Tag: food;

Food Allergy Management at Schools

Food allergy is a serious condition that can threaten the lives of people especially students at school. Food allergy also known as food hypersensitivity is the immune system’s reaction to the types of food containing protein or other ingredients. Thus, a certified allergist is needed to diagnose food allergy.

The symptoms of food allergy may greatly vary among individuals because of different exposures to food allergens. The time of attacks and severity also depend on the reaction to the types of food that are eaten. Food allergy’s most common symptoms include: skin irritations like hives, eczema, and rashes; gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea; and runny nose, breath shortness, and sneezing.

If not treated properly, severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, a fatal condition that requires instant medical attention. This is manifested by speedy onset of concurrent reactions such as hives, itching, swollen throat, difficult breathing, low blood pressure, and unconsciousness at some instances.

However, if food allergy management is incorporated, students can be handled without too much risk. The secret to its effectiveness lies on knowing and doing the responsibilities of the concerned parties. In this manner, students with food allergies are provided with a safe and sound educational environment.

The family of students with food allergy should notify the school about their condition. They must work with the school’s administration to create a plan on how to accommodate the needs of their children inside the classroom, cafeteria, post-care programs, school bus, FAAP (Food Allergy Action Plan), and sponsored activities in school. Medical instructions, documentations, and medications provided by the child’s physician through the FAAP must be submitted including photos.

Medicines must be disposed upon expiration or replaced after use with proper labels. Parents should educate their children about unsafe and safe types of food, strategies to avoid unsafe types of food, allergic symptoms, reading labels of types of food, and right time to tell adult once allergic symptoms occur. Review procedures and policies with your child, child’s physician, and school staff. Never forget to give contact information in case of emergency.

The school should be knowledgeable regarding federal laws and any district or state policies. They must review the student’s health records provided by their physicians and parents. They must create a school team which are composed of a school principal, nurses, teachers, school food services, counselor, and nutrition director to work effectively with both students and parents and establish a major prevention plan.

Students with food allergy must be included in all school activities. Fieldtrips and no eating rules on school busses must be thoroughly discussed with parents and administrators. School staff with direct contacts to the students knows about food allergy, recognizes its symptoms, coordinates with other staff to get rid of allergens in the meals, school projects, educational tools, or incentives of allergic students.

Proper coordination and cooperation of all school staff is needed so that FAAP becomes efficient and effective. All medications are properly secure and accessible within school premises. However, regulations stated in the federal laws must be strictly followed.

The students should never trade different types of food with other students, eat types of food without knowing its ingredients, participate actively on the FAAP, and immediately notify adults in cases of emergency.

Students can outgrow their food allergies through proper management. Making this as part of their daily activities can enhance safety as well as food enjoyment throughout their lives. Planning well and joining forces together will definitely end well.

Anchovies in Italian Food

Anchovies are a very important part of the flavor of Italian food. However, many people, even fans of Italian food claim to not like anchovies. Some people have bad memories of smelly little fish on pizza that have forever tainted their view of Italian food that includes anchovies. Unbeknownst to many of these people is the fact that anchovies are widely used in Italian food and it’s likely that some of their favorite Italian food dishes are made with anchovies.

These small and often misunderstood fish are used extensively in Italian food and there comes a point when it is impossible to enjoy Italian food without running into these little guys. Anchovies are a small saltwater fish. They are only about three inches long but pack quite a flavor. There are six different species of anchovies that are used in Italian food. From April to September is the Sicilian anchovy season and these species are lighter in flavor than the Spanish anchovies that make up a bulk of the anchovies used in Italian food.

Anchovies must quickly be preserved in order to keep the flavor that is wanted for Italian food intact. The most traditional way to preserve anchovies is packed in salt. This is the best way to guarantee an authentic Italian food flavor. Soon after the fish are caught they are cleaned and washed in salt brine and then set out to dry. The fish are then layered in round tins with sea salt in between each layer. The tins are then left to season for up to two months. A weight is placed on top of the tins in order to compress the fish and remove any extra fluids and fat from the fish. After the curing time is up they are sealed up and shipped off to be used in different Italian food dishes around the world.

Another way to preserve anchovies is to pack them in olive oil. This is similar to the above method of preserving, except that after the seasoning period is over the fish are again washed and the scales, skin, and bones are removed before placing the fish in jars or tins of olive oil. There are other ways to preserve anchovies for use in Italian food, but none are as popular as these first two. Anchovy paste is readily available, however this paste does not have the anchovy flavor that is desired for Italian food and instead ends up tasting just plain salty.

When using anchovies in Italian food it is important to rinse them first. They are much too salty the way you buy them and you want to wash away some of the excess salt. If you are shopping for anchovies to use in a specific Italian food dish, make sure to buy just enough for the meal you are planning. Anchovies do not last very long once opened and should be used right away to ensure the flavor. If you have leftover anchovies then wash them and put them in a jar of olive oil. Seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator. This will only buy you five more days but if the fish are left in the tin after opening they will begin to get a metallic flavor that will ruin your Italian food.

Now you know a little more about this Italian food favorite. The next time you see anchovies listed as an ingredient at your favorite Italian food restaurant go on and give it a try; you might be surprised at how good it is.

Tips for First Time Grill Owners

Grilling, or Barbequing is a true American tradition. Many Americans are finding themselves with a grill for the first time. Good experiences with your grill will surely lead to using your grill more and more.

Planning Ahead

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire. Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Another potential issue when barbequing is the weather. While you will not be able to guarantee that the weather stays nice your barbeque event, a certain amount of planning will help you avoid the days in which barbequing is just simply out of the picture. Watch the weather channel or check online for your weekly forecast. If rain or cold weather is likely on the day you were thinking about having your barbeque, it may be a good idea to wait for a better forecast.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque. 12 to 24 hours before you plan on beginning the party, make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditional sizes. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw.

Maintenance

You will need some common household items on hand when it comes time to
clean your barbeque grill.

Brass wire grill brush
Steel wool pads, preferably that contains soap already.
Mild dish soap
Sponge or dishcloth
Spray cooking oil
Dry baking soda
Aluminum foil

The first thing that should always be done to your grill is a routine brushing. Using your brass wire grill brush (or other brush suitable to your type of grill) you should brush off all the surfaces. By routinely brushing your barbeque grill, you will prevent any type of buildup. If buildup from food is left to long, it can become increasingly difficult to remove. Once you have cleaned the surfaces of your grill, then you must focus on its racks. The racks in your grill are especially important as this is where the food touches when it is cooking. You will have to use the wire brush to remove as much buildup as possible. Once you remove as much as possible, start washing the racks with dish soap. If the racks are really dirty, you may also want to use the steel wool pads. Be sure to completely rinse off all soap and residue before cooking on these racks again.

This process should be completed each and every time you cook on your barbeque grill. If these steps are not taken, you may find it increasingly difficult to clean your grill, and may find that damage will occur.

The majority of problems that arise from barbeque grills comes from lack of cleaning and maintenance. That means if you notice something does not seem quite right with your barbeque grill, chances are it can be fixed with just a simple cleaning. Even if you clean it, and still find that it is having problems, at least you saved yourself the potential embarrassment of taking it to a professional only to find out all it needed was to be cleaned.

Finally, one method of preventing problems with your barbeque grill is protecting it from the outdoors. Covers are available for grills in all shapes and sizes, so chances are, you will find one that fits your grill. If you have a cover for your barbeque grill, then all you will ever need to do is do the regular maintenance listed above.

Tips for Better Barbequing

If you are new to barbequing, chances are you have run into some problems when it comes to barbequing. Barbequing, like anything else, takes practice. Learning from your mistakes, as well as the mistakes of other will help you learn quickly.

Before you begin cooking, spray your cooking area with a nonstick cooking spray. This will prevent your meat from sticking when you are rotating or removing it. If your meat sticks and tears, you will lose a large amount of juice, and your meat may dry out.

Never place food on the grill until the temperature is correct. The fluctuation in temperatures will cause your food to dry out or burn. If you are using a charcoal grill, make sure that the coals are completely gray before putting the meat on the grill. This will allow the temperatures to level out, and the majority of the lighter fluid to burn off.

Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. Alternatively, attempting to not use lighter fluid may cause a lot of frustration due to the fact that charcoal can be difficult if not impossible to light without lighter fluid.

You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave. If you meat is thawed, but in the refrigerator, set it out long enough for the meat to get to room temperature.

Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate you had it on when it was raw. This could cause the spread of many unwanted illnesses. Do not handle cooked meat with the same utensils that you used when it was raw.

Never poke you meat while it is cooking. Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbeque grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your girll, which will make cleanup harder.

Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid to many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly.

Remember that the higher the heat is not always the better. While it is ok to quickly cook food, turning the heat up will just cause the meat to dry up and potentially burn.

While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

If you are planning on using your favorite barbeque sauce, be sure to wait as long as possible to put it on the meat. Putting barbeque sauce on to early will not only potentially cause your meat to dry out, but it could also burn.

The Benefits of Barbeque Gas Grills

Gas grills work by a spark igniting the gas within the grill. Gas grills typically have a knob or button in which you push, which in turn activates a small hammer. The hammer hits the top of an ignition crystal. Then the burner mixes the gas with oxygen and spreads it all over the cooking surface.

Barbequing is typically thought of as a summer event, but some diehard fans of barbeque will not think twice about breaking out their barbeque grills right in the middle of winter. Grillers in the southern states may not face the problem, but if you live past the lower states, then chances are your Winter includes a large amount of snow. Smokers and charcoal grills present a problem as you must set the grill up properly, and then wait for the grill to get ready. This can take hours, so the idea of standing outside waiting on the grill may not sound appealing in 3 foot of snow. Gas grills give you the opportunity of quickly cooking barbeque.

Another issue found with out types of grills is the cleanup involved. Once you are done grilling with a smoker or charcoal grill, you are then required to clean out the burned remains. In 3 feet of snow, chances are that you do not have a place readily available for disposal. Fire hazards come with the burnt coals and wood chips. Gas grills will simply need a wipe down before it can be stored away for the next time.

Gas grills, unlike some of the other grills types, have the ability to come with many different types of cooking surfaces. These different cooking surfaces include a BBQ surface, a flat grill, and a ribbed grill. Some grills even offer these types of surfaces as none stick, which allow you to cook a whole array of foods that you would not be able to cook on a grill otherwise. You will be able to cook your whole meal, including side dishes if you plan correctly. Some gas grills even contain a Wok type surface for cooking pasta and rise dishes, or a full rotisserie set that allows you to cook rotisserie chicken.

A feature that comes with different cooking surfaces is the ability to cook different foods, at different temperatures, at the same time. This feature is available if your gas grill have separate burners. This allows you to cook your meals much more quickly. Some gas grills even come with a warming feature, which will keep your food warm while the rest of it finishes cooking.

Gas grills usually contain a built in thermometer, which will aide you in cooking. You will know the exact temperature you are cooking at. Charcoal and Smoker grills do not typically contain this feature, which either leaves you guessing what temperatures you are cooking at, or requires you to buy extra equipment in order to find out what temperature your food is.

Gas grills have safely concerns all of its own, but they are unmatched by other types of grills. Propane gas is extremely flammable if not used correctly. Other grills however, present higher opportunities for fire as they cook with an open flame. Gas grills are typical built much sturdier then their more simpler counterparts.

If you are considering traveling with your barbeque grill, a gas grill may be the best option. Gas grills come in small sizes which are perfect for traveling. Small size gas containers are available at your local grocery store or department store, which allows you to easily transport the fuel source as well.