Restaurant

Taking Restaurant Management Courses Through Top Culinary Schools

Even though restaurant managers tend to work long hours, they also tend to make good money. In fact, in 2009, the average manager made more than $47,000 a year. To enter into this line of work, a person will need experience in the culinary industry, and depending on the employer, he or she may need to complete restaurant management courses.

To make sure that a person obtains the best formal education possible, it is important to take courses through top culinary schools. In the U.S., there are many top restaurant management schools, making it simple for a person to find a program that will meet his or her needs and preferences.

Types of Programs

When attending top schools, a student will have the option to obtain either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. Either type of degree will lead to a wide variety of job opportunities; however, a bachelor’s degree will, of course, open more doors. During the completion of a degree, students will take courses in English, psychology, restaurant management, food safety and much more. Some management training programs will require students to take courses in science and history too.

Associate’s Degree in Restaurant Management

To obtain an associate’s degree, a person will need to complete at least two years of studies. Some top culinary schools will offer accelerated programs, enabling students to graduate with a degree in as little as 15 months. During an associate’s program, students will complete general education courses as well as learn the basics of management, bookkeeping procedures, catering services, food sanitation and much more.

Bachelor’s Degree in Restaurant Management

When taking the courses to earn a bachelor’s degree, a student will have to take part in at least four years of study. As before, accelerated programs for bachelor’s degrees can be taken part in, allowing students to complete their restaurant management training programs in as little as 30 months. A bachelor’s program will provide students with much more in-depth knowledge than an associate’s program. Courses taken in a bachelor’s program usually include those that focus on the following topics:

– Advanced accounting
– Hospitality law
– Marketing
– Tourism management
– Multiple restaurant management

People who are looking to manage a chain of restaurants will benefit the most from obtaining at least a bachelor’s degree.

On-the-Job Training

Much of the training that managers need cannot be learned in a classroom setting. It has to be learned through on-the-job training. This is one of the main reasons top culinary schools require students who are obtaining a degree take part in a wide variety of internships. While in school, if a student knows the type of restaurant he or she prefers to manage, it is best to take part in internships that will provide the student with the appropriate type of experience. In doing this, a student will be well-prepared upon completion of the internships to obtain the job of his or her dreams.

Certificate Programs

If a person does not have a desire to earn a degree, there are some schools that offer certificate training programs in restaurant management. Such programs can usually be completed in 12 months or less, with most of the coursework directly focusing on restaurant industry topics. Earning a certificate can help broaden a person’s employment opportunities; however, to work in a higher-end dining establishment, a person will most likely need to earn a degree from top restaurant management schools.

XNews

Food Items That You Can Take With You on Long Trips

Long trips necessitate a great amount of planning if you don’t want to fall prey to the fast food siren song. Indeed, long trips, whether they are cross-country road trips, plane trips, or simply long commutes, seem designed to prevent people from eating a healthy diet or keep spending at a minimum. Without planning, the fast food restaurants will win out. Here are some great foods to pack when taking a long trip.

Fruits and vegetables:

Crunchy items like these will keep you occupied and awake while driving. Because they contain water and fiber, they will also keep you hydrated and digesting adequately: two things that can be difficult to maintain on long trips. Choose from whole and sliced apples, carrots, celery, and oranges. Soft fruits like pears and berries are not suitable to long trips because they bruise and squish easily. They are good to eat in dried form, however. Try dried pears, peaches, dates, and freeze-dried bananas, strawberries, and pineapple. Eat dried fruit in moderation, as it can dehydrate.

Jerky:

Beef jerky is the consummate travel food. It is high in protein, it fills the need for “real” food, and it is sweet, tangy, or spicy enough to wake the taste buds. Peppered, original, and teriyaki are popular flavors. Jerky can also be found in carne seca, sweet-hot, and barbecue. “Steak strips”, “nuggets,” and sticks are alternative forms of jerky. Chemical-laden jerky can be found in gas stations, but organic brands of jerky are now available in stores like Meijer, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. It is fairly easy to make your own jerky at home with a food dehydrator and a good slicing knife, as well.

Cheese:

Cheeses are good travel foods. They keep reasonably well at room temperature and are another source of nutrient-dense food for travelers. Try string cheese, block cheeses, and cheese cubes. The Babybell cheeses wrapped in wax seem to be tailor-made to travel needs.

Snack foods:

Chips, pretzels, nuts, and seeds can keep one occupied and full while on a long trip. Nuts and seeds are more nutrient-dense and are a better use of space if space is limited. Chips and pretzels, while tasty, don’t provide many nutrients outside of salt and carbohydrates, and are full of air, which takes up space. They also crumble easily. The salt in these snacks can help keep you hydrated while traveling and are worth seeking out for that reason. Instead of carrying them with you, consider buying an occasional bag of chips when you stop for gas or have a layover at the next airport.

Water:

Caffeinated beverages can be a boon to the tired traveler, but they are hard to keep cool and available, they are heavy, and they take up a lot of space. Like chips and snacks, it might be better to occasionally buy the needed soda rather than bringing it along. It is always a wise decision, however, to pack water and/or a water container when traveling. Keep a few gallon jugs of water always in your trunk for emergencies and to refill your travel-sized bottles as you complete your trip. It is getting harder to bring liquids with you onto an airplane, but if you have an empty, clear water container with you, you can fill it from water fountains at the airport and from on-flight service while flying.

Cultural

How Our Chinese Culture Shapes Us to Who We Are

Asian men need to develop their own culture. The west has always dominated the world with their inventions and meanwhile Chinese have had 100 years taken away from them thanks to Mao’s cultural revolution. Since then it has been traditional of the Asian mindset not to challenge authority and not ‘reinvent the wheel.’ Meanwhile, western culture has thrived on borrowing the best from all other cultures and calling it their own.

In an age we live in now where China is becoming the 2nd largest superpower and overshadowing the west, a new cultural development is important.

We live in an age which has adopted the western mindset of borrowing and stealing and appropriation, and even mimicking. The human mind has less been encouraged to think of original ways of self-expression due to our easy technology and abundance of old art and TV series that we can just switch on with a click at our online disposal.

However the importance of creating a strong identity and powerful cultural dominance is important for China. One that can be expressed through the basics of what we have – language and race.

As already mentioned in this digital age it’s so easy to copy and mimic what is out there but for something that is profound and not so easily consumed – this is what a great culture should be. Like Chinese language, Chinese culture should be earned and enjoyed like a fine Chinese dish, and contemplated like good wine.

Ironically to create a new culture, Chinese need to move away from the mass consumption culture that currently floods the ‘global world’ that we know it as. Globalism is a good thing but the speed at which it has developed has affected and disabled everyone, and not even given us time to digest and appreciate.

When Chinese men can create a new culture, we can move forward to creating our new identity. One that is respected and attractive to all.

Chinese men, all around the globe need to take the time and patience to develop as artists and once they have reached a level of critical thinking then pursue the goal of becoming leaders. Leaders by its truest definition are people of vision who see a way that is clearer than other ways that have been established. New ways are developed because of the risk taken to develop those new ways.

Those risks that are taken have their own rewards. But they must be earned .