Cooking As A Culinary Art

Culinary arts is the art of cooking. Cooking is a way to prepare food that will be eaten or served to other people.

The culinary arts is comprised of many categories - some of which are tools, methods, combination of spices and ingredients that adds flavour to the food. It normally needs the right measurements, proper selection and accurate combination of ingredients involved to reach desired result.

The diversity of the Culinary arts around the world mirrors many considerations such as:

- Economic
- Aesthetic
- Nutritional
- Religious
- Cultural

1. The Dawn Of Fire

The culinary arts, if not always, is associated with fire. The heat generated by fire is oftentimes required to be applied to be able to change the food's texture, flavour, nutritional contents and even its appearance. Heating is important in the culinary arts because it disinfects the food and makes it softer. The food danger zone is between 4 to 60 degrees Celsius. Within these temperatures, the bacteria found in the found or even those that were transferred to the food can grow at a very alarming rate. Under ideal conditions bacteria can double their population every twenty minutes. Although at a glance, these foods may not appear harmful, when ingested they can be. Many people have the misconception that bacteria will die when we freeze our food or refrigerate them, but this actually does not rid the food of bacteria, merely it slows down their expansion.

2. Baking

Baking is probably the most famous department in the culinary arts. In the culinary arts, baking is the art of cooking food using an oven. The food is cooked through applying dry heat evenly through the oven and onto the food. It is used in producing pastry based goodies such as pies, tarts and cakes. The dry heat in the oven causes the starch to gelatinize and results to the browning or charring of the outside of the food. Some uneducated in the culinary arts might think that the charred part or the brown part is not as tasty as it sounds, but this part is actually what gives taste and flavour to the baked good, partly sealing the moisture of the food. The browning apparent in the baked good is caused by the sugar caramelizing and the chemical reaction that happens between the reduction of sugar and the amino acid (Maillard reaction). Moisture in the baked goody, on the other hand, is not really completely kept in, in time as the goody is being baked it will become drier and drier.

3. Boiling

Another category is boiling. Boiling is when there is a rapid vaporization of any liquid when the liquid is heated. In cooking, boiling is divided into many other categories. Blanching, a cooking term used to describe the submersion of food into boiling water and removing it after a certain period of time and then throwing it into cold water or letting water run over it causing the firming of food. Pressure cooking is when food is cooked inside an enclosed cooking tool that would limit the air that's coming in or going out of that tool - this technique speeds up the pace of cooking. Stewing would probably be the most popular cooking technique in the culinary arts division. It is a method where meats are cut up into smaller pieces and along with some vegetables are simmered into a liquid. Simmering, then again is a cooking method where the liquid is barely kept away from its boiling point. Other boiling techniques are braising, codding, steaming, infusion, poaching, double steaming, steeping and vacuum flask cooking.

4. Other

To most Americans, microwaving and grilling are the most common forms of cooking. Microwaving is the easiest and simplest form of cooking; it is a technique used mostly to reheat sumptuous meals ready to be consumed. And for grilling, most Americans have a grill station in their backyard. Grilling is a roasting method that is cooking directly under a source of heat. Other roasting methods are Barbecuing, Searing and Rotisserie. A less common method is smoking meat, or even salting it.

Cooking Games: Culinary Fun For Your Family

Nowadays, life becomes more and more complicated, with everyone taking more and more responsibilities and having less and less time with their close family. Whereas in the past, everyday meals and particularly dinners were occasions for family interactions and value sharing, today more and more people tend to sit quietly and watch TV while they eat dinner, barely talking to each other than for asking for the salt. That is if they even have dinner together, as a lot of teens now prefer to take dinner in their rooms or in front of the compute. Of course, you’d like to do something about it, and have everyone share their thoughts and experiences at the table, but how do you manage that instead of getting the “let’s watch TV instead” attitude that is so common these days. Well, that’s why you have to make it fun for your family members with games that will make them look forward to dinner time.

Where is it from?

This is a very simple game that is very good for children. You take several containers or bottles of condiments and each person has to try to guess from what state the bottle or container comes. Depending on the age of the child, further questions can be asked, for example, what the capital of that state is, what is the state famous for, mentioning 2 or 3 important cities in that state, etc.

Categories

This is also a game that is very simple, and is also used for adults with certain variations. One person mentions a category, and each person takes a turn mentioning something that belongs to that category. Categories can be easy, for example “movies,” or more educational, for example “European countries.” People who can’t name an item or repeat an item that has already been mentioned is disqualified.

Famous People at Dinner

This game is fun and has several variations. One person mentions a famous person (dead or alive) and the rest have to mention all the facts that they know about that person. For example, real name, nationality, famous inventions/discoveries, etc. More specific questions lead to more challenging games, while easy ones allow more people to participate. This is a particularly good game for teaching history to children.

Foreign Food

This one requires some extra work from you and is suited for older children, and it’s more of a cultural activity than a game. You have to prepare a traditional dish from another country. Each family member will have to do some research about that particular country to present at dinner. The research should be appropriate for each one’s capacity. So for example, younger children can be asked to draw the flag of the country, while older children can do research on the country’s capital and traditions.

Cooking Both in the Kitchen and Online

Another fun activity is getting your children to actually help you with kitchen activities. Again, this depends on the child’s age and the recipe you’re preparing. Another alternative is to get your children to play cooking games online. While this will not prepare any real food, it will teach your child all the work that goes into preparing his or her favorite dish, without exposing him to kitchen accidents. There are hundreds of cooking games online that range from the simple to the complex and challenging one. It’ll also be fun for your child to experiment with different ingredients. Not to mention that it won’t turn your kitchen into a mess. Once your child develops a bigger interest in cooking, you might introduce him or her to real cooking.

Of course, as with any website, video game or TV show, you must supervise what your child is doing on Internet. However, this makes a good opportunity for spending quality time with him or her, so it’s really a great time investment.

Let's Get Our Company Cooking With Corporate Culinary Items

So what is cooking in the world of business? Apparently just about everything and everyone. That's why companies are using corporate culinary items to promote their business and their products. There are a lot of different reasons why companies are using corporate culinary items to promote their business and products.

Here are a couple of different ways that a company may use corporate culinary products to promote their products and services.

New neighbours

Corporate culinary items are especially a good idea if you are a real estate agent or in another company that works with people who are just moving in. Corporate culinary items are a really nice way to welcome new people to your sales area and to let them know that you are there for then. It's a good idea even if you aren't in the real estate business but you get new neighbours who move in next to you.

Clients who move

Corporate culinary items are a good item to give to clients who are moving. You want them to know that you are thinking of them and that you want to make the transition as easy as possible for them. When you are moving to a new house, having some nice new things to take with you is always a nice idea.

Here are some suggestions on what you should do when you are considering your culinary items for promotion.

Target audience

The first thing that you are going to want to consider is your target audience when you are buying your corporate culinary items. Do your products or services appeal to young or older people? Are you appealing to people who have families or are single?

Economic status

Another thing to consider when you are buying culinary items is what is the economic status of your clients? You give your clients the wrong impression if you give them something that they are never going to use simply because that isn't the type of food that they eat or because they aren't familiar with the item. You also don't want to give something simply to a customer who is used to the best.

So think about what their economic status when you are buying culinary items and it will help you know what to buy.

Culture

Does your company deal with a lot of overseas clients? When you are dealing with culinary items, it's always a good idea to think about the culture of your overseas clients before you send them a culinary item. With the differences in cuisine that people around the world, it's always a good idea to research what they eat and use that to guide you when you are considering culinary items.

Everyone has a different idea of what is good to eat, so you want to take everything into consideration when you are buying culinary items. You will find that the people you give the culinary items to will appreciate it and that your relations with clients and customers are going to be a lot better because of it.

Tv Cooking Programmes Drive A Surge Of Interest In Culinary Art Schools

With the increase in number and popularity of television programmes focusing on cooking and culinary skills a large number of people are finding the internet a key place to find tips and information on culinary art schools.

Over 53,000 people last month searched on the internet for information on ‘culinary schools’ and this data is from just one search engine. This increasing trend for people looking for culinary art schools and for careers in the culinary world is believed to be driven by the significant rise in cooking and culinary related programmes which have been aired on television especially over the last few months. This has been coupled with the new high profiles of so called ‘celebrity chefs’, further driving interest in the field.

Anne Sprigpitt owner of 1culinaryartschools.com says, “Over the last few months we’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of people using our site to find more information about culinary arts schools. Much of this is down to the popularity of TV cooking programmes such as ‘Master Chef’, ‘Saturday Kitchen’ and ‘Great British Menu’, which have been screening on the BBC over recent months.”

“The main problem many people who search for information on culinary art schools is that they are overwhelmed by the number of different options available to them. For example there are French cooking schools, Thai cooking schools, Le Cordon Bleu schools, Italian cooking schools and many more. There are so many choices they just don’t know where to start looking”

“My advice to anyone who is looking for a career in cooking and wants to join a culinary art school is to narrow down your areas of interest, so that you identify what area of cooking you are most passionate about and go for it. The most important thing is doing what you love.”

Cooking to a very high standard is not easy and requires many hours of dedication, sweat and tears. If the increase in popularity of culinary art schools continues, we should see a new wave of ‘celebrity chefs’ coming through over the next few years as more people see it as a viable way to achieve success and fame.

Which Culinary School Is Right For You?

Are you fresh out of high school, and appreciate good food? The United States has many culinary schools and the job market is booming, so if you have ever been curious about the possibility of turning a natural love into a career, read on. At the very least, you will have fun choosing which culinary school would be perfect for you.

1. Art Institute (AI)

This institution's culinary program is excellent. They are actually one of the leading institutions for students who are looking for not just a culinary school but a place that greatly specializes in the creative arts. Culinary programs of the Art Institutes are top-notch education and training in the following culinary fields of expertise: culinary arts, the art of cooking, restaurant and catering management, baking and pastry and culinary management. The availability of these culinary programs may vary from one Art Institute culinary school to another. It’s best to call your chosen campus location first to verify if they’re offering the courses that you’re interested in. This will help you save time in trying to find the best suited culinary school for you.

2. Atlantic Culinary Academy

The Atlantic Culinary Academy is actually a division of the popular McIntosh college. This culinary school boasts programs that specialize in Le Cordon Bleu training as well as associate degrees in Culinary Arts. This culinary school is known for being able to teach and train its students in just 18 months. And, in addition to the completion of their culinary courses, the students will also earn the Le Cordon Bleu Diplome, a highly recognized international culinary arts diploma.

3. California Culinary Academy

In San Francisco, California, this school is located in San Francisco’s Civic Center district as well as in the hip and stylish Portrero Hill district. Aspiring chefs flock to this culinary school because it is internationally known for being able to produce some of the world’s best chefs. This is made possible through their extensive training programs, great cooking facilities, and excellent instructors.

4. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts

This school has several locations in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Las Vegas and Florida to name a few. It is a culinary school that is highly revered for its Associate of Occupational Science Degree In Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts. There is a fifteen month program that includes a highly extensive cooking technique and training program, but what makes this school unique is their inclusion of an internship wherein the students of this culinary school will gain over one hundred hours of real on-the-job experience before they ever leave. This is a classical culinary school for aspiring chefs, and oh yes, one more thing, it is also incredibly demanding.

5. Online Certificate
For those who simply don’t have the luxury of time to just actually go to a normal culinary school, there is the Art Institute Online, that hopes to be able to reach out to more students who are interested in taking up art courses as well as courses regarding culinary arts. This online program is actually uniquely designed for working people who have already earned their Associate’s degree. Of interest, this program combines all kinds of courses such as human resource management to law and ethics and accounting. Why, you ask? The program is aimed towards culinary arts students who are thinking of opening their own restaurant someday.

Why Go To A Culinary School?

Many people are aware that a person who has studied in a culinary school can be called an expert in the field of meal preparation. But how easy is it to enter a culinary school, especially for those aspiring to become the best cooks in their fields?

A culinary school offers several programs and disciplines so before applying, you should have already decided on the specialty or the area that you are interested to focus on.

Future cooks can choose from a two-year associate degree program, a bachelor’s degree program or from a variety of certificate or diploma programs.

A person who wants to be educated in the area of culinary arts but who cannot decide on a specialty can opt for an associate degree program since it involves the basics of culinary arts like proper nutrition, food presentation, kitchen procedures and the basic knife skills. Most schools offering an associate degree programs in culinary arts require their students to do undergo an internship program before they are allowed to graduate. A culinary arts associate degree holder can find work in hotels and restaurants and in private catering companies particularly in the areas of food production and management of the kitchen. The associate degree course can be credited when the person with an associate degree decides to pursue a four-year course.

Interested students can also choose an associate degree in restaurant and hospitality management where they will have hands-on training on the industry’s business aspects, pastry and baking or professional catering where they will learn the intricacies of food preparation and the business aspects of establishing their own catering businesses.

The Bachelor’s degree program focuses more on providing management skills as well as culinary arts courses to the students. Some institutions require students who take up the Bachelor’s degree to also take up business management to prepare them for managerial positions in the industry. Among the programs offered under the Bachelor’s degree include management programs for food and beverage, pastry and baking, culinary as well as for hospitality establishments.

Those who want to take up short term courses can choose from the certificate and diploma programs in the areas of pastry and baking, cooking, managing a restaurant and culinary arts. These programs can be easily completed in several weeks and is ideal for those who are already gainfully employed but who lack formal training.

If you enjoy cooking and other people also enjoy what you cook for them, then you may just have the potential of becoming a good cook or baker or perhaps, the owner of a restaurant someday. Learn the basics of culinary arts and restaurant management by enrolling in culinary schools. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a good business venture or a lifelong hobby.

What's Involved in Solar Panel Manufacturing?

Solar panel technology has improved dramatically in recent years and the changes made to these newer solar panels allow them to be much more efficient and durable than older panels. These new panels can generate far more power in a given day and will last years longer on your roof as well. These benefits are the result of better formulations used in making the solar cells as well as improvements to the solar panel manufacturing process itself. Even though the basics of how these solar panels for homes work has changed very little over the years, because of these improvements most home solar power systems are a better investment than ever before.

Simple Construction

In simple terms, a solar panel is a collection of individual solar cells that have been connected together inside of a weatherproof enclosure to generate some free electricity from the sun. Even though this sounds like a simple enough arrangement, all of these individual parts need to work together perfectly to provide the best possible output from the system.

Solar Cell Technology

For example, the solar cells used to build one of these solar panels for homes are mostly made from a silicon formulation in the newer panels. The composition of these solar cells has been steadily improved over the years as newer discoveries have been made that allow manufacturers to adjust how these solar cells are made. By adding various chemicals to the silicon base, modern solar cells have become several times more efficient than solar cells produced a decade ago and are also less expensive to produce. They have also become more durable as well and can last far longer than older cells. All of these changes help to make these solar panels a better buy for consumers.

Higher Efficiency Means Small Systems

Since they can generate more power, they enable the average home solar power systems to be smaller and less expensive. This means you'll typically need a smaller investment when using solar power for homes and also have to surrender less roof space to mount the system. The durability improvements are also a great advantage since they allow these newer home solar power systems to last longer and extend the advantages of your initial investment.

Growing Your Solar Cells

The way these solar cells are made involves growing a cylinder of this silicon substrate in a very clean laboratory environment. Once this cylinder is the proper size, very thin sections of the cylinder are sliced off and these become the solar cells. These fragile discs are attached to a non-conductive substrate like glass and small leads are attached for the conduction of the electricity they produce.

Mounting the Cells

A collection of these solar cells are then mounted to a stiff backing board and wired together to form a solar panel. This is all enclosed in a weatherproof casing to protect it from the elements but still allow the sunlight access to the solar cells through a transparent top cover. When this entire enclosure is exposed to sunlight, it can generate quite a bit of power that is then supplied to your home.

Stronger Than Before

In addition to the improvements in solar cell production, newer materials are being used for the construction of the weatherproof enclosure. Materials like aluminum that provides a lightweight and durable frame to mount the solar cells and protect them from the elements has allowed these newer panels to far outlast the older versions. All of these changes help to make these newer solar panels for homes a great investment that the average homeowner can reap the benefits from for years to come.