Is it done yet? How to make sure and be safe
WASHINGTON - The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a campaign to promote the use of food thermometers, including an offer of a free brochure.
The campaign's slogan: "Is it done yet? You can't tell by looking. Use a food thermometer to make sure."
The FSIS says it wants people to use a food thermometer, either dial or digital, to ensure that meat, poultry, fish and egg products are perfectly cooked and perfectly safe.
Food thermometers are critical tools that will keep food safe from foodborne bacteria, the FSIS says. You can buy one in many grocery, hardware or kitchen stores. Here are some tips for using it:
-Insert the food thermometer into the thickest part of the food, making sure it doesn't touch bone, fat or gristle.
-Cook food until the thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160 F for hamburger, pork and egg dishes; 145 F for steaks and roasts; 170 F for chicken breasts; and 180 F for whole poultry.
-Clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use.
Food safety information in English and Spanish is available by calling the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (888) 674-6854 year-round, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to speak with a specialist; and at other times for recorded messages.
Free copies of the "Is It Done Yet?" brochure may be ordered by sending your name and address to Federal Citizen Information Center, Dept. 11, Pueblo, CO 81009, or online at:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/safefood.htm.
Consumers may also ask food safety questions by logging on to the FSIS' online automated-response system called "Ask Karen," available on the FSIS Web site at:
E-mail inquiries can be directed to MPHotline(at)fsis.usda.gov.
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Keep your spices at their freshest
Every cook knows that fresh ingredients equal the best flavor. That's more important than ever for holiday cooking, and spices and herbs can be key elements in such operations - so give them careful attention.
Here are some tips from McCormick's flavor specialists.
-Check to see if the color of your spices and herbs is vibrant. If it has faded, chances are the flavor has, too.
-Rub or crush the spice or herb in your hand. If the aroma is weak and flavor is not apparent on your fingers, it's time to replace it.
-Store herbs and spices in a tightly capped container and keep away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight. Replace bottle lids tightly, immediately after use.
-To minimize moisture and caking, use a dry measuring spoon and avoid sprinkling directly into a steaming pot.
-Check the freshness date on the bottom or side of the bottle to help keep track of when it's time to toss.
Some shelf-life estimates:
-For ground spices, 2 to 3 years.
-For whole spices, 3 to 4 years.
-For seasoning blends, 1 to 2 years.
-For herbs, 1 to 3 years.
-For extracts, 4 years - except for pure vanilla, which lasts indefinitely.
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Food-related anniversaries include turkey talk-line
The holidays are when cooks are most likely to turn for advice to a variety of hotlines, and one that's been offering help for 25 years now is the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, (800) BUTTERBALL.
Among the other food anniversaries this year, one logs a really long history: Baker's Chocolate, with a 225th anniversary.
Others include:
-Whole Foods Market, 25 years.
-McDonald's, 50 years.
-Baskin-Robbins, 60 years.
-Twinkies, 75 years.
When the Butterball Turkey Talk-line opened in 1981, it operated with six live operators and fielded 11,000 calls that year, according to Butterball.
Today, they say, its staff of 50 professional home economists and nutritionists help at least 100,000 callers each year in the United States and Canada, answering either English or Spanish-speaking callers. They also answer by e-mail.
On the Web:
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Enjoy pumpkin pie spice long after the turkey's gone
Pumpkin pie spice says, well, pumpkin pie. After the holiday feast, this useful blend may get relegated to the back of the shelf - which is a waste, since its combination of sweet and savory spices is perfect for a host of other foods, from spicy breads to sweet dips, soup, vegetables and more.
Here are 10 tips for using pumpkin pie spice long after the turkey's gone:
-Substitute for cinnamon to make "cinnamon toast with a twist."
-Sprinkle on baked squash or carrots.
-Make a spread for bagels or fruit by mixing cream cheese, canned pumpkin, confectioners' sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
-Add to baked apples, pears or peaches for a fresh, healthy dessert.
-Use pumpkin pie spice in a pot of pumpkin soup as a cold-weather starter.
-Toss two tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice with peels of two oranges and three cups of water, simmer on low heat, for a warm, festive aroma.
-Use instead of cinnamon and cloves in carrot cake recipes (the ginger and nutmeg give cake extra zest).
-Combine with brown sugar, raisins and chopped walnuts for a special topping for oatmeal, plain yogurt or pancakes.
-Add pumpkin-pie spice and one small mashed banana to a two-egg baked custard.
-Use in curries or other Indian dishes.
(Source: The Spice Hunter. On the Web:
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Stuff the turkey, not the drain
After stuffing the bird, making the cranberry sauce, and baking the pumpkin pie, you deserve to enjoy the feast, not need to call a plumber.
The holiday season is a busy time for plumbers because turkey bones, grease, peels and scraps find their way down the kitchen drain and become the leading cause of clogged pipes.
"More foods during the holiday season usually mean more foods being stuffed down the drain," Mike Bidwell, president of Mr. Rooter, says. "The average kitchen sink drain is only 1½ inches in diameter, so it's not designed to handle a large volume of waste materials."
To help avoid drain or pipe disasters during the holiday season, here are tips to a happy Thanksgiving:
-Don't put turkey skin or bones, celery stalks, potato peels or onion peels down the garbage disposal.
-Avoid pouring grease into the drain.
-Throw large quantities of scraps in the trash, not the sink.
-Wipe out greasy pans and plates with a paper towel before washing.
-Rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
-Run hot water into the garbage disposal when using it.
-Regularly use a microbial drain treatment, to help prevent grease, sludge or soap buildup.
-Don't overload the garbage disposal. If it stops abruptly while in use, turn the garbage disposal power off and press the reset button (if available) under the sink.
-If you suspect a problem, don't operate the dishwasher and garbage disposal at the same time.
-If the kitchen sink is backing up, call a qualified plumber.
(Source: Mr. Rooter. On the Web:
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Sherry is versatile accompaniment for every course of the meal
If you are worried by the prospect of choosing wine to offer a varied group of diners, at a holiday feast with several different courses, consider a Spanish wine solution - sherry.
This versatile wine has a range of styles that can pair well with all the stages of the meal, from aperitif to dessert.
The following recommendations are offered by "Wine Geek" Steve Olson, wine educator and sherry spokesman:
-Fino and manzanilla sherries, served chilled as aperitifs.
-Amontillado and/or palo cortado sherry with the bird and the stuffing.
-Oloroso dulce with the pumpkin or pecan pie, or other dessert.
-Pedro Ximenez-style sherry as an after-dinner wine, or with chocolate.
On the Web:
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