Tag: food establishments;

Cheap Italian Food in Milan

One of the highlights of traveling to Italy is naturally the Italian food. Milan in particular is a fashion and food capital of the world. With so many choices for good quality Italian food it can be hard to decide where to eat at times. Travelers are also frequently overwhelmed with how much there is to do in Milan or may only be in the city for a few days. The food here can also be very expensive and not for the budget conscious traveler. However, there must be an alternative to the ever ubiquitous McDonald’s? Surely there is a way to eat cheap Italian food in Milan? Time and budget constraints often prevent tourists from enjoying good Italian food, but that need not be the case in Milan.

Milan is home to yet another Italian food innovation. It is quite simply known as Ciao. Ciao is a fast Italian food restaurant that serves up fresh Italian food made on the spot with a friendly price tag. Unlike American fast food chains, Ciao serves quality Italian food. For those a little leery of anyplace claiming to have quality Italian food fast, let me point out that there is not set menu at Ciao. The menu changes daily in order to provide the freshest Italian food that is in season. Ciao serves all manner of hot Italian foods along with snacks, alcohol, and espresso. It’s a self service restaurant so you just fill up your plate and then pay at the register. With the low price tag Ciao also presents tourists with an opportunity to try different Italian foods without worrying about the money should you not like it.

Another great feature of Ciao that endears it to American tourists is the fact that it is open all day. Ciao is one of the only options for Italian food after lunch and before dinner. In Italy many of the Italian food establishments close between meals leaving only the American fast food imports open. If you’re a tourist and visiting Milan for the first time, then it can be hard to fit everything into your schedule and get meal times in when most of the restaurants are open. Plus, many people don’t want to spend the time it takes to eat at a typical Italian food restaurant, choosing to instead see the sites. It’s a real shame that people save up for vacations to Italy and end up eating at McDonald’s because of lack of time or money.

Many people don’t know a place like Ciao exists before they leave home so take this opportunity to plan it into your Italian vacation now. In fact, you won’t even have to stop looking at the sites while eating quality Italian food at Ciao. Be sure to check out the Ciao outlet at Piazza Duomo. Get your food and head over to the third floor of the Duomo Center and grab a table. The view from this vantage point is simply amazing and will provide a nice backdrop to your meal. Italian food doesn’t have to be expensive when in Milan and you don’t have to carve large blocks of time out of your vacation in order to experience fresh Italian food, just go to the nearest Ciao and soon you will be dining on quality Italian food in the heart of Milan.

Become a Pastry Chef: Know these Things First

Who does not love pastries? Pastries are all-time favorite desserts. They are the best to be given as gifts. Most people struggle to create pastries but only a few succeed. But how about with the pastry chefs? What are their secrets in creating the best pastries in town? Have it ever occurred to you that you want to become a pastry chef? Read on and be made aware of the aspects that envelop the world of a pastry chef.

Who is a pastry chef?

A patissier or a pastry chef is someone who is based in professional kitchen surroundings. He is naturally skilled with the preparation and creation of desserts, pastries, and some other baked products. The pastry chef works in bakeries, bistros, hotels, and restaurants.

The pastry chef is one of the members of the brigade de cuisine in most professional kitchens and is likewise tagged as the station chef in the pastry department. There are assistants working with the pastry chef.

What are the duties and obligations of the pastry chef?

There are a lot of responsibilities that need to be catered to by the pastry chef. Among of which are ordering, menu planning, and costing. The everyday operations of the establishment obligate the pastry chef to research on new recipes, cooking concepts, and the testing of the newfound recipes. It is the duty of the pastry chef to attend to the advance preparation of several desserts before the dinner begins. The plating of the desert is typically assigned to the Garde manger during the specific time of ordering.

The pastry chef is the one who is in charged with the dessert menu. The dessert menu covers not only the traditional ones but also the dessert beverages, gourmet cheese platters, dessert wines, and many others.

What are the various positions of pastry chefs?

There are many designated positions for the pastry chefs especially within the large food establishments, restaurants, and hotels. The highest so far is the Chef de Cuisine who takes charge of conceptualizing the menu dishes and selects the direction of the foods. The executive chef is a subordinate to the chef de cuisine. He makes the recipes, controls the costs, and does the administrative works. The head chef is involved in smaller food operations. The sous chef ensures that the prepared food passes the standards that have been set up. It is the chef de partie who manages a particular section in the kitchen; the commis chef does the large volume of cooking whereas the apprentice chefs are those that are being trained.

What are the usual activities that the pastry chef executes?

Among the many obligations of the pastry chefs are:

To connive with the other chefs in the establishment regarding the pairing of desserts and menu planning;

To test and evaluate at the same time the dessert recipes and new pastry lineup;

To order the supplies from different vendors or go directly to the growers of the fresh berries and fruits;

Prepare the budget allotment for the department;

Supervise the transition of the chefs and those apprentices; and

Provide the supplementary trainings or educational programs regarding dessert and pastry making.

If you desire to become a pastry chef, you need to be abreast with all these aspects. You could either take up the related courses on Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management or the Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management. As you enter the world of the pastry chef, you’ll soon realize how vital you could be in the world of cuisine specialty.