Christian Chefs Newsletter
March 2003

Subscription/Unsubscription/Address Change/Contact Information can be found near the base of this newsletter.

MENU du JOUR:
      Appetizer
      Main Course
           Christianity in the Kitchen - "God's Goodness"
           Culinary Learning - "Stocks"
           CCF Trivia
           Recipe - Chicken Stock
           Recent Job Listings - 6 New
      Dessert
           Recipe Contests (For Professionals Only)
           Hints and Tips
           Featured Website - freebibleemail.com
           Chef to Chef
           A Little Something Extra
           A Merry Heart
      Toothpick

A P P E T I Z E R

Recently a new conference has been added to the "Conferences" section of our website - this one for Christian camp/conference center cooks only in New Hampshire.  More information on this is available on our website.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/conferences

Also, if you're interested in some online devotional reading, all of the "Christianity in the Kitchen" devotional articles from our past newsletters are archived in the "Devotionals" section of our website.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/newsletters/CITK.html

God bless, and I pray all is going well with the end of everybody's winter season.

Your Brother in Christ,
Ira Krizo
CCF@ChristianChefs.org

M A I N    C O U R S E

"All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

God, who is outside of time, is constantly working for the goodness of us who love Him.  We, on the other hand, generally find it impossible to imagine anything outside of time; much less contemplate how God could work out ALL things for us through all the circumstances of life with absolutely perfect timing.  This isn’t God looking at each circumstance and reacting to them, but rather, reading through this chapter of your Bible, what He had planned for us from the beginning of time.

Oftentimes when we see that verse, we continue the thought through some situation with how difficult things may be in the kitchen we work in or some other aspect of our lives, then wondering how that could possibly be God working all things for good.  Continuing with that, just take a look through the Bible.  Generally, our lives are easy in comparison with David, Job, and all these other people who were at times utterly defeated in many different ways I can hardly contemplate.

So how can any of that be working together for good to those who love God?  David surely loved God, as did Job, but still their lives were full of defeat.  First off, notice that God specifically says that all things are "for good", NOT "for happiness".   So what is the definition of the word "good"?  According to Mark 10:18, Jesus has one definition of the word, which is God Himself.  Notice that it doesn’t necessarily say that God acts good, but rather the definition of goodness is God Himself.  The only way of telling what is good or not is to look at God, as He alone is its definition.  That’s one reason people don’t care about sin, as they define what’s good with whatever they want to.  There are always numbers of biblically sound principles that most people keep, such as not committing murder or adultery, but depending on how far away from God’s principles one gets, the farther away from the truth that person’s definition of what good is.

As Mark 10:18 states, "No one is good but One, that is, God."  Therefore, even what I think of myself as being good sometimes varies from what God thinks of as good.  Not remembering that God knows what’s best for us, we Christians often look at the circumstances and worries of today rather than the big picture God has.  God knows what’s best for us a lot better than we do, so who are we to impatiently question why God doesn’t do things in the timing we think is best for Him to do them in?  That example in itself is a good picture to see where God stands in your life - do you try telling God what’s best for you OR do you let God instruct you through what’s best for you?  Are you open to all the hardships God has in store to mold and shape you into His image, like He did with David and Job, or do you believe the common fallacy that God only wants you to have a nice peaceful life, never having any kind of trials?  God doesn’t expect us to enjoy trials, but He does expect us to endure them by His strength alone so that we know exactly Whom our trust is in (and it’s not in ourselves).

God bless, and I pray God helps open all our eyes as to who the entirety of our lives really belongs to so that His goodness and mercy may flow in and through us.

Ira Krizo
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/about/irakrizo.html

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

It is possible to use a "base" (available from most purveyors) to flavor water to make it taste similar to stock, but it never really comes close to the real thing.  If you’re just cooking for yourself and a few others at home, most grocery stores sell a fairly good quality of broths in cartons, but if you buy one of those, try to get one without MSG.

The ingredients and effort it takes to make one are miniscule in the first place.  The most important ingredient is the bones (available through your purveyor or a nearby butcher).  For a white stock, you’ll just add them straight to the water, or if you’re looking to make a hardier brown stock, roast the bones in a very hot oven until they are dark brown (not burnt).  Many different meats can be used.  The most common is chicken or veal, but you can also use fish, game, and other ingredients.  You can use any part of fish trimmings (bones, skin, and heads) excluding the gills, as they are very bitter.  You can even use all herbs and vegetables to make a vegetarian stock.

Another important ingredient is the mirepoix.  Mirepoix is a combination of onions, carrots, and celery.  This is a classic combination of vegetables that adds a great deal of flavor to many recipes.  For a white stock, wash and dice these in large chunks and throw them right in the water.  For a brown stock, add them to the bones about 10 minutes before the bones are finished roasting.  That way the vegetables will be nicely roasted as well.

Other ingredients you can add if you would like are bay leaves, peppercorns, and other herbs.  If you have other vegetable scraps lying around the kitchen, like herb stems or tomato scraps, feel free to add them as well.  You may add salt to enhance the blending of the ingredients with the liquid, but use only a tiny bit, as you want to season your stock in the final cooking process of the soup/sauce rather than here.

The ratio is pretty much always 8 pounds (4kg) of bones to 5-6 quarts (5-6l) of water to make 1 gallon (4l) of stock.  Always start a stock with cold water, bring it to a boil, then lower the temperature to a gentle simmer.  At this point skim the scum off the top of the stock and add the mirepoix and other ingredients.  For chicken, veal, or game stocks, simmer for about 6 hours.  If you’re using beef bones, let it go for about 8 hours.  Since fish bones are so delicate, use half that weight in bones and only simmer it for 30-45 minutes.  Simmering any longer will spoil the flavor of a fish stock.  Also, as required throughout the cooking process, skim the scum and grease off the stock (don’t stir it in).

When the stock is finished, put it through a very fine strainer (and preferably cheesecloth as well), then cool it down as quickly as possible.  This is generally best done by shocking it (submerging the containers of stock into a larger container filled with ice water).

If you don’t need all of it immediately and want each batch of your stock to last a while, you can freeze it for 6 to 8 weeks. If it’s just for home use, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and store the cubes of frozen stock in plastic bags to be able to pull out whatever portion size you need for that meal. The more gelatinous your stock comes out, the longer a shelf life it will have. If it’s extremely gelatinous, it was cooked a bit too fast.

Stock can be used in many different aspects.  Instead of water, use stock for making a soup or sauce.  Reduce a brown stock until it’s naturally thickened; adding a bit of rosemary and thyme will make a fabulous sauce for meats or poultry. Or a brown chicken stock is a great complement to roasted broccoli soup.

Ira Krizo
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/about/irakrizo.html

Stock Recipes
See the below recipe for chicken stock and/or see the Recipes section of CCF's website to find good recipes for fish stock and vegetarian demi-glace.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/recipes.html

Questions about this article or any other culinary related subject can be asked via the "Culinary Q&A" Section of the Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

First, this newsletter's question:

What is the name of the rich bread which consists of flour, milk (instead of water), butter, provolone cheese, salami, eggs, sugar, yeast, and salt? (Ingredients are listed in order of largest to least amounts used.)

E-mail your answer to "trivia@ChristianChefs.org" with "Trivia Answer" in the subject column. Also, please tell us what brief title(s) ("Sous Chef," "Dallas, Texas," or whatever - see examples below) you would prefer for your name being listed in the next newsletter, as well as how difficult you found the question (so we can improve future trivia questions).

Solution to the last newsletter's trivia question:

Question:
Where does the word "Restaurant" come from?

Answer:
From the French word "restaurer", which means to restore or to refresh.

Additional information found/submitted on the subject:

The word was used by a Boulanger (bread baker) in Paris in 1765 when he started to make a soup that would restore people in the winter.  Since then every place where we serve prepared plated is called a "Restaurant".

Kansas City 1891 YWCA had the first cafeteria.

The first five people to answer this question correctly:
1. Manuel from Puebla, Mexico
2. Anne-Marie Hofman, Food Specifications Officer
3. Phil Bettencourt Jr.
4. Carole
5. S. Fisher, Fontana, California

Ingredients:
8 lb (4kg) Chicken Bones
6 qt (6l) Water
1 lb (500g) Mirepoix (carrots, onions, & celery)
Other ingredients (bay leaves, parsley stems, tomato scraps, peppercorns, etc.)

Method:
Roast the chicken bones in a roasting pan in a 450' (260'C) oven until dark brown (NOT burnt).  5 minutes before the bones are finished, add the mirepoix to roast it as well.  When finished, add the bones and vegetables to a stock pot.  On the stove, deglaze the roasting pan with water.  Add that to the stock pot as well and add the cold water.  Bring the stock to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.  Add the other optional ingredients and cook for 6 hours.  Strain the stock through a fine strainer and a cheesecloth and cool quickly.

Other Stocks
See the above article on Stocks for detailed information on the topic, and/or see the Recipes section of CCF's website to find good recipes for fish stock and vegetarian demi-glace.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/recipes.html

More information on each of the below Job Listings, such as the job's timeline, responsibilities, pay, and how to contact the employer on each of these, can be found within the Employment area of our website (link below). There you can also find jobs that have been posted in previous months that haven't yet been filled and you can also post any job openings you have to be listed there and in this newsletter for FREE!
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

Name = Calvary Chapel Conference Center
Location = Twin Peaks, California (USA)
Positions = Kitchen Manager/Cooks

Name = Youth With A Mission - Brisbane
Location = Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)
Position = Kitchen Manager/Cook

Name = La Garita Creek Ranch
Location = Del Norte, Colorado (USA)
Positions = Head Chef & Kitchen Assistant

Name = Forest Home Ministries
Location = Forest Falls, California (USA)
Positions = Cook III, Cook II, Cook I, Utility/Prep

Name = Black Rock Retreat
Location = Quarryville, Pennsylvania (USA)
Position = Cook

Name = Cross Point Camp
Location = Kingston, Oklahoma (USA)
Position = Guest Services Coordinator

D E S S E R T

Please note: Contest Listing(s) below are for PROFESSIONALS ONLY in the culinary industry. There are many more contests available for nonprofessionals as well, some of them ongoing or being repeated on a monthly basis. If you're interested in those, here's one excellent website to check out:
http://www.recipecontests.com

CLEAR SPRINGS TROUT RECIPE CONTEST
Clear Springs is challenging chefs and cooks of commercial and noncommercial dining operations to submit original recipes featuring Clear Cuts Boneless Idaho Rainbow Trout fillets.
DEADLINE: March 18
PRIZES: Grand Prize: A weeklong class at The Culinary Institute of America Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., plus travel expenses for two and $500 spending money; Second Prize: $250; Third Prize: $100.
WEB SITE: http://www.tommytrout.com/news/default.asp
MORE INFO: To request an entry form, call (800) 635-8211

FLORIDA NATURAL PREMIUM BRAND JUICES CITRUS RECIPE CONTEST
Recipes must contain at least one Florida's Natural Premium Brand juice product as an ingredient in the recipe and make prominent use of the juice ingredient. Drink recipes are not accepted.
DEADLINE: March 31
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $10,000 and tickets to Universal Studios Florida; First Prize(2): $1,000 and tickets to Universal Studios Florida; Honorable Mention(50): $50 and tickets to Universal Studios Florida.
WEB SITE: http://www.floridasnatural.com/chefcontest/

ACF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP "THE ORIGINAL WHITE MEAT" CHAMPIONSHIP
Contestants will submit two recipes: one soup recipe using a minimum of two ounces of Custom Gold Label Food Base per eight servings and one sauce recipe using a minimum of one ounce of Custom Gold Label Food Base per eight servings.
DEADLINE: April 30
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $1,500 and championship trophy; First Runner-Up: $750 and a trophy; Second Runner-Up: $500 and a trophy; Third Runner-Up: $250 and a trophy.
WEB SITE: http://www.acfchefs.org/events/natcon03/competitions.html#Custom

ACF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP "THE ORIGINAL WHITE MEAT" CHAMPIONSHIP
Contestants will submit an original entrée recipe featuring Tyson chicken.
DEADLINE: April 30
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $1,500 and championship trophy; First Runner-Up: $750 and a trophy; Second Runner-Up: $500 and a trophy; Third Runner-Up: $250 and a trophy.
WEB SITE: http://www.acfchefs.org/events/natcon03/competitions.html#Tyson

PASTA LABELLA CHALLENGE RECIPE CONTEST
Contestants will submit an original entrée recipe featuring one pound of Pasta LaBella pasta.
DEADLINE: April 30
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $1,500 and championship trophy; First Runner-Up: $750 and a trophy; Second Runner-Up: $500 and a trophy; Third Runner-Up: $250 and a trophy.
WEB SITE: http://www.acfchefs.org/events/natcon03/competitions.html#PAsta

ALMOND INSPIRATIONS RECIPE CONTEST
California Almonds wants your best recipe with almonds in one of two categories: Regional American or Ethnic.
DEADLINE: May 31
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $5,000; Category Prize(2): $2,500.
WEB SITE: http://www.almondsarein.com/contest/

DOLE TROPICAL PASSPORT AROUND THE WORLD RECIPE CONTEST
Food operators, chefs or restaurateurs are asked to submit an original recipe for an appetizer, main dish, dessert or beverage that uses at least 1 can of Dole Pineapple, (crushed, chunks, tidbits or slices in syrup or juice), Dole Pineapple Juice, Dole Mandarin Oranges and/or Dole Tropical Fruit Salad.
DEADLINE: June 30
PRIZES: Grand Prize: trip to Hawaii for 2 people for 7 days and 6 nights; Runners-Up(3): $2,000.
WEB SITE: http://dole.com/foodservice/recipecontest.jsp

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

You can cut a meringue pie cleanly by coating both sides of the knife lightly with butter.

Submitted by Diane Boone

If you know of any great hints or tips, please post them in the "Hints and Tips" area of the Message Boards. Of the ones posted there, one will be featured here in our newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

This site offers totally free the service of sending you a daily e-mail with scriptures from either the King James Version or the New International Version of the Bible.  In their own words: "Subscribe to Free Bible Email and you will read the Bible in a year.  Every day you will receive an email with 4 or 5 chapters from the Bible.  One or two chapters will be from the New Testament.  One chapter will be from Psalms or Proverbs.  And two chapters will be from the Old Testament.  Read the email every day and in  a year you will have read the entire Bible."

You may also sign up to receive (again, totally free!) a daily devotional.  These are short, but powerful, and extremely encouraging.  I know, because I've been getting them for several months and though filled with wisdom, they're also brimming with practicality.  Each devotional includes a prayer at the end, which encourages you to speak the Word of God out loud, confessing with your mouth what you have just gleaned from the Scriptures.

I highly recommend this site to everyone who seriously wants to grow in their walk with the Lord.

Carol Pinson
Cook
Leslie, Arkansas

"I love crepes! I'll even confess to loving a frozen crepe entree that Stouffers offered back in the day. It was so yummy; trust me! Maybe some of you remember it. It was a chicken stuffed crepe in a cream sauce.

I've attempted crepes a few times but believe the recipe wasn't any good. So, now if y'all be so generous... please share some of your fav crepe recipes, be they for an entree or dessert!"

This quote taken from the "Recipes" section of CCF's message boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

If you're searching for particular instructions or cooking techniques or maybe have a special need, you can post these on our message boards. If you've done that and are still in need, please e-mail us and let us know so that we may highlight that need in this section of our next newsletter.

If you are a Christian, you have "found favor with God."  And that doesn't mean smooth sailing.  That means that God will do whatever it takes to build you into the person He wants you to be.  So if your life is rough right now, be patient.  Praise God that you have found favor with Him.  And watch what He does with you in order to carry out His plans.
-Bonnie Ricks

Borrowed with permission from "This Day's Thought"
http://www.thisdaysthought.org

Food is for the body;
Good food is for the soul.
-unknown

Submitted by Carol Pinson

T O O T H P I C K

Note: To view our archived newsletters, go here: http://www.ChristianChefs.org/past_newsletters.html

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God Bless,
Ira Krizo, Director
Christian Chefs Fellowship
CCF@ChristianChefs.org
http://www.ChristianChefs.org
Phone: (909) 696-3930
Fax: (508) 462-1068

Christian Chefs Fellowship
PO Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325
USA