Food Safety…No Hands Please!

One of the keys to food safety is to stay away from things that have been touched by human hands. Then again, when you think about it, just about all food preparation involves touching food. If you think that everyone working in the kitchen is wearing sanitary gloves, you are delusional.

The funniest piece on party etiquette is the Seinfeld “Don’t Double Dip The Chip” episode. This the one where George gets confronted for double dipping his chip. While double dipping isn’t cool, there is probably less risk from the dreaded Double D than there is from unsanitary handling  

RULES TO LIVE BY…

  • If you are doing the preparation, keep repeatedly washing your hands.
  • If you are eating at a party, avoid things that have been repeatedly touched.

On my first trip to the Philippines, I traveled with a Finance guy. I ate everything in sight and had no problems. The next trip I travelled with a microbiologist who schooled me on the dangers of food safety. I was careful, and I got sicker than a dog. The moral of this story is that sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous.

There is a great article in the Wall Street Journal from 10/14/18 “Grazing Tables Are Suddenly Everywhere – And Nobody Knows How To Use Them” The Essence of the Grazing Table article is that at the first glance, they make a great impression, but if you know a little bit about food safety, they can be a direct route to a touch of the ptomaine food poisoning.

I ran a coconut company in the Philippines where salmonella contamination was a constant risk. We had extensive processing steps and procedures to manage the risk. There was only one room where the processed material was packaged and that room was run like an operating room. For example, all workers went through full body washes and hand scrubbing. They wore scrubs, special shoes, gloves and masks. Cleaning procedures were meticulous. As I have professed in earlier blogs Processed Food have become dirty words in todays marketplace. But, there is food safety in food processing that even George Constanza would appreciate.

One last word of advice on food safety. If you ever think you might be at risk for food poisoning. Say you are heading to a third world country famous for food issues, or even going to that grazing buffet at a party. Take one chewable Pepto Bismol in the morning beforehand as a prophylactic precaution. A food scientist friend taught me this trick and it has served me and many others well. Give it a try.

When in doubt…remember the no-hands rules!

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

 

 

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

One of the funniest things that ever happened at a Supper Club event goes back to a New Years Eve party we had several years back. Before I go further I have to say two things:

1. Alcohol was involved
2. Names have been changed to protect the guilty

Susan and I hosted a neighborhood New Years Eve party for years. This year in question involved extensive appetizers/drinks, dinner/drinks, game/drinks and dessert/drinks. About a quarter of the way through the evening “Ralph”, who I had probably over-served, announced to party that his new years resolution was to “have more sex in the new year”. His wife who is usually adept at controlling such out bursts was missing in action. It really got out of control when another neighbor who was a psychologist started querying: “So Ralph tell us what you really feel?” As you can guess Ralph was the target for a fair amount of teasing, but the evening went on and a good time (non-sex related) was had by all.

A few days later I was back at work and got a call from Ralph to apologize for his S.E.X. comments at the party. While the whole thing was funny to me, poor Ralph had taken a (deserved) beating from his wife and probably had been forced to give me a call. Later that day my wife and kids met me at McDonalds for lunch. In recalling the highlights of my day I told Susan about Ralph’s call and apology for comments. I was careful to spell out the S.E.X. word in front of the children. My daughter Jennifer who was about 9 quickly leans across the table and carefully turns to protect her brother Brian (6) and whispers “You had S.E.X. at the party?” Susan and I both initially burst into laughter and then almost in harmony ask “How do you know about S.E.X.”. To which Jennifer answered confidently “Oh Lydia (Ralph’s daughter aged 10) has told me all about it”. In the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo on “I love Lucy” we had quite a bit of explaining to do.

One of the keys to a great party is a great appetizer. I love canapés. Try these (Clockwise):

  1. Mini Tacos With Pulled Pork
  2. Gourmet Grilled Cheese
  3. Beef Tenderloin On A Parmesan Crisp
  4. Lobster With A Wasabi Aioli

Do you want to catch up on similar tacky stories? Keep an eye out for my book Impromptu Friday Nights – A Guide to Supper Clubs – from Morgan James Publishing sold anywhere where books are sold.

Arnold Palmer Story

Making your guests at a dinner party feel comfortable is an important goal. While I don’t know if Arnold Palmer, the great golfer, was a Supper Clubber, I do know that we all can take a lesson from his playbook in how to make guests feel welcome and special. Arnold Palmer passed away three years ago and it is truly amazing how many people have Arnold Palmer stories where he had a positive impact making his fans feel special.

In 2002 I went with a group of buddies on a golf trip to Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Florida. We had played 9 holes on the golf course and there on the range (near the hot dog stand) was Mr. Palmer, practicing for one of his last Masters tournament. My friends headed right over to meet him, even as I protested that we should not disturb him while practicing.

Arnie was as gracious as can be and quickly asked what the guys thought of the course. One guy responded that the course was great, but the greens were a little rough. Arnold explained that they were just transitioning from the winter over-seed to the summer Bermuda grass. To which my friend responded: “At Germantown Country Club in Germantown Tennessee we have Champion Bermuda grass on our greens and we have a great year round putting surface”. I was mortified, my friend was telling the great Arnold Palmer, that had forgotten more about grass than my friend would ever know, what kind of grass to put on his greens.

The amazing part of the story was Mr. Palmer’s response. Instead of telling my friend to pound sand, he said: “Really? I will have to look into that.” To this day, my friend thinks Arnold Palmer learned something from him. He made the guy feel special.

So often in social situations, we focus on ourselves. I have a tendency to half listen to people, thinking about what I am going to say versus listening and thinking of others. Arnold Palmer has a legacy of making people feel special, something that every supper club host/hostess can aspire to.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.