When it comes to food safety, something as simple as covering your food before storage can go a long way in preventing the production of salmonella germs that can lead to horrible and potentially life threatening gastro-intestinal illness. Everyone who cooks should know the basic elements of food hygiene and safety, however there is always an exception to the rule – there are in fact people out there cooking everyday and storing food without knowing the basic principles of food hygiene! It might sound bizarre, and maybe a little farfetched to some, but the fact remains: there are people out there cooking who won’t wash their hands before handling produce. Gross, right?

Textbook example, a friend of mine used to waitress in my local Chinese restaurant and suffice to say, I had been eating food from there for years without the faintest clue of how my food was being prepared behind the scenes. Now, she already knew that the chef in this restaurant was notorious for bad hygiene, but it wasn’t until a busy Friday night that she uncovered notably one of the dirtiest habits. As it turns out, the chef had been using the lavatory and returning to the kitchen to prepare food with his bare hands. Feel sick? You’re only human.

Food hygiene is imperative anywhere food is served. If you work with food, hygiene practices aren’t something you can simply “leave at the office” at the end of the day. If you’re going home, and serving food, you need to be extremely hygiene conscious at all times. Keeping this in mind, here are a few tips you can use to turn your home kitchen workstation into a food safe environment:

1.       Clean all surfaces – Use a strong antibacterial surface spray on all surfaces that food is to be prepared on, from your stove top to your bench top. If you’re using a microwave regularly to prepare food, make sure that you always cover your contents and frequently clean your microwave with warm soapy water and a clean cloth

2.       Use separate cutting boards – for all raw meat, poultry and seafood and an alternate board for ready to eat and cooked foods. This will ensure that there is no spread of harmful bacteria between surfaces. Be sure to always wash cutting boards after use.

3.       Appliance hygiene - If you’re using small appliances such as blenders, food processors etc. make sure you take them apart and clean all parts thoroughly immediately after use.

4.       Utensil hygiene – Never use the same utensil twice if it has already been used to handle different food. Clean your utensils before use and air dry if possible. If you plan on drying utensils with a cloth or towel, ensure that they have been sanitized before drying.

5.       Raw foods – anything that comes into contact with raw foods should be washed immediately after use.

6.       Wash your hands and cover cuts – This is no less a tip than it is a rule. Before you handle food, you should always ensure that your hands have been scrubbed thoroughly under warm water with an antibacterial soap and all cuts should be covered.

Not too hard is it? It really is ironic though that a vast majority of these simple rules are not dutifully applied by many employees working within the hospitality industry. In Australia, there are mandatory food safety measures that must be adhered to within the workplace. Are you looking to get into hospitality in Australia? Maybe it’s about time you got linked up with a food safety training course!

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The martini is perhaps the most renowned alcoholic cocktail, which has come to be immortalized through popular culture in establishing itself as a household name. The sweet and sour blend of vermouth and gin began to make its mark on social circles as far back as 1863, where the popular cocktail known as the ‘Martini’, was allegedly discovered by a barkeep in the USA who supposedly blended Martini & Rossi brand vermouth in a chilled glass with some gin.

But the actual origins of this modern alcoholic marvel are still shrouded in mystery – the earliest historical account claims that the martini was actually invented in 1849, under the original name of ‘the Martinez’, after a miner supposedly stumbled upon the recipe in the town of Martinez during the California Gold Rush. Liking the taste of his new alcoholic blunder, he took the recipe with him to San Francisco, renaming the drink the ‘Martinez Special’, though, this account has never been historical proven – the Martinez special is a drink that exists, and has a similar yet distinctly different recipe.

In contemporary society, the Martini has been seen being drunk by highly prolific historical figures – from Winston Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Perhaps though, the most infamous inclusion in popular culture was the martini being featured in James Bond films – with the famous line “Martini – shaken, not stirred”.  The whole practice of shaking a martini unearths an enormous debate surrounding the correct way to mix the cocktail as argued vehemently by cocktail purists. Many purists believe that martinis should always be “stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other”, as asserted by W. Somerset Maugham, English novelist, playwright and self-professed martini aficionado. Most believe that the effect of stirring a martini ensures that the martini maintains transparency and a crisper taste, whereas shaking supposedly ‘weakens’ the blend by breaking up the ice and adding more water, as well as slightly altering the taste.

But who cares, right? Whatever tastes good for you! The debates that shadow the mixing of the martini cocktail are biased towards the taste preferences of the person arguing their side of the story. The fact remains; it has raised the ranks to become one of the higher class cocktails amongst the drinking elite. So consider this is my informal salute to one of the greatest alcoholic icons of our time!

Now most importantly, here’s how to make the original martini:

Ingredients:

5.5 cl Gin
1.5 cl Dry Vermouth
Lemon Peel or Olive to garnish

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well then strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Squeeze oil from lemon peel into the drink, or garnish with olives as desired.

Interested in cocktail making? If you’re considering a bar tending job then how about a bar skills course or a RSA course? Etrainu has a range of bar courses to get you up to speed on your bar tending qualifications for bar jobs in Australia.

http://www.etrainu.com

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The following travel guide was brought to you by BCD Travel, the corporate travel experts.

'Tis the season for Christmas markets

Though Strasbourg is convivial, cultured and entertaining the year round, its appeal goes into overdrive in December. The city’s wintry delights are guaranteed to charm all but the most diehard Scrooges – and the star in its crown is the oldest Christmas market in France.

Running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 24 this year, the Christkindelsmärik, which sprawls picturesquely in front of the Strasbourg Cathedral and on the Place Broglie, is over 430 years old.

In addition to the usual flotilla of wooden chalets stuffed to bursting with Christmas ornaments and holiday crafts, the market boasts an ice-skating rink on the Place du Château, a festival of Alsatian gastronomy with treats from local producers (Place des Meuniers) and an exhibition of Nativity scenes from Quebec (Place du Temple Neuf).

For more information on Strasbourg’s Christmas festivities, visit www.noel-strasbourg.com.

Time for a promenade
And if you can’t face another garland of tinsel, glass of mulled wine or morsel of gingerbread, take heart – there’s plenty more to do. Strasbourg is far enough away from the capital to be truly independent on a cultural level, with its own opera, France's only national theater outside Paris, two international music festivals and Europe's only bi-national TV station, Arte.

The Grande Ile is the heart of the city, encircled by the Ill River and Fossé du Faux-Rempart canal. The dominant landmark in Strasbourg is the pink limestone Cathédrale Notre-Dame, which has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Most of the museums are clustered around this focal point and many are housed in the 18th-century Palais Rohan.

The main streets (rue des Grandes Arcades and the parallel rue des Francs Bourgeois) are remarkably small and pedestrian friendly. The Petite France area in the Grande Ile's southwestern corner, criss-crossed by canals, is Strasbourg's medieval quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Hansel-and-Gretel-style half-timbered houses, flourishing geraniums and narrow streets criss-crossed by canals are the stuff of fairy tales.

The canals lead to the Ponts Couverts, constructed as part of the 14th-century fortifications - the watchtowers still stand, though the bridge is now home to a motley collection of no-longer-needed statuary and sculptures from the city’s many churches.

Other districts for visitors to explore include the imposing European Institutions in northeast Strasbourg, with Richard Rogers' visually striking European Court of Human Rights and the grandiose German Quarter, constructed during the Prussian occupation of 1870, dominating place de la République.

The Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), with its glass façade looking onto the quayside, is an ultra-modern addition to Strasbourg's buildings. The impressive permanent collection of paintings from the 1860s to the 1950s includes work by Monet, Signac, Arp, Picasso, Magritte and Klimt. From the 1950s to the present day, Brecht, Filliou, Pérez and Manetas are represented.

Bon appétit
Mention Strasbourg to a foodie and eyes may be raised heavenward, fingers kissed and rhapsodies of praise sung to the glories of Alsatian cuisine. You won’t eat lightly here – but you will eat well.

Buerehiesel
With three Michelin stars to his name, Antoine Westermann serves refined and regional cuisine in a 17th-century country house that was originally located in Molsheim, then uprooted and reinstated in its present location, at the heart of the Parc de l'Orangerie, for the 1895 Industrial Exhibition. Dishes such as schniederspaetle et les cuisses de grenouilles poêlées (ravioli with onions and chervil served with frogs' legs) and la poularde de Bresse en Baeckeoffe aux truffes fraîches (chicken and vegetable casserole with rosemary and fresh truffles) make for an expensive but memorable experience.
4 Parc de l'Orangerie
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 45 56 65

Maison Kammerzell
Local businesspeople in particular have a soft spot for this restaurant, situated in a stunning 16th-century building, complete with frescoes. The food matches up to the fabulous setting, and specialties include Alsatian favorite choucroute au poisson (fish and sauerkraut).
16 Place de la Cathédrale
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 32 42 14

Munsterstuewel
Located in the vicinity of the cathedral, this traditional winstub features wooden beams, ornate brass lamps and old paintings. House specialties include pied de porc désossé maison en Baeckeoffe farci aux trois viandes (boned and stuffed pig's trotters).
8 Place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 32 17 63

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