| How to Earn a Michelin Star Posted: 24 Aug 2018 01:00 AM PDT Over 100 years ago, the Michelin tire company developed a guide to help French motorists find lodging on the road. These days, the Michelin Guide is now exclusively devoted to fine dining. Restaurants are rated with 1, 2, or 3 highly coveted stars. The process of earning a star is extremely secretive, and yet there are some guidelines that can be gleaned. By creating incredible food and getting the attention of Michelin, you can work toward earning a Michelin star. EditMaking Sure Your Food Meets the Guidelines - Use products that are fresh, seasonal, and local. If you want to earn a Michelin star, you must use the very best ingredients. Forge relationships with local farmers, bakers, butchers, and cheese-makers. Aim to personally source unique, hard-to-find ingredients. Create a menu that uses the best ingredients in your region.[1]
- Create seasonal dishes that reflect what grows in your region. For instance, in the winter months, you might use apples, squash, and leeks. In the summer, you might opt for berries, peaches, and tomatoes.
- Focus on what your region does well. Use seafood if you are near the ocean; use dairy if you're in Wisconsin.
- Work on your technical skills. Michelin inspectors will be looking for high-end dishes that are prepared perfectly. Create a kitchen environment that has high standards and places an emphasis on discipline. Remember to consider the way your food looks when it's plated, and focus on the details of a dish.[2]
- Maintain an spotless and organized kitchen.
- Personally approve dishes before they hit the table.
- Do not tolerate sloppy plating.
- Plate dishes so that they are as beautiful as they are appetizing. We eat with our eyes first!
- Create a menu with "personality." You want your food (and the chef behind your food) to stand out. You want high-quality dishes that are on the cutting edge of food trends. You want creative and innovative cuisine that displays your chef's unique personality. This is how you can catch Michelin's eye and hopefully earn a star.[3]
- Be willing to try to new things.
- Give your chef leeway to experiment with new foods.
- Pay attention to what is happening in the culinary world by reading magazines, blogs, and newspapers.
- Make sure all of your dishes are equally good. Michelin inspectors will order across your menu, and they will be evaluating your food for balance. You need your salads to be just as good as your pastas, and your fish needs to be just as good as your steak. Make sure every dish on your menu is high quality before asking an inspector to come.[4]
- If certain dishes aren't quite as good, consider removing them from your menu completely.
- The number of items on your menu should not matter. Only offer the very best.
- Ensure consistent food quality. Michelin inspectors will make anywhere from 3 to 10 anonymous visits to your restaurant. They will be making sure that your food quality stays consistent across these visits. Carefully train your staff and emphasize attention to detail.[5]
- Treat every night as though it is the night of a Michelin inspection.
EditGetting Michelin's Attention - Make sure you're within the coverage area for Michelin. Michelin only awards stars to restaurants located in certain regions. In the United States, this is limited to restaurants located in New York City, the Silicon Valley, San Francisco, the East Bay and Wine Country, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas.[6]
- Create a fine dining establishment. Michelin focuses specifically on "fine dining." Although this category is broad and a bit fluid, a fine dining establishment will cater to an upscale clientele and provide the highest quality of food.[7]
- A fancy burger joint may have a harder time catching Michelin's attention.
- Build an online presence. Maintain a nice-looking and up-to-date website that includes info about your location, your hours, your backstory, and your menu. Forge a social media presence using Facebook and Instagram.[8] Eventually begin to ask bloggers and food writers to do write-ups and reviews of your restaurant.
- Do some research to find local bloggers who would be a good fit for your restaurant.
- Connect with these people on social media. Share some of their stories.
- Eventually, after building a relationship, reach out and invite them to visit your restaurant.
- The stronger your media presence, the more likely Michelin is to take note.
- Request an inspection. When your restaurant is ready, contact Michelin directly and ask for an inspection. Although it can take up to 12 months for Michelin to send an inspector, it could happen much sooner. Make sure that your restaurant is ready for an inspection at any time.
- Avoid gimmicks and advertising campaigns. If 1 or 2 particularly happy customers write to Michelin and encourage them to review your restaurant, this can be a good thing. However, Michelin does not respond well to letter writing tactics or other forms of advertising. Avoid trying to push them into reviewing your restaurant. Instead, focus your energy on making the very best food.[9]
- Exercise patience. It could take up to 1 year before your restaurant receives its first inspection, and your restaurant might be visited anywhere from 3 to 10 times. If you have been lucky enough to get a star, you won't know until the book comes out the following March. From start to finish, this process usually takes 2-3 years.[10]
- In the rare event that a restaurant receives 2 or 3 Michelin stars, they may be contacted in advance.
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| How to Find Out if a Good Friend Is Crushing on You Posted: 23 Aug 2018 05:00 PM PDT It's hard enough to tell when a random person has a crush on you, but it can be even trickier when it's a close friend. Close friends tend to be very comfortable with each other, and they may act in ways that can seem flirtatious. If you are wondering if a friend has a crush on you, pay attention to their body language and how they talk to you, or work up the courage and just ask! EditDetermining If Your Friend Likes You EditWatching Their Body Language - Pay attention to their posture when you're around. If your friend is crushing on you, their body language will probably be more open, and they will usually stand with their body turned towards yours, even in a group.[1]
- If your friend has a relaxed posture, with their torso facing towards you, it's a sign that they feel at ease. It may mean they like you or it may just mean they are comfortable being around you.
- Watch for signs that your friend's posture has changed around you. For instance, if they normally act relaxed, but now they seem stiff, it may be a sign that they are nervous because they have a crush on you.
- If your friend usually has their arms crossed or they stand with their body turned away from you any time you're around, they may not be crushing on you. However, if they only act closed off every once in awhile, it might mean they are talking to someone else or are busy.
- See if they make a lot of eye contact with you. Eye contact is one of the most universal methods of flirting. If you're hanging out with your friend and you notice they're looking into your eyes, it may be a sign that they're interested in you.[2]
- Some eye contact is natural during a conversation, so pay attention to whether your friend makes more eye contact with you than with other people.
- If your friend smiles at you before they break eye contact, it may be a sign that they're interested. If you want to show your friend that you like them, too, smile back![3]
- If you notice that your friend is suddenly making more eye contact than usual, or out of the blue they won't meet your gaze, it may be a sign that they've started to see you as a romantic interest.
- See if they touch their own face, hair, or collarbone. If a person is crushing on you, they'll often play with their hair, touch their lips, or rest their fingertips on their collarbone. This is usually a subconscious gesture that indicates attraction.[4]
- Watch whether they change their appearance around you. If your friend usually shows up in sweatpants and an old t-shirt every time you hang out, but suddenly starts dressing like they're ready for a night out when you're around, it might be a sign that they want to look better in order to impress you.
- Pay attention to whether your friend is mirroring your behavior. When a person has a crush, they often subconsciously mirror the other person's behavior. If you notice that your friend touches their face or crosses their legs whenever you do, it could be a signal that they are especially tuned in to whatever you are doing.[5]
- Notice if your friend gives you longer hugs than usual. If you and your friend regularly give each other hugs, you should be able to tell if they're lingering with their arms around you longer than they normally do. This is a good sign that they have a crush on you.[6]
- If you and your friend don't normally hug and they start hugging you, this may also be a sign they like you.
- People sometimes feel awkward when they realize they like someone. If your friend usually hugs you but suddenly stops hugging you, this might actually be a sign they have a crush on you, too.
- Pay attention to how often your friend touches you. The more you like someone, the more often you'll find excuses to touch them. If you notice that your friend constantly finds reasons to touch you, they probably like you.[7]
- Your friend might compliment the softness of your sweater, for instance, while touching your arm.
- If your friend suddenly becomes very physically affectionate, it could mean they like you. On the other hand, if the 2 of you touch each other often and your friend suddenly stops, they may be self-conscious because they like you.
- Some people are just naturally affectionate. If your friend frequently touches anyone they're talking to, it may not mean anything when they do it to you.
EditListening for Clues in Conversation - Notice how often your friend laughs at your jokes. You're probably hilarious, so it might not mean anything when your friend laughs at your best jokes. But if someone laughs at every joke you tell, even the ones you know aren't that great, it might mean that they're into you.[8] .
- If you want to test the water on this one, try telling a joke that you know is corny, then watch to see whether your friend laughs.
- Pay attention to whether your friend gives you a lot of compliments. If your friend is crushing on you, they're going to notice everything good about you, from the way you look to how hard you studied for your history test. If you notice them giving you way more compliments than usual, they might be into you.
- Some people are just complimentary in general, so don't read too much into a single comment.
- Notice if your friend remembers little details about you. Remembering unimportant facts about you is a good indicator your friend is into you. If your friend is crushing on you, they'll be paying attention to almost everything you say.[9]
- If you mention you love Skittles, for instance, and your friend brings it up a few weeks later, they might like you.
- Your friend might just have a good memory, so it doesn't necessarily mean they have a crush.
- Watch to see whether your friend offers to do favors for you. It's natural to want to be helpful, especially when you like someone. If your friend is constantly offering to do little things for you, they might be wishing they were more than just a friend.[10]
- Helpful gestures don't have to be a big deal. For instance, your friend might offer to grab you a bottle of water because you forgot to get a drink.
- If you think your friend has a crush on you, don't take advantage of their desire to help you. This will make you seem insensitive and uncaring.
- Pay attention if your friend brings up your love life. Your friend might bring up the subject of your last crush or try to guess who you like as a way of testing the waters. If you say you don't like anyone in particular right now, they might feel like they have a chance with you.[11]
- If your friend likes you, they might act jealous or annoyed if you are crushing on someone else, or they might get very quiet if the subject of your dating life comes up.
- Your friend will probably not mention having crushes on other people if they like you.[12]
- Ask someone who knows you both if you're still not sure. Your mutual friends will probably be able to pick up on what's going on, even if the other person hasn't explicitly said that they like you.
- Try saying something like, "I've noticed Steph is acting a little different towards me lately. Do you think it's because she likes me?"
- While you may be able to get some good feedback from another friend, the person may not be sure, or they may not want to get involved in the situations.
EditMoving Forward - Give them the opportunity to tell you. Spend some one-on-one time with your friend in a place without a lot of other distractions. Try to act relaxed and natural so your friend will feel comfortable opening up to you.
- To bring up the conversation without seeming obvious, tell your friend how much they mean to you. Mention a few things you specifically like about them. This may make them feel encouraged enough to admit their feelings.
- If your friend tells you how much they value your friendship but doesn't say anything further, it may mean they want to remain your platonic friend.
- Ask them directly if they don't volunteer the information. If you really want to know but they still haven't told you, don't be afraid to be upfront. Keep in mind that your friend will probably be caught off-guard, so let them know that they don't have to answer right away.
- Try saying something like, "Lately I've been getting the feeling that you want to be more than friends. I think it will be better for our friendship if we talk about it."
- If your friend denies liking you, try to move on from the conversation quickly. Don't make a big show out of being relieved, in case they are trying to hide their true feelings.
- Don't lead them on if you don't like them back. If your friend admits that they like you, but you don't feel the same way, be gentle and kind but clearly let them know that you're not interested in dating them.[13]
- Say something like, "I am so glad you told me and that's so flattering. I'm sorry, but I don't have the same feelings towards you. If you'd like, I hope we can stay close friends. If not, I understand."
- Give them space if you have to turn them down. Your friend may feel hurt by being turned down, even if you are very kind about it. Give them some time to allow their heart and their pride to recover.
- After a week or 2, try reaching out to your friend to see if they'd like to join you and a few other friends to hang out. However, it's probably not a good idea to spend one-on-one time together for a while, to avoid your friend getting mixed signals.
- Give dating a shot if you think you might like them back. In the best case scenario, your friend will admit they like you and you'll discover that you share the same feelings! In this case, plan a few dates, have fun together, and tell all of your friends!
- It's natural to worry about harming the friendship if a romantic relationship doesn't work out, but keep in mind that it will be better to know for sure rather than wondering later if you missed a chance at love.
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| How to Choose a Dehumidifier for Your Home Posted: 23 Aug 2018 09:00 AM PDT High humidity is uncomfortable, can have a negative effect on air quality, and promotes the formation of mold and mildew. A dehumidifier is an appliance that can reduce the humidity in your home. More powerful dehumidifiers are required for larger spaces, while portable dehumidifiers can handle single rooms. Once you determine the size of your unit, you can compare features and prices to purchase one that fits your needs and budget. EditChoosing the Right Size Unit - Use a hygrometer to accurately test humidity levels in your space. Comfortable humidity in a house is anywhere between 35% and 40%. If you're unsure if you even need a dehumidifier, you can use a hygrometer to test the air in your space. To use an electric hygrometer, place it off the ground for at least 3 minutes and read the humidity output. If humidity levels are above 60%, you should use a dehumidifier.[1]
- Some dehumidifiers will have a hygrometer built-in.
- You can purchase an electric hygrometer online or at certain department stores.
- A moderately-damp room will have 45%-50% humidity.
- Measure the square footage (meters) of your space. Measure the length and width of the room that you want to dehumidify with a tape measure, then multiply the figures together to get total square feet (meters) of the area. Write the number on a piece of paper. This will help you determine the size of the dehumidifier that you need.[2]
- For example, if your room is , then the room is 200 square feet (18.3 m²).
- Determine the pint removal capacity you need. The pint removal capacity is the standard to measure how powerful a dehumidifier is. Most portable dehumidifiers will work on a residential room. A dehumidifier that has of removal capacity is able to dehumidify a moderately damp room. From there, add of capacity for every additional of space.[3]
- For example, if your space is a moderately damp room, you'd want to get a dehumidifier with a pint removal capacity of at least .
- The pint removal capacity represents the amount of water that a dehumidifier is able to gather in a 24-hour period.
- If your ceiling is unusually high, you may want a higher capacity machine.
- Get a higher pint removal capacity if the room is wet or flooded. If you are dehumidifying an area that has wet walls and floors, get a stronger humidifier with at least of capacity for a or smaller room. If the room is flooded or especially wet, you should purchase a dehumidifier that has at least of capacity for a or smaller room.[4]
- Purchase a miniature dehumidifier for smaller rooms. Miniature dehumidifiers are less expensive and more user-friendly than industrial humidifiers or humidifiers designed for an entire home. Mini dehumidifiers are even smaller than the traditional portable models and can usually fit in a windowsill or on a counter.[5]
- If you have a small room that is occasionally too humid, a portable dehumidifier is an excellent choice.
- Portable dehumidifiers will typically have less than of capacity.
- Get an industrial dehumidifier for a whole house or office building. Industrial dehumidifiers tie into the building's HVAC system and are much more expensive than portable models. Call an HVAC specialist if you want to install one. They will typically come out and inspect the location to determine which kind of industrial humidifier will best suit your needs.[6]
EditComparing Features and Cost - Search for user reviews of the dehumidifier you plan on purchasing. Online customer reviews will give you an idea of whether the model is reliable before you spend your money. If there are a lot of negative reviews, consider buying another model or brand of dehumidifier.
- Compare prices for different brands and models. Portable dehumidifiers can cost anywhere from $40-$400 USD. Consider your finances and purchase a model that falls within your budget and fulfills your needs. If you need a whole house or industrial dehumidifier, it can cost anywhere from $1,000 - $6,500 + USD.[7]
- Purchase a direct-drain model if you have to remove a lot of water. You can get around a limited pint removal capacity by purchasing a dehumidifier with a direct-drain. These models feed the water into a floor-level drain which allows you to continually operate the dehumidifier. Purchase a dehumidifier with this feature if you're trying to dehumidify a very damp or wet space.[8]
- Choose an energy efficient model to save money on bills. Look for a dehumidifier with an Energy Star certification on the packaging to save money on your electricity bill. These models will sometimes have an auto-humidistat that adjusts the dehumidifier settings based on the humidity in the room. This will prevent you from using the dehumidifier when you don't need to use it.[9]
- An energy efficient dehumidifier may cost slightly more upfront but will save you money over time.
- The majority of new dehumidifiers are energy efficient.[10]
- Buy a humidifier with a digital display for greater control. A dehumidifier with a digital display enables more precise control over the humidity level in your room. These models are more accurate when reducing the humidity in your home or room.[11]
- Most modern dehumidifiers will have some sort of digital display.
- Get a dehumidifier with low-temperature settings if it's cold. Cold temperatures can freeze the water in the dehumidifier. If it's regularly cold near you, dehumidifiers with low-temperature settings can operate in temperatures as cold as . Some dehumidifiers will also come with an auto defrost option that will prevent it from becoming frozen when it gets too cold.[12]
- A dehumidifier with low-temperature settings may cost slightly more than a regular unit.
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