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The Ten Most Recent Comments By wizzie

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

Just wanted to add another comment ...
Most of the danger in cooking is NOT always in preparation.

The first problem people have is not having a sound education about proper storage. This would be the storage prior to preparation. Improper temperatures - not correct for certain foods. Moisture levels - not correct. If you want to see this in action any large food Supermarket will be a fair example. Take note of how veggies, frozen foods, meats, fruits are displayed. They are being stored in the manner that provides the safest and yields the most longevity for each product.

The second problem is preparation related. This is when you have a large item like a turkey that has not been thawed correctly. When the item is being cooked parts are still frozen. This can affect the internal temperature and cause some parts to be undercooked ... this can result in food poisoning.

The third problem is cooking. A lack of knowledge regarding proper cooking techniques (for certain meats) and internal temperatures required for them to be safe.
Ground beef is less safe than a roast. A roast can be cooked very rare and be perfectly safe. Where ground beef, unless you can really trust the source and it has had proper storage, is less safe when rare.

Most people will cringe at this but I have been eating raw hamburger since i was a kid. Not an entire meal, LOL, but when making a meat loaf a pinch here and there to see if i have enough onion etc. I can also tell from the taste and texture how good this meat will be when cooked. I DO NOT RECOMMEND this to anyone ... since i have been doing this for about 50 years MY immune system is well developed and I can also tell by texture and smell how fresh the meat is. I never eat raw hamburger that i think is questionable.

The fourth problem is improper post cooking storage. Foods not kept warm enough while being served, leaving turkey out on a counter for more than several hours after cooking is inviting a little trouble. Foods need to be processed for storage after the meal ... what items you will freeze, refrigerate, seal etc.

Hope this helps

wizzie at 2:26PM on 04/13/08

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

both are great!

wizzie at 5:48AM on 04/13/08

From Talk

Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?

I send them to people i don't like ;) ... LOL only kidding.
I don't like fruit cake

wizzie at 5:47AM on 04/13/08

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

I've been cooking since I was 5 years old. I am 56 now.

I've done commercial cooking during several periods in my life.

Chicken is no different now than it was 10,20,30,40 - 50 years ago.

When i am preparing chicken I wash it under very cold tap water.

Then, depending upon what i am preparing i may or may not pat it dry with a paper towel and proceed from there to what recipe I am preparing.

In my humble opinion we have gone overboard on so many things in this country ... phobias that are too numerous to mention. Get a grip people.

If you shelter yourself from every single tiny teeny little germ ... guess what?

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY.

I see people all around me getting sick 7 - 10 times a year. I get sick maybe once every three years. I use my hands when I make meat balls, I use my hands when i toss a salad, I use my hands when I prepare chicken ... just remember to WASH your hands and surfaces.

Don't let chicken stand at room temperature for very long if you don't intend to cook it immediately.

We've turned into a bunch of worry warts in this country.

Our country survived hundreds of years without latex gloves, sneeze guards, anti bacterial soaps and all of the other anxiety producing drama.

Just use some common sense.

Cross contamination ... phooey ... I've prepared beef, pork and chicken all on the same surface. Work quickly, smart and cook the foods to the recommended temperatures.
THEN CLEAN THE SURFACES YOU USED. Sometimes I use bleach to wipe down the surfaces.

Happy cooking

wizzie at 5:46AM on 04/13/08

From Talk

Gone but not forgotten

My favorite cereal of all time ...
General Mills "JETS" (when they were shaped like Trix or Kix )

They changed the shapes to space vehicles and planes.
The taste and texture changed to something like Alpha-Bits. Not nearly as good.

I'm 56 and I still miss them!

wizzie at 3:44AM on 04/13/08

Responses to Comments by wizzie

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

I love to eat both pancakes and waffles. Waffles slightly more than pancakes.

I love making the batter for both- pancakes are so easy, but folding in egg whites for waffles is fun!

BUT. I prefer cooking pancakes strictly for the fact that you can turn out a griddle-full of lovely small fluffy pancakes in the same time it takes to make one or two waffles. Sure you can hold waffles for a little while in the oven but it's not nearly the same as having them hot from the iron. When I make waffles, it's like we all eat our breakfasts seperately and that's not as fun.

pieninja at 2:02PM on 04/18/08

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

Shall we throw crepes into the mix? :)

They have the pancake taste and those delicate, crispy edges and you can eat them when you're not just in the breakfasting mood/ roll them up with whatever.

I vote crepes for the win. Especially those street vendor ones, yumm.

jazzinx at 11:19AM on 04/18/08

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

pancakes- spread nutella on half, place sliced strawberries and roll. eat hot dog style!

it's my favorite way to eat crepes also, but i like the extra umph of pancake. mmmm carbs

machellebelle at 11:02AM on 04/18/08

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

Oooh this is tough! I love both of them, but when it comes down to it...I guess I'm going to go with pancakes. There are so many different kinds and they're just so darn good. Thanks for keeping the JEP spirit alive! I hope that doesn't come across as morbid, I hope she is doing well!

Hillary
Chew On That

Chew on That at 10:40AM on 04/18/08

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

@mepolo - I didn't learn it from TV, but I also use that same technique of keeping one hand clean and using the other for touching raw meat, etc. I'm paranoid about touching the faucet with a "dirty" hand, soaping up and rinsing my hands, then touching the now dirty faucet with a clean hand. I learned to avoid that predicament by keeping one hand clean.

The real danger of cross-contamination usually refers to using a cutting board for raw meat and then using the same cutting board (and possibly the knife, as well) to then chop veggies for a salad, without washing the cutting board/knife in between. Your salad is then exposed to the bacteria, etc. from the raw meat. That's the big cross-contamination "no-no."

MelsDiner at 5:58PM on 04/14/08

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

I've never done it, but I can see how they'd be useful when kneading meatloaf/meatballs, etc, I hate that greasy/doughy feeling that's impossible to get off without lots of scrubbing! I don't think I'd do it though, doesn't your food taste kind of latexy?

embolini9 at 10:19AM on 04/14/08

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

Not for cooking. For that, I just wash my hands.

Rubber/ latex gloves are good for cleaning- they keep the chemicals off my hands. I also use them for some of the outdoor spring cleaning, like clearing those partially decomposed leaves from last fall out of the base of the lilac bushes.

I use the thick washable kind of gloves, not the thin disposable ones.

Kerosena at 9:55AM on 04/14/08

From Talk

Alright. Do people really hate fruitcake?

Costco's has a remarkably tasty fruitcake available during the holidays. It is filled with pecans and cherries and other non-dayglo fruits. It reminds me of the kinds of fruitcakes I see for sale at Saks during the holidays for $50 but at Costco it is only $12.

Bouchon also has a delightful fruitcake like loaf. I think it is also seasonal. No problem with bad fruit overcoming the cake there, of course.

JohnFred at 9:14AM on 04/14/08

From Talk

Waffles vs. Pancakes

srhcb - I don't know what's not to like but toothsome is one of the top words that shows up when wordyfoodies start rating foodwords. I like it - it reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, but I've heard rants about the word that sound as if there are people who would like to shackle it to an IHOP menu and toss it into the deep blue (where obviously the mere thought of the caloric weight on that IHOP menu would sink it to the bottom of the ocean forever).

I'm trying to be nice this morning so have found some pancakes I do like: Crepes, which have pulled themselves out of the usual pancake mold, shaped themselves into a bearable lightness of being then tossed on some elegance; and ableskivers - which always remind me of cute little round robins.

I also like the pancakes Mu Shu Pork is folded into. :)

Karen Resta at 8:18AM on 04/14/08

From Talk

Latex Gloves - Anyone?

If the whole point of wearing gloves is food sanitation, I think it may be a bit of backwards thinking, unless you're throwing out a lot of gloves.

I do wear gloves in the kitchen, sometimes, but I don't particularly like wearing them. Okay, maybe for hot peppers or load of garlic...

The point is, when I'm using bare hands, I can feel if I've got bits of something on my fingers, or if my hands are still a little greasy or soapy, or there's an eggshell hanging on somewhere. But with gloves, I can't feel all of that. So either I'm going to be throwing out a lot of gloves, or I'm going to be doing a lot of washing to make sure the gloves are as clean as my bare hands would be.

dbcurrie at 1:33AM on 04/14/08