By Colin Roche, CEC, CCE

Though easy to make, infusing oils adds much to the classroom and curriculum.

Infused oils are a great product to make with your students. It not only introduces them to the various herbs and spices available today, but also teaches them how to infuse the flavor into the neutral medium of oil.

Why is oil a great medium for infusing flavors into? Herbs and spices get their flavors from the essential oils in them. Most of these oils are aromatic compounds that we smell when we eat them, and it is these aromas that create much of the flavor we experience. Also, because these aromatic compounds are oils, they're soluble in oils. Simple, right? Now, with an understanding of the method, you can see that infused oils are theoretically very easy to make.

By Mitch Stamm, CEPC

By hiding the science in the pure joy of handling dough that has baked into pastries, you can increase students’ understanding and awareness of the baking process.

Taking a lesson from parents who hide vegetables in other foods and desserts in order to train their children to appreciate them, instructors can do the same by hiding science in food. Many students find the science of baking dry and dull, yet they thrive when producing pastries. Rather than teaching science, why not teach food?

By Eric Stein, M.S., R.D.

Can the words “light,” “healthy” and “desserts” even be used in the same sentence? More than ever, chefs are proving that they can.

Most basic dessert recipes rely on just a few key ingredients, such as butter, granulated sugar, eggs, heavy cream, chocolate and flour. Although the outcome is usually tasty, these ingredients often result in desserts full of empty calories and few nutrients. In a time of calorie-conscious consumers, chefs are beginning to take basic dessert preparations and make them healthier through the use of ingredient alternatives and by adding nutrient-rich foods.

Courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Deadline for a new CAFÉ recipe contest featuring Wisconsin cheeses in healthful applications is April 1.

In our world of an overwhelming amount of information, some of us still don't have the right information! Such is the case among some culinary professionals and consumers when it comes to cheese and its healthfulness. Current food-trend information points to a high interest in healthfulness and well-being, a trend that many chefs are anxious to heed, so it's important to know the facts.

To put a misinformed rumor to rest, cheese is not a no-no in healthy diets—it absolutely can be part of a healthy diet, and not just reduced-fat styles, but the types of cheese restaurant patrons love—mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, blue and fontina, for example. Using cheese in moderation and choosing appropriate applications are the keys to keeping the succulent flavor of cheese on the menu while offering choices that fit with today's health-conscious diner.

By Edward Korry, CWE, CSS

Here’s what every wine server should know.

Service involves more than the step-by-step procedures of opening and pouring wine correctly. It includes suggesting wines that not only pair with the food being ordered, but also that guests will enjoy. That requires knowledge of how food and wines interact with each other so that both either taste the way their creators intended or are enhanced, and includes being able to help quests with their selection.