Month: October 2014

Restaurant And Kitchen Exhaust Hood Cleaning Frequency

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Many new restaurant owners or commercial kitchen managers struggle to know how often their exhaust hood fans and ducts should be cleaned. Cleaning the exhaust hoods, ducts, fans and filters are not only important but are required by the law under fire code NFPA 96. Failing to properly maintain the kitchen exhaust hood system can result in fires, unpleasant odors, premature breakdown and catastrophic loss. The grease that builds up in the system provides ample fuel for a fire that can burn at an incredible heat. Most exhaust systems have a fire suppression system within the hood and at the mouth of the vertical duct, but fire suppression systems do not provide protection in the vertical and horizontal ductwork or the fan on the roof.

So how often should a restaurant have their exhaust system cleaned? The frequency of cleaning is something that is highly dependent on the volume of cooking and the type of cooking that you perform. Obviously, higher volume cooking locations require more frequent cleaning. However, what most restaurant owners do not realize is that the type of food their kitchen prepares also plays an important role in how often the exhaust system should be serviced.

For instance, preparing foods that are high in fats and oils (such as cooking burgers, char broil cooking, foods cooked in a wok, cooking with solid fuels (wood) or open vat fryers) deposit much more grease into the exhaust system than traditional cooking. So if you are preparing burgers on a daily basis at a high volume your kitchen exhaust hoods will need to be serviced regularly (quarterly at a minimum) to prevent fires and unacceptable grease buildup.

Determining the optimal level of exhaust hood cleaning that your kitchen or restaurant requires takes years of experience. It is often best to consult with a reputable and certified kitchen exhaust hood inspector who can evaluate your system and cooking habits to provide a recommendation on a cleaning and maintenance schedule. Some commercial kitchen and restaurant hood cleaners provide exhaust hood inspection services for free, and some will even provide pictures of the internal ductwork.

As a rule of thumb no commercial kitchen exhaust system in regular use should go over six months without a thorough cleaning. However, if you are cooking a high volume of foods that are high in fats and oils a thorough cleaning might be required as often as twice a month. This is where the expertise of a certified kitchen exhaust system inspector can help you determine how often your exhaust system needs to be cleaned. Once you have a cleaning and maintenance schedule in place reevaluate the schedule every year to ensure that changes in cooking load or menu options have not increased grease buildup between services.

Charleston Haunt A.W. Shucks Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar

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The next time youre on a Charleston vacation in South Carolina and looking for things to do and places to eat, look no further than AW Shucks Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar! A.W. Shucks is a Charleston favorite for Southern cuisine and appetizing seafood. Locals also love to enhance their meals by throwing back a couple pints to go with their steamer clams and shucked oysters, although, both the food and the lagers are great on their own!

Once sampling the variety of choices the raw bar has to offer, such as the tasty raw oysters, make your way to devilish appetizers like the Shucks “award-winning” Stuffed Shrimp filled with Carolina deviled crab, then wrapped in bacon and deep-fried, or the classic Seafood Nachos! It is no wonder that A.W. Shucks was featured in U.S. Airways Attach magazine! Attach praised the Charleston seafood connoisseurs for their Bobbys Blue Crab Dip masterpiece which is so filling and satisfying that you may not even want to order an entre after!

Not only has A.W. Shucks Charleston become revered for their culinary excellence, the restaurant is located in one of the most historic and culturally saturated areas in the city, known as, The Market Charleston. Once a Nabisco Warehouse, the building was reconstructed and designed 75 years earlier to serve as a secret gathering spot for alcohol consumption during the famous days of Prohibition. Attendants paid for a supposed attraction that boasted a “Blind Tiger” as the “shows” claim to fame, although there was no such creature.

Perhaps the responsibility of karma, The Market was brought to its knees and fatally damaged by a passing tornado in 1938. But determined not to lose a historic Charleston destination, The Market was rebuilt and eventually gave birth to A.W. Shucks in 1978; and somewhat ironically, Prohibition ended shortly after the tornado.

Forever in South Carolinas culinary history, Shucks still serves up both Southern and seafood favorites like the Legendary Casserole, overloaded with shrimp and scallops served over Carolina deviled crab and in a lobster cheese sauce, and even the traditional choice of Shrimps and grits; all of which are presented at extremely reasonable prices within a great atmosphere!

A.W. Shucks old adage still rings true today for the Charleston restaurant: “When youre in the mood for real seafood come get fresh with us!”

A.W. Shuck’s
70 State Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-1151
Hours of Operation: Sunday Thursday, 11:00 am to 10:00 pm; Friday & Saturday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Few Juice Recipes For Healthy Skin

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Having a good and glowing skin is almost everybody’s wish. However it is not so easy to get it. In our busiest and hectic schedule, we find very less time to take care of our skin. The best way to look young and have a glow in your skin is to drink lots of water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

Juice plays an important role in keeping the skin fresh and healthy. Drinking juice can help skin rejuvenation and ageless look. It is always good to drink juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables.

In the following article, you will find few tried and tested juice recipes which can bring back the glow in your skin.

Plum Cocktail Juice Recipe:

The major ingredients required to make plum cocktail are 100 grams of plums, 100g yellow watermelon, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 60 ml water, 1 tbsp honey, 3 pieces mint leaves and 2 pieces of ice.

Take all the ingredients in a blender and blend them well. Take out the juice in a glass and enjoy.

Cucumber Juice:

Cucumber is a good source of silica which strenghtens connective tissues, like tendons, muscles, cartilages, bones and ligaments.

The major ingredients required to make cucumber juice are 1 cucumber, 1 clove, 1 small piece of ginger, 2-3 mint leaves, 1 spoon honey plus few ices.

Wash the cucumber and chop into pieces. Make small pieces of ginger and juice in the mixer with small piece of clove, and mint leaves. Add little honey and few ice cubes. The high content of water in the juice willl hydrate your body and keep the skin healthy.

All About Outdoor Electric Powered Grills

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With summer season fast approaching it is a wonderful time to think about owning among the numerous types of outdoor electric powered grills that are in the marketplace. There is nothing better than basking in the sunshine in your backyard over a lawn chair, or even enjoying your swimming pool or having family and friends over and then barbecuing everyone up some good food.

With an out of doors electric grill you’ll never have to worry about restocking the outdoor cooking with charcoal or filling up the actual gas tank for energy for your grill. Whatever you will have to do is actually plug your bbq grill in and you are moving toward a tasty food. It is then as easy as turning a button and within a couple of minutes your grill will probably be heated and ready to start. Outdoor electric gas grills are very easy to cleanup; you do not have to worry about lung burning ash flying everywhere or perhaps about finding a spot to deposit that lung burning ash after it cools. In case you are concerned about the environment, out of doors electric grills don’t emit any damaging pollutants that can modify the ozone layer, or the food for that matter.

Another advantage regarding outdoor electric gas grills is the fact that if you are in the center of grilling and the weather conditions turns inclement, you are able to take the grill to the house or storage and finish cooking the food – you do not have to bother with causing a fire or even about carbon monoxide unwanted gas. These grills can be found in many different sizes. You will find small and compact kinds that can fit upon almost any surface there are grills upon carts, post attach grills and built-in propane gas grills.

You can be assured that you will have a straight distribution of heat once you cook on an out of doors electric grill. Your meal will be cooked completely both outside and inside. These types of grills allow virtually any fat from the beef you are cooking to be able to drip into a skillet making it a healthy means of cooking. You can barbeque grill chicken breasts, cheese burgers and salmon beef to name just a few food items. And if you are vegetarian, barbequed vegetable kabobs will style great on outside electric grills.

Several communities for condo and condo residents ban gas or even charcoal grills therefore an electric grill is a good choice if you live in this community. The table top models are a good alternative if you have a child in which lives in a college. With some of the table top models, you can even perform rotisserie cooking. This is excellent not only for someone while attending college, but a single person and also elderly person also. One whole poultry can make a meal for a few days. The same goes for meat like hamburgers. You possibly can make several at the same time, follow a couple for dinner and also throw the others in a few sauce the following night time and be ready to appreciate some great tasting dinner. The possibilities are limitless with outdoor electric powered grills.

If you want to like a healthy, convenient and efficient way of ingesting, outdoor electric gas grills are a great way to get started.

How To Save Money At Olive Garden Restaurants

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Olive Garden is a popular chain of Italian restaurants that offers quality cuisine at reasonable prices. Although many of the entrees are aggressively priced at price points of lower than $15 per plate, many diners may be able to save even more money by using Olive Garden coupons to offset some of their bill. Typically, the restaurant chain offers coupons in the form of a certain dollar amount off the top of the bill. For example, a popular one that is offered by the chain is a deal for $4 off of two dinner entrees. Another poplar promotion that the company offers is $10 off of every $25 spent on food. When taking a large group of people out to the popular Italian eatery, the savings from using these discounts becomes apparent. Fortunately, finding discounts is relatively easy if a person knows where to look.

One of the best sources for promotional offers is the local Sunday paper. Even though discount vouchers may be available on other day of the weeks, the Sunday paper always has the largest number of them with the best offers. Promotional offers may also be featured in magazines, fliers, or other print media.

Another good source for finding discount offers is the internet. From time to time, the restaurant posts discounts on their website that are not listed in the newspapers. People interested in using these offers simply have to print out the advertisement and cut them out. Besides the official website, many other sites offer discounts to the restaurant. Using an internet search engine, a person can find dozens of sites that offer promotions that can be used in the popular restaurant. However, one must take caution when looking for these offers because often, they are found on sites that have a lot of pop-up advertising. Some discount vouchers are printable, while others are in the form of codes.

Before using the coupon, it is always a good idea to check the expiration date since the restaurant will not accept one that is expired. Most of the times, these promotions will have expiration dates that are approximately one to two months later than the date the deal was issued. Also, diners should note that many times discounts and promotions cannot be combined and that there may be a limit on the number that can be used on one ticket. Therefore, it’s important to read the fine print before taking advantage of any offer.

Unbeatable Cobb Cooking Tips

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If you’ve never heard of Cobb cooking you’re in for a treat! Man has been cooking over fire for thousands of years and over that time many different types of cooking pots and ovens came into being. At the peak of all these millennia of design comes the Cobb oven and grill. Produced by Cobb America it is a small portable cooking stove that takes advantage of modern design technology. The fire of ages past is still there, but in the form of charcoal briquettes, and the ‘cooking pot’ or ‘oven’ is still there in the shape of a very lightweight stainless steel cooking unit. Cobb cooking is here.

The compact size of the Cobb and its light weight, about 8.5 pounds means that it is as happy at home under your cooker hood as it is when camping or boating.

Cobb cooking is a pleasure. I first saw the Cobb cooking on a camping vacation where a neighbour was using one. We got chatting and I was just so impressed with its versatility. I was tempted to find a stockist and buy one then, but instead left it until after the holiday.

My first attempt at Cobb cooking was a family BBQ for 6 people. The Cobb was the centre of attention and the food was amazing. It wasn’t easy to believe just how little charcoal I used either, only 8 briquettes for over 2 hours cooking time. I don’t know how many Cobb’s have sold as a result of that BBQ but I do know of at least three locally. What a piece of kit it is.

One of the most surprising aspects of the Cobb is that it can also be used successfully for slow cooking, simply by reducing the amount of charcoal in the bottom. It will perform very happily with only 2 or 3 briquettes as long as they are properly alight first. You can also use the Cobb for smoking fish and various other meats. I would point out that if you are smoking fish please be aware that the fish should have been previously frozen at -15c for several hours, or, if the fish is freshly caught, make sure that during smoking the fish heats to a point where the meat lifts off the bone. This will destroy any harmful parasites.

The internal temperatures that the Cobb achieves are about 500 degrees Fahrenheit, or 260 degrees centigrade. This is comparable to a domestic oven and makes Cobb cooking a delight.

Paleo Breakfast Recipes – Here’s a Scrumptious 10 Minute Paleo Breakfast Recipe!

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Hello friend, been searching high and low for some lip smacking paleo breakfast recipes? How’s the search going then? Not so good?

Well, chin up my friend because here I come to save the daaaaaaaay!

Alright, alright-

I’m sorry for acting a little crazy here as I’ve been watching some Might Mouse cartoon DVDs with my niece and the cheesy theme got stuck in my head all over again-Sorry!

Anyway, as I was saying, if tasty paleo breakfast recipes are what you’re looking for then listen up. I recently stumbled upon a bunch of downloadable paleo diet cookbooks. They are pretty jam packed and you can find all kinds of paleo related recipes in there.

Listen, you just name it okay, paleo diet dessert recipes, lunch/dinner, sandwiches, and believe it or not, even paleo pancake recipes are thrown in as well!

Okay now, don’t jump for joy just yet because I’m only going to reveal the place where you can download those cookbooks slightly later on. See, yesterday morning I whipped up this paleo dish for breakfast (a recipe which I got from the cookbooks) and my niece absolutely loved it!

Therefore, allow me to share with you this really scrumptious recipe which can be made in just 10 minutes. It’s certainly one of my favorite paleo breakfast recipes so I recommend that you give it a try-

Name of dish: Paleo Breakfast Tuna Patties

Ingredients: 185g of tuna in spring water, 1 cup of potato that has been peeled and diced, 2 whole eggs, cup of almond flour, cup of chopped spring onion, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and finally, just a tiny bit of salt and pepper to taste (yeah, yeah, I cheat on my paleo diet a little – I’m not a true caveman (sob, sob).

Directions:

1)Boil the potato until so soft that you can easily mash it up. 2)Remove potato from the stove and lump it in a sizeable bowl together with the other ingredients. Next, you just mix them thoroughly. 3)Mould the mixture into patties and plop them on a pre-heated grill. Cook both sides until well browned.

Okay there you go! One of the tastiest paleo breakfast recipes ready to be devoured with your favorite mix veggies (my niece had them with ketchup), yum! Yum!

Now before I forget, here’s the place where you can download cookbooks that contain God knows how many paleo breakfast recipes and more. There are lots of recipes in there. So if you’re interested, just follow this link:

Eat Organic Ashitaba For Weight Loss

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People know about real life superheroes such as military personnel, firefighters and police officers. However, not many people have heard of super fruits and super foods. Similar to superheroes that have special powers and save individuals, these super foods and fruits will too. Individuals may notice healthy ways to lose weight consist of dining on these super foods and fruits.

While individuals can discover not a single technical meaning of the terms super foods and super fruits, a lot of medical glossaries reveal super foods will be a natural food product considered as particularly advantageous because of its nutrient content or else health protecting traits. Super foods have many curative compounds or else a single curative compound in an enormous quantity which occurs naturally. The compounds these food products contain have been scientifically documented to enhance healthiness and stop health problems. As a result, consuming such food products assists with decreasing excessive weight.

This term super fruit or super food cannot be utilized on just any food product. To qualify, foods must pass tough scientific examination. Such food item are extremely important for people’s health to be categorized together with items which do not warrant the credit.

Those foods are very beneficial since they help prevent cancer, Diabetes and heart disease. Plus, they better overall health. When those food items are ate people possess more strength. A person has better moods also. If people are more energetic and experience a better mood, these people typically workout more and eat healthier foods. Each of those items will be healthy ways to lose weight long-term.

Super foods include greens, for instance wheat grass, organic Ashitaba and green tea. These items will be wonderful for healthiness. Wheat grass is intensely vitalizing. One portion of this green is equal to approximately eight or nine servings of vegetables. But, everybody does not prefer its taste.

Another green is organic Ashitaba. Ashitaba possesses compounds called chalcones which contain anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor characteristics. As well as these beneficial compounds, Ashitaba has essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.

Among people’s most preferred super foods is green tea. This super food is an extremely effective therapeutic substance. Studies have found this green can stop or else heal cancer growth and boost the effectiveness in conventional cancer cell treatments. Additionally, research has proven this green helps in decreasing excess body fat.

These products are just some super foods. Super foods include certain berries, fruits and mushrooms. Eating super foods and super fruits are some of the many healthy ways to lose weight anybody is able to take part in.

The Newest Trends In Bbq Products

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Although new BBQ products are released throughout the year, most of the newest BBQ products start hitting the shelves in Spring or Summer months. New BBQ products often include newly designed grills, tasty grill sprays, new fuel sources, BBQ tools, grill starter products and grilling accessories. Most often, each round of new BBQ products leads to a better product and improvements within the BBQ industry as a whole. But, just like anything else some of the newer products deserve more attention than others.

Two New BBQ Product And Accessory Fads

For now, the two most popular barbecue products new on the market are barbecue tool bags and innovative newly designed grills. The nice thing about these products is that they are green, leading to the fact the environment-conscious will like them quite well.

New BBQ Trend: Barbecue Tool Bag Organizing Products

Ason Products has released a line of barbecue bags, both polyester and nylon, which consist of a full range of cooking implements that include spatulas, wood-handled forks, skewer sets, tongs. All of these mentioned accessories are made of solid steel. These bags also offer enough space for additional items such as plates, napkins and other barbecuing supplies. The Picnic Barbecue Bag is one of the most popular items. It is made of 600D polyester, includes a salt and pepper set and according to experts, has been award a six-star rank in a six-star rating system.

In addition to the Ason Products line, the Xinghou Industrial Limited/Quanzhou Xinghou Bag (model # B482) is also a great choice in BBQ bags and accessories. This barbecue bag includes a meat or fish slicer, a basting brush, BBQ cooking tools and a set of corn grilling holders. Made of 600D polyester, this bag is both durable and dishwasher-safe.

Other new products this year will be in the area of grills. Golden River has a number of new models available, aside from their older merchandise. Standard in measurements and construction they might be, but no one can argue that simplicity is always the best way to go. These grills come in a variety of styles, from the pot grill, the charcoal basket and the Twin Bowl to the roller with single and double chrome-plated racks, powder-coated covers, enamel surfaces and side wing counters for the much needed space of cooking.

Many of the newest grills have a green focus and allow for cleaner burning fuel choices. Some grills contain no legs and are designed for counter placement. When setting these on a hard surface, stability is the important consideration and the surrounding space provides room for whatever you have in mind.

What Can I Expect While Dining At A Japanese Restaurant

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My mother was a bit paranoid when I was growing up, so when she heard stories on the news of hole-in-the-wall sushi joints shut down for health code violations, she was convinced that if I ever went out for dinner with my friends at a Japanese place, I would likely sicken and die.

So, due to parental restrictions, I did not sample sushi until my first year in college–but it was certainly love at first California roll.

Now Japanese cuisine ranks as a favorite of mine, but I can still see why some are daunted by the prospect of the sushi/Japanese food experience. That is why I would like to debrief you on what you can expect from the typical Japanese-themed restaurant.

Almost every Japanese restaurant will serve a wide variety of sushi either at a bar or at your table. The sushi menu does not need extensive explanation, at least as far as each roll goes, because most menus give you a brief explanation or you can always ask your server if you are unsure.

However, you should be aware that although many restaurants share the same names for certain rolls (e.g. Godzilla roll is a common name across the board), you cannot assume that they are exactly the same–except for the California roll, which is a great starter for someone who has never tried sushi. It consists of rice, avocado, crab meat, and cucumber, usually sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Sushi rolls are generally served with both ginger and wasabi, both of which are spicy. Ginger does for the palate what coffee beans do for the olfactory glands when you are smelling perfume samples. Plus, it just tastes good. Wasabi is a green, spicy cream that some people enjoy spread atop their sushi.

Sushi–and Japanese food in general–is meant to be eaten with chopsticks, which are provided for you. At middle-ranged restaurants, they are disposable, wooden pieces, but at upscale eateries, they are made of heavy plastic or even metal. If you need a fork, don’t be afraid to ask your server for one, but in my opinion, working with chopsticks is a bit more fun.

While many Japanese diners focus solely on sushi, most of them offer several types of noodles, topped with meat, eggs, or vegetables (or all of the above). My favorite neighborhood restaurant doubles as a Korean barbeque. If you aren’t sure of what you might like, browse the internet and take a look at menus to get a better idea.

Don’t forget about dessert! Many Japanese-inspired restaurants will feature ice cream in flavors you aren’t likely to find at your local grocery store. Honey, green tea, pear, and ginger are just a few that I can think of. Yum! I think it’s time for dinner