Christian Chefs Newsletter
October 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 - "Iron Chefs...Arise!"
           Culinary Learning - "The World of Pasta"
           CCF Trivia
           Recipes - Pasta Dough & Spaetzle
           Recent Job Listings - 5 New
      Dessert
           Recipe Contests (For Professionals Only)
           Hints and Tips
           Featured Website - www.cafemeetingplace.com
           Chef to Chef
           A Little Something Extra
           A Merry Heart
      Toothpick

A P P E T I Z E R

Both the Southern California Christian Cooks Advance and the Indiana/Michigan Cooks Advance are being held from the 3rd to the 5th of next month (Monday-Wednesday). These conferences are specifically for cooks and chefs in Christian camps and conference centers. It's still not too late to sign up for either conference. More information for both can be found in the "Conferences" area of our website:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/conferences

God bless, and I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks if you are attending the Southern California Cooks Advance.

Also, there is a fairly urgent request for anyone living in the Seattle, Washington area if you're willing to help out a brother and sister in need:
http://www.christianchefs.org/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000041.html

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

M A I N    C O U R S E

"All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury."
Joshua 6:19 (NIV)

In 1 Chronicles 29:7, they gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. (Is that to extrapolate...the temple was mostly iron? Metalwise, it sure was!)

"You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."
Psalm 2:9 (Also Revelation 2:27) (NIV)

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

"For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze."
Isaiah 48:4 (NIV)

We all know of Daniel's vision of the legs of iron shattered by the rock. He also stated something really heavy.

"Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways."
Daniel 5:23 (NIV)

Iron shackles, yokes, bands that bind, manacles, chains -- they are very strong, yet can be broken. Just as iron sharpens iron, so does iron break iron -- by the one who holds the iron scepter of God's rule...Himself...the Lord Jesus Christ! How many of us have been or are now in bondage as described in Psalm 107:10?
Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom -- prisoners suffering in iron chains.
It feels like iron (life) sometimes hard and impervious to our attempts at self-salvation.
We all know we need help sometimes. In fact, every day, when we arise. Each day is a new chance to make the good choice, to ask for help; and then just as importantly, to receive that help! Prepare to receive, by armoring yourself -- not in iron that keeps the blessings out. But in armor as described in Romans 13:12 -

"the night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

So arise, stand, and fight! Who will reign Supreme? I think you all know the answer: the One who has been given power and authority -- our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

In times like these, it's good to know there have always been times like these.

Leo Griego
Director of Food Service Ministries
Nashville Rescue Mission
Nashville, Tennessee
Personal Website: http://geocities.com/leo_d_lyon

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

In its various forms, pasta has become a part of almost every country. Some say that Marco Polo brought the idea of pasta from China to Europe, but archaeological evidence has shown that it had been in both places long before then, so after doing a great deal of study, I found that nobody really knows for sure what culture pasta truly came from (if it was just one).

Many people think of pasta as regular egg noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, and lasagna, but once you start looking around, there are many more completely different varieties. In Asia alone, although some of their noodles are wheat-based, they use a great amount of rice noodles, but also some with a variety of other starches. These other starches include such things as potato flour, buckwheat flour, and mungbean starch, and may be eaten either hot or cold. Noodles in Asia are generally cooked by steaming, stir-frying, and even deep frying. They also have a large variety of different dumplings, which would also classify as pasta. Germans have their spaetzle, which is made with flour, eggs, water (or milk), and salt, made very soft and pushed through a colander into boiling water, then tossed with butter sauce, soups, and other dishes. In Poland they have their pierogi, half-moon shaped pork filled dumplings.

The most common Italian-style pasta refers to a dough made with semolina (durum wheat) flour mixed with water or milk and sometimes eggs. Semolina is the superior flour that is used because it doesn't absorb too much water and is perfect when properly cooked al dente (just slightly firm). The most common source of pasta is dried, and when looking for the best brand of dried pasta, even Italians in Italy admit that Barilla is the best brand. When I was in Italy, some friends I made there were surprised that Barilla was popular here since it is so good.

It's really not all that difficult to make fresh pasta either. All you need to buy is a pasta roller and the few basic ingredients. Generally, with fresh pasta, eggs are used as the liquid to better hold the more delicate pasta together. You can also experiment by adding other ingredients, such as adding herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or even some sweeter ingredients for a dessert pasta. When you add extra ingredients, be careful with how much liquid you add to the pasta, as with many ingredients (such as spinach) you will need less liquid. Since the pasta is rolled out as small as it is, it's best to puree the added ingredients rather than leaving them chunky. Contrary to dried pasta's almost indefinite shelf life, fresh pasta is best only within a few days of making it unless you freeze it or dry it yourself. Your pasta roller should come with directions on how to roll out the pasta. You can cut the pasta into a variety of shapes and sizes, and even make fillings and form the pasta into raviolis, tortellini, or other common (and not so common) shapes.

When cooking pasta ALWAYS make sure the water is boiling heavily and that there is a much larger quantity of water than pasta, as if both of those conditions don't exist, the pasta will release too much starch and become sticky. Also, make sure you salt the water. Although it was a slight exaggeration, one chef I worked under always informed us how (in a real deep accent) "ze water must taste like ze sea." You should always salt your water (taste the water to make sure it's the right consistency), as that adds greatly to the flavor of the pasta.

There is a large variety of pasta sauces you can use as well. For a lighter summer dish, you may want to use a simple broth, aglio e olio (garlic and hot olive oil) sauce, Checca (lightly toast some garlic in olive oil then add basil and tomatoes until warm, season) sauce, or maybe a pesto (an uncooked puree of basil, garlic, and parmesan, then adding olive oil to your preferred consistency - for pasta you can also finish it with cream) sauce. For not so light pasta dishes, you can use a carbonara (make a basic cream sauce starting it with cooking bacon until very crispy and finishing it with romano cheese) sauce, alfredo (basic cream sauce finished with parmesan) sauce, a variety of other cream sauces, bolognese (meat sauce) sauce, marinara (a cooked tomato sauce made with garlic, onions, and herbs) sauce, other tomato-based sauces, and many more.

You can combine in the sauce and/or garnish pasta with a variety of ingredients. The most common meats include Italian sausage, chicken, seafood, ham, duck confit, anchovies, and beef. Other common ingredients include parmesan (or other) cheese, grilled or roasted vegetables (large dice various vegetables, toss them in oil, garlic, salt & pepper, and roast them quickly to golden brown in a VERY hot oven), roasted pepper strips, mushrooms, and a variety of herbs.

Pasta is such a versatile ingredient that it has an almost endless amount of variations that can be used in some sense in almost any theme of a meal or restaurant.

God Bless,
Ira Krizo
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/about/irakrizo.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 nut with a highly toxic shell that grows from the bottom of a specific apple?
A) Walnut
B) Almond
C) Peanut
D) Cashew

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:
Who received his name from the dispersion of the languages at the tower of Babel?
A) Joktan
B) Peleg
C) Eber
D) Shem

Answer:
B) Peleg

Additional information found/submitted on the subject:
Peleg got his name from the Hebrew verb meaning "to divide". See Genesis 10:25 (and for the whole story Genesis chapters 10 and 11).

The first people to answer this question correctly:
1. Gail Holleman, Prescott Valley, Arizona
2. J Perry, Chef de Cuisine at the Salish Lodge and Spa, Seattle, Washington
3. Allen Foote - Home cook, Rotorua New Zealand (Maker of the delicious "Pastor's Christmas Puddings"!)
4. Celia Beverage, Yorba Linda, California

Prefer your measurements in a different format? (weight vs. volume)
http://www.christianchefs.org/charts/weight_volume.html

Pasta Dough

This is a very basic recipe for fresh pasta. You can also add a variety of other pureed ingredients to flavor the dough, such as spinach, herbs, spices, or sun-dried tomatoes. If you do, you may need to reduce the amount of liquid or add more flour for wetter ingredients to achieve the proper dough consistency.

Ingredients:
5 cups (1.2 l) semolina flour (or bread flour)
8 eggs
3 fluid ounces (100 ml) water
pinch salt

Procedure:
1) Knead all the ingredients together until it is a smooth ball of dough.
2) Rest the dough for an hour in a covered bowl.
3) Roll the pasta as directed by your pasta roller's manual.

Spaetzle

The final product of this procedure is tiny noodles. The classic way of serving this German pasta is to cook some butter until it has a very light nutty flavor, to which you then add the cooked spaetzle, season, garnish with some chopped parsley, and serve. It can also be used in soups or with a variety of other pasta sauces.

Spaetzle Maker

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
to taste salt, pepper, and optionally, nutmeg
3 cups (720 ml) flour

Procedure:
1) Mix all the ingredients but the flour.
2) Add the flour and work it in by hand.
3) After resting the dough 10 minutes, drop the dough into a pot of boiling, salted water with a spaetzle machine or by pouring the dough through a large-holed perforated hotel pan or colander.
4) When done, remove the dough and shock it in cold water. Drain well and serve with your preferred sauce.

We prefer to list recipes from Christian Chefs rather than from other sources, so if you have any good recipes of your own, please post them in the "Recipes" section of the Message Boards.  Please include an introduction to the recipe with your personal comments of the stories that make them special, and if your recipe is chosen, it will be listed in our website forever and in our next newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.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 = Galley Gourmet Inc.
Location = Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Position = Chef

Name = Appalachian Christian Camp
Location = Unicoi, Tennessee (USA)
Position = Head Cook/Kitchen Manager

Name = Lee Abbey International Students' Club
Location = London (United Kingdom)
Position = Assistant Chef

Name = Twin Rocks Friends Camp
Location = Rockaway Beach, Oregon (USA)
Position = Food Service Director

Name = Sky Mountain Christian Camp
Location = Emigrant Gap, California (USA)
Position = Chef

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

CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA "ALL-AMERICAN APPLE PIE" RECIPE CONTEST
Anyone who is at least a junior in high school that is interested in a career in foodservice and hospitality or who is pursuing a degree in the culinary arts may submit a recipe for their own rendition of a traditional apple pie.
DEADLINE: Oct. 31
PRIZES: Grand Prize: 20 finalists will be selected to the CIA'S Hyde Park, N.Y., campus for a VIP visit. Each will receive a $4,000 scholarship; Runners-Up(10): a $1,500 scholarship.
MORE INFO: For further information and an entry form call 1-800-285-4627.

CIA SWEEPSTAKES
Enter to win an $800 Continuing Education Gift Certificate at either location of The Culinary Institute of America.
WEBSITE: http://www.ciaprochef.com/prosubunsub.html

See also the Featured Website in this month's newsletter for an area where Contests and Giveaways are listed. There are many, MANY giveaways you might want to check out!

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!

When a recipe calls for adding raw eggs to hot mixture, always begin by adding a small amount of hot mixture to the beaten eggs slowly to avoid curdling. Submitted by Diane Boone
Taken from the Cooks Advance Cookbook of 1990

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

I recently ran across a great website for anyone in the industry, no matter what aspect of it you are in. The focus of this website is to "provide foodservice educators with easy and affordable access to the resources they desire that will help them better prepare students for successful careers in the hospitality industry." Those who are currently interested in becoming a culinary instructor someday will benefit greatly from this website and the resources it provides. If you aren't interested in that, it can help you in better training your kitchen staff -- and even if you aren't in culinary leadership, you can go there to read the very informative culinary articles. The website also features Message Boards, industry recipe contests, and more.

http://www.cafemeetingplace.com

"I am looking for a program that would help me with adjusting my recipes and inventory when my number of people change per group. Is there such a program for the computer?"
-Laynie

You are welcome to respond to this message in the "Culinary Q&A" 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 we do wrong and no harm comes of it, we are not thereby justified. If we did evil and good came of it, the evil would be just as evil. It is not the result of the action, but the action itself which God weighs.
Charles Spurgeon

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

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given
(unknown)

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) 336-0754
Fax: (508) 462-1068

Christian Chefs Fellowship
PO Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325
USA