1. Menu Planning Part two

2. Balance To obtain balance Definition Variety of ingredients Try not to repeat ingredients, e.g. tomato soup followed by mixed grill with chips and tomato. Colour Add colourful vegetables, garnishes or decorations to ‘lift’ the colour of food on the plate. Flavour Do not repeat strong flavours from one course to another e.g. garlic mushrooms followed by lasagne and garlic bread (do not over season natural flavours). Texture Contrasting textures are important to give variety and interest to a meal e.g. croutons with soup, wafers with ice cream (cooking times important because they change texture e.g. rice, pasta, vegetables & steak). Shape Try to include as many shapes as possible to provide interest. Chefs often ‘stack’ food attractively on plates to add shape. To achieve a good balance, choose courses that vary from light to heavy (value for money v bloated).

3. Other factors Group of peopleFactors to consider Vegetarian dishes Popular (salmonella, E-Coli, BSE, bird flu etc.) linked to meat. Cheaper to produce. Religious & ethnic diets Most religious diets are catered for with either vegan or vegetarian dishes. By law, at least one dish suitable for vegetarians (traditional and anglicised dishes e.g. Indian, Chinese and Thai). Time of year & weather Generally, we prefer hot food in cold weather and cold food in hot weather. Foods in ‘season’ are cheaper and good quality to create seasonal menus. Traditional dishes e.g. Christmas, Shrove Tuesday, Easter. Type of customer Customers will have different needs at different times e.g. business meeting v wedding. Time available As a general rule, the shorter the time to cook, serve and eat the food, the more limited (smaller) the menu. Generally, self service is much faster than waiter/waitress service.

4. Group of peopleFactors to consider Price of menu Customers are generally willing to pay a fair price for a fair portion (quality of food & surroundings). Ability of chef Many establishments rely on cook-chill and cook- freeze dishes. The more convenience foods used, the lower the level of skill needed (‘regeneration’ = heating to required temperature). Equipment available Depends on how complicated the menu is, the type of food to be cooked and the number of meals to be served. Methods of cooking The menu will be more attractive if food cooked in a variety of ways e.g. boiled, baked, fried, grilled, poached, roasted, stewed. (Friture = deep-fat fryer; fried fish, chips and apple fritters). Ability of serving staff The majority of high-class establishments use ‘plated service’ where the food is styled in the kitchen by the chef and served directly to the customer.

5. Presentation ConsistencyThin or thick TextureCrunchy, soft, crisp FlavourSalty, sweet, sour, bitter, well-seasoned SeasoningUse of salt, pepper, herbs and spices ColourWhite, cream, green and brown are ‘dead’ colours and too much of one of these colours will make the food look boring and flat AccompanimentsColourful vegetables and sauces DecorationUsed on sweet dishes e.g. chocolate leaves, fresh fruit GarnishUsed on savoury dishes e.g. parsley, tomatoes

6. Types of menu Type of menuExplanation Table d’hote or set price menu A fixed or set-price menu usually consists of two or three courses with a limited selection. A la carte A menu where all the dishes are individually priced and cooked to order. Party or function This type of menu has a fixed price and if often chosen beforehand (so that guests are not given a choice) Ethnic or speciality This can be fixed price or a la carte. Speciality food of a particular country e.g. Chinese or the food itself could be specialised e.g. fish, ice-cream Fast food All items are priced separately and ‘finished’ or cooked on demand e.g. burgers, fried chicken. Rotating menu A ‘fixed pattern’ of menus that covers a ‘fixed number’ of days (called a menu cycle). The fixed number of days always includes a number of weeks plus 1 day (menu not repeated on same day each week)

7. Portion control Good portion control is needed to: Keep costs down Keep losses in food preparation and serving to a minimum To offer customers a ‘satisfying’ portion without waste To make a profit

8. EquipmentFoods ScoopsIce cream and mashed potato LadlesSoup, sauces and gravies Fruit juice glasses Fruit juice Individual pie dishes Shepherds pie, fish pie, steak and onion pie, Lasagne RamekinsEgg custards, mousses, pate Sundae dishesFruit salad Individual mouldsJellies, mousses Individual pudding basins Summer pudding, Christmas pudding, steamed pudding, sticky toffee pudding Soup plates or bowls Soup Serving spoons/ tablespoons Fruit and vegetables

9. Planning a menu - task Include these points in your presentation: who, when, where & what nutritional needs balanced diet (nutrients) and balanced meal (colour, flavour etc.) portion control presentation type of menu other relevant factors e.g. religion, time of year, time available.