Christian Chefs Newsletter
January 15, 2000

OUTLINE:
           Introduction
           Christianity in the Kitchen - Worry
           Learning Subject of the Month - Potatoes
           Recipe Contest
           Featured Recipe
           Recent Job Listings - 4 New
           Featured Website - www.pastrywiz.com

Happy New Year! The power's still on and everybody's e-mail addresses are still in our database, so we can all praise God for that :-). Starting out the new year with a little fun and games, this month we have a new area of our website that just opened which is for Games. The kicker for that is our Hangman game. This isn't the original mindless letter-guessing Hangman you're used to; we've put the game together so that you can actually learn from it. The different versions are Expert Culinary Hangman, Novice Culinary Hangman, Bible Hangman, and a Mixed Hangman as well. Every version has an extensive hint, and once you discover the word, there's a good chance you'll even learn a thing or two. Another game we have is a Concentration puzzle; see if you can figure it out and maybe even get on the high scores list. To try any of these games, just follow the below link and play to your heart's content:

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

As you just read, Jesus personally said in the above verses that worry is straight out useless! I'm sure everybody reading this agrees with that completely, so why do we still do it so very often?

Everybody has their own excuses for worrying, whether they be in regards to a relationship they're struggling with, struggles with their job, or any number of other little struggles we go through.

Through my personal experience, I know many cooks and chefs start worrying when things don't go right in the kitchen. Like when we get straight out slammed during dinner service and we start worrying about getting the food to the customers without them waiting too awfully long. There are even tendencies to worry about what others (ie. our bosses) are thinking about the quality of our cooking, how fast we are, and other of our numerous traits. Instead of worrying, we should just do the best we possibly can because Christ has commanded us against being slothful (not doing your very best).

Thinking about it, I too am guilty of worrying, but why do we worry about such petty things as these? Think about those people who are being persecuted for the sake of the church! Just yesterday, I was reading a news article about a man named Xu Yanghai from China. He got off work one day (a couple weeks ago on New Year's Eve) and went to his house to have some people over so they could praise God together. Police followed him, and once the meeting started, they came in, beat and arrested the group. On New Year's Day reports said people saw him being dragged along on the floor of the police station. Xu very well knew that this kind of thing could happen, but instead of worrying about it, He left it in God's hands and is probably still praising Him in spite of it. These kinds of things happen on a daily basis to our brothers and sisters in Christ, while we often ignore the news, thinking only of our own little worries that we usually bring upon ourselves.

God never said that life will be easy for us, but He did say that He will provide for our EVERY need! Time spent worrying is wasted; we could be using that time to trust God instead. We could be trusting Christ to work through us to resolve whatever challenges we might be going through and to move on, and in the process, finding a way to glorify Himself.

So exactly what is it that we do when we worry? We mull over and over in our minds and show with our actions what the problem is. On the other hand, if we get out of the flesh and into the spirit, God provides through us, and with that we are able to work on resolving the problem. As Jesus said in regards to persecution, "When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:19 (NIV)

Once we get to the point of trusting God with the worries we have of today, we tend to start worrying about what the future has for us; like what job to take next and who and when we should marry. Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." As He said here, we should be trusting God and God alone to take care of every aspect of not just today, but also our future - according to His will rather than according to our fleshly desires.

God has promised all of us who have trusted Him to be our Savior that we have been born into His family for ETERNITY. Therefore, we truly have nothing to worry about even when we have challenges in our life like Xu Yanghai is probably having in his life right this moment. We're only on this world for so many years, and those few years in comparison with the thought of spending the rest of eternity in Heaven with Christ Jesus himself makes worrying, as mentioned in the above quoted verses, a straight out waste of time.

by Ira Krizo
CCF Director

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

Potatoes date back to being cultivated thousands of years ago by the ancient Incas. The potato wasn't accepted in Europe until the 16th century because it was thought to be poisonous as were the tomato and eggplant. Finally, Sir Walter Raleigh was able to eliminate the "poisonous potato" rumor by planting some on his property in Ireland. Within a hundred years, the potato was grown and consumed in mass quantities. Although below we will only be mentioning a handful of varieties of this tuber, there are hundreds of varieties grown around the world.

At the base of this article, you will find a link to a chart that discusses all the most popular varieties of potatoes, including their description, most popular uses, peak seasons, and some are even accompanied by a picture.

One of the most popular varieties of potatoes, the russet, has a very low moisture and high starch content, giving it superior baking qualities as well as making them very suitable for French fries. Long white potatoes have a similar shape as the russet, but they have thin, gray-brown skins with almost imperceptible eyes. This potato can be used for the same purposes as the russet, but these are better suited for the boiling process than russets.

A very young long white potato that's about thumb-size is called a finger potato, which is best used for adding to the plate presentation whole or with one cut on the bias. Other potatoes that, without much work, can be made to add to the plate or buffet presentation on their own are "new" potatoes, bliss potatoes, and blue potatoes. Blue potatoes are rarely ever solid blue, and usually range from bluish-purple to purple-black. New potatoes go especially well in potato salad also, given that they can be cooked whole, and when cut, retain their shape very well.

When purchasing, you should find firm, well-shaped (for their type), and blemish-free potatoes. New potatoes may be missing some of their feathery skin, but other types should not have any bald spots. Avoid potatoes that are wrinkled, sprouted, or cracked. The green tinge you sometimes find on potatoes is an alkaloid that comes from a prolonged exposure to light, and when eaten in great quantities can be toxic. This bitter green portion can be cut or scraped off and the potato cooked by your preferred method. When you store potatoes, do so in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated place for up to 2 weeks. When refrigerated, potatoes can become quite sweet and then turn dark when cooked. Warm temperatures, on the other hand, encourage undesirable sprouting and shriveling.

Potatoes are probably the most versatile vegetable in the world and can be cooked in almost any way imaginable. The most popular types are obviously baked, mashed, steamed, roasted, and hash browns. These you probably already know how to make yourself. In addition, I've listed a few other ways you can cook potatoes below. There isn't room in this newsletter to write out the recipe for each method, but if you find a type that interests you, you can ask for a more in-depth explanation in the "Recipes" section of our Message Boards (link below).

Steamed New Potatoes with Fines Herbes
Boiled Parslied Potatoes
Baked Stuffed Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Potatoes au Gratin
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Savoyarde Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes Baked in Cider with Currants and Cinnamon
Potatoes Hashed in Cream
Chateaubriand Potatoes
Potato Pancakes
Roesti Potatoes
Potatoes Anna
Swedish-Style Candied Potatoes
Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Potato Puree
Duchesse Potatoes
Croquette Potatoes
Lorette Potatoes
Berny Potatoes
Macaire Potatoes
Potato Nest
Souffled Potatoes
Sweet Potato Chips

Potato Varieties Chart:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/charts/potatoes.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 Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

BUILD THE KITCHEN OF YOUR DREAMS DESSERT RECIPE CONTEST
WEBSITE: http://www.sunset.com/Offers/CHContest/CHContest.html
PRIZES: Grand Prize, Winner will consult with a professional kitchen designer to create a "dream kitchen" worth up to $40,000; First Prize, winner in each category chooses a major baking appliance worth up to $1,000; Second Prize, Kitchen Aid Professional K50 Pro Mixer ($400 each) for each category; Third Prize, "Ultimate Baker's Essentials Basket" ($250 each).
DEADLINE: Jan. 31
INFO: C&H Sugar Co. and Sunset Magazine are looking for original dessert recipes for cookies, cakes or dessert pies. First, recipes will be judged according to the following criteria: Creativity, Originality and Appropriate Use of Product. Afterwards, the recipes of the 15 finalists will be prepared, tasted, then judged on the basis of Taste Appeal and Quickness and Ease of Preparation.

To find out about future contests, you can follow the below link to the NEW "Contests" area of our website:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/contests.html

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

Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
1/2 ea Spanish onion, chopped fine
1 tsp (5ml) garlic clove, minced
1 ea jalapeno pepper, chopped, add to taste
1 tbsp (15ml) tomato paste
2 tsp (10ml) chili powder
1/4 tsp (1 1/4ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 1/2ml) ground coriander
1 1/2 cup (355ml) canned chicken broth
2 ea roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch (5cm) dice
1/4 cup (59ml) green olives, pitted, sliced
1/4 cup (59ml) raisins
1/4 tsp (1 1/4ml) salt, to taste
1/4 tsp (1 1/4ml) freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 ea striped sea bass, 5 oz (142gm) fillets

Preparation Steps:
1 Preheat oven to 400' F (200' C). Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, chili, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander; cook just until well combined, about 30 seconds.
2 Stir in broth, tomatoes, olives, and raisins. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and reduce to a sauce consistency, about 10-12 minutes. Season finished sauce with salt and pepper.
3 While tomato mixture simmers, transfer fish to a lightly oiled casserole dish. Season fish with salt and pepper, as desired.
4 Top fillets with cooked tomato sauce. Bake fish until it flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes.
5 Carefully remove fish to a bed of rice. Spoon extra sauce on fish as desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings 4
Per Serving:
Calories: 283
Cholesterol: 122mg
Carbohydrate: 13g
Protein: 29g
Sodium: 661mg
Total Fat: 13g

Find jobs and post job openings here:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

**
Name = JH Ranch Mountain Resort
Location = Etna, California (USA)
Timeline = Full Time, Summer Seasonal
Position = Assistant Cook
Responsibilities = Cook for 200-500, supervise, camp meals buffet style, banquets, responsible for overall operations, appearance, and cleanliness of dining hall
Pay = Salary & housing, abundant praise & worship 24/7
Contact:
           Mark Miller
           or
           Lanette L. Samaniego
           8525 Homestead Lane
           Etna, CA 96027
           jhranch2@sisqtel.net
           LSBlueyez@aol.com

**
Name = Lake Williamson Christian Center
Location = Carlinville, Illinois (USA)
Timeline = Full Time, Salaried
Position = Food Services Manager
Responsibilities = Cook for 20-1000, supervise all staff, buffet style, banquets, camp meals, responsible for overall operations, appearance, and cleanliness of dining hall
Pay = Full benefits, salary based on abilities and experience
Second Position = Assistant Cook
Responsibilities = Assist to the head cook, responsible for meals in absence of Head Cook
Pay = Full benefits, salary based on abilities, experience
Contact:
           Gary Glabe
           gglabe@lwccag.org
           http://www.lwccag.org
           Human Resources
           Box 640
           Carlinville, IL 62626
           (217) 854-4820

**
Name = The Tops Conference Centre
Location = Near Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)
Timeline = Full Time
Position = Assistant Head Cook
Responsibilities = Assist catering manager in all facets of catering
Pay = Negotiable
Contact:
           David Tolman, General Manager
           davet@ideal.net.au

**
Name = Pembina Valley Bible Camp
Location = Darlingford, Manitoba (Canada)
Timeline = June 22, 2000 - August 26, 2000, or parts
Position = Head Cook
Responsibilities = To prepare the meals for the summer camps and to assist in menu planning
Pay = Volunteer, room and board
Second Position = Assistant Cooks
Responsibilities = To assist in the preparation of meals
Pay = Volunteer, room and board
Contact:
           Brent Ankrom
           pvcamp@mb.sympatico.ca
           R.R.#1
           Darlingford, Manitoba
           Canada
           (204) 246-2008

This is a fabulous website that covers a great many different aspects of pastries, including extensive information on making wedding cakes and assorted types of cake decorating instructions. PastryWiz also has over 1,000 recipes, a bit on food storage and safety, numerous links, and more!

http://www.pastrywiz.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.

Donations are sincerely and deeply appreciated and 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 for a free subscription:
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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"
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           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)
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