ottawa foodies

I think I've mentioned this before, but back when I used to have TV I loved watching Ted Reader. He was just so vibrant and always excited about what he was doing. Until one show I watched him put raw chicken onto the grill with a pair of tongs, and then turn around and toss a salad with them.

So I'm reading Omnivore's Ottawa, who is of course all excited about Mr Reader coming to town on Oct 19. In the blog entry he includes a Youtube vidoe of Reader on Regis and Kelly back a few months ago. So for kicks I watch it - and sure enough - cross contamination again!

See if you can spot it.

communities.canada.com

I believe I saw a tainted cocktail there. Still doesn't beat the Martha Stewart v Matt Lauer awkwardness: bites.ksu.edu

Not to defend Ted's lack of hand washing between touching raw meat and chopped tomatoes, but I've seen this kind of thing on many cooking shows. It's especially common when the cook is a guest on someone else's set, and therefore out of his element and/or not near a sink.

I've often though to myself that if I were the show's host, I'd be saying, "Uh... I'm not going to try this because you didn't wash your hands after fondling that chicken a while back!"

I too find it quite distressing to watch TV cooks take what are potentially dangerous actions on their own shows and on "talk" shows where they are spreading their messages, one of which seems to be, inadvertently I guess, don't worry so much about cross-contamination. Of course hosts of talk shows perhaps feel compelled to try what has just been made or handed to them and maybe aren't even aware of the potential for food poisoning - but they should be! Both Regis and Kelly drank the cocktail, Kelly ate the quesadilla, and Regis shook Ted's contaminated hand at the end. I hope Ted's rag that he used often was soaked in disinfectant but it likely wasn't; even if it was the limited contact time and not-so-thorough wiping likely wouldn't result in disinfection. All who cook on TV, or demo live in front of an audience, spreading their lack of awareness wrt to cross-contamination, should be much more aware and should do more to encourage good prevention, imo.

Not that I'm any Ted Reader in terms of cooking, but in the videos I make I'm always pointing out areas where there is a danger of cross-contamination. And pointing out that I'm changing spoons, or plates, or washing my hands, so as to avoid it. I guess I only became extra-paranoid after reading so many books on food preservation.

Speaking of contamination, never thought i'd see a Regis and Kelly mention in a Zymurgist thread.

Funny to see this because my recent visit to Frenchy's on Rideau had cross-contam in full view.

ottawafoodies.com

LOL... I for one am usually "obsessed" about cross contamination... but I watched the Regis & Kelly video, and can say "no worries"... any true Canadian will tell you that if you make a Caesar properly (ie lot of vodka and hot sauce) it should be able to kill off everything else in your digestive track.
;-)

As for the Matt & Martha video... (unfortunately I couldn't see it... "not available for viewing outside of the USA)... but the written description says it all... looks like Old Martha tried unsuccessfully to kill off Matt. Too funny. Seems he knows a bit more about Food Safety than the B!tch of Kitch.

LOL