Blog posts tagged with 'restaurants'

An interesting discussion popped up on the internet recently about the ownership of recipes. Most often in restaurants, the head chef is tasked to create the recipes for the menu. The question raised in the discussion was: when a chef creates a recipe at a restaurant, who does it belong to? Who has the rights to it?

In the business world, a software engineer is paid by their company to create something that belongs to the company since the person was paid to produce it. So what does it mean in the restaurant world?

If we look at copyright laws, the courts have ruled that in general recipes cannot be protected by copyright law. The courts have ruled that “the identification of ingredients necessary for the preparation of each dish is a statement of facts.” And also that the directions were not protected by copyright because copyrights do not extend to procedures, processes or systems (source: Paleo Magazine). What can be copyrighted though is any descriptive text associated with the recipe, including illustration or pictures (Source: US Copyright Office), which is how cookbooks can be produced using recipes that have been altered from other chefs.

Therefore, in terms of the law, a chef has no rights to copyright a recipe – but neither does the restaurant. The best advice I’m able to find that protects both the restaurant and the chef is to build in non-disclosure agreements and non-compete agreements into employment contracts. This ensures that both parties have an understanding of what they can and can’t do – such as if a chef leaves a restaurant perhaps it’s built into the non-compete that his/her signature dishes are taken off the menu – or it’s built into the non-compete that a restaurant gets to keep a chef’s signature dishes and the chef cannot take the recipe with him/her. Another thing for all to consider, it’s not the recipe that makes the food so brilliantly, it’s the chef. So while a recipe may stay at a former restaurant, the chef has every opportunity to create something equally brilliant if not more so. And if a recipe leaves with the chef the new executive chef at the restaurant will create something equally brilliant if not more so to replace the former recipe.

H/t Reddit

Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll be quick to say I love a good book. Bookstores and libraries are my heaven and with summer shortly underway, with the help of the good chefs on Reddit, I’ve rounded up the best Chef autobiographies. Hopefully you get out from the hot kitchen and enjoy some time off reading some of the inspiring chef biographies listed below!

The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin’s

This inspiring autobiography tells the story of Jacques Pepin’s rise from as a humble apprentice in an old world French kitchen to an Emmy Award–winning superstar complete with 21 cookbooks, 13 PBS cooking shows and dean of special programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City under his belt. Recipes are included along the way as well as anecdotal stories that will equally make you laugh and cry.

A Taste of My Life by Raymond Blanc

“ …he details his life from a boy through to owning and running his incredible restaurants. It's not an autobiography exactly, more a 'taste' of his life, things that he wanted to write about and discuss, like defining moments from his life, cooking theory, certain recipes, and a lot of what he thinks and feels towards food in general.

It was a fascinating read and very inspiring.”

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

“Kitchen confidential is a fantastic read!”

One of the most notorious and outspoken chefs of our time, Anthony Bourdain is a household name to most. In Kitchen Confidential first written over 15 years ago, Chef Bourdain gives away secrets of the trade in his wickedly funny, inspiring memoir/expose. You won’t be able to put it down and will be sad when it ends.

Heat by Bill Buford

A fascinating look behind the scenes of a year-in-training at Mario Batali’s famous New York restaurant Babbo penned from the hand of highly acclaimed writer and Editor Bill Buford previously of The New Yorker. This book follows Bill after realizing his desire to learn how restaurant cooking differed from what home cooks do. He goes through “kitchen boot camp” and then onto Italy to discover the finer points of pasta-making and meat slaughter. Of course the book is filled with captivating narratives full of humour and stunning insights.

“It’s (an) amazing adventure- and he visits many places that are referenced elsewhere (including Kitchen Confidential)”

The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

A Return to Cooking by Eric Ripert and Michael Ruhlman

“Michael Ruhlman is a great author, I can recommend The Making of a Chef, The Soul of a Chef, and The Reach of a Chef, all amazing. The Making is a very detailed look at what a student faces at the CIA. The Soul shows what it takes to become a Certified Master Chef, and the Reach is all about celebrity and professional cooking. Really amazing books.

Also, Ruhlman co-wrote a sort of autobiographical cookbook with Eric Ripert called A Return to Cooking, which is huge, and beautiful, and you really get to know Ripert through the stories and recipes.”

The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine by Rudolph Chelminski

“Another great book is The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine. It's by Rudolph Chelminski. Really intense read. Recommended to me by a few chefs.”

Journalist Chelminski takes readers on a journey discovering the history of modern French cuisine, a look at how the Michelin family reached its gatekeeping apotheosis, and along the way traces his friend Bernard Loiseau’s career from high school dropout to chef of a former three-star restaurant. It’s a sad and cautionary tale while at the same time being a warm tribute to a man and his search for perfection.

Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

“Blood, Bones, and Butter was a great book. Even if you're not a chef it was good.”

Gabrielle Hamilton's memoir is inspiring, addictive and passionate tinged with humour, honesty and grit. What sets Hamilton apart, though, is her ability to write with as much grace as sarcasm. The book follows Hamilton through her childhood, into her teens working 20-hour days at a catering company culminating in the opening of her NYC restaurant Prune.

Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson

“It is a best selling autobiography about an Ethiopian adopted by a Swedish couple that made it all the way to win Top Chef and also cook at the White House for the State dinner. He has a unique life story. He also owns 2 restaurants in Harlem and the president has eaten at one of them.”

Unless you’ve been living in a hobbit hole, it’s probably fair to assume as a chef or foodservice operator, you know who Gordon Ramsay is. Famous Chef, Father, Actor, Entrepreneur, Triathlete, and the list goes on, Chef Ramsay has lived the inspiring story of coming from humble roots and working his arse off to succeed in the culinary, business and entertainment worlds. This past January, Chef Ramsay went on Reddit to do an Ask Me Anything interview. As a company that provides restaurant supplies to foodservice operators and chefs, reading Chef Ramsay’s refreshingly open, honest, down to earth and likeable interview only made us love the celebrity chef even more. Like this gem of a quote which gives us pause for thought…“Someone said to me last night ‘Never trust a skinny chef.’ And I said ‘That's bullshit, never trust a fat chef.’ And she said ‘Why?’ And I said ‘Because they've eaten all the good bits.’”

Here’s 7 things we learned from Gordon Ramsay’s Reddit AMA

1. He stresses the importance of understanding Michelin Stars are awarded to Restaurant’s, not Chefs.

“So the stars are awarded to the restaurant. And sometimes the chefs think the stars belong to the chefs, but they belong to the restaurant. The service is just as important. Michelin's had a hard time in America, because it was late coming to the table. But if there's one thing I respect, it's consistency. They manage to identify consistently, and it's all there for the customer.”

2. He also pointed out that you can’t charm your way to a Michelin Star

“…you know, if there's one thing I've come to admire with the Michelin is that it's consistent. It's a guy who is judging you incognito. We have a lot of guys in this country, and Europe, who are a bit too familiar, too chummy with chefs, and they overindulge - food editors, they'll know, and tip off the chef. With a Michelin guide, you have no idea when they'll be in, or when they'll review you. And that's why they're the most feared and respected by chefs.”

3. Pork Chops with Rhubarb should be a strange food combination but really “Shit! It’s delicious!”

“I had an amazing doubled pork chop with rhubarb. Now rhubarb is something we literally eat with desserts, but this dish was incredible. It was in Spain. It was a double pork-chop that had been slow-roasted over an open pit fire with rhubarb. Absolutely delicious. This was one of my mates that was trying to show off cooking in his back garden in Spain when we were out filming for KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. I didn't think it was going to work, to be honest.

And then when I started tasting, I thought Shit! This is delicious!”

4. His witty insults surprise even himself sometimes

“Heh! Witty insults? Ehm... it just happens sort of spur-of-the-moment. I see red, I get frustrated, I let it go. I'm not very good at editing myself. I have to get things off my chest. If there's one thing my mum taught me, it's speak your mind, be firm, get things off your chest. I think it's a good way to work, and quite healthy to have that attitude. Do I think about it previously? No, they just come to me in a flashpoint. And sometimes even I sit back and think Did I just say that?”

5. He manages his time by multi-tasking very well and never staying too long in one place

“I...I multi-task very well.

And I am never in one place too long.

I think now with, you know, my own production company, I'm very lucky the schedule works around my diary. I work my ass off - you know, 15, 16 hours a day. I quite enjoy the time difference when I finish, for instance, last night we were taping MASTER CHEF until 9 or 10 PM at night, I'll have a quick bite to eat, and then I'll call the UK at midnight - because come midnight LA time, West Coast time, it's 8 o'clock in the morning. I'll say good morning to the kids, I'll catch up with my business in London, and then from 2-5 o'clock, I sleep, get up, go to the gym, and then start my day again.

So that's my daily slog.

So I stand by my convictions - when I opened up the restaurant, Gordon Ramsay, back in September 1998, I decided I was going to work my ass off. My flagship restaurant in Chelsea has never been open on a Saturday and Sunday - it's never been open on a week-end, because I thought if we're going to do this, I'd like to do this properly, so my staff needs time off. So I work hard, but I give myself time off on the week-end. I cut it off, and power down for 48 hours.”

6. His favourite Disney movie is predictably adorable while plugging a new video we had no idea about!

“My favorite Disney movie.

Ehm, come on?

Seriously?

It has to be RATATOUILLE.

I was very close, last year, when we had Bradley Cooper in the kitchen cooking up a storm for his new ADAM JONES movie coming up the end of this year, and understand his level of excitement about service, being on the line - he didn't want to tiptoe, he wanted to be in there, from first light to the last plate leaving the kitchen, and it was so nice to see how he respected the team. He didn't want pampering, he wanted to roll his sleeves up and dive in there.

He said "Gordon, I just want you to teach me to put food on a plate, because it's really magical how you put food on the plate the way you do."

So I'm very excited for this movie, coming out, called ADAM JONES. It's very exciting to see an actor understand what you do, and knowing that he can't learn how to cook in a few months, but absolutely nailing it when it came to the level of presentation.”

7. He offers a different take on the traditional advice for new or aspiring chefs

“Ehm, good question. The biggest piece of advice - you know, cooking is about character. It's about different cuisines. And I think sometimes we go into it a little bit blinkered-vision. Learn a second vision - I thought I really knew how to cook when I worked for Marco and then when I went to France, it really opened my eyes. So learn a second language, and travel. It's really important to travel. That is fundamental. because you pick up so many different techniques, and learning a second language gives you so much more confidence in the kitchen.”

You can read the whole AMA here.

Highball glasses are a versatile bar glass for any event or restaurant with a beverage menu. Not only are they used for traditional highball cocktails such as Cuba Libre, or Scotch and Soda but also can be used as glasses for water, soft drinks and juices. With a need for highball glasses, the next question sure to be on your list is “How much do highball glasses cost to buy in Canada?” We’ll answer that question below so you are able to gain a better understanding of the budget you’ll need to purchase your highball glasses.

Cost of Highball Glasses in Canada

The average cost of highball glasses in Canada ranges from $2.00 to $4.82 wholesale not including taxes or shipping. The cost ranges due to the material of the glass (whether it’s glass or crystal), whether the glass is handmade or machine made, the volume size of the glass and the brand distributing the product. Retail cost for glasses at any home décor retailer will range from $4.69 to $84.99 again dependant on the material of the glass, handmade or machine made, volume size and brand.

Hopefully this post gives you an idea of the approximate costs to be associating to your new stacking chair budget.

Pilsner glasses are a staple for almost all restaurants, pubs and banquet halls that serve a great pilsner lager. They help to reveal the colour, carbonation of a nice pale lager while maintaining the beer head. They’re tall, slender and tapered in appearance and often smaller than a pint (16 fl oz/ 473mL) glass – between 200mL (6.7 fl oz) to 400mL (13.5 fl oz). If you’ve already been buying pilsner glasses then this post isn’t really for you – unless you’re not happy with your current supplier. If you’re in the market to purchase pilsner glasses, one of the most common things ask is where to buy pilsner glasses in Canada?

This post will round up 4 other suppliers besides National Event Supply, who also sell pilsner glasses in Canada.

1. Canadian Restaurant Supply

Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, and founded in 2000, Canadian Restaurant Supply offers commercial foodservice facility planning & design services as well as meeting the day to day equipment, smallware and tableware requirements. They sell Arcoroc®, Libbey® and Strahl® pilsner glasses ranging in volume from 10oz to 14oz.

2. ChefBlock.com (Hamilton Store Fixtures)

Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Chefblock.com is Hamilton Store Fixtures online ecommerce site, selling tableware, bar supplies, equipment, sanitation & safety, and smallwares for more than 80 years. They sell Libbey pilsner glasses in 10.5oz to 15.5oz volumes.

3. Nella Cutlery

Synonymous with restaurant supply in Toronto, Nella Cutlery has two locations serving the greater Toronto Area with food equipment, refrigeration, bar equipment, material handling & storage, espresso machines, smallwares and knives with knife service. They sell Winco pilsner glasses in 12oz or 23oz volumes.

4. Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supply

Based in Brockville, Ontario with 10 locations across Canada, Hendrix Restaurant Equipment and Supply sells foodservice equipment, food prep, smallwares, chef knives, tabletop & serving, worktables & shelving, sinks & plumbing, furniture & fixtures, storage & transport, cleaning supplies, textiles & apparel both in their brick and mortar locations as well as online. Hendrix specifically sells Libbey pilsner glasses in 6oz, 10oz, 12oz and 15oz volumes.

Hopefully one of these companies (if not us!) can help you find the pilsner glasses you need.