Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter or Knife Skills Illustrated

Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter

Author: Edmund Lawler

As winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant Award, Charlie Trotter and his service staff run what many consider to be America's finest restaurant. But it's not just about food in this renowned Chicago hot spot. It's about a subtle relationship between food, wine, ambiance, and service-a relationship Trotter has perfected by hiring passionate staff with the ability to surpass his incredibly high standards. In Lessons In Service, journalist Edmund Lawler reveals the secrets behind Trotter's unequaled success and shows other businesses how to improve their levels of service. From unconventional motivational techniques, staff empowerment, and mentoring to role playing, pre-service meetings, and an obsessive pursuit of excellence-Trotter leaves nothing to chance. The service is a nightly ballet that leaves guests feeling pampered, educated, and of course, wonderfully satisfied. Follow the advice of Charlie Trotter, and no matter what your business, your customers will keep coming back again and again.

Author Biography: Edmund Lawler teaches journalism at DePaul University. He is the author of four books, including Charlie Trotter's: An Insider's Look at the Famed Restaurant and Its Cuisine. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Read also Delizia or China Bayles Book of Days

Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual

Author: Peter Hertzmann

Don't be surprised if it changes the way you cook.

Knives are the most common pieces of equipment in the kitchen, yet few cooks know the basic techniques that can allow them to carve, chop, slice, and mince effectively. Peter Hertzmann teaches you skills that encompass everything you need to do with a knife in the kitchen, whether you're a four-star chef or an at-home beginner. This comprehensive guide fills a gaping void in culinary literature.
• Over 800 step-by-step illustrations for right- and left-handed cooks.
• Exact instructions on how to do everything: mince onions, julienne ginger, bone trout, carve turkey.
• How to select the best knives and cutting boards.
• Directions for proper knife maintenance.
• 2-color throughout; 800 drawings.

Jennifer A. Wickes - Library Journal

This is an excellent book for beginning- and intermediate-level home cooks, and it fills a void in the cookbook world. Almost every cookbook assumes that you know how to mince, dice, julienne, peel a mushroom, and more. But this work takes you through each of those proficiencies with images to help describe how to achieve each cutting skill. Also included is how to hold knives to avoid injury as well as types of knives and their purposes, caring for your knives, and how to maintain their sharpness. Hertzmann, who teaches knife skills and cooking at Sur la Table, also suggests which cutting boards are best, with tips on how to use them better. An outstanding addition to all public libraries.

Table of Contents:

Introduction     10
The Basics     14
How Knives Work     16
Knife Anatomy     17
A Knife Directory     21
How to Hold a Knife     26
Caring for Knives     28
Keeping Knives Sharp     30
Cutting Boards     33
Slicing, Chopping, Dicing, and Mincing     35
Vegetables and Fruits     36
Cutting Onions     38
Right-hand version     39
Left-hand version     43
Cutting Shallots     47
Right-hand version     48
Left-hand version     51
Cutting Garlic     54
Right-hand version     55
Left-hand version     58
Cutting Carrots and Other Conical Vegetables     61
Right-hand version     62
Left-hand version     64
Cutting Zucchini and Other Cylindrical Vegetables     66
Right-hand version     67
Left-hand version     69
Cutting Turnips and Other Smooth-Skinned Spherical Vegetables     71
Right-hand version     72
Left-hand version     74
Cutting Potatoes     76
Right-handversion     77
Left-hand version     79
Cutting Celery Root and Other Rough-Skinned Spherical Vegetables     81
Right-hand version     82
Left-hand version     84
Cutting Leeks     86
Right-hand version     87
Left-hand version     90
Cutting Green Onions     93
Right-hand version     94
Left-hand version     96
Cutting Celery     98
Right-hand version     99
Left-hand version     101
Cutting Fennel     103
Right-hand version     104
Left-hand version     106
Cutting Asparagus     108
Right-hand version     109
Left-hand version     110
Cutting Artichokes     111
Right-hand version     112
Left-hand version     114
Cutting Cabbage     116
Right-hand version     117
Left-hand version     118
Cutting Chard, Kale, and Other Leafy Greens     119
Right-hand version     120
Left-hand version     122
Cutting Herbs     124
Right-hand version      125
Left-hand version     126
Cutting Ginger     127
Right-hand version     128
Left-hand version     131
Cutting Cauliflower and Broccoli     134
Right-hand version     135
Left-hand version     136
Cutting Peppers     137
Right-hand version     138
Left-hand version     141
Cutting Mushrooms     144
Right-hand version     145
Left-hand version     148
Cutting Tomatoes     151
Right-hand version     152
Left-hand version     156
Cutting Avocados     160
Right-hand version     161
Left-hand version     164
Cutting Apples and Pears     167
Right-hand version     168
Left-hand version     171
Cutting Citrus Fruits     174
Right-hand version     175
Left-hand version     177
Cutting Pineapple     179
Right-hand version     180
Left-hand version     182
Meat, Fish, and Poultry     184
Cutting Poultry     186
Right-hand version     187
Left-hand version     195
Cutting Fish     203
Right-hand version     204
Left-hand version     212
Cutting Meat     220
Right-hand version     221
Left-hand version     229
Carving Meat and Poultry     237
Right-hand version     238
Left-hand version     242
Acknowledgments     247
Index     249