Christian Chefs Newsletter
October 15, 1999

OUTLINE:
           Introduction
           Christianity in the Kitchen - "Our Lord Spoke"
           Learning Subject of the Month - Fats & Oils
           Recipe Contest
           Featured Recipe
           Recent Job Listings - 3 New
           Featured Website - AllRecipes.com

Now that we're on the new web server, as mentioned last month, we have many new and exciting changes being made right this second.  To start with, we're working on a complete redesign of the entire website, getting rid of frames, and making MAJOR improvements in the overall looks and ease of navigation for you there.  These changes can't yet be seen on our website, but by next month, we expect the redesign will be complete.

One change that has been completed (and featured last month) is our NEW and easy-to-use Message Boards (link below).  Here you can feel free to ask a question about any Christian or culinary subject, give an answer, post a prayer request, tell of a neat culinary trick you use, or share a link to your favorite Christian or culinary website. 

An improvement to our website made just this month is our new Chatroom. This chatroom is on the ChristianLinks.com chatroom network, and when you enter it (link below) you will be in the Christian Chefs Fellowship room.  If there aren't any other Christian chefs in that specific room, by a simple click of your mouse, you can easily be in another Christian chat of your choice, and there are ALWAYS other Christians on the network to chat with!

Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Chatroom:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/chatroom.html

"The lord thundered from heaven; The most high gave a mighty shout.  He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; His lightning flashed, and they were confused." 2 Samuel 22:14,15

This month for devotional focus, I am drawing upon my twenty-seven years as a high mountain camp and conference center cook. I was Food Service Director in camps located in beautiful, but equally isolated high altitude locations.  From August on, thunderstorms would roll across the mountains every afternoon.  In those days, that meant the electrical power would go off every afternoon.  The storms would be so fierce, we would have to post lookouts at all the high points around the camps to look out for lightning strikes.

I remember this one particular camp.  It had a gorgeous brand new "all electric" kitchen.  The camp was owned by a group down in Los Angeles, and obviously, the owners had not given thought to the weather when designing this terrific kitchen.  Needless to say, this old Christian cook had some real challenges that first summer.  I quickly learned that I'd better begin preparations for dinner immediately after cooking breakfast!   While dinner simmered, I got lunch ready.  By the time the power went off at one o'clock, I was able to leave dinner on the heavy cast iron grills on top of the stoves and it would stay well above the safety temperature zone until dinner time.  The staff learned to expect lots of stews, pot pies, spaghetti and the like for dinner during that time of year. :-)

I had always had a fear of thunder since I was a small child.  My family and I had gotten caught out in a large Alpine meadow in the High Sierras during a really fierce thunder and lightning storm.  I had never gotten over that terror of having lightning striking all around us.

That particular summer, since I had my afternoons fairly free, I decided to study what God's Word had to say about "thunder".  I was in for a delightful surprise.  Since my study, I no longer fear storms;  I go out into them, and welcome my Lord's voice and sing praises to my Father.

Here are just a few of the results of my look into my Strong's Concordance:

"Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived for battle, but the lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them." 1 Samuel 7:10

"As I watched, the lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll.  Then one of the four living beings called out with a voice that sounded like thunder, 'Come!'" Revelation 6:1

The more I studied, the clearer it became; my Lord speaks through the thunder and lightning.  That is my Father up there banging around those clouds. Praise the Lord!  Now I love to go out into the woods and have a praise time with the God of creation during those storms.

Our Lord is with us during the storms of our lives, and through the trials we all experience in the line of duty in food service.  We just need to remember who the real "Boss" is.

What unique happening or difficulty has lead you to run to our Father's Word in a deeper way?  Share with us.  Encourage us with how the Lord has spoken to you through your day-to-day food service operation.

By Diane Boone
Christian chef for 35 years:  27 in High Altitude Camps and Conference Centers, and 8 as a Sheriff Cook II

If God is speaking to your heart about these things, and you need somebody to talk with, please don't hesitate to e-mail us about your need and somebody from the Fellowship will contact you as soon as possible.  If you have a prayer request or would like to start a theological discussion on this or any other topic please feel free to post it in our Message Boards:

http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Continuing from where Diane left off in last month's article on Olive Oils (link to her article at the bottom of this article), I thought it'd be good to go into some detail this month on the choosing of which fats and oils you use. Then next month I'll follow this with an article on the specifics of how to use them. Although it will be briefly mentioned a couple of times, these articles are not about the nutritional aspects of fats and oils. They are about how to choose and use the best fats and oils for your specific needs.

All fats basically break down into three categories; those being saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats usually come from animal sources and are solid enough to hold at room temperature. A couple of exceptions to this are tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil, which are also semisolid at room temperature and are highly saturated. Aside from these oils, saturated fats include such items as butter, lard, margarine, and vegetable shortening. Nutritionally speaking, these fats and oils are considered the "bad guys" of the bunch, because they're attributed to some forms of cancer and are known to increase cholesterol levels, which leads to heart disease. Monounsaturated fats include such fats as olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil, and help reduce the levels of LDL (the bad) cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats include safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and sesame oil (listed from most, to the least amount of polyunsaturates). These fats, just like the monounsaturated ones, are also considered relatively healthy.

When purchasing butter, it's generally best for everyone to buy unsalted, grade "A" or "AA" butter. In my opinion, salted butter is never recommended, since nobody knows just how much salt is in it (although it does have a maximum of 2% salt), and in most desserts made, salt really should not be one of the many flavors you taste. The reason companies add salt to butter is to slightly extend the butter's shelf life, in which it might mask a slightly "old" flavor and aroma. With as much butter as we use in the kitchens we work in, I doubt anybody's going to have problems with butter going bad. The general rule is to keep butter refrigerated and try to use it within 2 weeks of its purchase. Another note along the lines of salted butter is that most everybody here is probably confident adding salt to the food themselves, making the flavoring aspects of salted butter just about useless. The one and only way to purchase butter that is salt free is with the "Unsalted" designation on the label. The designation of "Sweet Butter" on the label only means the butter was made from sweet cream (in contrast to sour cream), and does not mean the butter is salt-free. Grades "A" and "AA" on butter should be chosen over the grade "B" butter, for the grade "B" butter often has an acidic taste, as it is always made from sour cream.

In addition to butter, numerous other types of oils and shortenings are required in every professional kitchen. For your reference, below we've included a link to a couple of charts on our website. One chart matches numerous oils with their descriptions and uses; the other tells of certain fats' and oils' smoking points. Basically, you're going to want the fresher and more flavorful oils in such things as marinades, salad dressings, and other cold dishes. Fine olive oils, nut oils, and other similar oils are generally used for that purpose because of their special flavors. Oils you use for cooking, on the other hand, should have a more neutral flavor, and should have a higher smoking point. You'd want a neutral flavor because all the flavor of the oil you use in cooking will be lost in most of these cooking processes. The exceptions to this would be when doing a last minute saute on vegetables to be immediately served to the customer and when cooking mild-flavored fish, in which you might want to consider cooking with a decent-flavored olive oil. The higher smoking point is desired for cooking so the oil doesn't smoke while you're cooking, making your food come out with a nasty burnt flavor.

Just like mentioned above with butter, if not properly stored, ANY oil will become rancid, take on an unpleasant odor, and/or make it smoke when heated. Oils are best kept in glass or metal containers (not aluminum), out of contact with heat, light, air, and salts. Flavorful oils are more prone to loss of their flavors if they've been carelessly handled. Although I personally prefer to keep these oils rotated properly so they don't spend too much time on the shelf, some chefs prefer to keep them refrigerated when not in use. Most oils can be stored up to two months on the shelf, but that amount of time is shorter for the more flavorful oils, such as dark sesame oil, hazelnut oil, and extra virgin olive oils.

Other cooking fats and oils that have benefits to you include bacon and aerosol fats. Bacon, salt pork, and the like may be extremely unhealthy, but there's no substitute for their special flavor in some dishes. On the other hand, aerosol fats can apply an extremely thin and even coating of fat to the pan, benefiting those who are watching their fat and cholesterol intakes.

Basically, it all comes down to one very well known saying, that being "Fat = Flavor", but to achieve the proper flavors, you must know what fats to use and how to use them. Next month, we will go into more detail in using these specific fats and oils, but for now, you can go to the charts on our website (that are linked to below) to view some of the popular uses for each different kind of oil. God bless and happy cooking!!!

Fats & Oils charts:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/charts/oils.html

Last month's article on Olive Oils:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/newsletters/1999/09LSOTM.html

by Ira Krizo, CCF Director

We encourage and welcome any questions you may have about this article or any other food or faith-related questions in our NEW and easy to use Message Boards:

http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

BUTTERBALL FRESH TURKEY CUTS RECIPE CONTEST
WEBSITE: http://www.butterball.com/spring/1dish.html
PRIZES: $1,000 to the winners in each category
DEADLINE: Nov. 15
INFO: Submit recipes for one-dish meals using Butterball Fresh Turkey Cuts products. Recipes must fall into one of three categories: Butterball Fresh Boneless Breast Products (medallions, strips, cutlets, roast and tenderloins); Butterball Fresh Ground Turkey; or Butterball Fresh Sausage (Italian, Breakfast and Bratwurst). No more than 10 ingredients are allowed per recipe.

All contests listed above are provided by the company listed, NOT by CCF. For additional information on each contest, please visit the designated website listed for that specific listing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2ea Top sirloin steak, about one inch thick, 1.25 pounds (570 grams) each
1tsp (5ml) Salt
1/2tsp (2.5ml) Black pepper
1Tbsp (15ml) Olive oil
2ea Yellow onions, medium, sliced thin
6ea Prosciutto di Parma, thin slices, cut into thin strips
1/2cup (118ml) Port wine
1/2cup (118ml) Water
1tsp (5ml) Fresh thyme leaves
1/2cup (118ml) Stilton cheese, crumbled

Procedure:
1. Adjust a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Season the sirloin with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot and then add the oil. Add the steak and sear the meat until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the seared meat to a plate and add the onions and prosciutto to the pan. Brown the onions, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
2. Once the onions have browned, remove the pan from the heat. Mound the onions into the center of the pan and place the meat directly over the onion mixture. Transfer pan to the oven. Cook the sirloin until desired doneness, about 20 minutes for medium-rare.
3. Remove the cooked sirloin to a clean plate to rest. Add the port, water, and thyme to the onion and prosciutto; simmer port to half its original volume.
4. Cut the sirloin into thin slices. Add any collected meat juices to the port sauce. Place the meat on a warm serving platter.
5. Top sirloin with the port sauce. Garnish with the Stilton cheese and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts: (per serving)
Calories: 563
Cholesterol: 163mg
Carbohydrate: 4g
Protein: 49g
Sodium: 719mg
Total Fat: 36g

A listing of all the current jobs posted with us may be found at the below link. Employers: posting your jobs with us is another FREE service provided by CCF, and the job will be listed in this newsletter and on our website! The below link will also guide you to the form for you to fill out which will allow you to submit your jobs to us.

Employment Opportunities
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

**
Name = Hartland Christian Camp
Location = Badger, CA
Timeline = Year Round, Full Time
Position = Food Service Manager
Responsibilities = Cooking, budget, menus, oversee staff, ordering, interact with campers
Pay = Contact for details
Second Position = Baker
Responsibilities = Baking, some cooking
Pay = Contact for details
Contact:
           Rodney Goodmon
           rodgoodmon@spiralcomm.net
           (888) 202-4024
**
Name = Hanalei Mixed Plate
Location = Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Timeline = Full Time or Part Time, Year Round
Position = Working sous chef or cook
Responsibilities = Cooking lunch & dinner dishes and sandwiches, keeping the kitchen clean, some ordering
Pay = $8.00/hr plus benefits
Contact:
           Rudy Bosma
           kauaimp@aloha.net
           Box 326
           Hanalei, HI 96714
           Tel: 808-826-6555
           Fax: 808-823-8787
**
Name = Personal Pampered Chef Business
Location = Wherever you live
Submitted = 10/99
Timeline = Your choice, part time or full time
Position = Consultant
Responsibilities = Run your own business from home
Pay = Commission paid on sales
Contact:
           Julie Calloway
           Jbcallo@aol.com

This website is yet another great recipes website, with in-depth web pages for each of their numerous recipe categories. Other features for you to enjoy on their website include a recipe of the day, culinary store, and newsletter. Their bi-weekly newsletter has a section on cooking hints and tips, links to new fabulous recipes, and more.

http://www.AllRecipes.com

Permission is granted to circulate this publication via e-mail or in printed form to others providing that no fee is charged and that proper credit has been given to CCF for the part sent.

All links here with the exception of the hyperlinked newsletter are usually only viewable with frames-compatible browsers. Non-frames viewers can find all this information through links on the non-frames homepage of our website here:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/index.html

Any donations or other need for land-mail correspondence may be sent to the below address. The following link leads to our "Finances" webpage, where you can find how all CCF's finances are handled.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/finances.html

If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like to be added to this mailing list, please go to the following website to sign up:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/subscribe.html

If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please send an e-mail to the address below, with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject column.

God Bless,
Ira Krizo, Director

Christian Chefs Fellowship
webmaster@ChristianChefs.org
http://www.ChristianChefs.org
P.O. Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325-0608
Phone: (909) 338-0876
Fax: (508) 462-1068
AOL Buddy list name = "ChristChef"
ICQ number = 15520005

Note: To view our archived newsletters, go HERE

Volunteering Opportunities Available:
           Writers for the newsletter
                      "Christianity in the Kitchen" articles
                      "Learning Subject of the Month" articles
                      Submitting your favorite recipes
                      Recommendations for good Christian and culinary websites to feature
                      Other articles (open for suggestions)
           Experienced web programmers and graphic designers
           Representatives to help get our name out
           People wanting to start local chapters in their community
           Director of "Healthy Living" ministry
           Chatroom hosts
           Translators (various languages)