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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. |
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Easy and Delicious Menu Planning - Top 10 Free Web Sites by Kathy Ferneau
Large food manufacturers maintain some of the best menu and recipe planning web sites on the internet. Loaded with ideas and information, you'll find abundant photos of the entire preparation process along with tips and suggestions to make your cooking better.
These sites promote the manufacturer's products, of course, and specialize in easy, fast cooking. Web site offerings serve up massive, free recipe databases. Easily searchable and updated regularly, harried cooks are presented with a treasure trove of resources.
www.kraftfoods.com Freebies include: Sign up for a free, full-color glossy magazine sent to your home Recipe Box to store your own recipes Make your own Meal and Fitness Plan Logs and journals for tracking exercise and weight loss Food calculators for carbohydrates, calcium, body mass index
The parent company for many other brands, including Oscar Mayer, Minute Rice, and Jell-O, Kraft lists those brands at www.kraftfoods.com. Each brand links to its own web site with recipes and cooking tips.
www.campbellsoup.com From here you can go to many of Campbell's other web sites, including Pepperidge Farms and Pace. Sign up for a daily recipe email, get an on-line recipe box, lots of recipes with ratings by consumers (good AND bad). Categories include Homemade in 20 minutes and Favorite Family Meals.
Try out their own diet plan, Soup for Life, a 1,200 calorie per day plan with 30 days of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, provided in a downloadable PDF file.
www.hersheys.com Click on the Hersheys Kitchen link. Find baking tips, recipes and recipe box, a grocery list builder, monthly recipe newsletter, games, crafts, sweepstakes. Need a quick, no-calorie chocolate fix? Check out the opening screen at their site.
www.generalmills.com Click on recipes. General Mills includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Bisquick. Find all their brands at www.generalmills.com. From there you can click to each specific brand's web site.
www.mccormick.com The seasoning company. Click on recipes, message boards, a comprehensive spice encyclopedia, and A Taste for Health, which includes low-sodium recipes.
www.starkist.com The tunafish people. Lots of recipes and ways to eat tuna so you don't end up with the same old tuna sandwich. Try appetizers, wraps, salads, and pasta dishes. You can even download a Charlie the Tuna screensaver.
www.greengiant.com Lots of recipes in categories like Rush Hour Recipes. Download Jolly Green Giant wallpaper.
www.kelloggs.com You know them as the breakfast cereal company, but their web site boasts a wealth of recipes, such as Busy Day Meatloaf using Kellogg's Stuffing Mix, and Cheese and Spinach Pie made with Special K cereal.
Features include a recipe box and a recipe club, and you can print 3x5 or 4x6 recipe cards.
www.hormel.com Hormel makes a number of food brands, listed on their web site. Sign up for the weekly newsletter, Your Personal Chef, packed with fresh snack and meal solutions, tips and ideas and special offers.
Neat feautures: Extensive recipe database Articles on wine and making flavored butters Printable Family Dinner Magic Weekly Meal and Activity Planner with icons you glue onto magnets
www.tyson.com Get lots of information on Tyson chicken, beef, and pork products. Along with the usual recipe database, visit the Foodwise Learning Center for tips on food handling safety, buying meat, and meat cooking.
Tyson's provides Five Days of Dinner, a weekly list of menus, each one with full-color photos, nutrition information, cooking instructions, and serving suggestions. Get it e-mailed to you or print in receipe card fashion.
With all of these great web sites, you may never need to buy another cook book again.
About the Author
Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise. Get a free smoothie recipe e-book just for visiting!
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COOKING BASICS by Fred Murillo
If you've ever had questions regarding setting up your kitchen, like where do I start and what do I need to have a useful kitchen? Well have no fear I am here to help with those nagging little concerns you might have. I know that when I started, knowing what pan I should use and should I use a metal or plastic spatula? Well this was an obvious learning curve for me, but with a little guidance I made it through and I know we can all make it through. Also, heat control was always an issue. But I'll cover that shortly. First of all the type of spatula you would use depends on the pan that you are using. If you are using Teflon coated or painted surfaced pans then this would call for a plastic type or hardwood/bamboo. Now, stainless steel pan; here you could use either use plastic types, wooden or steel spatulas or whatever you have handy. I love stainless steel because it is very versatile. But, if you find that your food sticks, then I would go with a steel spatula because you can really scrape off whatever sticks. Now cast iron pans can be tricky, I've always been told not to use steel spatulas on them because it could damage the seasoning on the pan, but so far I've had no problems using steel. Although any type works well, it really depends on what you like to use and what you have on hand. Now I have friends that strictly use plastic types of spatulas and will soak their pans if anything sticks to them. So there you go. Heat control is very important! A cold or lukewarm pan is not your friend, unless you are melting butter. But try not to get too carried away with the heat I have let my pans get too hot and had a nice flare up show for my troubles. Start your heat while you are preparing your ingredients. Try to time it so that you have at least three to five minutes before you are done with your chopping, cutting, dicing, slicing, etc. This way when you are ready to cook your pan will be ready too. So I would like you to go ahead and start experimenting with heat control and don't worry if you make a few mistakes. The great thing about most cooking mistakes is that you can still eat them. So don't be afraid to venture into what I like to call the culinary circus, full of thrills and the occasional spills. Fred Murillo
About the Author
Fred Murillo is a self made Chef and has been helping family and friends enjoy their cooking experiences and is here to help you. If you would like to learn more and get some helpful hints and quick, delicious and easy recipes |
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