Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

More Than Just a Business School

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Whether you are a returning student after years of being out of school, or a college senior looking for a first time alma mater, doing some college research is always a good idea. One option is to choose a business school, or a university that contains a strong business degree program within its curriculum. A business degree can be useful for just about any career path, and can be a great pairing with any concentration to make your skills more marketable.

One thing you will want to look for in a business school is a good faculty-to-student ratio. This means that you will want to have enough professors to give each student at least some personal attention. A good ratio is typically a maximum of 20 students per one teacher; fewer students per professor is ideal.

Other important indicators of a good school and business degree program are the school’s graduate success rate and the rigorousness of the curriculum. You will want to look at statistics, which explain the percentage of college graduates who found a career in their field within a year (or less) of graduation. This will show how well the business degree has prepared alumni for the real world of work, and if the skills learned are truly valuable in employment. A high employment rate post-graduation is a great thing.

The rigorousness of the curriculum can be discovered in a few ways. First, see if you can look at a list of course offerings available. Do the courses sound interesting and relevant to you? Is there a good variety of courses on different topics? These are good signs. You will also want to see if internships are offered, because they can help you get your foot in the door with employers early on.

Culinary schools are also a unique option that can lead you to a fulfilling and well-paid career path. You will want to be sure that your culinary school of choice is accredited, and the professors consist of experienced professionals that have hands on restaurant experience. Be sure that the courses teach a wide variety of skills at differing levels, and just like with business school programs, you will want culinary schools that offer access to internships for job placement and hands-on learning.

Kobe Beef and Other Delectable Steaks

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

If you love good USDA prime beef and just find that the prices and selection in grocery stores aren’t up to your standards, perhaps you should try to buy steaks online. Shopping for steaks online is a great idea for a number of reasons. First of all, it is quick and easy. All you have to do is choose the cut of steak that you like best-perhaps you like a nice, juicy filet mignon, or you want to try some of the tender Kobe beef that is all the rage lately.

Once you have determined which sort of beef you’d like, select the size and quantity that best fits your needs. A great aspect of being able to buy steaks online is that you can choose from a huge variety of sizes. Typically, most steaks are available from six to sixteen ounces. Also, you can purchase only a couple of steaks if you are buying for two people, or six to eight at a time if you are purchasing for a party or large family.

A great aspect of buying a large quantity of steaks in one purchase is that it’s quite cost effective. You can often get between four and six steaks for two hundred dollars, which comes out to $25-$50 per steak. This is actually a great deal when you consider that similar USDA prime beef in restaurants can cost $40 or more-and that’s just for an entree, let alone drinks, appetizers and the tip. You can have a meal that is just as luxurious (and much less costly!) at home when you buy steaks online.

The selection of beef that you can buy for a special occasion or everyday dinners is astounding. For instance, there is a wide array of high quality Kobe beef to choose from. Kobe beef is some of the most tender and lean meat available. This is due in part to the fact that much of it is slowly aged, which gives it a melt-in-your-mouth succulence and superb flavor. Kobe beef is also notoriously expensive, but many online steak retailers offer reasonable prices and quick shipping for planning extra special meals.

Why Aren’t My Steaks Tender – Allen Brothers

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Steaks are a staple in your home. Your family loves them and you try to get them the best quality at the best price available. But it seems like every time you purchase steaks at the supermarket or butcher, they are tough and not very flavorful. What is the problem and what can you do to alleviate this issue?

Personally I love Kobe beef, but we know that lovers of all kinds of steaks spend a great deal of time and money to insure that what they are eating and serving their family and friends are the best steaks available. But no matter what you buy or how you cook your steaks, they just do not come out as tender and flavorful as they do when you order from your favorite steakhouse. What happened?

The United States Department of Agriculture, unknown by most people, does not require that meat purveyors label their beef according to grade. It is a voluntary system where, it seems, they will grade their steaks higher than in actuality. But then there are also those meat manufacturers who will pay for certified graders to come in and grade their beef and then tag the meat accordingly.

There are eight different and very distinct grades of meat in the meat grading system. USDA Prime beef is the highest with utility beef grade being the lowest. Of course, because USDA Prime beef is the top quality graded beef on the market today, it usually demands top prices when you purchase USDA Prime steak. Normally sold to the restaurant industry and specialty stores, it is rare to find this grade of steaks at your supermarket.

When looking for steaks, you should always be aware of the color and texture of the meat. Steaks should be bright in color, look moist and be firm when pressed. Also, there should be marbling of fat throughout the meat. Although many people do not want any fat in their meat, very thin streaks of fat throughout steaks ensures the most tender, moist and juicy steaks available.

In USDA Prime steak, aging is very desirable and creates an intensity of flavor while tenderizing the meat in a way that is incomparable to any other grade of steaks. Yes, the steaks can be a bit more expensive, but for the steakhouse lover, there is no substitute. And if the meat is bought in larger quantities online, there will be a considerable savings per pound as well as saving on shipping costs.