WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT AND PEOPLE

WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT

The flow of food...ordering and receiving Whether at home or in the foodservice industry, food ‘flows’ through the kitchen area. It begins with ordering the food, specific foods and ‘staple’ items such as flour, sugar, salt, milk, etc. Food supplies are ‘received’. You check the shipment against the order, check the prices, check the amounts, etc. In foodservice areas, utility carts, chutes, conveyors, dollies, dumbwaiters, and elevators are all methods of moving large quantities of food.

The flow of food...storage Shelving is needed for storage of food in ‘pantry’ areas. Stainless steel wire shelving is easiest to keep clean in the foodservice setting. Residential and commercial refrigerators and freezers are important for storing food. Walk-in refrigerators and freezers are built into the facility.

Commonly used equipment in foodservice: Pre-preparation... Commonly used equipment in foodservice: China cap Colander Offset spatula Parissienne Scoop Food mill Pastry bag Foodservice ladles and scoops come in standard measures…such as 1 cup, ½ cup, etc. Bench scraper

Pre-preparation... Types and uses of knives: All purpose ‘chef’s or French chef’s’ knife is used for a variety of cutting and chopping work, as well as slicing and mincing. The blade is normally 8 to 12 inches long and a few inches wide. A ‘paring’ knife is used for peeling, slicing, trimming and dicing small fruits, vegetables and cheese.The blade is usually 3 to 4 inches long. A smaller, lighter ‘utility’ knife used for light cutting and slicing jobs, often on fruits and vegetables. The blade is usually 5 or 6 inches long.   A ‘tourné’ (tor-nay) or bird’s beak knife is similar to a paring knife, but with a sharp tip and curved blade to hug curved foods. A ‘cleaver’ is used for chopping meats and cutting through bones. It has a heavy 10-14” long rectangular blade. A ‘slicer’ has a 10-14” long blade for slicing and carving A heavier ‘butcher’ knife, primarily for cutting meat.

Preparation... Cookware: A saucepot has handles on both sides. A saucepan has just one handle. An omelet or sauté pan has sloping sides. A skillet is shallow and has a handle. A hotel pan, roasting pan, and sheet pan are all similar; the sheet pan is more shallow. A double boiler or bain marie has 2 parts… a bottom pan to boil or hold hot water and a top insert to hold the food.

Preparation... Food cooked in a rotisserie is placed on a ‘spit’ and turned. Countertop or floor model commercial mixers have flat beaters, wire whisks, dough arms, and pastry knives. A commercial deep fat fryer cooks food between 300 and 450ºF. A griddle has a flat, heated surface. A salamander is a type of small broiler, often found attached to the back of a range.

Preparation... A tilting fry pan is used to grill, steam, braise, sauté, and stew. They tilt to drain water or grease. A steam-jacketed kettle is used to heat soups and stews. The entire food contact surface is heated by steam rather than just the bottom. Foods cook faster without burning. A bakery proofer is a cabinet that holds moist heat, and provides an ideal environment for bread dough to rise. A charbroiler uses gas or electricity to mimic charcoal on a grill. It creates flames and smoke during cooking.

Preparation... There are numerous types of ovens in the food service industry, including conveyor ovens (food moves back and forth in the oven on a conveyor belt), rotary ovens (oven has 3-5 rotary shelves that turn around inside the oven), slow-roasting ovens (use very low temperatures), deck ovens (has 2-4 shelves stacked on top of each other, and food cooks on these decks). The primary heat source in a conventional ovens is on the floor of the oven cavity. The food cooks on racks above this source. A secondary source of heat is in the top of this oven, and used for broiling. Convection ovens use a fan that circulates the heated air, cutting the cooking time by 1/3rd, and using energy efficiently.

Preparation... Short, fat micro ‘waves’ are generated by the magnetron tube. They cannot pass through the metal exterior of the microwave oven or through the small holes of the front door mesh screen. Turntables assure more even heating in the microwave, which cooks in about 1/4th the time as conventional ovens. There are gas, electric, and induction burners and cooktops. In induction cooking, a magnetic field in the cooktop induces a current in the pan. The pan heats up, and heats the food. Only magnetic pans (iron and steel) work on these cooktops.

Holding and service... to the dining room Once food has been prepared, it is ready for the guest. It is ready for serving, or may need to be held until guests are ready to eat. Countertop and free-standing ice machines make ice in cubes, flakes, chips, and crushed ice. Use proper ice scoops…no glass. Coffee makers come in a variety of sizes and make a variety of hot drinks. Under each compartment of the steam table is a burner and a pan of water. The heated water then keeps the food warm, but does not allow it to burn. When holding food, avoid the temperature danger zone, stir the food regularly to keep it evenly heated, and do not add newly cooked food to food already being held hot.

Dishwashing... There are circular, flight or rack-less, pot-washing, conveyor, built-in, and portable dishwashers. Clean means being free of visible soil such as dirt, dust, or food waste. Sanitary refers to the condition of the item, and means being free of harmful levels of disease-causing microorganisms and other harmful contaminants. 1. Cleaning 2. Rinsing 3. Sanitizing... After each use, after an interruption in service, at least every 4 hours during use, and once a day for grill surfaces.

Waste disposal... Trash compactors reduce the volume of trash by smashing it down and making it more compact. There are two types of garbage disposals: when using continuous feed disposals you continually push the biological waste into the disposal, along with cold water, while it is running. When using batch feed disposals, you push the entire batch of waste into the disposal first, then start running the water, and then turn on the switch.

WORKING WITH PEOPLE

Working amid diversity... Diversity refers to the great variety of people and their backgrounds, experiences, opinions, religions, ages, talents, and abilities. In a diverse environment, people must learn go value and respect others. There is no place for prejudice in the workplace. Prejudices are negative biases, or feelings, toward people of a particular ethnicity or culture… not based on fact. Avoid stereotyping people, or unfairly assuming that all people of one cultural group fit into a particular pattern.

Communication skills... Conflict and tension can result when people misunderstand each other. If you mistakenly offend someone, apologize and try again. If you are offended, let the other person know. If you don’t understand someone, ask them to repeat themselves or explain. Watching other’s reactions will signal you if you have been misunderstood. Be patient with those learning English as a second language. Watch your body language, as it is part of your communication. The more you work with other people, the easier it will be to express yourself and share your ideas and thoughts.

Being an active member of a team is a good way to share knowledge and information with each other, pitching in and helping each other when necessary. Teamwork... Leadership is about the ability to motivate and inspire people to work together as a team. People who work together can usually accomplish more than those who work alone.

Dress for success. Use correct English. Employee interviews... Questions during an interview may solicit information on past work experience, character traits, education, attitude about work, and how well you interact with others. Interview questions may be ‘closed’, meaning they are answered with a simple yes or no OR ‘open-ended’, meaning they encourage job applicants to talk about themselves. Open-ended questions give the prospective employee a chance to ‘sell themselves’. Dress for success. Use correct English.

New employee orientation... A new employee orientation is the process of helping new employees learn about the establishment, introducing them to other employees, and explaining various procedures and policies. Orientation programs may include videos, lectures, printed employee manuals, tours, and introductions. By the end of the orientation, employees should feel like members of the ‘team’.

On the job training... There is a great deal of on-the-job-training in the foodservice industry. It is an important part of teaching skills that are easily demonstrated and practiced. Trainers can monitor the new employees progress and give feedback… comments or suggestions for improvement. A good trainer must be comfortable with their own knowledge and abilities. They may train individuals or groups of employees. Role-playing is one way to act out parts of the job function being discussed and learned. A good evaluation program includes the completion of a performance appraisal form, and personal conference.

WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT AND PEOPLE THE END WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT AND PEOPLE