utensils and tools that can be used to make great looking designs. You can use forks, spoons, knives, spatulas, measuring cups, and many other common kitchen items to make creative and original designs for your birthday cake masterpiece. You can also use other items such as candy, nuts, decorating sprinkles, and many other items to create a perfectly decorated cake for your child's birthday party.

Source: Ezine Articles

Fruit Pizza Recipe Ideas: Fresh Fruit Pizza With Orange Sauce Recipe

Do you enjoy the many fruit pizza recipe ideas you can find today? Dessert pizza is delicious and making them can be a lot of fun for you, your family and your friends. For instance, you might like learning how to make this easy fresh fruit pizza with orange sauce.

Recipe for Fresh Fruit Pizza with Orange Sauce

What You Need

•    1 package sugar cookie dough
•    1 package softened cream cheese 8 ounce
•    1 large container whipped topping
•    1 pint fresh strawberries
•    2 sliced kiwis
•    3 large sliced bananas
•    1 can sliced drained peaches 16 ounce
•    1 can drained pineapple chunks 8 ounce
•    ¼ teaspoon salt
•    1 Tablespoon cornstarch
•    ½ cup sugar
•    ½ cup orange juice
•    2 Tablespoons lemon juice
•    ¼ cup water

How to Make It
About 20 minutes before preparation time you will need to lay the sugar cookie dough and the cream cheese out onto the counter to soften to room temperature.

Prepare a pizza pan or baking sheet by lightly coating it with cooking spray and then set aside until needed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Press the cookie dough onto the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet while forming a rim around the edges by gently pinching up the sides as you work around the pizza crust on the pan.

Place in the preheated oven to bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown in color. Remove from oven and allow the crust to completely cool to the touch.

Using a medium size mixing bowl and an electric mixer you will add the cream cheese and then blend until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the whipped topping and blend well together. Spread this mixture evenly over the completely cooled pizza crust.

Slice all but one of the strawberries in halve. You will use this one whole strawberry at the center of the pizza and then begin arranging the other fruits on the crust in a decorative pattern.

Add the whole strawberry and then begin arranging the kiwis and sliced bananas around it and working outward. Arrange the sliced peaches and the pineapple chunks. Add the remaining strawberries halves last, while arranging them with the pointed ends facing the inside of the dessert pizza. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

To make the orange sauce, you will add the salt, cornstarch and sugar to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Gradually stir in the orange juice and the lemon juice. Mix well and then add the water. Keep stirring while boiling until the mixture becomes thickened. Continue boiling and stirring for about 1 more minute and then remove from heat.

Allow the orange sauce to completely become cool and then spoon the orange sauce over the pizza toppings. Place the fresh fruit pizza in the refrigerator to chill overnight or for at least 3 to 4 hours before cutting and serving.

Source: Ezine Articles

How To Choose Your Wedding Food

Aside from the ceremony itself, wedding food is one of the most talked about parts of your day. People expect to be treated to a fine spread of food and drink - be it a buffet, silver service, BBQ or spit roast - and they'll certainly remember if it's not up to standard. This short little guide will help make the all-important decision on what to and what not to go for on your wedding day. 

First of all, you have to decide what type of food you are going to offer. BBQs are great for sunny days, but not so much on wet wintry afternoons. Silver service meals ooze quality and grandeur and are a perfect way of celebrating your day. Make this decision first, before moving on to the next step.

Next, you need to decide who is going to do your catering. Do you try and save a few pounds by getting a family member to look after things, or do you outsource the job to a professional catering company? If you choose the latter option, do your research and go for a company that has a good reputation. Have friends got married lately? Was their food any good? If so, get a quote.

While you are getting quotes, request a sample or a tasting session. If the company are serious about what they do - and indeed confident of their service - this should be automatically prepared for you. And whatever you do, make sure you take your partner with you; it's their day too.

We all know a fussy eater that's not going to like what you've arranged, so consider giving multiple options. Ask your caterer to provide a good variety of meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes so that everyone is catered for.

Avoid wastage by serving food hot. This rule applies mostly to buffets as nobody likes to eat cold food. Who knows how long it's been out for? What's more, if you've had guests hanging around for a few hours, they are more than likely going to be wanting a hot meal to keep them going into the evening.

At the end of the day, if you are looking for a really special event, cutting corners is ill-advised. You will pay for quality, and if there's one day in your life when you can afford to splash out, it surely has to be your wedding day.
   
Source: Article Snatch

Food As Gifts

At any occasion, one can always get away with giving food as a gift. The only big obstacle about this gift is making the difficult choice about which food to give.

What you need to keep in mind is that there are a lot of foods that will make good gifts. So, you just need to decide according to a few considerations as enumerated below.

The first consideration that you will have is your budget. If you can afford to give gifts that are considered exotic or unique, it can be a good idea to do so. But, it doesn't really have to be expensive just to be special. You may consider giving a favorite food. This will even be more special if you can cook it yourself and add a personal touch.

The types of foods will be taken account as they will depend on the food preferences of the person who will receive the gift. You can give a main dish made from a specific type of product. For those who have sweet tooth, desserts and other sweet items can be good ideas.

The occasion can also be a consideration. During the Christmas holidays, the most common gifts will be those that are related to the season. But, frankly speaking, they can be too dated. Refrain from giving fruit cakes as they can be the most common food given during these times. For a change, you can consider giving healthy foods as what we mostly practice, Christmas is the time for guilt foods. During Valentines, as another example, sweets will be the most common. You may do away with these but the food that you will give may be unrelated to the season. So, to still get away with giving sweet food products, give them your own personal touch.

If the person has a health issue, you may want to take note of that. Your gift may only be put to waste if the one you are giving it to will not be able to eat, or even just taste it. If you are not sure about what healthy option to give, you may do a little research on what will be considered safe foods. If you can't, try a generally healthy alternative. These will usually include fruits and vegetables. Meat products may also be considered. Keep it near hypoallergenic foods as well.

For those who are still tied up with the food they will give, you can try and give a basket of different sorts of foods. This way, you are sure that you will be able to give at least one item that can be useful to the recipient of your gift.

Of course, aside from purely food gifts, you can consider giving utensils and kitchenware. This is especially for moms or simply for those individuals who love to cook. Appliances will also be well appreciated.

To make sure that your gift is extra special, wrap them up in something great as well. Include a nice looking ribbon to finalize the package.

Source: Ezine Article

What Are the Types of Sea Food? - I

When you are on beach there are lots of things to do, but what to eat. If you are omnivorous than sea food could be relished. There are so many type of sea food this articles highlights all types of sea food.

When you think of Blue Ocean's creatures there are so many name to be counted but fish comes first. There are so many small-large, colorful fish are used as sea food.

Anchovy - anchovy are a family of small, common, salt-water forage fish, found in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans Anchovy are classified as on oily fish. Anchovies are small, green fish with blue reflections due to silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. Anchovies are also eaten by humans. When preserved by being gutted and salted in brine matured, then packed in oil or salt, they acquire a characteristic strong flavor.

Basa - The Basa fish is a type of cat fish. These fish are important food fish with an international market. They are often labeled in north America as Basa fish or bocourti. In the UK the species is known mainly as river cobbler with basa also being used on occasion. In Europe these fish are commonly marketed as pangassius or panga. The body of a basa fish is stout and heavy. The rounded head is broader than it is long, the blunt snout having a white band on its muzzle.

Bass- is a name shared by many different species of popular game fish The term encompasses both fresh water and marine specious. All belong to the large order perciformes. or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning perch.

The black cod or smallscaled cod, is a marine cod icefish. The juveniles are silvery in appearance with a pronounced. This is also called sablefish, butterfish, blue cod, candlefish etc.

The Bombay duck or bummalo- despite its name its not a duck is a lizard fish It is native to the waters between Mumbai and kutch in the Arabian sea. Small number are also found in the Bay of Bangal. The great number is also cought in chine sea. The fish is often dried and salted before it is consumed. It is eaten as fried in buter, curry and pickle.

Brill - Brill is a specious of the flate fish. It can be found in North Atlantic, Baltic sea Mediterranean, primarily in deeper offshore waters. The brill have slender bodies, brown with lighter and darker coloured flecks covering its body, excluding the tailfin; the underside of the fish is usually cream coloured or pinkish white. Like other flatfish the brill has the ability to match its colour to the surroundings.


Source: Ezine Articles

Choosing a Holiday Caterer

As the busy holidays rapidly approach, our free time becomes filled with various gatherings and events that take time and planning. It's not at all uncommon to be so filled with the need to arrange parties and get together's that we're simply stressing over the holidays instead of spending time enjoying them. Why permit our holiday to become more full of stress than it needs to be?

One way that we can avoid this type of stressing is to hire a caterer to assist us in planning the family get-together or the office party that we may be responsible for. If you're a small business who has to put together something to offer your thanks to your employees for their efforts throughout the year, the simple truth is that with running the business and keeping things humming along smoothly, the time may be in short supply.

Deciding on a caterer to handle your event should not be a spur of the moment decision. Selecting the right caterer, needless to say, can make or break your holiday celebrations, whatever their nature. How do you best select a caterer for the holiday party that you are planning? How do you choose the best catering company and assure that all of your holiday party needs are well cared for. Leaving it in someone else's hands isn't always easy to do.

One of the best ways to get the right caterer is by thinking back to other holiday or family gatherings that you may have attended. If those events were catered, ask questions of the host and find out who they used to offer their holiday party. When choosing a holiday caterer, it stands to reason that word of mouth is going to be the best way in which to attain a qualified and cost effective caterer for your party.

Choosing your catering company based on cost alone is nearly always going to end in disaster. Select a caterer for your holiday gatherings based upon the quality of the food, the efficiency of the service, all coupled with the cost for the meal and other items that you will be receiving.

The holiday season is a time for laughter, fun and friends. Make yours a lot easier by using a qualified catering service who will give you the kind of service that you want and excels at the type of foods that you might want to have served. Each catering company will have their own specialty and will be well spoken of by the local businesses or groups in your area.

Source: Ezine Articles

6 Rules: How to Eat Right on the Job

Other than getting a good night’s sleep, there’s probably no other thing that impacts your productivity and mood at work more than what you eat. Yet you probably give little thought to what you consume before and during work, defaulting instead to what’s convenient, cheap, and tasty. And when you do think twice about what you eat, it’s usually in the context of a diet that’s focused on losing weight rather than improving your cognitive functioning and energy levels. Fortunately, there are a few basic food rules that go a long way towards achieving these latter goals. Here are the best of them.

Things you will need:

•    A new food attitude: Carbs are not the enemy. Neither is fat. Eliminating certain food groups may help your waistline, but it will hurt your brain functioning.
•    A stash of snacks: To keep your brain well fueled, you can’t let yourself get too hungry. Have a ready supply of trail mix, peanut-butter crackers, or Snickers bars at work. The combination of carbs and protein in these snacks will stabilize your blood sugar, fill you up, and keep you energized.
•    Some willpower: Big meals actually reduce the supply of energy to your brain and leave you feeling sleepy for hours. Eat half of what you order, and take the rest home.

1. Balance What You Eat, Whenever You Eat

In 1956, the United States Department of Agriculture produced its “Basic Four” guide promoting the daily consumption of foods from four main groups — meat, dairy, grains, and vegetables. But today, nutritionists talk about a different set of food groups —proteins, carbohydrates (which produce glucose), fats, and fiber — and a different way to combine them. Instead of having a few helpings from each group every day, they recommend having something from each of the four groups every time you sit down to eat. And, yes, that includes carbs, which certain popular diets restrict. Why? Because the combination of carbs and protein (and to a lesser extent, fats and fiber) regulates your glucose levels and keeps your mood and mental ability on an even keel.

2. Neglect Carbs at Your Own Peril

The research here is clear: Cutting carbs may shrink your waistline, but doing so will shrink your brainpower, too. “The popular low-carb and no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition,” says Tufts psychology professor Holly A. Taylor. In a 2008 study Taylor conducted, dieters who lowered their blood-sugar levels by cutting carbohydrates from their meals immediately performed worse on memory-based tasks than those who simply reduced total calories by the same amount. When they started eating carbs again, their memory skills quickly rebounded.

3. Pack in the Protein

Proteins such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, beans, and nuts slow the absorption of glucose so your brain gets a long and steady flow of fuel, rather than the brief blast you get from eating carbs and sugary foods (fats and fiber also help with this). And protein also brings its own set of brain boosters to the party. The amino acids found in meats, poultry, fish, and eggs help produce the neurotransmitters — serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine — that keep us focused, energetic, and upbeat.

Studies also suggest that certain minerals typically found in high-protein foods also enhance memory. A 2005 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that adding zinc — found in meat, seafood, eggs, and milk — to the diets of middle-school kids improved their memories and attention spans. After receiving 20 milligrams of zinc a day, five days a week, for 10 to 12 weeks, their reaction time decreased by 12 percent, their word recognition rose 9 percent, and their ability to sustain attention on a task increased 6 percent.

4. Eat Smaller Amounts, and Eat More Frequently

If you want to keep up your energy and performance levels, the last thing you need is a three-course lunch (or a three-egg cheese omelet for breakfast). The same thing goes for big dinners if you’re working late. Too much food — even if it’s well balanced — is going to make you drowsy because it introduces too much glucose for your body to handle at one time. When that happens, your liver reacts by storing the glucose, and your brain actually gets less fuel than it needs. “If you eat too much, you’re going to get sleepy, and there’s really no way to recover from that,” says Talbott. “Five to six small meals tend to make people perform much better than three squares.”

5. Fat Is Beautiful ... for Your Brain

You probably know that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart. But they’re great brain food, too. The fats found in salmon, walnuts, and kiwi improve learning and memory and help fight against mental disorders like depression, schizophrenia, and dementia, according to a 2008 report from the Brain Research Institute at UCLA. The fats support the synapses in the brain where much of our cognitive functioning occurs.

6. How to Keep Things in Proportion

In addition to controlling your carb intake, portion and proportion play a big role in regulating glucose. Talbott recommends a highly sophisticated tool for measuring food amounts — your hand. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, he says the portions are the same: “Your fist is the size of the carbs; your palm is the size of the protein. Make an OK sign with your thumb and index finger, and that’s how much fat you should have. Open your hand as wide as it can go; that’s the amount of fruits and vegetables. That’s going to be a well-balanced mix.”

Source: Yahoo Shine

How To Run A Catering Business

Are you a good cook? Do you love cooking and serving food to your friends and family? Are you interested in starting your own business that involves your love for food? If you answered yes to all these questions, then a business in catering is just for you.

Starting Your Catering Business

There are a lot of things that have to be considered before you can start your own catering business. There is the matter of your capital or start-up cost. And, if by any chance, you do not have the necessary capital, where do you intend to get financing. You may need to procure a loan from a bank. Then you will need to get all the necessary licenses and permits. Your catering business will require proper catering equipment and accessories. And a budget for advertising or marketing will need to be prepared.

Find Your Niche

There are many different types of catering services. You will need to decide which type of service you would like to offer your clients. Will you be providing a packed meals catering service from your home or will you be offering catering for full meals for events. Do you intend to specialize in only a certain type of product like wedding cakes? Consider what you are best at and build on it.

Learn to Manage Your Business

With your own catering business, you need to learn management skills. You will encounter problems and challenges just like any other business so you need to know how to deal with difficult situations. There is the matter of accounting or bookkeeping, hiring staff for an event, planning and organizing an event, negotiating with suppliers and, handling logistics.

Equipment Required

Aside from a fully-functioning commercial kitchen, you will need a phone line and a vehicle that you can use for deliveries. For cutlery and flatware, you can initially rent anything you may need until you can afford to purchase supplies of your own.

Marketing Your Business

Marketing your business is essential. You may write articles or hire ads in your local newspapers. You can also speak with the local radio station in your area. Flyers and posters can also help. As you get clients, depending on the quality of the service that you provide, your major advertising method will become by word of mouth.

Source: ezine articles

10 tips for taking kids out to a restaurant

Many people -- especially busy parents -- appreciate dining out as a restaurant. Usually. But have you been nervous about heading out to dinner with kids in tow because you just can't forget that time your new baby started screaming nonstop just as your main course was being served?

The good news is that you don't need to avoid restaurants forever! Here are a few tips from real moms about what you can do to make the experience of eating out as a family a little smoother.

1) Before you go out, make sure there's something on the menu that your child will actually eat -- or bring along food from home.

2) Visit restaurants at an off-peak time (such as 4-5 on a weekday afternoon) so you beat the rush.

3) Opt to be seated in a booth whenever possible, so it will be easier for you to keep your child contained.

4) Position your child by a wall or otherwise as far away from the other tables as possible, to avoid disrupting fellow diners.

5) Avoid restaurants with more than a 5-10 minute wait for a table so your child isn't all our of patience by the time the meal is served.

6) Take your child for a walk outside or go sit in the car if things get too boring.

7) Keep your child busy: bring pen and paper, books, or even a "for restaurant-times only" toy.

8) To keep things moving, when your server comes to take your drink orders, have your full meal order ready, too.

9) Request the check when the server brings you your main course.

10) Tip well, especially if the staff have been accommodating. Add a little extra if your kids made a mess on top of or under the table. Not only will you be paying for service given, you will also grease the wheels a little for the next customer who comes in with kids.

If your restaurant trip just doesn't work, accept it and don't force your child -- or the other diners -- to sit through a miserable experience. Give it a few months and try, try again.


Source: Yahoo Shine

6 Rules for Business Meals: What Not to Do

Ordering properly, tackling the bread basket, manning utensils, staying sober, and surviving endless courses can be challenging. But becoming well-mannered isn’t as simple as reading Emily Post. It takes planning, some education, and plenty of self-awareness. Here are 10 things to avoid if you don’t want that crucial meal to be memorable for the wrong reasons.

1. Don’t go to a restaurant unprepared

Many restaurants today post their menus online, and for those that don’t, there’s always MenuPages. If you’re going to a restaurant with a boss or prospective boss, check out the menu and make some selections beforehand so you don’t get thrown by the choices or appear indecisive. And if you hate the cuisine, get over it and find something on the menu you can eat, says Peggy Newfield, founder of the Atlanta-based American School of Protocol. After all, the meeting isn’t about the food.

2. Don’t sit down hungry

If you’re ravenous, you’ll be lightheaded and unable to focus on the conversation, and you’ll want to wolf down everything on your plate. That draws the wrong sort of attention your way. So before heading out, munch on a protein bar, some cheese and crackers, or a small meal. (If you have a drink at dinner, the snack will also help absorb the alcohol and ensure you don’t get drunk or lightheaded.)

3. Don’t order the T-bone when your boss is having the Cobb salad

In these health-conscious times, you’ll often dine with bosses and managers who order lighter meals. So if the boss recommends the Cobb salad, don’t order the T-bone with five side dishes. It could signal that you lack discipline in other areas or that you wouldn’t fit in well at the company. By the same token, if the boss strongly recommends a certain dish or drink, don’t say no, even if you don’t really want it. “Maybe you don’t finish it,” says Sam Gordon, CIO practice director at executive search firm Harvey Nash. “But don’t spurn the hospitality.”

4. Don’t make the most common table mistakes

Some of these include blowing your nose into your napkin, chewing with your mouth open, and putting your fingers in your mouth.
Other no-nos:

•    Don’t put your napkin on the table when excusing yourself during the meal. Place it on your chair. It goes on the table when you are leaving the restaurant.


•    Memorize the BMW rule: Bread plate to the left, Meat in the middle, and Water to the right.

•    Don’t put your utensils on the table. They belong on the plate.

•    Never, ever eat off another person’s plate.

5. Don’t eat like a kid

Slicing your meat into bite-size pieces before you start eating might inspire a recruiter to offer you a juice box instead of a job. Always cut food as you go. And how you eat your bread speaks volumes, says Neels. “Slicing a big roll, slapping on a slab of butter, and cramming it shut like a hoagie is the biggest sign that you just walked off the turnip truck,” she says. Instead, pull off a piece of bread and use your knife to spread a little butter on it.

6. Don’t order foods that stain, are hard to eat, or get stuck in teeth

Melted cheese sticks to facial hair. Greasy food smears lipstick and speckles ties. Avoid spaghetti, which might fly off your fork; cherry tomatoes, which risk popping; sloppy sandwiches; and anything with sauces. Broccoli and spinach can ruin your smile. The best bet is to order the blandest, easiest-to-eat dish on the menu, like a salad or a piece of meat or fish without sauce.



Source: Yahoo Shine

5 Tips for Handling a Bad Waiter

The number one complaint of restaurant diners is not the internal temperature of porterhouse, the crispness of fried calamari, or the martini's strength. Nor is it the soundtrack or banquettes color. It has nothing to do with food or decor. The top gripe among those who eat out is service.

As customers, how should we deal with poor service? (Hint: it has more to do with you than you think). Here are tips to dealing with that odd and mercurial species of restaurant employee known as The Server.


1. They're servers not servants. Smile. Be nice to them and they'll be nice to you. That's my number one tip for good service. You'd be amazed how terribly some customers treat servers. Anyone who has ever been a waiter or waitress (a job everyone should be forced to try at least once) knows how much a customers' attitude can dictate their overall dining experience. And if you've ever snapped your fingers, whistled, or yelled to get the attention of a waiter, shame on you.

2. Not everything that goes wrong in a restaurant is the servers' fault. Remember, they're just one cog in the wheel. The long wait for the food is most likely the kitchen's responsibility. Perhaps the host sat too many tables at once, which would explain why drinks are taking so long. So before you start mouthing off, remembers someone else may be to blame. Having said that, a good waiter will always apologize for delays and give you regular updates on the whereabouts of your food.

3. One way to avoid bad service is to eat at the bar, a favorite tactic of restaurant insiders. The server/bartender never leaves your sight, which makes it really hard for them to ignore you.

4. If you do get a waiter-from-heck there are a few courses to take. You can grin and bear it, take the abuse, and eventually show your displeasure where it hurts the server the most--the tip. (Some restaurants pool tips so just know your financial penalty might not have the effect you intend.) Another option is to pull the manager (or whoever looks like they are in charge) aside and let them know what's going on. Politely ask for another server. Management at any restaurant worth returning to will oblige. If they don't, leave and tell every person you know about the experience. No need to make a scene.

5. If all else fails, write the restaurant (or, more specifically, the owner) a letter explaining the situation. During a busy service even the best restaurants have a difficult time addressing specific problems and issues. If you really want to be heard and, with any luck, improve the future dining experiences of others, it's best to put pen to paper a few days after the incident when you've had a few days to reflect on the experience. If it's a restaurant that cares about its reputation, its employees, and its customers, you'll most definitely hear back from them.


Source: Yahoo Shine