Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64W orking in the food service industry requires a lot of know-how, from continual improvement in cooking skill, to staying abreast of safety essentials, to the latest nutrition and allergen requirements, to find- ing inspiration for tasty meals. The following list of resources can help any chef or food service worker stay better prepared in the kitchen. Books The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America: It’s fair to say that this book is essential to your library regard- less of your professional cooking know-how. Often referred to as the Bible for professional chefs, it has everything: fundamental techniques, recipes, nutritional information, and more. Its bril- liance is in the layout, with stunning photography showing each step. With close to 1,000 recipes, from contemporary and classic, it can’t be beat. Food for Fifty by Mary K. Molt: This is the go-to resource for volume cooking. It provides recipes and cooking methods to help in planning, selecting, and preparing menus for more than 50 guests. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child: Learning classical French cooking technique is foundational for every chef. In her two-volume cookbook, Child makes learning it easy as she adapted French cooking for the American home cook. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee: This classic helps propel you toward becoming a pro. You will learn the why behind the cooking process. Cooking is based on theory, so if a chef learns these cooking principles, then mastering recipes or creating his or her own becomes a no-brainer. McGee makes it easy to understand, blending science with “the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.” Internet and App Resources Today, the Internet offers unlimited food resources for recipe inspiration and how-to-cook videos. A smartphone app can also put resources in hand for easy retrieval. Here are a few helpful resources that you can access for free. BigOven (bigoven.com): With a massive library of more than 350,000 recipes, this site and app make recipe inspiration and weekly planning easy. You can save recipes, make shopping lists, and plan menus. Yummly (yummly.com): Yummly’s brilliance is in its ability to tailor a recipe to a specific diet, allergen, or lifestyle. Need gluten free or Paleo Diet recipes, or need to omit a certain allergen? Recipes can be saved and shopping lists created as well. Allrecipes (allrecipes.com): This community-based site is best known for recommending recipe ingredients on sale in your area’s grocery stores so users can plan menus around those items. They also list more than a thousand mobile-friendly step-by-step cooking videos to beef up your skills. Ĩ FULL PLATE Brian Romano Chef Tech Resources to help you serve with excellence in the kitchen Brian is a certified executive chef who holds degrees in culinary arts and restaurant and hospitality management. He serves as culinary instruc- tor for Flint Hill Technical College in Emporia, Kansas. You can contact him at chefromano13@gmail.com. 58 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017 DAY-TO-DAY