Tasty Safety: And Other Culinary Cautionary Tales is a collection of the life and career experiences of chef-turned-food safety inspector Joseph “JR” Realdine. The book provides a peek behind America’s food safety curtain, meant to serve as a map for those who are producing, storing, and transporting food.
Realdine’s book chronicles his time working as a chef, as well as his 27-year career as a consumer safety officer and supervisor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Chapters include the unlikely start of his transition from chef to federal employee because of a job board’s placement by a water fountain, the deep respect he learned for humane kosher and halal slaughtering practices, and Realdine’s experience as a first responder preparing hot food for emergency personnel following the September 11th terrorist attacks at Ground Zero in New York City.
“I knew I had to help. I had no military training. I had zero search and rescue experience. However, I was a chef! I could cook and prepare food safely. Both my CIA experience and food safety experience was all I needed,” Realdine wrote. “And off to Ground Zero I went.”
Published by Healthy Earth LLC, Tasty Safety is for everyone from processed food operators to everyday consumers. The book is available through Amazon ($14.95 paperback, or Kindle Good Reads e-version $4.95). A portion of the proceeds from each book sale will be donated to benefit Hawaii’s children in need.
