A Series of Unfortunate Vents

The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to project the innovative.

It was September 21st, 2018; we were working the night watch on the QSR detail.
My partner is Pitco. Eddy Pitco.

My name’s Fry-Day. Grill Sergeant Joe Fry-Day.

It was 2:06 PM when we got a call from a cook in distress. She needed help with a problem. A cooking problem.

Culinary Brown blurted out “I need a Griddle.”

“Uh-huh.”

“A three foot Griddle.”

3: 58 PM, Eddy and I drove over to the restaurant and we talked to the owner. We intended to grill her over why she wanted a griddle.

“Are your ducts in a row?”

“Ducts?” Inquired Culinary Brown, “What are ducts?”

“They are a series of unfortunate vents.”

“Whenever you cook proteins, you give off grease-laden vapor.  How you wipe it out must be executed in the manner prescribed by law.”

Common canopy hoods are designed to remove effluent, grease-laden vapor, heat, odors, carbon monoxide.  Their design relies upon moving these undesirable elements to the building’s exterior, an inherently expensive and inefficient system.
Ventless systems which forego the use of outside ducting, mitigate these elements at the source.

By handling the hazards locally, better control can be leveraged over the processes.  Cost savings ensue, and safety is enhanced.

Ventless appliances typically use one or more of several technologies:

• Hepa-Filters
• High-speed extraction
• Catalytic converters
• Precipitators
• Carbon Filters

The flexibility and mobility features inherent in ventless make them attractive for both start-ups and renovations.

“you have a right not to waste your money, you have a right not to remain with old systems.  Anything you cook can and will be used against you in computing exhaust fans”

“I know my rights…”

“That’s right, Culinary, ditch the ducts and go ventless”

“Grill Sergeant?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“What’s the source of the smoky flavor from a griddle?”

“Just the fats, ma’am.”

FREE DEMONSTRATION HERE

By Suzanne Quiring, CDM, Registered Dietitian

Self Directed living = Self-Determined dining

Have you heard the term “self directed living” and wondered what that really means?

Self- Directed living is a school of thought related to ‘person-centered’ or ‘individualized’ supports that help people to maintain full & meaningful lives in their communities. The term is often used for persons living with disabilities but it can be broader than that, and transfer into Health Care Communities.

The purpose of self directed living is to allow someone to choose, pursue and achieve ‘their best life’ to a similar extent to others. So let’s take this one step further to the dining room of a Health Care Community: Does your meal service support choice, and looks/feels similar to folks NOT living in Residential Care? Is it self-determined, and allows the client/resident to self-direct their choices?

If your community is on tray service or pre-plate service, it is honestly time to change and get with the times. We are here to help your team succeed!

(A little secret – did you know that under Suzanne’s desk, she keeps a pile of signed trays from communities that have changed? The pile is growing nicely).

GO TEAM GO!!!
By Ed Pecinka

After coming to the end of week one of a new football season ( and a nice Jets win I must say), I am reminded of the correlation I have always loved between sports and a successful business organization.
Teamwork is essential to winning in all aspects of life.
Knowing and embracing that we all have our individual strengths and weaknesses is the first step to building a successful team.
For the coach or manager, putting each “talent” in the right place, giving them their individual assignments, and trusting that they will do their job will make for the most consistent result.
Take a punt return in football, the ultimate display of teamwork….

The coach may put his fastest player with the best hands back to return the punt. The goal is to return it as far as he can down the field.
If the superstar doesn’t have all
of his 10 other teammates blocking the opponent/ completing their assignment, he isn’t going to get too far, no matter how good or fast he is.
Have you ever seen a punt returner get creamed!!!!  Look it up on YouTube. Not a pretty sight!
We all feel like that sometimes, don’t we?
In today’s fast paced and intense business environment, teams are not just people in your own company or place of business, they are those people or businesses that help you do your job, “teammates” who you can count on to fulfill their “assignments”, that have your back so you won’t get “sacked”.
As the season moves along, be your own team owner and coach, think about who you want on your team so that you can be successful on the path to you own personal Super Bowl.

Explore the new CookTek induction offerings: 

There really is an “I” in team!

It’s the A-hole!

The Sincerest Form of Flattery by Ed Pecinka

It has been said that Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
We have all seen things that have impressed us to make them part of our daily lives.

A mentor once told me that in his mind, LISTENING was the sincerest for of flattery. Customers, friends, your family all are looking for that “special someone” who will take the time to really listen.  I found it ironic that one of feature courses that is part of the Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative program, that we have sent our people to teaches you listening skills.

In today’s fast pace world, where it is difficult to have a conversation without someone checking their phone for the next email, text, tweet or Facebook posting, communicating and “truly listening” is becoming a lost art.

The information you get from a real conversation is priceless. Listening to the tone of someone’s voice you can tell if they are joking, being sarcastic, truly desperate, all things that you can’t tell in an email or text.

So the next time you are planning to text or email someone some delicate information, “flatter them”, pick up the phone and have a real conversation.

I think you will be surprised at the result.

FREE FLATWARE

Bally Northwind Blast Chillers

Bally’s Northwind Blast Chillers chill food quickly and safely without freezing to help keep you out of the danger of violating stringent food safety requirements.
During cooling, the worst danger of contamination occurs as foods drop in temperature from 140ºF to 41ºF aptly called the “Danger Zone”. Under HAACP (The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) regulations, potentially hazardous foods may not remain in this “Danger Zone” for more than four hours; a Northwind Blast Chiller cools food in two hours or less.A Northwind Probe and Monitoring System keeps allows you to control and verify your food cooling practices as required under HACCP. Our standard monitoring package uses a probe for accurate tracking of internal temperatures, while giving continuous digital temperature readouts. Bally Northwind Blast Chillers accommodate the rolling racks already in your kitchen, and their wide roomy doors meet the requirements of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The Northwind 500 offers Bally chilling technology in a compact unit, while the 1000 provides the chilling volume required for heavy-duty institutional or commercial food service operations.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

By Ed Pecinka

After spending the last couple of weeks traversing the Metro marketplace providing demonstrations and training for the many new and remodeled schools we have been fortunate enough to supply equipment for, it has become evident why this time, Labor Day, is referred to by many as “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”.

After recharging our batteries in the summer, September allows us all to “start anew”, “hit the reset button”.

School children are all a year older ( at least academically) branding new clothes and shoes. In my case, my youngest son started his first year of college, beginning a new life and career.

This is the perfect time for all of us to take a deep breath, refocus, and put strategies in place to close 2018 strong.

Get yourself something new to wear, a new china pattern, or better yet, a whole new kitchen.

Enjoy the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.