Proper Cleaning of the Garbage Area

We cannot deny the fact that pests do thrive in dirty places, especially if they can always find food to scavenge there.  Now, for restaurant owners, pest infestation is a big no-no, of course, and the reputation of the establishment could suffer greatly if they became known for such.  For this reason, the kitchen steward is taught not only how to properly segregate and discard garbage but to also clean the dumpster and garbage area.  After all, a clean garbage area reduces the risk of pest infestation, and it also greatly lessens the unpleasant smell coming from the trash.

Here are the steps on how to properly clean the garbage area.

Before you clean the dumpster, make sure that it is empty of any trash.  Once it is clear of any garbage, place it on its side and spray it with a hose.  You have to make sure though that the hose’s nozzle is set at the strongest level to remove clinging debris.  You also have to make sure that the water stream reaches all the sides of the dumpster, particularly the bottom.

After hosing it down with water, place the dumpster upright and fill it up with water, about six inches of it, then add about a couple of cups of liquid bleach and detergent.  You can also make use of a liquid disinfectant.

With a mop, scrub all the sides thoroughly, making sure that you scrub all the areas to remove any remaining debris.  Once done, let it sit for about half an hour before emptying the water out.

After removing all the water, place it on its side and rinse the dumpster with clean water, after which you have to drain the water out.  Once done, leave it open to allow it to dry.

After you have washed and cleaned the dumpster, be sure to clean the surrounding areas as well.  You can spray the corners with the hose to loosen up the debris, sweep the surrounding area, and place the trash on trash can.  You can also scrub the area with the mop, making sure that you remove the debris.

One note though.  Do not place any trash or garbage inside the dumpster, unless it is absolutely dry.  This way, you reduce the risk of bacterial growth as moisture and dirt are perfect habitat for germs and bacteria.
It is very important that the kitchen steward clean and wash the dumpsters thoroughly, and it is just as important that the dumpster area be cleaned as well.  This way, buildup of dirt and grime is reduced, and it also reduces bacterial growth.  A clean garbage area also greatly reduces the chances of it being inhabited by pests like flies and rats.

A good and reputable restaurant makes sure that it is protecting the health and safety not only of its diners but of its staff as well, and a clean garbage area is one way of ensuring that this need is met.  Plus, a clean garbage area also shows that the restaurant is complying with the strict rules and regulations of the health department.

How Are Wines Named?

Are you new to the world of wine? Do you find it confusing when you’re looking at the wine labels?

Wine names can sometimes be quite confusing since they are named in two different ways. In general, Old World (European) wines are named by the region of production, while New World (non-European) wines are named by the grape variety used.

Varietal Names

In the United States and Australia, wine makers tend to name their wines after the variety of grape used in the production. For example, a “Merlot” is made with Merlot grapes while a “Chardonnay” is made with Chardonnay. This type of wine is known as a varietal.

Sometimes, a varietal wine can be made with a combination of two or more grape varietals. In this case, the wine is named after the predominant grape (legally it should make up at least 75% of the blend). However, it should be kept in mind that the label only has to reveal the name of the predominant grape. The other minor grape varietals are not usually listed. In certain wine regions of the US, wine makers voluntarily list all the grape varietals on their labels. Sometimes they even show the percentage of each varietal used.

Regional Names

In Europe, wine makers prefer naming their wines by the region in which the grapes are grown instead of the types of grape used. In fact, most of these wines do not even mention what kind of grapes was used. However, in Europe there are wine laws that govern the types of grapes that can be used to make wine bearing the name of a specific region. Thus, by providing the name of the region alone, they are also telling you which grapes were used to make the wine. For example, a Burgundy red wine shall be made with Pinot Noir grapes, while a “Chianti” wine shall be made using Sangiovese grapes.

But why would they choose to name their wines by the region of production? Isn’t it easier and clearer to use the varietal names?

To understand this, you need to understand that the taste of a wine depends not only on the grape varietals, but also on the temperature, wind, amount of rain and sun exposure, soil conditions, and many other environmental factors. European wine makers believe that no two regions (or terroirs) are alike, and therefore wine produced in different regions may vary considerably in taste even if the same grape varietal was used. They believe that by telling you exactly where the grapes are grown, they are providing you with the most accurate information about their wines.

Joey Teng writes about wine in his blog “Red Wine & White Wine”. He has also written an eBook “Cheap Wine Makes Great Drinks” that reveals 26 quick and easy ways to turn your lousy wine into something really good. If you have bought a bottle of wine that doesn’t taste good enough, this ebook is certainly for you! Grab it now for FREE from his blog, “Red Wine & White Wine”!

Besides writing, Joey loves sketching and painting as well. You may find many of his beautiful illustrations in his blog posts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Teng

Chief Steward and Chemical Control Duties

Inventory and control of materials are one part of the stewarding department’s responsibility, particularly the chief steward’s.  This includes, of course, control of chemicals.  Now, the primary reason for controlling the use of chemicals is to save money.

Why Control the Use of Chemicals?

As stated above, the main reason why the stewarding department has to control their use of chemicals such as cleaning agents, detergents, sanitizers, etc. is to save money, of course.  Let us say for example that your restaurant is enjoying a lot of sales and is reaping huge profits, money wise.  Now, if your stewarding department is not using chemicals appropriately, then some of your profits could be wasted on buying chemicals.  Think of the money that you could have saved if your stewarding department only knew how to use chemicals the right way.  Look at it this way, if the stewarding department is using too much detergent when washing the dishes, you are sure to waste precious resources.  After all, you will need more water to rinse of the soap, and more electricity to make the dishwashing machine run.

Another reason why chemical control is very important is because you want to protect the health and safety of your guests.  If the stewarding department makes use of too much soap and detergent in cleaning and washing kitchen items such as dinnerware, silverware, glassware, etc., then there could be the risk of leaving soap residues on the items.  Now, if there are soap residues on the kitchen items, especially those that will come into contact with the mouth of the guests, then it could be very harmful to them.  On the other hand, use too little, and you run the risk of not washing and cleaning the kitchen items properly.  You may not be able to remove the soils and bacteria from the items, and again, this is harmful to your guests.

For this reason, the chief steward has to stress to his staff the importance of using the right amount of chemical as well as the appropriate chemical for a specific task.

Guidelines for Chemical Control

To have a very effective control over the chemicals, the chief steward has to first establish a par stock level, and this is done to each shift.  The chief steward also has to assign the shift leader the responsibility of appropriately handling and dispensing of the chemicals.  Fortunately, dispensing of chemicals is usually being done electronically by the kitchen machines such as the dishwashing machine as well as the pot washing machine.  The levels of the chemicals are monitored by the machine and dispensed accordingly, and all the kitchen steward has to do is to make sure that the chemicals are always at the appropriate levels.

However, for manual usage of the chemicals, the kitchen steward should know the proper usage of the chemical, especially when it comes to the dosage used.  Training for this is commonly provided by the stewarding department before a new kitchen steward starts.

To check and see if the chemicals are being used the right way, the Stewarding Department should work closely together with the accounting department.  These two departments could better monitor the use of chemicals by making a record of the monthly chemical consumption.

Sometimes, accidents happen.  For this reason, the stewarding department staff should be taught on what to do in case of emergencies.