Culinology® is a term trademarked by the Research Chefs Association. It comprises a discipline requiring intensive expertise in everything from food labels to enzymes to ingredient sourcing to commercial restaurant equipment. The Research Chefs Association offers the possibility of becoming a Certified Culinary Scientist or Certified Research Chef. This year, the American Culinary Federation sanctioned the discipline’s first professional competition. This exciting and innovative field appeals to professional chefs on many levels, and opportunities abound in this fairly recent addition to the food science and culinary industry.

What is Culinology®?

Mix food science with culinary arts and the result is Culinology®. The list of Continuing Education workshops on the Research Chefs Association’s website highlights some of the most crucial components of the discipline for professional chefs. The workshops, most of which include distance learning, cover such topics as food science, regulations, processing, packaging, sensory evaluation, and commercialization. Nutrition and creativity combine to bring the food service industry and the work of food scientists together in a whole new way.

2012 Professional Competition

The 2012 Professional Culinology® Competition, the first of its kind, gained more widespread recognition for the field, thanks to the support of the American Culinary Federation and other sponsors. Competitors shipped frozen versions of their entries – each consisting of three types of tapas – to San Antonio in advance and made the same dishes ...continue reading

The two most crucial aspects of a restaurant or bar business plan, cost-profit analysis and research, are only the beginning. Writing a business plan involves the use of a number of categories to explicitly outline your concept and strategies. From the menu you plan on offering to the amount you can afford to spend on restaurant equipment, each section of your plan needs to include as much information as possible.

3 C’s: Concept, Clientele, Competition

The foundation of your business plan is the clear expression of your concept. Explain your idea in simple, concrete terms. Next, explore socio-cultural and economic considerations. Outline in detail the tastes and budgets of your prospective clientele. Decide on a target audience that will best suit the style of your establishment and build the rest of your plan based on that audience’s needs. Whether the bulk of your clientele will consist of families, couples, singles (especially if you are opening a bar), truckers, businesspeople, tourists, or locals determines a great deal of your pricing and décor, for example. Also predict whether the lunch crowd will be composed mainly of different types of customers than the dinner crowd. Outlining a prospective menu or even including a full sample menu is an excellent idea at this point. Knowing your competition gives you an edge as well. Include a map of the area in which you plan to open your business and mark the locations of all similar eateries, bars, or catering businesses. This technique will show you clearly what you are ...continue reading

Learning to properly serve customers with food allergies can not only save your restaurant a lawsuit, it can save a customer’s life. Assured prevention of an allergic reaction can only be accomplished by protecting the client from any contact, even indirect, with the offending food. This does not mean that you have to become a dairy-free restaurant or offer a fully gluten free restaurant menu, but some precautions are vital. Keeping up-to-date ingredient lists, fastidiously washing all restaurant equipment used on or near allergic customers’ orders, and appointing a team leader to deal with allergy questions are just some of the steps any responsible food service professional should take.

Allergy-Friendly Menu Options

Ensure the availability of safe dishes for allergic customers by educating yourself about common food allergies and intolerances. Ninety percent of food allergies are attributed to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, milk, wheat, soy, and egg. Common food intolerances that often cause allergy-like symptoms include lactose intolerance and Celiac disease. Place a notice on your door or menu requesting that guests inform you of any food allergy or sensitivity that they may have. Prepare an ...continue reading

An exceptional way to get creative and earn customers, marinating holds a special place in the hearts of professional chefs. Ensure that your meat marinade recipes moisten and tenderize your meats while properly emphasizing their natural flavors. Meat brining techniques perform even better than marinades on turkey and other meats that toughen easily. These pointers will prove especially useful when the meats are then cooked with high quality professional grills, barbeques, and other restaurant equipment.

Marvelous Meat Marinade

Your creativity and better-than-average knowledge of the marinating process are your greatest assets when inventing marinades. The ideal marinade tenderizes the meat while retaining its texture. It should also lend extra flavor that complements and draws out the taste of the meat itself. Citrus juices and wine contain acid that breaks down the meat’s protein and essentially begins the cooking process. An added benefit of these marinade bases is that the acid possesses bacteria-destroying properties. For simplicity’s sake and a distinct flavor, include just a few particularly fascinating ingredients in your marinades rather than using extremely complex recipes. For example, experiment with varieties of honey from a range of flowers until you find one that goes best with the meat you are marinating. An unusual combination of just two or three spices paired with the perfect amount of oil results in flavorful, moist dishes. ...continue reading

Restaurant customer service is the easiest aspect of this business to use for bringing customers back for another visit. You have invested time, restaurant equipment and other business expenses, and a great deal of energy into your business. Make your investments worthwhile by turning your restaurant into a place where every customer feels special and valued. These timeless customer service tips will pay off for years to come.

Getting Personal

The secret to great customer service for restaurants lies in one basic fact: everyone wants to feel that someone cares enough to get to know them. Whether you know a client’s name through past visits or a reservation or simply ask if you don’t know, greet customers by name and instruct your staff to do so whenever possible as well. Stay friendly but professional – use titles like Mr., Ms., or Dr. until directed to do otherwise or unless you know that this particular customer is decidedly more comfortable on a first-name basis. Be aware of special occasions. If you have an email list or customer loyalty program, you can be prepared for birthdays or anniversaries. Notice when even customers you haven’t seen before come in especially dressed up. Strike up a short conversation and see if they are celebrating something. In any of these cases, clients appreciate extras. Send a free dessert or drink from the bar. Gestures like this entice customers to come back and to recommend your restaurant to their friends. ...continue reading

Food industry professionals know that soup is among the most profitable menu options. Still, it is often relegated to appetizer status or tacked onto specials as a side dish. Many chefs miss the opportunity to make soups that stand on their own. With the right restaurant equipment – most notably a double boiler – and a few simple changes to your soup recipes and soup-making technique, you can reap the benefits of this low-cost, high-profit restaurant dish while still offering your customers a satisfying main course.

Hearty Restaurant Soup Recipes

Forget thin, watery appetizers. Serve your clients piping hot, cheesy French onion soup with homemade croutons rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil and herbs. Also consider meaty varieties of soup, like Italian Wedding soup or a traditional goulash. Keep in mind, however, that many restaurant-goers these days are looking for healthy options. Adjust your recipes to include leaner cuts of meat or less fatty cheeses and be liberal with the vegetable content. Add thick noodles or rice to existing standards on your menu. This technique keeps costs low while significantly intensifying ...continue reading

Your food distributors make a huge impact on the performance of your business. They determine the quality of your ingredients, so you need to choose wisely. In many cases, a local supplier is the most economically and environmentally sound option. Furthermore, as much as your staff and your restaurant equipment, your wholesale food suppliers need to be reliable so that you can rest assured that your shipments will arrive on time and precisely to order.

Benefits of Local Food Service Suppliers

Selecting local distributors, especially for your produce supplier and meat suppliers, provides you with many advantages. For one thing, a local supplier will be very concerned with every order, since the majority of his best clients are often within the same general area and word-of-mouth can work either against him or in his favor. Also, in case of any issue with one of your orders, you will have a much better chance of speaking with the head of the company in person. Developing a friendly personal relationship with your food distributors can increase ...continue reading

Pull out your pastry tools, cake pans, dessert dishes, and other bakery supplies: the top ten desserts for 2012 are here. Every year the world seems to get smaller, and multiculturalism becomes trendier and trendier. With that in mind, professional bakeries and chefs everywhere are incorporating dessert recipes from all over the world into their menus. Take a glimpse at some of the freshest twists on classic favorites and best-sellers from around the globe.

Mouthwatering Cakes, Pies, and Pastries

1. Mille Feuilles

This year, serve this delightful French pastry a little bit differently. Instead of the classic cream-filled Napoleon, fill your layers with various flavors of jam. Cut the pastries into more memorable shapes than the same old rectangle with a pastry cutter such as Dexter Russell’s Dough Cutter/Scraper. Coax out the delicate beauty of this dessert with a tasteful presentation, complete with light icing and berries in a variety of colors, which you should choose to complement the particular flavors of filling that you use. ...continue reading

Restaurant marketing presents more challenges – and opportunities – today than ever. Customers are regularly bombarded with choices, discounts, promotions, and deals, making the job of staying competitive a tough one. At the same time, eatery owners have a multitude of outlets for advertising for restaurants. From good old-fashioned word of mouth to email lists through which you can offer personalized coupons, your business will benefit enormously from your awareness of advertising opportunities and your fair, honest implementation of marketing techniques.

Word of Mouth and Social Media Advertising

One of the most productive ways to increase your restaurant’s popularity is through the use of social media and word of mouth. First and foremost, your restaurant should have a website. Include your menu and prices, eye-catching but tasteful design, and all current promotions. This is one place to make room in your budget for a professional. The cost of hiring an expert should pay for itself within a very short amount of time. ...continue reading