This is a bit of side track from recipe entry. I’m dedicating this blog to the Gilmore Park Community Kitchen members for their participation in food preparation (starting in October this year) for the Gilmore Park United Church Community Meal. The Gilmore Park United Church on the corner of Blundell and No. 1 Road in Richmond is offering a community dinner on every Thursdays at 5:30 pm from January to November.

The community meal is in-charged by Karen, a personal chef. In exchange for the help in the preparation of food for the community meal by the community kitchen members, Karen will demonstrate the recipe of the community meal in a smaller scale fit for a family to the community kitchen. Karen usually catered for 100 people for the community meal. You can imagine how much prep work required and Karen do need lots of helping hand.

Most of the ingredients needed for the community meal are from donations, for example. the bread is donated by COBS. Karen mentioned that one of the policy of COBS in such donation is that the recipient must take all the bread that are left over.

Another major donor is the Food Tree Project which contributes most of the vegetables. All the produce is fresh from the farm. Here are some of their contributions to the community meal this week.

Various squashes…

… yellow beets….

… carrots …

… and pumpkins.

I also like to mention that all the organic waste is collected and send back to the Food Tree Project for composting and reuse. Nothing is wasted in the kitchen.

Karen also gives us some pointers on working in a kitchen. She emphasized on trying not to walk with a knife in a crowded kitchen and if need to, always point the knife downward.

Karen also demonstrated to us how to use a knife properly. Hold the item to be cut with your fingertips tucked under and your thumb behind them. The blade should rests and slices directly against the middle section of your fingers.

When chopping, hold the handle firmly in one hand, rest the fingers of the other hand on top of the blade and use a rocking motion to chop without lifting the tip of the knife above the chopping board.

In food preparation, hygiene is the most important issue in ensuring food safety. Karen pointed out that we must wash our hands before preparation of food, after handling of meat products and even after we touch our hair, face or nose and of course after using the washroom.

Karen, thank you for sharing all those kitchen tips. Karen is the lady with apron. A big thank you to all the ladies who help out in the food preparation.