Happy Leap Day to all of our loyal readers, customers and fans! This day comes around only once every 4 years, so in honor of Leap Day, and as a big thank you, we’ve decided to give you all a gift… the gift of savings! For today only, Save 10% on all of your orders! But hurry, this offer ends tonight (2/29) at midnight! To save, simply Like us on Facebook, click the link on our wall, and start shopping for those chef coats!
Attention all culinary professionals and culinary students! How would you like to rub elbows and learn from over 50,000 industry professionals while exploring Chicago, IL? Well, ChefUniforms.com is holding a contest where the lucky winner gets an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Restaurant Association Show 2012 in Chicago!
ChefUniforms.com will be sending one lucky winner to the 2012 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Illinois! But wait… there’s more. Not only will the winner get a free NRA Show pass, but they will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip, including: round trip airfare to Chicago, a three night stay at Hotel 71, a boutique luxury hotel in Chicago’s Loop valued at $600, a check valued at $425 for taxi fares and meals AND your very own featured article on our Chef Vibes Blog!
All you have to do to enter is fill out our online entry form at www.chefuniforms.com/contest by March 23rd, e-sign our rules and regulations form, submit an original recipe, a photo of the dish and one of yourself, and a short description of why you believe you deserve to go to the NRA Show. You will then be sent a link to your very own voting webpage on March 26th, which you should send to all of your friends and relatives, encouraging them to vote for you (we hear that food bribery works quite well!). Votes will be tallied after the virtual voting booths close on April 23rd and the Grand Prize winner will be announced on April 24th.
Let the contest begin!
For more information about the contest and for complete rules and regulations, please visit www.chefuniforms.com/contest.
Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re anything like me, you’ve waited until now to figure out what you want to cook for your Valentine tonight. Well rest assured, ChefUniforms.com has got your back! We’ve thought ahead and put together a few ideas for easy, last-minute Valentine’s Day treats that are sure to get you some brownie points (pun intended). So, put on those chef coats and get ready to wow your loved ones this holiday.
Rather than boring you with an actual list, we thought it might be more appropriate and fun to wet your appetites with some images of Valentine’s Day goodies:
Heart Shaped Brownies are always a great option. They’re quick, easy, and best of all, fudgy!
How about a nice heart-shaped pizza for dinner? Show your loved one that you really care, and put some of their favorite toppings on a delicious slice of pie.
Pancakes are always a great way to say “I love breakfast, and I love you”. Put some of their favorite fruit on top, and cut it into the shape of a heart. Your Valentine is sure to be syrup in your hands!
Cake Pops are becoming ever-popular these days… so why not incorporate them into Valentine’s Day? Make some red velvet cake pops to bring the holiday to a delicious close.
Chocolate-covered strawberries are a great one for the whole family to enjoy, and they even come pre-shaped into little hearts, courtesy of Mother Nature.
Of course, these are just a few simple options – if you want to get really professional, you’ll have to put your own personal twist on a great recipe. If you’ve got any other ideas of great last-minute, easy Valentine’s Day treats, leave us a comment below!
Along with Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, Heart Health Month, and so many others, February is also home to National Snack Food Month! Back in 1989, the Snack Food Association (SFA) and the National Potato Promotion Board (NPPB) began National Snack Food Month in order to increase consumption of food products such as potato chips. Typically, February is a very low month for snack food consumption, and the companies decided they needed some sort of initiative to get people eating snacks again. The promotion “kicks off” on Super Bowl Sunday, and publicity is gained throughout the month.
One way this event is celebrated is what is known as “Routing for Dollars”, in which sales personnel from SFA member companies as well as retail partners compete to see who has the best snack food displays. You’ve probably noticed without realizing that this is all part of a month-long event to promote snack food sales. Have you been to the grocery store around Super Bowl time and seen something like this?
Are you a snack food softie? What’s your favorite snack to eat on a long, February day? Leave us a comment below!
Black History Month, or as it has come to be known, National African American History Month, has been celebrated every February since 1976 (officially recognized first by President Gerald Ford). It is an annual commemoration of all of the achievements made by African Americans, as well as a time to recognize and honor the role of African Americans in our country’s history. Important figures in African American culture include, but aren’t limited to: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama. To celebrate the month this year, we have come up with a short list of great African American inventors in the last couple of centuries, and how their inventions can relate to your everyday lives as chefs. Without some of these inventions, we may not have many of the tools and products that we take for granted, even today!
1. Jan Ernst Matzeliger – in 1883 he received a patent for his invention of a shoemaking machine that was able to increase productivity of shoemaking by 900%. Before he came along, a skilled shoemaker was able to produce 50 pairs in a 10-hour day. After his machine was in place, factories were able to produce between 150 and 700 pairs of shoes in a day! This cut shoe prices across the country in half. Without this great invention, we may not have such affordable non-slip shoes today!
2. George Washington Carver – Carver developed over 100 uses for peanuts. To learn more about him and his works, check out our blog on George Washington Carver Recognition Day.
3. Frederick McKinley Jones – invented a practical, mechanical refrigeration system for trucks and railroad cars. Thanks to this system, people no longer had to worry about their food or perishable cargo spoiling during long trips.
4. Norbert Rillieux – patented the multiple-effect vacuum pan evaporator. This contraption heated sugar cane juice in a partial vacuum, which lowered its boiling point, thus allowing for much greater fuel efficiency. This process was adopted in sugar refining, and was responsible for making sugar a household item.
5. John Standard – in 1891, he patented an improved refrigerator design, which utilized a manually-filled ice chamber for chilling the food. It did not run on electricity, so the cost to the owner was quite low. He also designed an oil stove that saved on space and could be used for buffet style meals on trains.
There are countless other African American inventors that have not been mentioned in this article. If you’d like to honor anyone in particular, please leave a comment below!
With Valentine’s Day close at hand, it’s time to start thinking about the next holiday coming up… St. Patrick’s Day! How do you celebrate this holiday at work? Do you decorate your restaurant with shamrocks and leprechauns? What about your own attire? ChefUniforms.com has a couple of suggestions for chef uniforms that will not only look great, but will help you avoid getting pinched as well!
Check out our festive new Lucky Irish Bib Apron, now on sale! This adjustable apron will provide protection while you’re cooking, and is designed for ultimate comfort in the kitchen. Or maybe you’ll enjoy our Lucky Irish Utility Cargo Chef Pant, which features a roomy fit with two leg cargo pockets and Velcro closures. This great pair of chef pants is now on sale, and is going fast! So get your hands on one (or both) of these great items, before supplies run out!
ChefUniforms.com is “Going Red” today for Women’s Heart Health and officially kicking off our February fundraising efforts for the National Heart Month and the American Heart Association! Here are some facts about the prevalence of heart disease and why you should get involved:
Check back for our pictures from today’s “Go Red” day at the ChefUniforms.com corporate office. There are many ways you can help raise awareness for women’s heart health (including shopping!) so check out the American Heart Association’s ways to help out: http://www.goredforwomen.org/getInvolved.aspx! Is your workplace celebrating American Heart Month this February? Try hosting your own “Wear Red” Day awareness event for your restaurant with our huge selection of red chef coats!
Today is Groundhog Day! Every year on February 2nd, North Americans celebrate this exciting holiday, and wonder what will become of this year’s winter season? The tradition of Groundhog’s Day dates back to the mid 17th century, when a German shopkeeper in Pennsylvania noted that on this day, if it’s sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow he will return to hibernation for 6 more weeks of winter. If the day is cloudy and he cannot see his shadow, he ends his hibernation and spring is expected right around the corner. Famous weatherman woodchuck, Punxsutawney Phil’s “Inner Circle” swears that he’s never been wrong!
So how does this pertain to you, you ask? Well, 6 more weeks of winter means 6 more weeks of long-sleeve chef coats, whereas an early spring season will mean that you can start checking out our short sleeve chef coats a little sooner this year!
So what was Punxsutawney Phil’s (the most famous of the season-predicting groundhogs) prediction? It looks like we’ll be expecting six more weeks of winter this year! Check out a picture of Punxsutawney Phil himself below, as he broke the news in front of over 18,000 Pennsylvanians. What was your prediction for today? Let us know, is this good news or bad news?
Amanda was one of the contestants with the highest number of votes in the ChefUniforms.com Cash for the Holidays Contest, and is February’s Chef of the Month! Below is a short interview with Amanda about her experiences in the contest and her career thus far, followed by a recipe that she submitted. Bon Appétit!
1. How did you go about getting all of your votes? What did you do that helped the most (Facebook, Emails, etc)?
I created a page on Facebook with the link and information for the contest and sent it out to all my friends and family. I also updated my status on Facebook everyday with the link reminding people to vote and pass it on. Family members also shared my link and my Grandparents e-mailed their whole address books to help me get votes. I also had co-workers vote for me and they passed it on as well.
2. Why did you want to become a chef?
I wanted to become a chef because I have always loved to be in the kitchen. Ever since I was little I loved baking for my family or helping my mom make dinner.
3. What fabric and style of uniform do you enjoy wearing most?
I love the women’s pants! I bought my first few pairs 3 yrs ago when I graduated from college. And I am still wearing the same ones today, so I am very happy about winning the gift certificate because I could use some new ones!
4. Do you enjoy dining out in your free time?
Yes I do, my boyfriend and I love to check out new restaurants in the area. We also live close to NYC so sometimes we will plan a trip to head into the city and just go from restaurant to restaurant.
5. Do you see any changes in food trends?
I have noticed at the restaurant I work at that when I make a dessert special, the homey more rustic desserts will sell rather than the more intricate ones. I think this is because of the hard economic times we are living in. People find comfort in the more homey desserts because it reminds them of a better time perhaps.
6. What are your future plans for your business?
I hope to one day open my own place, but with the economy the way it is, nothing is going to happen soon.
7. Is there any one thing you would have done differently in starting your culinary career?
No, I don’t think so. I like where I am at in this stage of my career.
8. What advice would you give to someone who wants to go into culinary school?
Take every opportunity that is offered to you while in school; absorb as much information as you can because it will help you once in the industry. If you can, work while you’re in school, I did and was able to take what I learned in school and use it at work. Some of my friends did not work while in school and were very nervous about their first job out of school and even just trailing at a restaurant. A part-time job will help boost your confidence and your skill level.
9. Would you please send us a recipe (either a favorite food or one you made up) to post for our readers?
This is a recipe I make at Nisi (the Greek restaurant I am the pastry chef at). They are Greek cookies called Kourabiedes which have roasted almonds and are coated in powdered sugar. They are very popular!
Kourabiedes (Powder Cookies)
1 lb. Butter 
1 C Powdered Sugar
1 1/3 T Vanilla Extract
4 1/3 C AP Flour
1 ½ T Baking Powder
1 2/3 C Almonds, Roasted and Chopped
1 T Brandy
Method:
1. Roast Almonds (whole with skins) till they are golden brown inside, set aside to cool.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and brandy to the creamed butter mixture.
4. Add the flour and baking powder gradually, mix until incorporated.
5. Chop almonds into large chunks once they are cool and add to the mixture.
6. Shape dough into crescent shapes, bake in a 325*F oven for about 12 min.
7. Allow cookies to cool a little then sift powdered sugar on top, once the cookies are completely cool cover them in powdered sugar (firmly press the sugar on top of the cookies). Store in an air tight container.
Thanks again to all who participated in the ChefUniforms.com Cash for the Holidays Contest!
February is Bake for Family Fun Month! This month, families across the nation are encouraged to spend some time together in the kitchen. If you’re looking for an activity that will bring the family together but won’t break the bank, baking is the perfect choice. The Home Baking Association designated February as Bake for Family Fun Month, because it is important for kids and parents to have an activity that they can share. And what can be better than a fun activity that ends with a delicious treat? The HBA even went so far as to make a schedule to use as a guideline for those families who wish to participate in the fun.
(Click on the links to see what each activity is all about)
Week 1
General:
Preschool:
Create and Pretend with Rainbow Dust
Light-as-a-Feather Multigrain Pancake Mix
Kindergarten:
Butterfly Art for Very Hungry Kids
1st Grade:
4th Grade:
Week 2
General:
1st Grade:
2nd Grade:
Week 3
General:
2nd Grade:
3rd Grade:
4th Grade:
Baking Traditions: Tortillas, Soft Pretzels & Stone Soup Bread
Week 4
General:
Muffins, Done the Way you Like Them
Preschool:
4th Grade:
What’s your favorite thing to cook with your family? Leave us a comment below and tell us!
For more information on Bake for Family Fun Month or to find some great recipes for the whole family, visit www.homebaking.org.
