Category: Foods

The holidays are almost here and this is the time of year when it is the most important to learn how to entertain well with a great selection of food and wine. Both food and wine play a huge part in our society, in every society really and if we want to be successful hosts and hostesses we need to learn to make the most out of all the food and wine that we serve our guests.

Your guests are going to come to your home or party venue and expect to be treated to some of the best food and wine they have ever tasted. All guests come this way to every single party they attend but more often than not they leave unsatisfied with the food and wine they were served. It is up to you to make sure that this does not happen after your party, so you need t make sure that you offer your guests only the finest food and wine to be found.

Start by talking to your friends to see what went wrong at some of the other parties they have attended. And take a look at your own reactions to some of the food and wine that was served. What is it that you didn’t like about the food and wine and how could it have been made better than it was? The key to successful hosting with food and wine is to learn from the mistakes of others. With this method you will be able to avoid some of the biggest pitfalls that are out there concerning the food and wine to be served.

Have a variety of food and wine at your party. Some people really don’t like red wine and other feel exactly the same way about white wine. By offering a selection of different food and wine you will be able to make more people happy and less people feel neglected or shunned by your food and wine choices. You should have a diverse selection of the food you are serving as well. Have some vegetarian snacks as well as some meaty ones. If you have a diverse group of friends you might even want to get more diverse in your food and wine selections and even have some vegan goodies for the vegans of your group.

Thinking of things like this as far as your food and wine choice shows you as a caring host and those are the parties that people want to go to. If you make the right choices in your food and wine then you are always going to have amazing parties filled with people and good times.

Understanding food safety techniques first requires an understanding of key terms and concepts. This article will define and explain some of the most important terms you need to know to keep you and your family healthy.

BACTERIA: Microorganisms that can cause food borne illness and food spoilage. Bacteria are more commonly involved in food-related illness than viruses, fungi, or parasites. Some bacteria spores can survive freezing and high temperatures.

CONTAMINATION: The presence of harmful substances in food. Some contamination occurs naturally. Some may be introduced by humans or other environmental agents.

CROSS-CONTAMINATION: When harmful substances or bacteria is physically transferred from one source (e.g. human) to another.

FOOD CONTACT SURFACE: Any surface that touches food.

FOODBORNE ILLNESS: Sickness or disease transmitted to people via food.

FUNGI: Molds and yeasts are examples of fungi. Fungi can range in size from microscopic single-celled organisms to large, multi-cellular organisms. Fungi are often the cause of food spoilage.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Programs to prevent pests from infesting food sources and serving establishments and measures to eliminate any pest intrusions.

MICROORGANISMS: Tiny living organisms that can be seen using a microscope.
The four types of microorganisms that can contaminate food and cause food borne illness are bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.

PARASITE: An organism that needs a host organism to survive. Parasites can live inside many animals that are used for food including cows, chickens, pigs and fish. Proper heating, cooking and freezing kills parasites. Avoiding cross-contamination and proper hand washing is also vital in preventing food borne illness caused by parasites.

PATHOGENS: Microorganisms that cause disease including disease in food.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD: Types of food in which microorganisms are able to grow quickly. Potentially hazardous food groups often has a history of being involved in food borne illness outbreaks, has potential for contamination due to methods used to produce and process it, and has characteristics that generally allow microorganisms to thrive. Potentially hazardous food is often moist, high in protein, and chemically neutral or slightly acidic.

PRODUCE TRACEABILITY: The ability to accurately track fresh produce from its point of origin (field) to the time of purchase by the end consumer. Complete traceability, known as whole chain traceability.

SANITIZE: The action and process of reducing the number of harmful microorganisms on a surface to make it safe for contact with food.

TOXINS: Harmful substances or poisons.

VIRUS: The smallest microbial food contaminants. Viruses require a live host to survive and reproduce. Virus usually contaminates food via a food handlers insufficient and improper handling and hygiene. Virus can survive some cooking and freezing temperatures.

The 15 terms described above are examples of the most important core food safety terms. Use this information to as a starting point for your deeper research.

A food saver is any container that is used to store food fresh. It can be in various forms like freezer bags, plastic zipped bags, covered containers, cereal keepers, canisters, cookie tins and jars etc. These containers are very economical too. Another type of device that is used for food preservation is the food sealer. This is used to seal the containers with a vacuum seal. By using the sealer, you can remove the air from the bags that contain the these items and seal them air tight. This helps to increase the shelf life. There are different advantages of using the food savers.

Retain freshness for longer time: By using the food saver and sealer you can keep items like meat, fish etc for a very long time in freezer without getting freezer burn. You can preserve all kinds of eatables like cheese and other pantry goods for a long time without causing any damage. By keeping them fresh for longer time you can reduce your grocery bills considerably. All your eatables can be vacuum packed and kept in the refrigerator and used whenever you want. Things like chips, cookies and cereals will remain fresh. Your frozen meat and fish will taste fresh for many months.

Reduce wastage: If you are not able to store the items then most of them go waste. You can prevent the wastage of items and leftovers because you can simply seal them in the savers and store them safely until you want to use them again. If you are a busy person you can also cook in advance and store them for later use. If you have garden fresh produce you can enjoy your own fruits and vegetables all through the year. Instead of wasting your hard earned produce you can simply blanch, vacuum pack and freeze them.

Store meat and fish: The best way to store your game and fish is to use the food saver. Vacuum pack these items in different containers and preserve them for long. They will remain safe without any freezer burn and taste fresh even after 2-3 years when packed properly.

The greatest advantage of the food savers is that they come in various shapes, sizes and types. You can choose the containers according to what you need to preserve. So choose them according to your specific needs and keep all your fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cookies, chips and cereals fresh for a longer time