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