Discussion Post
1. What must an F & B professional have before determining the types of foods and beverages to purchase? Why?
2. What does it mean to standardize a recipe?
3. Look at the following list of ingredients from a recipe for Lemon-Berry Trifle. What are some of its trouble spots about standardization? What questions might come up when reading it?
Lemon-Berry Trifle
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, juiced
1 stick of butter cut in chunks
3 pints berries
1 ½ cups whipped cream
2 rounds of yellow cake, cubed and toasted.
4. What is a spec? What other terms mean the same thing?
5. What should a spec include? What are some characteristics of a spec?
6. Who decides on the product specifications if a manager in the operation doesn't?
7. Do quality and wholesomeness refer to the same thing? Why or why not?
8. How can you tell purveyors what quality of a product you want?
9. What type of other information might a product specification include? Name two or three examples.
10. Does every product specification have to include all of the suggested characteristics? Why or why not?
11. Identify one critical piece of information missing from the following three specifications:
Item: Peach halves
Used for salad bar (all-you-can-eat)
Packed in light syrup
Packed in No. 10 cans, six cans per case
CODE brand (red label) or equivalent quality
Item: Prepared mustard
Used for condiment tray on each dining room table
Packed in 8-ounce glass bottles 12 bottles per case
Item: Lamb chops
Used for dinner entrée
Meat Buyers Guide Institutional Meat Purchase Specification (IMPS) Number 1232
6-ounce portion cut
Packed in 10- to 12-pound containers
12. Is competitive bid buying always cost-effective for restaurants?