Modified 18 July 2020; Original 8 February 2019
Kitchen on Fire
As you may know, in addition to this food blog and website, I also assist at Kitchen On Fire. I teach a German Cooking class (where we cook and eat lots of very traditional food), and help students learn cooking basics over a twice a year 12-weeks course.
In order to handle food at Kitchen on Fire, as an apprentice or teacher, I had to have a food handlers certification. Part of getting that certification is a very long set of training videos, followed by an on-line test. The focus is all about how to safely store and cook food.
Food Handlers Certificate
In general, anyone in California who works in the food and beverage industry should or are required to have this certification. But it varies state-by-state.
The reason to have one is that it teaches and verifies (by exam) that you know how to handle food safely. This means learning about cooking times, proper temperatures, keeping your hands and cooking utensils and cookware sanitized, etc. In fact, if i was running a cooking school I would make this basic certification a prerequisite so that I knew people were coming in with some information about safety.
These on-line training sessions cost anywhere from $10-$25 for a 2-year cert. The time commitment is 2-6 hours, depending upon the type of session you take. I prefer ServSafe as my on-line certification site.
Fridge Foods
- Fish, fowl, meat, eggs (in most other parts of the world eggs can stay out of the fridge, but not in the USA), milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt, etc.)
- There is some disagreement regarding butter where FDA says it can stay out, but I can taste rancid butter so prefer the fridge. If you are going to leave butter out be sure it is salted butter since that adds a level of protection from bacteria growth, and store in a container. Unsalted butter is best in the fridge.
- Opened maple syrup, some condiments (mayo, mustard, salad dressing, etc.), tomato sauce and simple nut butters (without preservatives because of the oil). I do keep sesame oil in the fridge.
- Flax seeds, hemp hearts, walnuts, pine nuts and pecans (to keep their oils from going rancid). Also hummus and other oily foods or condiments.
- Bell peppers only if you want them to no longer ripen, but use up in a couple of days.
- I do put overripe tomatoes in the fridge to firm up ~15 minutes or so before I cut them, but do not store them there for they taste better at room temps.
- String beans, peas, snow peas I want cool but not cold, so I store in the warmest bin in my fridge.
- Tortillas since they can get moldy. Actually what I do is freeze them and pop off some when I want a tortilla and warm them up in the toaster before using. (I also do this with bread.)
- Any fermented alcohol drinks should be in some kind of fridge as well: Port, beer, wine, mead, and champagne,
Counter or Pantry Foods
- Avocados, mushrooms, bananas, basil, eggplants, honey melons, tropical fruit, apples.
- Fresh basil and parsley do better at room temps just in a glass of water
- Onions, garlic, potatoes, yams, tomatoes, squash
- Good bread should stay in the bag it came in and kept on the counter for a few days (unless it is one that has no preservatives). What I do is wrap it in plastic and place in the freeze. Then when I want a slice or two and take out what I want and pop it in the toaster.
- Oil, tamari, honey, fish sauce, and other very salty condiment, and vinegar.
- Distilled alcohol drinks can be kept at room temps: run, vodka, scotch, bitters and liquors
Salutations
If you are interested in refreshing (or learning) basic cooking skills, and want to eat lots of good fresh food that you and fellow students make, sign up for the 12-week class at Kitchen on Fire. They are a great group of internationally well-trained Chefs and Nutritionist dedicated to helping people learn to eat well and healthily.
—Patty
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Recipes: Added my Nutty Nests recipe, and a vegetarian quiche cup. A nice meal of Roasted Harrisa Veggies that has a bit of bite to it. Also, started a new German Food section with Wurstsalat and Fleishsalat recipes and info on morning Brotzeit. For fun I also included braised red cabbage.
Articles: As someone asked, I have added a page on cooking measurements, and a generic one on onions. Under the Tools section I added an article on cast iron skillets and mandolins. Also added a new DIY section.
News: MMN news reports that 60% coffee species are going extinct due to climate change.(1)(2) Global yields of vegetables and legumes are projected to reduce by 35% over next 80 years. Increased temps leading to significant worldwide crop failures and the %’s are projected to get even higher.(3) The news can be scary, and for some it gets so overwhelming they are paralyzing. For me, it just reinfoces the need to shop, cook, and eat mindfully. It focuses me on my backyard garden not just feeding my family, but also functioning as a welcoming harbor for insects and pollinators. In short, doing all I can to live ethically and responsibly. Small actions, magnified by all of us together, can change the world.
