Food Safety

- Barbecues and Picnics - 
1 Try to plan just the right amount of foods to take. That way, you won't have to worry about the storage or safety of leftovers.

2 When taking foods off the grill, put them on a clean plate, not the same platter that held raw meat.

3 When preparing dishes like chicken or cooked meat salads, use chilled ingredients. In other words, make sure your cooked chicken has been cooked and chilled before it gets mixed with other salad ingredients.

4 It's a good idea to use a separate cooler for drinks, so the one containing perishable food won't be constantly opened and closed.

5 A cooler chest can also be used to keep hot food hot. Line the cooler with a heavy kitchen towel for extra insulation and place well wrapped hot foods inside. It's amazing how long the foods will stay not only warm, but hot. Try to use a cooler that is just the right size to pack fairly tightly with hot food so less heat escapes.

6 Wash ALL fresh produce thoroughly. When preparing  lettuce, break into pieces - then wash.

7 Cook foods to the required minimum cooking temperatures:
     - 165 F > Poultry, poultry stuffing, and stuffed meat.
     - 158 F > Ground Beef, fish, and seafood.
     - 150 F > Pork and food containing pork.
     - 145 F > shell eggs and foods containing shell eggs.

8 Separate raw animal foods from other raw or ready-to-eat  foods during storage and preparation.

9 Cool leftovers as quickly as possible. Reheat to 165 F before serving again.

10 BY ALL MEANS, REMEMBER THIS:
     Bacteria on food will rapidly multiply when left at a temperature between 45 F and 140 F. Avoid this  
    danger zone as much as possible.
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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Always add the chocolate morsels last to the mix. It's best
when they are very cold. Just barely stir the morsels in --
don't over mix.

Cream the shortening and sugar well. All the rest of the
ingredients can be just mixed in, but proper creaming of the
shortening and sugar is important.

Make sure that your baking pans are cool between cookie batches.

Substitute cherry flavored morsels for 1/2 of the chocolate
morsels for a new taste treat.

Drop your cookies extra thick (use an ice cream scoop), flatten
the top a little, then place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator
for twenty minutes. Take the sheet from the refrigerator and bake
at 375 degrees until the cookie's edges are slightly brown and you
will have a soft centered delight.

Warm cookies always taste better than cold ones. Heat releases
the flavor of chocolate and nut-meats. Try warming cookies in your
microwave oven for a few seconds or in a 300 degree oven for
about 5 minutes.

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Fruit Pies:

* Save the drained juice from frozen or canned fruit and use
 fruit juice instead of water in your recipe. This is only a good
 idea if the juice does not have a lot of sugar in it.

  * Add fresh butter to your fruit pie filling after it has been
 cooked. Or dot pieces of butter over the fruit before you place
 on the top crust.

  * Don't cut apples pieces too thin when you are using fresh
 apples. Larger chunks will hold  together and have more apple flavor.

  * Use a little red food color and a drop or two of almond extract
 in your cherry pies when  you use fresh or canned cherries.

  * Use a little yellow food color and a teaspoon of lemon juice in
 your apricot and peach fruit pies. The lemon juice will enhance
 their flavor and also help keep a bright color.

  * Mix a few raisins with fresh chopped apples and make a easy,
 new apple pie.

  * Do not over-cook pie fillings, especially those with corn starch
 used as the thickener. The filling will break down and quickly become
 watery. Over cooking fillings made with flour will cause the filling
 to be thick.
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Shucking Oysters

 Oysters are available seasonally. The old rule for shellfish
 generally holds that any month (in the English language)
 containing the letter R is a good month for shellfish.
 (Note: this rule only works for the Northern hemisphere.)
 These are the colder winter months, and shellfish prefer
 cold water. More importantly, warmer waters mean an increase
 in bacteria levels, and the shellfish can be dangerous to eat.

 Shop for a good oyster knife at a good kitchen supply store
 or at your local fish market. The features to look for are
 a thick, solid handle made of sturdy wood or plastic, a
 finger-guard (essential), and a short, thick blade. Strength
 and durability will be more important than sharpness or size.

 Fresh oysters should be closed tight, and kept either in fresh
 sea water or on a bed of ice. Never select shellfish that are open!
 Store oysters on ice until ready to serve. Cover them with a wet
 towel or keep them in a closed container. An ice chest works well.

  Look for the hinge of the shell. It should look like an exposed
 seam which wraps around a smooth corner. Insert the oyster knife
 into the seam, with the blade parallel to the seam. Use the point
 to do this, gently but firmly rocking the knife back and forth.
 Once the knife has been inserted, you can twist the blade to open
 the hinge a little more. Repeat this process, gradually inserting
 the oyster knife until you have cut the hinge completely.

 Now slide the oyster knife along the inside edge between the shell
 and the meat. As you work at this step, try to keep the oyster level
 so that the liquid inside doesn't spill out. Some oyster eaters
 consider this liquid, or liquor, to be the finest part of the
 oyster-eating experience. There's one muscle, which looks like a
 thick cord, that holds the shell tightly together.  Use the knife
 to cut this cord at the point where it adheres to the shell. This
 can be done in a sort of scraping motion with the knife angled
 against the shell.

 Once the cord has been cut, the two halves of the shell should
 fall neatly apart. Discard the empty half-shell and place the
 full one on the serving platter.
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Herbs and Spices

 Storage Tips:
 Store spices in a cool, dark place. Humidity, light and heat will cause
 herbs and spices to lose their flavor more quickly. Although the most
 convenient place for your spice rack may be above your stove, moving
 your spices to a different location may keep them fresh longer.
 As a general rule, herbs and ground spices will retain their best flavors
 for a year. Whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years. Proper storage should
 result in longer freshness times.
 When possible, grind whole spices in a grinder or mortar & pestle just
 prior to using. Toasting whole spices in a dry skillet over medium heat
 before grinding will bring out even more flavor. Be careful not to burn.
 Because the refrigerator is a rather humid environment, storing herbs
 and spices there is not recommended. To keep larger quantities of spices
 fresh, store them in the freezer in tightly sealed containers.

 Usage Tips:
 Use a light hand when seasoning with spices and herbs. Your goal is to
 compliment your dish without crowding out the flavor of the food.
 Remember, it's usually impossible to "un-spice" a dish!
 For long-cooking dishes, add herbs and spices an hour or less before
 serving. Cooking spices for too long may result in overly strong flavors.
 Finely crush dried herbs before adding to your dish after measuring.
 Do not use dried herbs in the same quantity as fresh. In most cases,
 use 1/3 the amount in dried as is called for fresh.
 Keep it simple. Unless the recipe specifically calls for it, don't use
 more than 3 herbs and spices in any one dish. The exception to this rule
 is Indian cooking, which often calls for 10 or more different spices in
 one curry dish!
 Black pepper, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper are excellent
 "after cooking" seasonings. Allow guests to season dishes with these
 spices at the table.
 Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice have a special affinity for
 sweet dishes.
 If you're feeling adventuresome, try replacing herbs and spices called
 for in recipes with something different! Marjoram instead of oregano,
 savory instead of thyme, cilantro instead of parsley,
 anise seed instead of fennel, etc.
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Cooking a Turkey

If you hate the memory of dry turkey from the old days, buy a
 fresh-killed (meaning, never frozen) turkey. They truly are juicier,
 tenderer, and tastier than frozen birds.
 * Turkeys range in weight from the 6- to 8-pound category to as
 large as 26 pounds. Very small and super-big are not better.
 Small ones get blotchy. Big ones present food safety problems
 because their mass resists total heat penetration. Best to go
 with a basic 12- to 16-pound turkey.
 * Trussing: The point of tying string around a turkey is to make
 the bird into a round -- no protrusions, no wings sticking out.
 This prevents burning of exposed areas. Twist the wing tips, which
 will burn first, under themselves, using some force. Now run a strand
 of string under the turkey's girth and up each side, catching the
 wing tips under the string. Continue the string over to the drumsticks,
 catching them and the fatty tail flap (Pope's Nose), and tie tightly.
 * Turkey lifter: This major help comes in two styles. One resembles
 an L-shaped metal prong. The prong goes right up the turkey's cavity
 while a handle remains in your hand. All you do it lift. If you've
 stuffed the turkey, get the type that looks like snow chains, lies
 under the bird, and acts like a sling. Either device ends burned
 hands, greasy potholders and lost drumsticks.
 * Instant-read thermometer: This is your most important tool. With
 this, you don't need a roasting chart or a clock. Read the facts on
 the dial. There will be no question about the internal temperature
 of your meat. If you don't have one, get one!
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Left Over Halloween Pumpkins

Scoop out seeds and strands if using a new pumpkin.  

Stand pumpkin upright and cut down the middle. Halves should 

be able to fit on a baking sheet. Place one half pumpkin, or two 

if they fit, cut side down on the baking sheet. You may sprinkle 

a little water on the sheet first. Bake at 350F for 30-60 minutes, 

depending on the size. When done, the skin darkens and the pumpkin 

begins to collapse. Check for softness with a fork or knife. It 

will go in easily if done. Remove from oven, cool about 20 minutes. 

Scoop pumpkin flesh away from skin. Discard skin then puree in food 

processor.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds 

 2 tsp. melted butter or oil (olive oil or vegetable oil work well) 

salt to taste 

Options To Taste: 

garlic powder 

cayenne pepper 

seasoning salt 

Cajun seasoning blend 

Preheat oven to 300F. While it's fine to leave some strings and 

pulp on your seeds (it adds flavor), clean off any major chunks. 

Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and 

seasonings of your choice. Purist will want only salt as a 

seasoning, but, if you're feeling adventurous, experiment and have 

fun with seasoning blends. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer 

on baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown, 

stirring occasionally.
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