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We offer hundreds of products including chef coats, chef hats, chef pants, chef uniforms, apron, towels and restaurant accessories in the food service hospitality industry. We also offer a wide variety of formal wear, dress shirts, dress pants, vests, tuxedo shirts, suits, skirts, blazers, ties. If you're in the medical or nursing field we have you covered too with great deals on dickies medical scrubs, lab coats, smocks, tunics and more. We also offer uniforms for spa resorts hotels (maid housekeeping) and security. We have great deals on dickies work shirts, work pants, coveralls, hi visibility safety work wear and other industrial work uniforms. We offer an amazing price on bib aprons, bar aprons, waist aprons, restaurant and chef aprons. If you are looking for linens we have you covered on those as well with restaurant tablecloths, napkins and banquet cloths.

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Best Buy Uniforms - Where Corporate America Shops for The Highest Quality and Lowest Price Uniforms. We offer wholesale hospitality and hotel uniforms, restaurant and chef uniforms, hospital nursing and medical uniforms, maid and housekeeping uniforms, security and work uniforms.

Cook Clothing

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White Cook Shirt
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Cut Resistant Glove
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Chef and Cook
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Ivy League Cap
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Jackets and Toques The History and Evolution of the Way We Dress
(This article was originally published in the National Culinary Review)

Chefs, for the most part, wear their uniforms almost every day of their working lives, replete with toque, checked pants and double-breasted jacket. Though these uniforms are ubiquitous in the foodservice industry worldwide, they are often taken for granted and worn without much thought. However, many may find that the origin and reasons behind traditional chef's attire are as interesting as it looks.

Much of the chef's uniform has developed out of necessity. The jacket, for example, is double-breasted so it can easily be reversed to hide stains that may accumulate throughout the day; the double layer of cotton is also designed to insulate our bodies against the intense heat of the stove or an accidental splattering of hot liquid. Even the knotted cloth buttons were fashioned for a reason-cloth will withstand the frequent washings and abuse buttons often take from contact with pots, pans and other heavy equipment. Though executive chefs often wear black pants, working chefs and cooks usually don pants with black-and-white checks-the dizzying pattern of hound's tooth camouflages minor spills and soilings. Today neckerchiefs are primarily worn for aesthetic purposes, to give our uniforms a more finished look, but originally cotton cloths were draped around ones neck to soak body sweat while working in the inferno-like kitchens of yesteryear.

The traditional chef's hat, or toque blanche, is what is most distinguishing and recognizable of the uniform, and also the component which often causes the most debate. Chefs as far back as the 16th century are said to have worn toques. During that period artisans of all types (including chefs) were often imprisoned, or even executed, because of their freethinking. To alleviate persecution, some chefs sought refuge in the Orthodox Church and hid amongst the priests of the monasteries. There they wore the same clothes as the priests-including their tall hats and long robes-with the exception of one deviating trait: the chef's clothes were gray and the priest's were black.

It wasn't until the middle 1800's that chef Marie-Antoine Carême redesigned the uniforms. Carême thought the color white more appropriate, that it denoted cleanliness in the kitchen; it was also at this time that he and his staff began to wear double-breasted jackets. Carême also thought that the hats should be different sizes, to distinguish the cooks from the chefs. The chefs wore the tall hats and the younger cooks wore shorter hats, more like a cap. Carême himself supposedly wore a hat that was 18 inches tall! The folded pleats of a toque, which later became an established characteristic of the chef's hat, were first said to have been added to indicate the more than 100 ways in which a chef can cook an egg.

The cleanliness of the cook's uniform was very important, and that it promoted professionalism. His staff was required to maintain clean and complete uniforms while on the job, and were also encouraged to wear coats and ties while not at work. To this day cooks and chefs around the world wear the same attire that has traceable origins back to more than 400 years. Along with the other conveniences the 1950's brought, paper toques were invented to look like cloth but could be disposed of once they were soiled.

The traditional chef's uniform may be the standard for our profession, but it's definitely not the law. Since the mid-1980's a legion of chefs and cooks have begun to wear non-traditional "fun" chef's attire. These nouveau uniforms run the gamut from pinstriped baggy pants and denim jackets to full blown wildly patterned outfits with chili peppers, flowers, and even the CIA logo. While some chefs may nay-say these new-style uniforms as non-professional, others retaliate that they are more comfortable and give chefs an opportunity to express their individuality through their clothes as well as their food.

Actually, the non-traditional uniforms of today may remind some of the late chef-philanthropist Alexis Soyer, author, inventor and one time chef of the Reform Club in London. Chef Soyer was known to have his entire wardrobe-including his work attire-tailor made. Some of his headgear was as eccentric as a red velvet beret; his jackets were often cut on the bias with large lapels and cuffs. He called his individualistic style "à la zoug-zoug," and the more his contemporaries ridiculed him the more outlandish his outfits became. Like the old adage says, "What's old is new again."

As a professional chef myself, I prefer to adhere to traditional chef's attire-the uniform and its history are something to be proud of. On the other hand, I can also understand a chef's desire to want to be expressive. As the twentieth century comes to a close, these nouveau style uniforms have their place in certain establishments; restaurants today, after all, are considered a form of theater. As with anything, the chef's uniform continues to evolve, who knows what the future has to hold? One thing is certain though, the image of a chef, in a pristine white jacket and toque, is recognized the world over as a professional, and we have our predecessors to thank for this.

Best Buy Uniforms offers the lowest prices and highest quality chef uniforms, cook clothing, chef wear , chef coats, chef jackets, chef aprons, chef hats, chef gloves, chef pants, discount chef pants, baggy chef pants, affordable chef pants, custom chef pants in corporate U.S.A. In addition to the best corporate, chef, nursing, and work uniforms, Best Buy Uniforms offers custom corporate embroidered and silk screened logos for your uniforms. Discount cook clothing, bulk cook clothing, affordable cook clothing, wholesale cook clothing, quality cook clothing, low cost cook clothing.

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The Well-Stocked Pantry -- A Cook's Secret Weapon by Geoffrey Cook

Doing any job is easier when you have the right tools on hand. One of a cook's best tools -- and secret weapons -- is having a well-stocked pantry.

Cooking is much simpler if you know that you've already got what you need on hand, and aren't going to have to run to the corner market every time you want to fix a meal.

Having a well-stocked pantry is also the secret weapon of every "Hostess with the Mostest" especially when unexpected guests drop by.

You'll be able to make every guest feel special and welcome because, whether it is appetizers for four or dinner for ten, you can handle it with style and panache. In fact, your reputation -- and your sanity -- will be assured, because with these things in your pantry, you can put together beautiful and tasty food that is beautifully presented in just minutes, simply and easily.

Here is a list of basic ingredients that should be in any well-stocked pantry. (One great way to stock your pantry is to buy one or two things on the list each time you go shopping, rather than trying to get it all at once. If you watch the sales and take advantage of seasonal buys, you'll be able to save money as well!)

Remember to rotate everything in your pantry on a regular basis, and adjust the items on this list to suit your family's likes and dislikes.

Herbs, Spices, Extracts and Sauces: - Salt (Sea and Iodized) - Pepper (Whole Peppercorns, Black, White and Red) - Nutmeg (Ground and Fresh) - Cinnamon (Ground and Sticks) - Pumpkin Pie Spice (Ground) - Allspice (Ground) - Cardamom (Whole and Ground) - Ginger (Whole and Ground) - Curry (Ground) - Garlic (Fresh and Ground for Emergencies) - Mustard (Ground) - Bay Leaves (Dried) - Rosemary (Fresh and Bottled) - Thyme (Fresh and Bottled) - Sage (Fresh and Dried) - Sweet Basil (Fresh and Dried) - Parsley (Fresh and Dried for Emergencies) - Cumin (Ground) - Oregano (Dried) - Onions (Flakes for Emergencies) - Vanilla Extract - Maple Extract - Almond Extract - Lemon Extract - Orange Extract - Soy Sauce - Cooking Wine or Cooking Sherry - Rice Wine Vinegar - Sesame Oil - Balsamic Vinegar - Red Wine Vinegar - Citrus Vinegar - Teriyaki Sauce - Barbecue Sauce - Sweet and Sour Sauce - Tabasco or Other Hot Sauce - Chili Sauce - Steak Sauce - Packages of Salad Dressing Mix - Packages of Dried Onion Soup Mix (Or Other Flavors) - Soup for Sauces (Cream of Chicken, Mushroom, Celery and Cheese)

For Baking: - All Purpose Flour - Self-Rising Flour - Whole Wheat Flour - Pancake Mix - Yeast - Sugar - Confectioner's Sugar - Brown Sugar - Sugar Cubes - Molasses - Baking Powder - Baking Soda - Yeast - Cornstarch - Honey - Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened or Semi-Sweet Chocolate - Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - Butterscotch, Caramel and other flavored "chips" - Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Hazelnuts and Cashews) - Marshmallow Cream - Vegetable Shortening (Regular and Butter-Flavored) - Sunflower Oil - Maraschino Cherries

For Appetizers or Adding "Something Special" to Meals: - Peanuts in the Shell - Salted Peanuts - Mixed Nuts - Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A Variety of Crackers - Black and Green Olives - Canned Mushrooms - Palm Tree Hearts - Bottled Asparagus - Sun-dried Tomatoes - Bottled Salsa - A Variety of Chips and Dips - Cheeses (Traditionally, 3 to 5 are served, from hard to soft, mild to strong. Find flavors that mix well together, and serve cheeses from different animals and different countries)

For Everyday Meals: - Bullion Cubes and Powders (Chicken, Beef and Vegetable) - White Rice - Long Grain and Wild Rice - Brown Rice - A Variety of Pastas - Barley - Bread Crumbs - Croutons - Tomato Sauce - Tomato Paste - A Variety of Canned Tomatoes - A Variety of Canned Beans (Black, Red, Kidney and Garbanzo) - Dried Beans (Pinto, Chili and Kidney) - Canned Tuna, Chicken, Crab and Clams

For Desserts: - Canned Pineapple (Chunks and Slices) - A Variety of Canned Fruits - A Variety of Jams or Jellies - A Variety of Cake Mixes, Brownies and Frostings - A Variety of Packaged Puddings - All the fixings for Ice Cream Sundaes or Banana Splits - Applesauce

In the Refrigerator: - Milk - Eggs (Or Egg Substitutes) - Cream (A staple for many Mediterranean Dishes) - Butter or Margarine - Yellow Mustard - Brown Mustard - Dijon Mustard - Ketchup - Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing - Cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, Feta, Parmesan and Jack) - Cottage Cheese - Sour Cream - Green Onions - Tomatoes - Cilantro - Salad Fixings

In the Freezer: - Whole Chicken - Steaks - Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - Beef or Pork Roast - Stew Meat - Hamburger - Pork Chops - Pieces of yellow, red and green peppers (Chop up any leftovers each time you use them and throw them into a bag in the freezer. They will add color and flavor to bland dishes) - Frozen Bread Dough (Make your own or store bought) - Frozen Rolls (Make your own or store bought) - Frozen Pizza Dough (Make your own or store bought) - Frozen Baguette - Broccoli - Spinach

With these ingredients in your kitchen, the only thing you'll have to worry about when it's time to cook is which recipe you want to try!

About the Author

You too, can manoeuvre in the unfamiliar waters of gourmet cuisine, with just a few well-learned techniques that are easy to master, and build a repertoire of literally hundreds of dishes and deserts. Let Geoffrey set you on the path today, to gastronomical delights!