Starting your dream restaurant isn’t easy, that’s basically fact, objective fact. There are just a whole lot of factors at play and sometimes, for all your hard work, you may have just missed one or two steps in the research phase and have a great eatery that just isn’t bringing in business. But, finding restaurant funding, while not easy, isn’t exactly impossible, either, if you do your research.
Now, how can you get your hands on some of this funding to get going? Well there are a few basic routes to go down, here, but you shouldn’t take the first step until you’ve made a road map, so to speak. In other words, don’t even think about GETTING the money until you know how much you’re going to need. Below we’ve broken this down into three steps, but beware, they’re not impossible, but always as simple as they sound, either.
Study the Business
If you think that being a great chef is all it takes to run a restaurant, well, that will certainly help, and that certainly is the only deciding factor between a good eatery and a great one, but it is not, in the least, all there is to it. Cooking is an art, but like any art, if you’re trying to make money, half of that art is in understanding the business side of things. Luckily, it’s not that difficult to understand. First, look at all of the permits and licenses you’ll need, understand the tax burden and so on, and then, simply look at the patterns followed by both successful and unsuccessful dining establishments. Copy what the smart restaurateurs do, and learn what not to do from the ones that flop.
Research Your Local Market
Where’s the niche? That’s really what it comes down to. Where can you set up shop cheap, and what kind of restaurant is the city missing right now? Are there any authentic Italian places around, or just the mass market chain places? Are there any great ethnic places? If you set up downtown, are there any nice, cheap, fast diners down there, or is it all higher end stuff? What is it that people want but that isn’t around? Do that.
Research all the Options
Don’t even bother looking for loans or investors until you have your budget set up and you know EXACTLY how much you’ll need, plus some breathing room. Now, once that’s set up, you have a few options. You can look into business loans, or you can look for investors or silent partners. Just find someone who is willing to let you have final say on all aspects of your business, and who can provide you the financial support you need to make the both of you quite wealthy.
What it really comes down to is this: If you’re willing to do the research and put in the hard work, there’s a good chance of success, but you won’t see a dream come true by simply hoping and wishing. You need to be willing to sweat it out and you need to be okay with getting an aching back from sitting over your laptop researching the market for nights on end. Only then will that dream become a possibility.
Get how to go about restaurant funding by looking online. There are several chances for restaurant loans to help you in business. Head online and learn more now.
Filed under Restaurants by on Jul 29th, 2010. Comment.
Whether it’s cooking classes Melbourne, Cairns or Perth, one thing for sure, you will discover that Greek food as well as some solid greek cuisine information can be found anywhere. What are the best things about Greek cooking?
## Rural Practice
Greek cooking came from rural traditions and lifestyles. It’s not about being chic, trendy and international with the choice of ingredients and it’s not about a presentation that you are afraid to touch for fear of spoiling how it looks. Traditional Greek food is about what’s growing around you, simplicity and making do with what you have. It came from an economically poorer “class” of people but it is indeed rich with flavor, freshness and love.
## Ingredients – Fresh First
If the ingredient needed is not in season then do not expect it to be served. We are so accustomed to the idea of getting anything we want at anytime at all, regardless of whether or not it is in season. Anytime we want a durian, we will get one. Anytime we want a strawberry, the grocery story is just a 5 minutes walk away. For all you know, the strawberries might have been plucked even before it was ripe and stored in storage or in the vehicle for days before they are even shipped to you for consumption.
Traditional Greek cooking takes what’s in season and what’s nearby. Daily trips to the local market will find what’s been picked this morning, not a week ago on another continent. This ensures vibrant flavor and freshness.
## All of Them Are Homemade
No such thing as canned sauces or mixes! You can also forget about buying jarred souvlaki for your snack. Every single thing is made from the very beginning. The ingredients used are not only fresh but they are also made with much affection and love, with someone’s two bare hands. Homemade is best!
## Plainness
It is presented in a simple way, unlike any of those nouvelle cuisines. All there is to it is some fresh ingredients coupled with some easy recipes that make the delicious taste of Greek cuisine along with a little herbs and spices here and there. Traditional Greek cooking is very delicious and simple looking — just what you want in a cuisine.
## Time
Most Greek cuisines take a lot of time before it can be ready as compared to our normal cooking time. This takes us back to the old methods of baking and stewing which are outdated, but proven, and work extremely well. It is these slow methods of cooking that preserve the juiciness of the food and just taste better. Ever tasted one leftover food that tastes better than the one freshly served? This is why longer cooking time equals better, more delicious food.
For those in Australia, there are a variety of cooking courses Melbourne has to offer. Get more info about them by going online or from the cooking books that can be found in your local store nearby.
Whether you choose Greek cooking class in Melbourne for casual training, or for the foundation of your culinary career, you will definitely enjoy Greek recipes that Greek cuisine is so famous for!
Filed under Food by on Jul 28th, 2010. Comment.
‘Iron Chef’ is a crazy Japanese import cooking game show that features accomplished chefs from around the world going head to head in a competition format that’s part Julia Child, part pro wrestling. Even non-foodies are drawn to the show for its sheer entertainment value.
The story behind the show goes something like this–there’s this rich dude, MC Kaga who summons the finest chefs in Japan to do battle in his kitchen stadium. Needless to say, a TV studio wouldn’t suffice for such a production: the kitchen stadium is in Kaga’s castle. Also in residence are three Iron Chefs, each representing a different type of cuisine (Chinese, French and Japanese).
The chefs just don’t pull out the best dishes from their repertoire–that would be too predictable. There’s a catch to the contest, and thats the fact that every dish must contain the theme ingredient which is kept a mystery until immediately before the contest begins. At that time, Kaga brings forth a heaping helping of whatever the current mystery ingredient is in a production of smoke and pyrotechnics. Sometimes the ingredient is something basic like tofu or apples, but it can also be something obscure like ox tail or some obscure shellfish.
At that point, the chefs have an hour to prepare a seven course meal, served to a discerning panel of B-List celebrities that usually include a couple of ‘TV Presenters’ and a ‘fortune teller’. The judges rate and discuss each course and declare a winner. Its a great honor to beat one of the Iron Chefs, though its no easy feat.
What really brings the show together is the announcin–”though I’m sure it loses something having been dubbed from Japanese. There’s a hysterical play by play announcer, an excitable color commentator, and an even more hyperactive sideline correspondent who will break in the commentary frequently with revelations such as observing that a chef is using fresh ginger in a dish or some similar piece of trivia. Apparently one of the announcers is a legit sumo wrestling announcer in Japan, making the strange juxtaposition between cooking shows and wrestling even more complete.
The dishes that are presented are always amazing and creative. Sometimes they might not be the most appetizing creations, but that’s to be expected when you have to make a desert with something like pickled carp as a theme ingredient. The creative process and the competition is what makes the show a must watch.
The Food Network has recently begun production of a native grown version called ‘Iron Chef America’. It has a similar format, but really loses a lot from the inscrutable original.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Filed under Food by on Jul 27th, 2010. Comment.
If you like steak then you know the way(s) you like it prepared. While some prefer their steak rare others like it very well done. There’s always the compromise of medium rare. Rare is usually very pink and still pretty raw. If it’s medium rare the steak will have a fully red color inside usually cooked at about 130 F. Well done steaks are cooked at about 160 F making the meat appear gray-brown throughout and slightly charred. Shorter cooking times retain more juice. Longer steak cooking times give you drier tougher meat.
The three different ways of cooking a steak include: frying, grilling and oven roasting. First, you will want to consider getting a 1-inch thick steak. Anything thicker than an inch makes it difficult to gauge doneness. It is better to season the meat before cooking it. It doesn’t matter which cooking style you choose just try to season the meat beforehand. Start by sprinkling a good dose of salt and pepper over the meat. You can even rub crushed garlic clove all over the beef for extra flavor.
The first cooking option for your steak is to grill it. Most meat-lovers seem to really enjoy this. The barbecue needs to be really hot though. Try pouring a little bit of olive oil on a small brush or a paper towel, and rub down the grill slate before laying down your steak. Once your steak is on the grill reduce the heat to about medium and make sure to keep the lid down. After about 5 minutes turn the steak over, and let it cook for about another 5 minutes on the other side.
Using the second cooking method one basically tosses their beef into a frying pan. The stove should be turned on medium heat. Then warm up a teaspoon of oil for about a minute. Lay the steak in the pan but make sure to turn on the stovetop fan as well as keep the pan covered. If you’re cooking a 1-inch thick steak then you should allow it to cook for about four minutes on each side depending on how you prefer it cooked.
The last method, often used by restaurants, requires a couple of steps. When oven roasting your steak pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a heavy frying pan that is oven-safe to cook the meat in. Turn the element on high heat and warm up the skillet until it is very very hot. Put a teaspoon of oil in the pan and let it heat up. Then, using tongs, gently put the steak in the pan and sear for 90 seconds on each side. By doing this you are able to lock in the juices. Next, place the pan in the oven to finish cooking and roast the beef for about 6-9 minutes again depending on how you like it cooked. Take your pick from the method that works best for you to enjoy your delicious steak. Then don’t forget to eat it with the best steak sauces available in stores – A1.
Learn more ways to save with A1 steak sauce printable coupons. Stop by Gosublogger where you can find A1 coupons.
Filed under Food by on Jul 26th, 2010. Comment.
Italy carries a well-established and deserved history for producing high-quality recipes and delicious cuisines. Best known for pizza and pasta, Italian food also consists of many excellent meat and seafood dishes, as well as excellent cheeses, and fabulous desserts.
Food in Italy is a means of spending quality time and bond with family and friends. Italian cuisine is all about attention to detail that goes into creating each dish just perfect. Italian food varies from region to region and are generally simple and easy to prepare. Some of the favored ingredients used in various Italian dishes include potato, bell pepper and tomato. Cheese is considered an important ingredient and is utilized majority of Italian dishes.
Italy was only united in 1861 and thus has great diversity in culture. This is also reflected in its cuisines. It should also be noted that Italy has been invaded many times over the centuries, as well as involved trading with many other countries, and this too is reflected in the national cuisine.
A few of the regional variations that you may encounter include:
- Lasagna, balsamic vinegar, mortadella, polenta, polenta, tortellini are a few of the native Italian cuisines. Before you ask let me give a brief description of the all food mentioned. Mortadella is pork sausage that is cut, hear cured and served cold. Polenta is a dish made using boiled commeal and tortellini is stuffed pasta.
- Tuscan cuisine often features meat, white beans and unsalted bread.
- Pizzas and Mozzarellas originated from Naples.
- Many Roman and Italian cuisines generously use cheese made out of sheep’s milk, also knows as pecorino.
- Calabria (the region corresponding to the “toe” of Italy) is renowned because of its spicy kind of salami
- Pecorinio is a sweet dish that’s common and popular in Italy. It is essentially a variety of cheese and is made from sheep’s milk. Its especially popular in Sardinia.
- Touch of Arab influence is noticeable in Sicilian cuisines that use lots of pistachio and lemon. seafood is especially good here with swordfish and tuna based delicacies being more prominent.
For more information and videos on pasta recipes and other Italian food please click Italian Recipes
Filed under Food by on Jul 25th, 2010. Comment.
Indian food is known for their great variety of tastes and robust flavor that can truly give your senses a pleasant workout.. The number of vegetarian Indian recipes far outnumber the non-vegeterian Indian recipes, but that is not to say that the range of non vegetarian Indian dishes is small. There are plenty of delicious non-veg Indian recipes that use poultry, fish and meat for the most part..
Chicken is perhaps the most popular meat of choice in Indian cuisine since it is used with many things for a variety of recipes. The traditional Indian biryani, an Indian fried rice mixed with various herbs and spices like tomatoes and ginger, are sometimes served with roasted chicken on top. It is a basic Indian rice meal usually spiced up and made more flavorful with chicken
There’s a full array of chicken meals in Indian recipes. Chicken drumsticks, chicken curry, butter chicken, chicken Afghani and chicken Danuba are merely a few of the selections.
Fish is also common in Indian cuisine. From the basic fried fish to the more exotic Patrani Fish and yogurt fish dishes, take advantage of the distinct fish flavors in exotic spices and herbs.
Egg is popular too and the usual egg dishes are served with a typical Indian touch by adding herbs and spices with a generous sprinkling of chilli, ginger and sliced tomato
Much like in any other culture, Indian recipes include an abundant selection of sweets and pastries for dessert. Its collection of cake recipes include familiar ones like apple, carrot, honey, peach and marble cakes. There are also several chocolate cake variations in Indian recipes. Naturally, the selection won’t be complete without a uniquely oriental offering. Not entirely Indian but oriental in itself is the pineapple upside down cake and the tasty coconut cake, both made with real pineapple chunks and coco meat.
Indian snacks are a genuine treat and the variety is immense. They’re found everywhere in India, right from trendy restaurants to fast food joints and is a popular street food too. You will find wheat buns stuffed with deep fried mashed potatoes and green pea, crispy friend onion rings, samosa, dahi puri, pani puri bhel puri and much much more. Indian snacks and street food is loaded to the brim and one ought to try them.
There are ample other Indian recipes you can try to experiment with. Especially if you want to test a lot more than the basic boiled or fried rice, the Indian collection of rice recipes can provide you with excellent cooking ideas. In addition there are collections of regional recipes or place-specific dishes. The Punjabi Food collection, for example, can be a stimulating mix to explore. Indian recipes have a powerful ethnic and oriental flavor and one can experiment with them to experience a whole range of tastes. But mind you they are not subtle in nature and packs quite a punch – try the numerous rice recipes of India and do not miss out on the varied biryanis on offer. Punjabi recipes would be a very good place to start with.
So what are you waiting for, Indian recipes are versatile and tasty and is ideal for the food enthusiast Just let yourself drown in the wonderful whiff and tang of Indian recipes.
For further information on Indian Food please look at Indian Recipes. You might also want to look at South Indian video recipes at South Indian Recipes
Filed under Food by on Jul 24th, 2010. Comment.
Ginger Sugarsnaps are a long standing family recipe. My 97-year old grandma Ginger just died in a tragic hang-gliding accident. She hanglided into the mouth of an active volcano somewhere near Fiji. Just before the hot liquid magma consumed her she succumbed to lymphoma.
Don’t cry for grandma, please. She was lucky enough to have died doing what she loved. For nearly 80 years my feisty grandma Ginger would hang glide over destitute sections of America’s inner cities and shower them with her internationally famous sugar snap cookies. If you live in a poor urban area of the United States you likely know the distinct graupel-like sound of grandma Ginger’s cookie storms well. That’s why by 1960 people from areas of intense urban decay began to call these sugar snap cookies “sweet boom booms .”
As her favorite grandchild, granny took favor upon me and bequeathed me her sugar snap recipe which I share with you now. You might ask why would I share this prized and closely-guarded family recipe? Two Reasons: 1.) The slums and ghetto’s of the world will crumble without grandma Ginger’s scrumptious sugar snaps; and 2.) I was born without appendages and though I have tried several times I have found that my condition prevents me from hang-gliding. Since I can’t hang-glide, I can not continue grandma Ginger’s seven decade tradition of gentrification via inner city cookie showers….So…if you can bake and you can hang-glide, I implore you to take this below and carry on the cookie shower tradition.
Yield 5-6 dozen Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup dark molasses 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice Chiffonade of 2 skins of extra-crispy fried chicken
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, allspice, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly then sift a second time into another bowl. Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in half the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture. Remove the extra-crispy skins from 2 fried chicken breasts (Note: do not use Popeyes Spicy Fried Chicken) and proceed to chiffonade. Add the chicken skin to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in a mix of the sugar, and place 1 and 1/2 inches apart on an baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees Celsius) until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 11 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container until you are ready to improve the societal well-being of America’s ghettos with these Ginger Sugarsnaps.
Yummy recipe for Ginger Sugarsnaps
Filed under Food by on Jul 22nd, 2010. Comment.