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Speed Line
Equipment specifically recommended for fast-food
application is laborsaving and offers an activity a
modern upgrade.
Yet, fast food products are easily
prepared in older, unmodified galleys.
For many years ships and shore activities have had
a speed line in addition to a normal cafeteria-style full
serving line.
The benefits GMs gain using both a normal and a
speed line are as follows:
. Reduce their waiting lines
. Provide the sailors with a more pleasant
atmosphere
. Prepare highly acceptable, easily prepared food
items using modem, high-production equipment
Most often, speed line items and recommended
menus can be prepared and served in any GM without
equipment changes or additions. An exception is when
extruded french fries are to be prepared. The Armed
Forces Recipe Service AAFRS) has recipes that can be
used as speed line items.
All food items in a well-planned meal should vary in
color, size, shape, and texture.
Service is speeded up when a person knows what
foods are being served before reaching the serving line.
It is a good practice to post the current menu, in full view,
near the beginning of the serving line. It may either be
in the form of a typed menu or a menu board. The menu
board is used to display those food items that are being
served for the current meal.
Actually, any display
method is acceptable that gives the customers time to
decide which foods they desire before they reach the
serving line. A suitable means of expressing calorie
content for each item in the meal should be publicized
for the benefit of dieters and weight watchers.
Centerpieces can be the focal point of the serving
line on holidays and special occasions. The realm of
possibilities is limited only by imagination and time.
Ice, crushed, cubed, or carved, can be an interesting
addition to highlight any meal. On special occasions,
and when practical, ice carvings can be used as
distinctive centerpieces. They can take on many forms,
such as swans, baskets, rabbits, deer, and even turkeys.
They may be elaborate or simple in design.
Garnishing
SERVING TECHNIQUES
As a petty officer, you may be placed in charge of
the serving line.
When this is the case, you should
instruct personnel on the proper techniques for placing
items on the serving line. This should include how to
serve each item and how to place the items on the plate
or tray. Correct serving techniques are very important.
Merchandizing
Presenting menu items on the serving line is doing
what commercial food operators call merchandising.
Successful merchandising involves making these items
so attractive and appetizing that customers want to eat
them. When we present menu items on the serving line
we want to stimulate the appetite and promote the
welfare of the patron.
People will always eat with their eyes. So it is a
good rule of thumb that foods that do not have an
attractive and appealing appearance are often rejected
without being tasted.
In chapter 7 we discussed the importance of
planning a menu so the foods selected for a menu will
have harmonious colors. Harmonious colors present an
inviting appearance when placed together on the plate.
Though garnishing is just one step in presenting
food attractively, it is a very important one. A garnish
is described as an ornament or a decoration. Garnishes
are planned to complement the flavor and the texture of
the dish as well as add eye appeal. Any garnish used
should be edible and should be such an integral part of
the food that it will not be left on the plate.
If you were to plan a garnish for every food, it would
be quite a job, but fortunately not all foods need this
help. An example is a meal consisting of pot roast of
beef, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, buttered peas,
celery sticks and sweet pickles, hot rolls and butter, and
blueberry pie. Such a meal needs to having nothing
added in the way of a garnish to make it attractive. The
natural colors, textures, and flavors combined in this
meal provide enough variety to make the meal inviting
to the eye and tempting to the taste.
Many of the AFRS recipes have a built-in garnish.
Good examples of this are beef stew, tossed vegetable
salads, browned casseroles, and desserts such as cakes
iced with frostings that complement the color and flavor
of the cake.
Always refer to the food-preparation worksheet for
information on garnishing various foods on the menu.
9-4
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