FIRST KITCHEN BLOGS

Memorial day weekend seems to officially kick-off the summer grilling season. 

With that it might be worth a reminder of the need for extra care when handling and preparing food in the summer heat.  We have many basic food safety tips in our First Kitchen DVD, but there are some extra precautions when it come to warm weather food handling and cooking.

1. When buying meat, fish or poultry for that out-door barbecue you’re planning, take it right home.  Don’t stop for a latte with your groceries still in the car. Or if you do, have a cooler with ice in the trunk of your car to hold your purchases if you can’t get home within the hour. 
2. Just as we tell you about careful handling of meat- and especially chicken- in your kitchen, the same holds true for out-door grilling.  Use separate utensils and platters for raw and cooked food. OK- this may not be totally green, but this might be a good place to use paper plates.  As we say, “Eliminate, don’t contaminate!”
3. Refrigerate leftovers right way.  If you are using a cooler with ice for holding the food, a good idea is to use a separate cooler for beverages.  That way when continually opening the cooler to get a cold drink, you won’t be warming the food. 
4. Cook hamburgers and chicken thoroughly just as you would at home.

By following a few simple food safety tips, we can avoid the mysterious “24 hour flu?” we often get.

 Try our Surf and Turf Kabob recipe (or maybe just the Turf). Have fun and get cooking! 

The signs of the end of a great summer are all around- the State Fair is in full swing, friends or siblings are starting to go back to school and that cool crisp air sneaks through our windows at night.  Fall can't be far behind but the days are still beautiful (and less humid!) so we are planning a Labor Day barbecue for our friends- no one has to do anything on Labor Day!  You could even make it an afternoon BBQ so that people who have work or school starting the next day can get to bed at a decent hour and let their food digest!  It is going to be simple but fun. 

Tomatoes are in season so we’ll have a delicious Caprese Salad along with our Surf n’ Turf kebabs.  (Check out the recipe page on our FK website.)

Fire up the grill (if no grill- the oven broiler will do) and get cookin’!  You could heat up a baguette on the grill (wrap it in aluminum foil) to serve along side the meal and toss together a simple salad- get ideas from our First Kitchen DVD http://firstkitchencooks.com/fk-shop.html

Have your friends chip in a little bit of money to help with cost of the meat and some of the other food.   Make sure you provide the basics like utensils and condiments but definitely have your friends BYOB (bring your own beverage).  Savor these last days of summer with good food and friends!