I usually fry my perch, however, today I was looking for a healthier alternative.  Wanting the crunch of fried without the fat was a small challenge that I took on and won.  This lite baked version was a perfect blend of flavors and crunch.

Lay 4 Perch fillets on a plate skin side down and drizzle with olive oil.

On a separate plate add:

• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Pat the side of fish with olive oil in the coating.  Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining coating on the fish.

Bake at 425°  for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your fillets to an internal temperature of 145°.  Do not over cook.  Many do not realize that over cooked fish will have a more “fishy” taste.

I served with a lemon wedge on the side for those that like that extra lemon flavor.

Enjoy.

1 in 6 Americans will become affected by Foodborne Illness every year.  Please note that I said, “Foodborne Illness” and not food poisoning.  Although most people refer to upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea after eating a suspect food as food poisoning it is not an accurate statement.

I bring this up because I often see blogs that write very authoritative articles on how to prevent, treat and today I read one packed with inaccurate information about when to seek medical care.     The FDA has this statement when asked,  “What is the difference between food poisoning and foodborne illness?

The CDC estimates show that 58% of foodborne illness is caused by the Norovirus pathogen.  Although the illness associated with Norovirus is usually resolved within a few days to a week in MOST cases, individuals that have had Norovirus can still spread the virus to others even after they are symptom free.  Some reports have found Norovirus in feces for up to two weeks after symptoms have ended.   This is why if you suspect any type of foodborne illness you should seek medical attention immediately.  Although your symptoms my seem manageable you should get an official diagnosis.  Norovirus is one of 5 pathogens that must be reported to the local heath department.

Be sure you are getting your information from a reliable source.  You can also ask your question directly to the FDA via Ask Karen.

When Carl Fisher, the Owner of the Inner Harbor, Five Guys ® Burgers and Fries franchise,  contacted me for training I thought he would be just another satisfied customer.   Over several months I have trained many of  his employees.  What I didn’t know was the opportunity he  offers to his employees. Read on – this man deserves some credit.

Avocado spread for sandwiches to be used as a replacement for mayonnaise
1 Avocado Diced
1 tbl of lime Juice (can use less if you like)
1/2 Roma tomato diced
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt.

Combine ingredients. You can add salt to taste. I use a pinch of Sea Salt.

Store in a zip type baggie so you can compress air to avoid discoloration of the Avocado.

I used this the other day in my tuna salad and it was fantastic, it is also wonderful on turkey and chicken sandwiches.

Enjoy and please let me know how you like it!

The FDA has produced some very informative brochures about food safety.  They are written specifically for high risk individuals.  Click this link to be redirected to the FDA site.  They have downloads for people in all high risk groups. Including Cancer, Pregnant woman, Diabetes, Older Adults, HIV/AIDS and Transplant recipients.

If you are high risk or just want to learn more about food safety basics I am offering a 2 hour seminar on food safety August 29.

You can register here . The class cost is $25 and include informative handouts.

It started out with a craving for southern style pulled pork.  I made it one time before on the bbq a while back before I had perfected my techniques.  In partners with a friend we set out to find a nice piece of pork. We could not find a pork butt so we settled for a 9# shoulder.

I spoke with the Somerset County inspector today and she indicated she visited establishment and feels confident that they have adequate plans and procedures in place to prevent cross contamination.  I am not feeling warm and fuzzy.

I started thinking about other owners and the expense of training staff in the full manager certification.  I feel very strongly about proper training and I want to give everyone no matter how big or small the opportunity to have a professional training their staff in good personal hygiene, preventing cross contamination, learning how to take proper temperatures and how to properly clean and sanitize all kitchen surfaces.

We are offering a 2 1/2 hour training on August 29th.  This is perfect for line workers, prep cooks or any other staff member that you do not want to pay to attend the full two day training.  A certificate of completion will be given at end of class.  We also offer private classes in the Food Handler or Food Manager course.   Visit :http://www.marylandfoodhandler.com/private-food-safety-classes.php for more information on classes and why you should train your staff.

During a relaxing vacation camping near Crisfield, MD, we decided to treat ourselves to a night out to dinner. We selected a kitschy little place with a small menu but we had been there before and it had just what we wanted in a casual environment. I ordered a combo platter that included a good selection. My choices were fish sandwich, scallops, breaded oysters and steamed shrimp. After ordering at the front counter we selected our seat inside the air conditioned out building.

The waitress serves our food and I look at my platter….wait…is that? Do I see a raw shrimp on top of my steamed shrimp? Yes, I do. GASP. I call the waitress over and she doesn’t seem to concerned but takes my platter away. About 2 minutes later she reappears with what seems to be the same platter with the raw shrimp removed. She explains “The cook said the shrimp must have fallen on your platter when they were putting new shrimp in the steamer” The look on my face must have told the story, she asked quite curse, “Is there something else wrong?” I am going to end the story there and let you make your own conclusion.

I believe this type of disregard and lack of understanding of food safety can be corrected through proper training. They should have never been allowing raw food in the general area of cooked food and especially carry raw food over top of cooked food.. This is basic cross contamination. In addition to this error in food safety, they did not understand the risk associated with the error! This was confirmed when they didn’t even try to hide the fact that the brought out the same platter with the raw food removed.

Only 5 jurisdictions in Maryland require a certified food manager on duty at all times. If this restaurant had someone on duty trained they would not have lost a repeat customer. Required or not – TRAIN YOUR STAFF IN FOOD SAFETY!

It seems like everyday there is a new recall being issued.  Often the recall is a low risk and more precautionary than anything.  However, there have been many important recalls  in recent weeks that went unmentioned on my local news here in Baltimore, MD.

Whether you are in a commercial setting or you are a home cook you need to be informed of current recalls.  There are many sources for staying current with recalls.  The best is straight from the FDA http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm  .  I also like the recalls.gov app for my smart phone.   Of course, when I see a recall I think needs mentioning I will post it on my Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/MarylandFoodHandler and on twitter https://twitter.com/smf_foodsafety

Stay food safe and stay informed!