What Is A Dutch Oven? ^{0}

Dutch ovens are very similar to modern-day crock pots, in that they are generally most often used for cooking roasts, casseroles, stews, and other longer-term slower cooking. They have very thick walls and very tight-fitting lids, which make them able to cook foods for a long period of time without losing moisture, and they are able to retain heat very well, for longer, slower cooking.

Dutch ovens can also be used in campfire cooking, allowing for the cooking of breads and biscuits and other baked goods. Some dutch ovens are called cowboy or chuck wagon dutch ovens, and these are meant for cooking over a campfire, with legs at the bottom to fit coals under, and a bowl-like lid to add coals to the top of the oven in cooking. This allows the entirety of the dutch oven to be at uniform temperature, allowing for better baking.

Dutch Oven Information – History

Dutch ovens have been made since the 1600s, and in modern times they continue to be produced. They oftentimes have legs to keep them above the heating source, although they also can be similar to everyday pots, except that they have much thicker walls and tight-fitting lids, to maximize heat retention and minimize moisture loss, making for an excellent, crock pot sort of slow cooking.

Dutch Oven Information – Materials

Today’s dutch ovens are made of either aluminum or heavy cast iron. They are oftentimes coated with enamel to prevent reaction with acidic foods. Cast iron is known for its ability to hold heat and to apply it slowly to the food which is being cooked, while aluminum is easier to work with in some ways, because it is more light-weight. Most people prefer the traditional cast iron, as it has been established since ancient times as an excellent cookware material.

Dutch Oven Information – Dishes

Dutch ovens are a wonderful addition to any kitchen, as they are one of the best tools for making tasty stews and braises, they can be used to bake bread, they can be used to roast foods like chicken, beef, and other meats, they can also be used to make excellent stews, or they can be used to prepare a batch of yogurt, and many other uses.

Dutch Oven Information – Buying

They cost anywhere from $30 for the cheapest models, to $280 for the highest-end models. The difference between the cheaper ones and the most expensive is quite large, as the cheaper models do not retain heat and moisture as well, while the most professional models will produce the most tasty, well-cooked dishes.

The dutch oven has stood the test of time as an excellent tool for your kitchen. It has many uses, and many cooks would not go without having one at hand.

By Ben Category: Food Like That

Starting a Catering Business ^{0}

When starting any kind of business, even a home based catering business, there are many things to take into consideration. It’s important to know as much as you can about the foodservice industry. Some of the steps in starting a home based business can be easily overlooked if one has not planned for the business and researched for launching the business properly. For a catering business some of the most important first steps include meeting zone approvals, having the proper licenses, making sure to have a separate kitchen area for cooking, contacting the state liquor commission, and registering for taxes.

No matter where the catering business is going to be located, even if the business is going to be home based, meeting zoning regulations is still a requirement. Although food from a catering business goes elsewhere to be sold, zoning regulations may sometimes still stand in the way of operating the business. A quick call to the local zoning office is necessary to insure it is legal to operate the catering business from a home or building in a certain area.

The next step to starting a catering business is acquiring an operating license. This law is the same as with any restaurant. A catering business is a food service business, therefore the operating license is required. One can apply for a food service operating license through local health authorities.

In order to start a catering business and receive an operating license through the health authorities, a separate commercial kitchen or food prep area must be established. Even if the catering business is run from home, a separate kitchen from where family meals are prepared must be used to comply with all of the health department regulations. This kitchen typically has to be separate from the home, and have two different doors for entering and exiting.

If planning to serve liquor at any event catered, the business must have a special liquor license. A liquor license for a catering business is called an off premises license. This gives the catering business the ability to serve liquor outside of the business establishment.

When operating a catering business, in most states, the owner will be required to collect and pay state and local taxes on services provided to clients. The only exemption to this law would be if the client is a non-profit organization and has a tax exempt form. In this case, taxes do not have to be collected, however, a copy of the tax exempt form must be provided to the business owner, otherwise, taxes must still be charged.

To get off to a good start with opening a catering business, one must research and be prepared. Meeting zone approvals, having the proper licenses, making sure to have a separate kitchen area for cooking, contacting the state liquor commission, and registering for taxes are just a few steps to getting started.

By Ben Category: Food Like That

Atlanta Catering Options to Take the Strain Out of Your Special Event ^{0}

Be it your wedding ceremony, your parents’ 50^th marriage anniversary, or a corporate event for your business, organizing can be quite a hassle and a hectic affair, especially if you have to juggle a full-time job and your family responsibilities. What is more, if you have no previous experience of putting together an event, the first time can prove to be time-consuming, arduous, and frustrating even with all the checklists in place. Take the easy and hassle-free way out and entrust the work to the professionals. And considering that food is the most important component of any event, you must make sure that you choose a catering company that can take charge and spare you the stresses and strains.

There are many local catering companies in Atlanta that will gladly take upon the responsibility. But you have to make sure that you choose one that provides you the maximum options without over-stretching your budget.

Making the Right Choice

You also have to make sure you choose a company that can walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It does not matter what one business representative says or the owner of that business; do they have a track record? Can you call up a previous couple and ask them about the experience they had with this company? And if so, what will they say? A company that prides itself on its service and who has been around the block a few times will not have any issues in verifying it is a company that knows what it is doing and is prepared to deliver outstanding and magnificent food and service to and for, respectively, your special day.

Tempting Options to Tuck Into

When searching for an Atlanta catering company, look for ones that offer you numerous choices of cuisines. If you are not bent on any one kind of food, then you will appreciate being provided choices. Ask for some sample menus to review.

Try and find out the dietary preferences of your guests and accordingly, ask a prospective catering company if it can rustle up vegetarian, kosher, halal, or special kids’ meals for a few guests. When planning the menu for your wedding ceremony or any other family event, you may wish to include a special family dish, for instance a recipe that has been handed down through the generations. Make sure that the caterer you choose can handle this type of dish exactly like your grandmother did (well, at least come close).

The ideal Atlanta catering company for your special event should also allow you to schedule a tasting session where you can sample some of their signature fares so you know what to expect depending on what you choose.

Décor Options that will Dazzle All

Many catering companies in Atlanta provide services beyond cooking and serving the food. There are many caterers who arrange the tables and decorate the event venue. Those who also take care of the table arrangements usually stock a variety of opulent linen and elegant tableware so that you are spared the added hassle of looking around for rental companies to hire these items or a florist to do the flowers on the table.

There are some catering companies that do up the décor for your event as well. Entrusting the decoration job to these companies ensures that the various elements of the décor like the flowers, the linen, the upholstery, the china, and the decorative items on the walls will blend harmoniously. You will also be spared the effort of searching for decorators if your catering company takes up this responsibility.

Choosing an Atlanta catering company that provides a multitude of services not only saves you from the stress and the anxiety but is also extremely cost-efficient. Most of these companies offer stellar package deals for their various services. Choosing these bundled services costs far less than what you would need to spend if you choose to hire the services of different professionals for different tasks. With one company taking up the onus of planning and executing the myriad aspects of your event, you can be free to enjoy your special day—be the blushing bride or the efficient entrepreneur basking in the fruits of his success.

By Vivian Category: Food Like That

Throwing an Old Fashioned Dinner Party ^{0}

When it comes to throwing parties, there is really no reason to feel like you have to go over the top. People these days love to sensationalize things so much that they would make it seem that you can’t have a good party without lavishness and ornate decorations. This is simply not true. In many cases, just a simple dinner party is quite enough to keep people entertained and in a good mood. If you are thinking of throwing just your everyday old fashioned dinner party, then here are a few things that you may want keep in mind as you go about the planning process for the party.

An old fashioned dinner party is little more than simply having a number of people over to your home and cooking a meal for them. While there are other activities that might be included if the general group wanted to participate, in most cases the dinner portion of the dinner party is more than enough to suffice. It can be a bit of a disappointment when people expect too much from a party thrower and don’t get what they want, but if you are upfront with your guests about the nature of the party, they will surely not disturb you about it. The most important thing when preparing for an old fashioned dinner party is preparing the food! You don’t have to worry about the guests when you are the one calling all the shots in the kitchen.

Looking and acting the part are important, and while there is no dictated aspect of approved behavior, there are ideas about what it means to be a good party host that you will want to take seriously if you are planning on hosting a party. When you look professional and clean, you carry the air about you that you really can do whatever it is that you need to do. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep a shaved face. Clean shaved faces are prevalent in the business realm, and making sure you provide your party guests with a clean looking host is very important. If you keep straight razor shaving supplies on hand in your bathroom, then you ought to whip those out soon before the party starts in order to really give off the impression that you are a clean shaven party host. Additionally to looking clean shaven is looking casually dressed up. This means that you will want to wear something that you could wear to a nice restaurant. When your guests see that you take your job as host seriously enough to wear a nice outfit for it, they will begin to take their job as clean and polite dinner guest more seriously.

By Esther Category: Food Like That

Throwing an Outdoor Party ^{0}

One of the best parts of the summer months is that all parties and get-togethers can be held outside. It is so fun to be out in the fresh air and it changes the whole feel of the party. But people will want to make sure that they are prepared for anything before they invite everyone over. They want to make sure that their outdoor party is a big hit, so here are a few things for people to remember.

First of all, people need to consider the bugs or the wildlife in their area. There is nothing worse then a huge swarm of mosquitos at an outdoor party. People will not want to stay when they are being eaten alive by bugs. So people can get those great torches or bug lamps that help keep them at bay. If they do not mind the smell then they could also supply their guests with bug spray as an extra precaution. As for the wildlife, if people have neighbors with dogs that bark a lot then they may want to work out with their neighbor for the dog to be kept inside on that day. They do not want their guests to be annoyed by the neighboring animals.

Secondly, people put a lot of pressure on themselves to cook really amazing food for their guests. A lot of a host’s time and energy will go into the food. They have to start by making a menu and then a grocery list. They have to shop for all of the food and get it all put away at their home. Then they spend all of the time preparing it with the stress that it might not even turn out. So one option that they have to save themselves a lot of time and a lot of money will be to hiring a catering Chatsworth company. They can get rid of all of that stress just by hiring some food experts who will bring everything with them and who can guarantee that the food will be amazing. It is a great solution that people need to seriously consider.

One of the last things that people need to think about is the entertainment. It can be difficult to know exactly what to plan. For instance, some groups of people will be completely fine just throwing around a Frisbee for an hour or two. Other groups will get easily bored with that and want more. So people need to be prepared with different games or activities that will work with different age groups, depending on who has been invited to their party. They need to be ready to let their guests have various options about what they would like to do.

By Esther Category: Food Like That

Food for your Heart ^{0}

Don’t take another bite of anything before you check out this info graphic. Xango’s design team has put together an amazing info graphic explaining the best and the worst foods for your heart health. You may be surprised at some of these. Check it out below!

By Annee Category: Food Like That