Vegetarian Means Vegan, Right?

Actually vegetarians tend to differ from what Vegans consider themselves to be. The exact reasons for why, evade me at the moment.

I eat plenty of vegetables but also enjoy eggs so I think this means I may be a vegetarian but I am not a vegan because eggs are not on their menu. I need to watch my calories and weight.

Veganism, if I may, seems to be more like a religion than just a healthy eating regime. I think the term is applied to not only eggs but even to wearing things that may have once been alive, like leather.

I have no feelings on this one way or another and think our life choices are just that, our life choices.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Develop a Restaurant Public Relations Plan

By Jose L Riesco

A restaurant public relations plan is a pivotal part of an overall marketing initiative and must be put in place before you start. A successful entrepreneur always worries about his marketing and has a PR plan specifically tailored before the opening. You need to worry about how you are going to attract new clients and convince them to return as regular patrons.

Good restaurant public relations starts with a plan for the grand opening of the establishment. A minimum of two weeks before your big day, send out press releases to a variety of local media outlets to help you get advance coverage and appear in local event calendars. Be prepared for a good attendance and prepare everything to be ready before the big day.

During a grand opening, your restaurant public relations person must be on hand to give out media kits, which are professionally produced documents with facts and figures, biographies of the owner and head chef and those all-important menus. Bring in a professional photographer to take valuable snaps for future use.

Cross promotion is a significant part of any restaurant public relations initiative and you should try and become involved with local chambers of commerce and/or nonprofit organizations as much as you can. Utilize their list of media contacts and get them involved in your restaurant's opening festivities.

Focus on the calendar during the first few months of your business as special events can be pivotal to restaurant public relations success. You might like to start off an annual or semiannual wine festival, or feature an art show tied to certain events. These initiatives will expose your business to a whole new raft of potential clients and give you excellent PR exposure.

Local newspaper editors are often looking for material to fill their pages and you should try and make friends with them, most especially if they have a significant food and drink section. If you can establish yourself as an authority figure and provide a lot of good news and material to them on a regular basis without pitching your business, then this would pay dividends. Whenever they need advice or input they will think of you and the resulting column inches can be valuable PR exposure.

If you have collected a permissions-based mailing list try and send out food related stories and information whenever you have a realistic opportunity. Be careful how often you send out mailings, of course, but whenever a holiday linked to a certain kind of food is approaching, such as Thanksgiving for example, then you could send out great recipes and ideas for family get-togethers, parties, etc. without selling your products. This is restaurant public relations at its best.

Good restaurant public relations revolves around a plan and you must always have one. Maintain a calendar of events and key dates and take action when required. Develop personal relationships with important people locally.

About the Author:

How To Find The Best Waffle Makers For Your Needs

By Terry L. Jones

There are many great waffle makers on the market today, but there are also many different price ranges. Depending on how much you want to spend and your intentions for use, different models will come out as your top picks. Consider the following tips as guidance on picking one that will suite your needs and deliver perfectly golden waffles for years to come.

Watts of Power: Any kitchen appliance with a heating element will have more capabilities with more power. Lower priced models tend to have lower watts of power, which limits their cooking abilities. For a small household or someone who makes waffles only occasionally, these lower watt models may be perfect.

If you will be using this appliance regularly or want to make larger batches of waffles at one time, then you are likely better off with one that has higher power.

Capacity: How many waffles will you want to make at a time. Lower priced makers tend to make just a couple waffles at a time, but there are larger models that make six or more at once. You may pay a bit more for one that makes a larger batch at a time, but if you are feeding a large family or want to use this in a business setting, then larger is going to be a huge time saver.

Shape: Are you looking for a particular shaped waffle? If so, then make sure to look around and see all of your options before making a final purchase. Most models today come in a standard square shape, but you can find round models and even a traditional heart shaped waffle.

Price Range: The market carries these machines at a very wide price range. You could walk into virtually any store right now and find a very simple waffle maker for $20 or maybe even less. Or, you can look around online and find them well over $100. For most consumers looking to add this appliance to their home, a model in the $30 to $50 range will be suitable.

As with all things, you get what you pay for. The top of the line professional waffle machine will be last longer and do more things than a lower priced model meant for residential use. While these more expensive models are great, they aren't a good pick for everyone.

You probably don't need the absolute best waffle makers on the market in your kitchen. You just need a high quality model that meets all of your individual answers to the guidelines presented here. Find one that works in your home for your needs, and you will have delicious, golden brown waffles for many years to come.

About the Author:

Gourmet Coffee Requires A Gourmet Coffee Maker

By Jason Findleson

The coffee connoisseurs out there know the importance of quality coffee beans. They also know that no matter the quality of your beans, the final result will be largely determined by the quality of your coffee maker. But what makes a gourmet coffee maker better than standard coffee makers. Does a good cup of coffee really have to cost so much? These are the questions many coffee drinkers need answered.

Many Makers To Choose From

Coffee has been made countless ways and in countless places around the world. But for most people, it is the standard drip coffee machine that is most common. This machine has a basket in which you put a coffee filter and ground coffee. The machine then drips hot water over the grounds and fills the coffee pot below.

However, many aficionados claim that the standard coffee maker makes an inferior cup of coffee compared to gourmet coffee makers. Why is this? Two things. The filter itself distorts the taste of the coffee and so does the plastic housing used in most of these coffee makers. Plastic absorbs the flavor of past coffee and taints each new batch you make.

Luckily the French Press offers an affordable solution to these problems. A cleverly designed gourmet coffee maker, the French Press is made of glass and stainless steel. You simply add your ground coffee and hot water to it and wait a little while. When you coffee has had sufficient time to brew then you slowly press down the plunger. The metal strainer traps the coffee grounds on the bottom and leaves coffee at the top. Many people believe the French Press is the ultimate gourmet coffee maker.

Another option is the vacuum coffee pot. These machines use a vacuum process to make the coffee. One advantage this method has over the French Press is that less sediment is left in the coffee. The vacuum coffee pot considerably more expensive but is an excellent choice for those who like well filtered coffee without the use of a filter.

Many believe the espresso machine is the ultimate gourmet coffee maker. These machines work much like a traditional coffee maker except they don't require the use of a filter. This is accomplished by compressing the coffee grounds and then moving hot water through the grounds at high pressure. These machines have different pressure settings, which affect the final taste.

Ultimately it is your taste that determines which maker is right for you. Luckily there are many option to choose from and a gourmet coffee maker can be found for any budget.

About the Author:

Seafood Is Healthy, Delicious, And Easy To Prepare

By Shannon Linnen

No matter what anyone says, seafood is healthy and should be a part of everyone's diet. Seafood in general is high in nutrients and vitamins, which no other food group can provide. However, you have to be careful about where you get your fish from. Local waters, like lakes and rivers, can be contaminated and your fish could contain chemicals like mercury or PCBs. The easiest way to obtain a healthy serving of fish is to eat at your local restaurant or do some online shopping. Online vendors, located in coastal regions, can usually guarantee overnight shipping and freshness you cannot get from anywhere else.

Their entire body is lean muscle, the delicious seafood fillets that wind up on your plate.One of the reasons that seafood is healthy has to do with the biochemistry and lifestyle of the fish. Fishes, in order to breathe, must swim constantly.Compared to the chubby unattractive cow, the life of a fish is one constant streamlined marathon.

A side benefit to eating healthy seafood is that it is so delicious and simple to prepare. Unlike unpleasant "healthy" choices like algae goo and grass juice, seafood tastes wonderful. You can't go wrong preparing fish dishes. The simplest way to prepare salmon, for example, is to rub it with some spice - simply salt and pepper will do - and pan fry it in a quarter-sized drop of olive oil. 6 minutes on the skin side first, then 3 to 4 minutes on the flesh side should cook an average-sized salmon fillet through.

Add steamed or sautee'd vegetables, and a nutritious family meal is done. The meat of lobsters can be prepared by boiling live lobsters, but dealing with the animals can be troubling. Also, lobster is best with drawn butter, which adds fat and calories not included with pan seared salmon.

If you don't want to serve greasy hamburgers to your guests at an outdoor grill party, you can opt for grill tuna steaks. They are both healthy and they look classier too as compared to burgers. They look even more attractive when presented on nice plates and garnished colorfully with grated carrots and lemon wedge. The method of preparation is same as that of hamburgers and everyone present will agree that seafood is healthy.

The healthful features of seafood are the magical omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in salmon, and reputed to clear up skin problems like acne, rosacea, and age lines. Also "good" cholesterol and "good" fat, and a number of essential vitamins. Fish is important for many near-vegetarians, who rely on fish for protein. These vegetarians are far healthier than those who eat no meat at all.

To conclude, fish is utterly beneficial to your health. It is full of substances that are good for you, and unless the fish is from some unsavory source, it is free of substances that are bad for you. Fish can be prepared very easily, and it takes little seasoning to make seafood taste good. Fish also has the added benefit of being classier than red meat or poultry. Eat some fish today, I know I will.

If you don not live close to the ocean, it can be frustrating to try and find fresh seafood. The good news is that you no longer have to worry about it. Just logon to the Internet and find a reputable online seafood vendor that offers overnight delivery. You can now get fresh seafood from the ocean straight to your door. Most vendors use either Fedex or UPS to ship their seafood overnight. Quality Fresh seafood is the premier online vendor for fresh seafood. Give them a try!

About the Author: