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.

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.

China cap

Food mill

Colander

Parissienne Scoop

Bench scraper

Foodservice ladles and scoops come in standard measures…such as 1 cup, ½ cup, etc.

Pastry bag

Offset spatula

Commonly used equipment in foodservice:

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.

 

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 ‘cleaver’ is used for chopping meats and cutting

through bones. It has a heavy 10-14” long rectangular blade.

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 ‘slicer’ has a 10-14” long blade for slicing and

carving

Types and uses of knives:

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 heavier ‘butcher’ knife, primarily for cutting meat.

A saucepan has just one

handle.

A skillet is shallow and has a handle.

A saucepot has handles on both

sides.

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.

A hotel pan, roasting pan, and sheet pan are all similar; the sheet pan is more

shallow.

An omelet or sauté pan has sloping sides.

Cookware:

Food cooked in a rotisserie is placed

on a ‘spit’ and turned.

A griddle has a flat, heated surface.

A commercial deep fat fryer cooks food

between 300 and 450ºF.

Countertop or floor model commercial

mixers have flat beaters, wire whisks, dough

arms, and pastry knives.

A salamander is a type of small broiler, often found attached to the

back of a range.

A bakery proofer is a cabinet that holds moist

heat, and provides an ideal environment for bread dough to rise.

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 tilting fry pan is used to grill, steam, braise, sauté, and stew. They tilt to drain water or

grease.

A charbroiler uses gas or electricity to mimic charcoal on a grill. It creates flames and

smoke during cooking.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Coffee makers

come in a variety of sizes and

make a variety of

hot drinks.

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.

There are circular, flight or rack-less, pot-washing, conveyor, built-in, and portable

dishwashers.

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.

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.

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.

People who work together can usually accomplish more than those who work

alone.

Leadership is about the ability to motivate and inspire people

to work together as a team.

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.

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’.

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.