dition the meat is in - meat should only go in the fridge, in a pot, in the oven, or in your stomach.
.....Unfortunately, the no-defrosting-on-the-counter rule is easy to ignore because like me, I'm sure, you too have always gotten away with doing this, but hey, all you need is one time when you don't get away with it, and trust me, you'll regret it big-time, so in this age of nearly universal access to microwave ovens, use those nuke-machines to do your defrosting for you.
Or better still, why not be really organized and defrost anything you need the day before in the fridge?
.....By the way, now that I've mentioned microwaves, it's very important to note that since microwaves heat food from the outside in and hence unevenly, you should never assume that nuking a food will kill the bacteria that may be lurking in there (not to mention, of course, that you should also be very careful, as I too often am not, to make sure that you don't get burned from nuked food that has over-heated on the outside but doesn't "look" hot).
.....Here's another biggie: cook your meat thoroughly, especially when you're serving it to kids. Sure, there are cuts of meat - such as steaks - that can be served rare, but any meat that's been "handled" such as hamburger meat must - must - be cooked thoroughly, or until it's no longer pink.
.....And finally, with my wife hanging over my shoulder wondering when I'd bring this up, I have to end with: don't eat 2-week old hummus.
In fact, if something's been in the fridge for several days (my usual rule is 4-5 days, and boy! .....Do I regret not having followed it last year), you better make sure that it's the kind of food that can't easily go off.
.....Thus, yogurt is fine, jam is too, as is salami, but hummus and babaganoush and meat loaf and turkey leftovers are not.
.....Or as Tommy Smothers once said, "Red meat is not a problem. Blue-green meat is another matter.".
Dr. Art Hister can be heard on CKNW and other Corus Radio Network stations on House Calls on Saturdays at 10 AM, as well as seen on Global TV news on Saturday mornings at 9:20. |
 |
|
