Paper Chef Hats

Writen by Jason Gluckman

In early times, chef hats were made of starched cloth and held together with whalebones to provide a unique style of hats. The whalebones disappeared shortly but the style remained with a few alterations and a lot of starch. Also, the cloth hats had to have the pleats and the starch helped hold them in place. The pleats and the styles still exist in the present world with a single variation; they are made out of paper and fiber instead of with cloth.

Thick paper is being used to construct the chef hats with fiber construction. These can be used for about 3 to 5 days or depends on the number of shifts the chef has to put in. One advantage with these would be that they need lesser maintenance compared to the cloth hats. Cloth hats need to be washed, starched and ironed to get that crisp smart look. When a hat gets old, faded and limp, it can simply be disposed of and a new hat worn. This is the reason paper hats are also popularly known as the disposable chef hats.

Paper hats come with adjustable headbands and are also available as the one size fits all variety. Hats for head chefs, apprentices, cooks are all made of paper and available in the market. Manufacturers ensure to keep in mind the heights of the hats as well as the designs that are currently selling in the market. Since they come well packed in cartons from the manufacturers, there is no chance of the pleats or the corners being crushed, or the hats becoming limp while being transported.

Another advantage of paper hats is that they can be printed with a personalized logo. This could be of the hotel they work for or would be a good marketing gimmick for private caterers. These can be great fun at barbecue parties or other gatherings where the host can wear a hat as well as give away the same with a personal logo to mark the event.

All the paper hats being manufactured these days come equipped with a sweat band to soak in the sweat formed due to the heat in the kitchens. Although they come in various sizes, most of them are adjustable to any head size. Also available are the head nets that can be worn before the hat is put on. This most definitely ensures that no stray hair can find its way into a dish while the dish is being prepared.

Many hotels and restaurants these days are insisting on the chefs wearing the paper hats, as they are smarter and definitely more time saving and hygienic as compared to the cloth variety, not to mention cost effective. It certainly must be more fun for the chefs to put on a new hat every few days and look smart in spite of working in the kitchen the whole day.

Chef Hats provides detailed information about chef hats, chef hat history, and more. Chef Hats is affiliated with Sirloin Steak.

Drying Herbs

Writen by Dia Gama

Many herb growers state that dried herbs that are grown in summer, have better flavour than those that are grown in winter, or those indoors. The best way to enjoy the benefits of herbs all year round is to pick and dry them when they are at their finest. Most herbs are very easy to dry, and will continue to retain their flavour and aroma.

PLACE
The ideal place for drying herbs is somewhere that is dry and dark, and has good ventilation. This may be an attic, the garage, a cupboard or on top of the refridgerator.

DRYING IN BUNCHES
To dry herbs using the bunch method, pick long-stemmed herbs such as mint, lavender and yarrow. Firstly, select the best quality foilage and blossoms of the herb to be dried, and remove any dead or wilted leaves. Then bunch together (making sure the bunches are about 1 inch in diameter) and tie with a string or rubber band. Hang up these herb bunches (upside down) until they are dry. They may take up to 2 weeks to dry out thoroughly.

DRYING ON A SCREEN
To dry herb which have short stems and small leaves (and are difficult to bunch) such as thyme, the best method is dry them on a screen. Snip off the foilage and spread out a flat screen. You can construct your own by taking a wooden frame (such as a thick picture frame) and attaching a cloth screen on top (with staples or drawing pins). Make sure that air can circulate freely underneath, otherwise the herb will not dry and will become mouldy. The herbs should dry out in 7 to 10 days.

DRYING IN THE OVEN
Another method for drying herbs is oven drying. Spread the herbs on baking parchment and place in the oven at 25-38 degrees centigrade (80-100 degrees fahrenheit). The herbs should be dry in 3-6 hours. Remove before they turn brown.

Once the herbs are crispy dry, remove the leaves from the stems, and store away.

Article written by the publisher of http://www.HerbAndSpiceGuide.com

Grilling Vs Barbecue

Writen by Tim Sousa

Grilling and Barbecuing, two of the most popular cooking methods in the U.S., especially in warmer weather. There are some who know the difference between grilling and barbecuing, and some who don't. Do you?

To put it simply, Grilling is fast cooking over high heat, while barbecuing involves a slower cooking method, over a lower heat.

Grilling is generally done over a gas flame, or hot coals. Tender cuts of meat are best for this cooking method. The quick cooking and the high heat seal in the juices, creating a juicy piece of meat, but leave the meat on too long, and it will dry out, as with any dry cooking method. Barbecue sauces can be used, but since the heat is so high, it should be added right at the end of the cooking time, especially for sweeter barbecue sauces, so that the sugar in the sauce doesn't burn. Vegetables and fruits can also be grilled, as they don't need a long cooking time. Peaches and pineapple are particularly good for grilling, the natural sugars in the fruit carmelize over the high heat. When you grill food, you need to pay attention to it, so it doesn't get overcooked. You need to stay by the grill the whole time.

Barbecuing is typically done over charcoal or wood, although gas can be used. I've seen kalhua pig being cooked slowly on a gas grill, but usually, barbecuers will use either charcoal or wood. The meats usually used in barbecuing are tougher cuts of meat, such as the beef brisket, or pork ribs. These meats benefit from the long, slow cooking process, becoming so tender that they will just fall off the bone. Since the cooking process is slower, and the heat not as high as grilling, barbecue sauce can be brushed onto the meat throughought the cooking process, forming a delicious glaze on the outside of the meat. Apple juice is sometimes sprayed onto the meat to keep it moist and flavorful. Damp wood chips added to the fire add a delicious smoky flavor to the meat.

Some meats, like chicken, will benefit from either cooking method. It's great either grilled quickly with a glaze or barbecue sauce applied towards the end of the cooking time, or slowly barbecued, absorbing the flavors of the smoke.

Tim Sousa is the webmaster of Classy Cooking, an online library of great recipes, cooking tips and more.