Tulip's Kitchen: Kitchen Tip

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Online Food Hygiene Training

On the 27th April I sat at my desk and undertook food hygiene training....ONLINE!!! How cool is that?

I've held a food hygiene certificate since 1994, it lasts for 3 years and then you need a refresher course. I was looking around at local colleges for Food Hygiene courses, when I had an email from Victoria asking me if I'd like to trial the online food hygiene course on virtual college.co.uk I jumped at the chance...I cleared my diary for the morning and sat at my desk and logged on!

WOW - it was so simple, almost child friendly with great graphics easy to follow instructions and I whizzed through it even though you could do it in sections and go back to it later, I did it all in one go... it was almost addictive! After each section I was given a mini test to see if I had understood what I learnt and then at the end I sat the final test...

...The pass rate was 75% but...

Drum roll please......

100% pass!!!!! Yay me...sorry for blowing my own trumpet but I am pretty anal when it comes to food hygiene so would have been pretty upset if I'd got less!!!

Now for the amazing bit.....I accepted my online congratulations and logged off with the promise that my certificate would be posted out to me soon. Can you imagine my amazement when my post lady knocked on the door the very next morning with my certificate!!!!! Now that's what I call good service, never have I had my certificate so soon, not even when I did training at the local college and that's only a couple of miles up the road!!!! 100% for efficiency virtual college

Although I don't officially need a food hygiene certificate to be a pampered chef consultant as all ingredients are bought by the host and I cook in the hosts house. I do feel better for having one, especially as I cook for visitors at work and I'm the first to volunteer to cook the Lenten lunches for our older parishioners and the annual cake sale at church.

So a great thumbs up to the virtual college, I'd recommend everyone who does anything with food gets food hygiene training.

Check out their website

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Red Onion, Courgette & Tomato Frittata

Saute red onion, courgette & sliced tomato with garlic

Place in round stone add 8 beaten eggs and sprinkle with parmasan cheese

Voila!

Delicious hot, room temperature or served cold with a salad and french mayonnaise.

Edited to say...

Just remembered, I added a few sliced mushrooms, which added to the flavour but not to the look of the dish...things went a little dark and wasn't as nice once cold!

Did you know you can use your egg slicer to evenly cut button mushrooms...I just love my kitchen gadgets.

This started out as a place for all those recipes on scraps of paper...

...the photocopies, my barbie folder, the crumpled napkins, the hastily scribbled notes, you know the sort of thing! But it has turned into so much more!
I now show all my pampered chef recipes, along with all my wheat free, IPD (Idiot Proof Diet) recipes along with anything I find off the IPD forum. I've even cooked up recipes for others as they'd like to see the dish made before attempting it. I'm open to suggestions but please remember that this was started as a personal project, I'm not a photographer, I don't get paid for it, its just for fun!

Feel free let me know if you have any questions or you need a recipe that I haven't posted or indeed any corrections. This is usually done very early in the morning when I've just woke up or very late at night when i should be asleep...you get the picture!!!

There is a 'translate this page' button at the bottom of the page should you need it, although it doesn't include translating my North East slang...sorry :-P

Tulips Fridge Door - What the magnets say...

A balanced diet…A chocolate in each hand
Complaints about this kitchen can cause serious damage to your health
Dull women have immaculate houses
I can’t be creative as well as tidy.
If you haven’t got wrinkles, you haven’t laughed enough.
It’s not alcohol that gives you a hangover, it’s waking up!
I’m smiling because you’re my sister, I’m laughing because there’s nothing you can do about it.
Living life to my husbands credit limit
Many people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to live healthy lives.

Cooking Tips

* Keep turning pork chops over, don't let the moisture cook out of them. Cook only till pink then let them finish off while resting, this way you won't over cook them.

* To test to see if an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cold, salted water. If it sinks, it's fresh. If it floats, throw it away!!

* Get yourself a bunch of fresh corinader, wash and trim the stems. Dry on paper towels then put in individual freezer snack bags. Freeze. When you need some fresh coriander just get a pack from the freezer, crush or chop and add to your recipe.

* Use a pizza cutter to cut bars or tray bakes into nice, smooth squares.

* To keep cauliflower white while cooking - add a little milk to the water.

* Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get before squeezing.

* To remove egg shells from a batter, use the remaining shell to attract the piece.

* If you need only 1/2 an onion, save the root half. It will last longer.

* One pound of all purpose flour is the equivalent to 4 cups.

* When using rice, remember that 1 cup of uncooked long-grain white rice makes 3 cups cooked.