Restaurant Service Basics Review

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(More customer reviews)The book explains how a restaurant is operated thoroughly. The book has pictures to allow easy comprehension. The roles of the entire team from Owner to buss, they're all in there. Explains everyone's task and gives projects to practice on to get a first hand experience. I recommend this book to all business owners and managers. Great book even for waiter/waitress wanting to improve their service.

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An excellent training tool for both hospitality programs and working restaurant managers, Restaurant Service Basics, 2nd Edition considers the entire dining experience in situations ranging from formal to casual. Step-by-step instructions guide readers through service functions. Different types of service French, American, English, Russia, Family-style, and Banquet are explained in detail, along with universally important safety, sanitation, and emergency procedures. This Second Edition features end-of-chapter projects that incorporate real-life situations, as well as enhanced coverage of point-of-service and other technology use in restaurants.

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The Military Wives' Cookbook: 200 Years of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances Review

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(More customer reviews)My sister is a retired military wife of 30+ years. I bought this book as a gift for her. She loved it!

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The Military Wives' Cookbook is a collection of recipes, anecdotal stories, and vintage photographs tracing the history and unique contributions of American military wives. Beginning with an Independence Tea Party featuring the foods served by the women of Edenton, North Carolina, at a party on October 25, 1774, it recreates the scenes and foods that recount the stories of the commitments and sacrifice that military wives have given the nation for more than two hundred years.

Presented in menu format, each chapter includes a story related to the recipes of the period ("A Colonial Thanksgiving" and "Christmas in the Confederate White House") and feature foods from around the world, including places like Morocco, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea.

The Military Wives' Cookbook is divided into six large sections:

Teas and Coffees
Buffets, Brunches, and Lunches
A Taste of Home: Dinner Family Style
Alfresco Dining
Over There: An International Affair
Home for the Holidays and Other Celebrations.

The women, through whose eyes these stories are told and whose recipes are shared, are truly remarkable. They often balanced the responsibilities of maintaining home and hearth, raising a family, managing a business, and supporting a war effort. In addition, they found time to extend themselves in friendship and hospitality to one another and to women in the places where they were stationed, earning them a well-respected reputation that continues to this day.

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The Professional Bar & Beverage Manager's Handbook: How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful Bar, Tavern, and Nightclub: With Companion CD-ROM Review

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(More customer reviews)Other than being a patron of Bars and Taverns I thought I knew very little of the business side of operating such an establishment. This 550 page very large-print book only made me a little bit smarter.
I would have been a lot happier if the book was half the price and all the large-print filler material and excess white space was deleted. More on that below.
I became a trustee of a non-profit service organization that runs an active 7 day a week social club. My responsibility is to audit the overall organization. I was hoping that I could find a book that would teach me enough specific details to understands the management side of purchasing, inventory, financial controls, and the segregation of financial responsibilities among employees to get the Food, Beer and Alcohol part of our operation on a sound business footing. The sub-title, "How to operate a financially successful bar ...", is misleading since those sections for my use are very weak.
The section on 'Bar Controls' is basically from the marketing descriptions from different equipment providers that I had previously read on the internet with a simple google on the topic. [...]. There is no help in suggesting a choice criteria for one's own specific problem.
This book relies too heavily on manufacturers provided product information in several chapters. Recommend that if that is your interest depend upon the internet rather than this book if only for timeliness of data.
There is at least a 50 page section that attempts to summarize all state laws. Can't imagine why that is in the printed book. It is also on the cd-rom. A simpler chart showing each state code by chapter and verse and url would have been more helpful and more up to date.
There is a 63 page section on forms and charts that is also on the CD-ROM. A pdf file is used to capture the form as it was scanned from the book. The forms have the page number, chapter number and chapter title on the footer of every form. It would have been better if the format was something that was usable and could be customized by the reader. It is not. Some standard word processing format or spreadsheet format might have made the book worthwhile to get a tracking system started for purchasing, inventory or financial controls.
There are 32 pages of recipes for mixing drinks (about 5 to a page). I have seen bar tender recipe books at some bars, but have never seen one in an 11 3/4 by 8 3/4 inch format. If your bartenders need a book - this one is not the answer.
This book is better described as an introductory overview of the business. There is enough there to learn something but the book is over-priced. If I could have found a copy to have browsed through, I would not have bought it for my needs. If you are serious about opening a bar go ahead and buy this book. But you better plan on buying several others too.

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Professional Garde Manger: A Comprehensive Guide to Cold Food Preparation Review

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(More customer reviews)To manage cold food preparation in a creative fashion is what Garde Manger is all about. The basics and skills needed to handle the station can flow through into the home kitchen as well if you follow along in this book. For the professional this book will be a way to refine your skills in Catering, Banquet service and general foodservice operations. For the home cook this book will open your eyes to the wonderful world of Garde Manger and help you develop skills that will assist in your home cooking and possibly moving into a professional setting.
The book is broken down into 18 chapters, starting with the Garde Manger Profession and finishing with Buffets and Food Bars. You will learn the very basics of production and follow through with design, plating and adding condiments and decor to round out the recipe. The different levels and expectations of cold food are laid out quite well in Chapter one and certainly leave no stone unturned. If you are a novice in the kitchen you may want to study the book a bit first to pick up the terminology so you can better prepare yourself for what's ahead.
The recipes and methods for preparation are easy to follow and include step by step instructions with pictures and diagrams. If you take the time to look over the recipe before you begin then you have mastered the first rule of the kitchen. Read everything and set your station or area up with the needed ingredients and kitchen tools to get the job done. Once you work through the first selected recipes you will gain a measure of satisfaction and accomplishment that will carry your through the book.
I've enjoyed reading through the book and have utilized several recipes in my professional kitchen as well as adapting them a bit to my home kitchen. I look forward to utilizing these recipes to enhance my cold food preparation skills and as well as giving me some new ideas in cold food production. This book certainly deserves a nice spot on my culinary shelf and I'm sure you will enjoy it as well.

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Arranging Food Beautifully: Tray and Steam Table Art Review

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(More customer reviews)Arranging Food Beautifully is an interesting book but not what I expected. I had hoped to learn tips on presentation and view actual table settings however the content contains more recipes than tips. The recipes are great, and the few photos that are included are helpful, but I would classify this more as a cookbook than a table setting book.

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B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends Review

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(More customer reviews)The recipes were easy to follow and so much fun to work with. The presentation was creative without being overly fussy. I can now let my imagination take me to some fun places and I would have been hesitant to do so before. This gave me some inspiration and lots of confidence when entertaining. I needed to entertain a group of family that were not friends and all were in town for the one night. I made it a casual cookout but iced down drinks in layers of ice in the washing machine (easy cleanup, just spin out water), put a pretty cloth over dryer and ironing board and set up first course and pre-dinner cocktails there. It broke the ice and we had fun. Thanks Barbara!

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Barbara Smith, founding partner and creative genius behind B. Smith's restaurants in New York's theater district and Washington's Union Station, shares her stylish entertaining ideas and soul-satisfying recipes for every occasion in this delisiously fresh book, which addresses the entertaining style of a new generation.From a Cocktail Party for Business and Pleasure to a Picnic on the Beach, Barbara Smith defines her approach to entertaining that--like her popular bistro--is cosmopolitan and elegant, yet casual and fun. She offers her favorite recipes, including Flash Roasted Salmon with Swiss Chard and Citrus Vinaigrette, Smothered Pork Chops, and Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Praline Sauce.With more than 75 photographs of party events, table settings, and finished food, B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends will help us all chart the course for our next party.

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The Professional Bartender's Handbook: A Recipe for Every Drink Known - Including Tricks and Games to Impress Your Guests Review

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(More customer reviews)The Professional Bartender's Handbook is an easy-to-use book for anyone. If you're stocking your own bar there are lists of what and how much to buy (including alcohol, mixers, and extras), what tools to have on hand (types of glasses, spoons, strainers--who knew?). There's even a chapter on really starting a bar--from business plan through OSHA regs and promotions.
As for recipes, the book has 1500 of them, from A Bat and a Ball to Zuma Buma, with a separate section for non-alcoholic drinks. Over 200 pages filled with recipes! None are indexed, only alphabetized, so if you're looking for various martinis--from apple to vodka, you could be skimming pages for awhile.
The book starts with the basics about liquor, like the difference between Haitian and Jamaican rum, how wines should be served, etc., There's even a chapter on drinking games and toasts--what more could you want? Everything you need to be a fantastic bartender is right here.


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