Preparing a Macchiato
With the highest espresso ratio to milk, the macchiato is typically made with 1 to 2 teaspoons of steamed milk added to a shot of espresso. This is how macchiato is traditionally made. Prepare the espresso as you normally would, there is no need to change anything.
With the love for larger amounts of coffee, larger macchiato drinks are also offered. Most of the time, a cup of macchiato uses a double shot of espresso and topped with a thin layer of steamed milk and foam.
Macchiato Variations
In the process of making drinks more commercial, the true definition of a macchiato is lost along the way. However, it doesn't discount the fact that macchiato is characterized by a bolder stronger coffee taste than milk.
Latte Macchiato or Macchiato Latte
A latte macchiato as compared to a latte uses a double shot of rich espresso. The steamed milk is poured into a cup first and then added with the double espresso and topped with a thin layer of steamed milk and foam.
Iced Macchiato
It's simply a cup of cold latte macchiato with a few cubes of ice.
Like many careers, catering takes a combination of training, hard work, and carefully honed skills to succeed. While there is much in common with being a chef, caterers face many additional challenges. Caterers have to handle such business matters as accounting, marketing and customer relations, in addition to the quality of the food.
Online directories like Culinary Training feature a variety of courses that are specifically tailored for people entering this highly competitive field. Finding a way to stand out, and integrate sound business savvy with inspired culinary vision, is a big part of the challenge. But thereafter, a successful catering career is ahead.
What Makes a Good Caterer?
Cooking
At its most basic level, catering is all about food. No matter how beautifully the venue is decorated or how carefully the place settings are arranged, clients won't return if the food is awful. You also need enough cooking experience to make recipe substitutions, plan menus, and safely prepare, reheat and transport large amounts of food.
Food safety
A good caterer (and their staff) should be aware of and comply with the most-up-to-date food safety laws in their particular state. The Food and Drug Administration is in charge of food safety regulations throughout nation, and FoodSafety.gov allows you to find your state agency. Further training in this field is offered many culinary institutes and local colleges.
Customer Service
Caterers work with clients to design a menu. Being courteous, tactful, and diplomatic is necessary, as you may need to persuade a client to substitute an ingredient or change a dish. Good communication and people skills are also vital to building up a client repertoire and catering a successful event. A satisfied customer is the best recommendation, and word-of-mouth remains some of the most effective advertising out there.
Flexibility & Creativity
Recipes may need to be adjusted to cope with food allergies, and cooking methods may have to be altered to conform to religious dietary requirements or personal preferences. An imaginative and adaptable person will be able to triumph in these situations, and instill confidence in their clients in the process.
Leadership
A caterer has to manage a staff of cooks, servers, cleaners, and dishwashers, while ensuring their team is aware of their schedules, place settings, serving customs, and food safety regulations. It may also be necessary to provide direction and advice to customers.
Motivation
Caterers must be enthusiastic and proactive, to promote themselves and bring in business. During the busiest times of year, a caterer may work long hours, seven days a week, which demands stamina. It's also important for caterers to motivate one's employees (and stay motivated themselves) in moments when business is slow.
Financial planning
Fluctuating work is part of the job. The often busy periods, such as weekends and holidays, must be balanced with the times of year when business is only trickling in. Being able to financially plan and weather the slowdowns is particularly important to a caterer.
Business Management
More than just cooking, a catering service has to be a profitable business. The administrative tasks in catering deal with pricing services, accounting, taxes, managing employees, ordering food, and organizing schedules and budgets.
Marketing
Your food may be delicious, but the phone won't ring unless people know about you. Getting your business noticed is important and in catering, a good network of contacts is essential. You'll have to liaise with florists, venue organizers, event planners and a variety of other services that it takes to pull of a large event, but this also acts as your network of referrals.
Attention to detail
A caterer may also be in charge of some décor, table arrangements and food presentation. Setting up, running and clearing the dining room all fall under the task of a caterer. Here's where you can impress your client and all of their guests - who are all potential clients themselves.
Taking time to study the field of catering and learn about its particular challenges and demands can make all the difference between failure and success. If you love cooking, interacting with people, and have a flair for parties, a career as a caterer may be a good choice for you.
