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Bread is too soft to slice: Freeze it and slice it frozen.

Bread Stale: Sprinkle it with a small amount of water, put it in foil, and bake in an oven at moderate heat for about ten minutes.

Cake Stuck to Pan: Let it sit until it is a little cooler, and then try again. If it’s already cold, reheat for a minute or two.

Cheese tough or rubbery after cooking: Blend in a blender or food processor at low speed for a minute or two, then cook slowly.

Coffee or broth cloudy: add eggshells.

Coffee overcooked: Add a pinch of salt

Dough is lumpy: Add more liquid and pound the dough thoroughly.

Dough won’t rise: Put the bowl of dough in a warmer place - in an oven, for instance, with a pilot light (do not turn the oven on). You could also mix a bit more yeast in ¼-cup warm water and knead into dough.

Dough won’t shape: Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Eggs crack when cooking: Put in 1 teaspoonful of salt and a bit of lemon or vinegar into the water to keep whites from oozing out of the shell.

Egg whites won’t whip: Add a bit of baking soda or salt.

Fudge hard: Add a tablespoon of milk and 2-3 tablespoonfuls of corn syrup and beat, then pour. Put in an airtight container for 24 hours.

Gelatin stuck in mold: Dip the mold in hot water, but not so the gelatin is touched by the water, for just a few seconds. Put the mold on a plate, turn it upside down and shake.

Gravy gray: Add red currant jelly, soy sauce, a bit of sherry, meat extract, or 1 teaspoon instant coffee.

Gravy lumpy: Beat it with eggbeater or wire whisk. Strain it.

Gravy salty: Make more. Sometimes adding a bit of brown sugar helps. Cook small pieces of potato into the gravy.

Ham salty: Soak slices in milk for 15 minutes to a half-hour. Wash off.

Icing sugared: Add a bit of vinegar and keep cooking.

Lemon hard: Heat it for 5 minutes in boiling water or for 15 seconds in a microwave on HIGH, then try juicing it.

Meat burned: Cut off burned parts, cube and sauce the rest. Serve over pasta.

Pasta stuck together: Put back in boiling water with a tablespoon or so of oil in it.

Pie dough burning on edge: Cover edge with aluminum foil.

Popcorn won’t pop: Soak corn in water for 5 minutes, dry off and try again. For very recalcitrant corn, freeze overnight and pop while frozen.

Rice burned: Get it off the flame, then put a piece of bread on top of it, cover for 5 minutes.

Scummy stock: Add leek tops and tomato peels, which absorb the scum.

Soup too salty: Slice in potato, simmer until potato turns translucent, then lift potato out.

Stew meat tough: if you haven’t had the time to let the stew continue cooking under gentle heat, add a few tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar to tenderize it.

Vegetable old: To pep them up, add a pinch or two of sugar and a little salt to the cooking water.

Vegetables overcooked: Puree them. Or make a cream soup of them Or put them in an oven-safe dish, cover them with bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, and broil for a couple of minutes.

Vegetables too salty: Pour the water out, rinse them off, and return them to the stove in new water. If you are already done, wash in hot water.

Whipping cream won’t whip: chill everything (bowl, cream, beaters) and try again. If that fails, add an unbeaten egg white or 3-4 drops of lemon juice and whip as hard as you can.
KiyaSama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers

There are a number of satisfying and nutritious meals you can cook up in no time. You don’t need to be overly skilled in the kitchen, but by using common sense and following these basic guidelines, you can easily create an impressive dish to satisfy any taste.

A great quick and easy meal you can cook tonight is traditional Spaghetti Bolognese. It’s healthy and delicious, and only requires around fifteen to twenty minutes cooking time if you’re in a hurry. Firstly take minced beef, proportionate to the desired number of eventual diners and brown in a pot. Next add a whole onion (chopped) and cook with the beef until soft. You can also add in all manner of vegetables to your Bolognese, including peppers, mushrooms, carrots - it really is up to you. After you’ve added your vegetables, it’s a good idea to turn your attention to the spaghetti whilst they are softening in the pan. With one eye on the Bolognese, pour boiling water over some pasta, and bring to the boil, leaving to simmer until cooked. Next, add a can of chopped tomatoes, about quarter of a tube of tomato puree, and a clove or two of garlic to flavour. Mix well, and allow it to simmer until the spaghetti is ready. Finally, serve up on top of the spaghetti, and sprinkle some cheddar cheese to finish.

Alternatively, why not try something more exotic, with this spicy chicken curry idea? Firstly, take some raw chicken breast and cut into strips or cubes. Seal in a pan with oil or butter, and add a whole onion chopped. At this stage, it is also wise to add curry powder and spices to effectively marinade the chicken. This will allow all the flavours to circulate whilst you cook. Next, add around half a can of chopped tomatoes and further mixed spices to taste. Then, boil some rice in a separate pan, and add some coriander to taste, leaving the curry to simmer until the rice has cooked. Serve the curry on top of the rice, and add some bread to finish, for a really great, easy meal. Additionally, you might also like to add some single cream with the chopped tomatoes for that creamy taste.

Overall, by taking simple basic ingredients and using some common sense, you can create tasty meals with very little input. As long as you remember each crucial step, and cook meats well, feel free to experiment, and who knows what you might end up with on your plate next?
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Cooking, Nutrition, and Health.

There is Southern Cooking and then there is SOUTHERN COOKING! You can follow a recipe and still come out with a dish that does not resemble what the recipe intended. The reason is technique and the little secrets that are not included in the recipe.

Technique is as important as the ingredients and proper technique helps you avoid the following common mistakes made by novice cooks. You can find many free Southern recipes on the internet, but few web sites provide the additional information needed to to be a real Southern cook. So when you find a site that does, bookmark it and stick with it for your Southern recipes. (See Resource Box below for recommendation).

7 Biggest Mistakes:

1. Failure to Properly Preheat Oven When Baking.

Have you ever made cornbread that came out soft and crumbly without a crust? Or biscuits that did not rise and have a gray color? It was probably due to the fact that your oven was not properly preheated. When baking, the crust is set in the first 10 minutes. So, if you want a nice, golden crust on your cornbread, be sure to get the oven up to 400 degrees before you put the cornbread in.

Ovens vary in how long it takes to reach a given temperature. Some ovens will reach 400 degrees in 4-5 minutes. Some will take as long as 15 minutes. A good practice is to get a thermometer (any food thermometer that goes up to 425 degrees will work) and time how long it takes your oven to reach 250, 350, 400 and 425 degrees. Write it down and keep it handy if you can not remember. Then always allow the alloted time to reach the desired temperature before beginning your baking.

2. Undercooked Vegetables

Keep in mind we are talking about Southern cooking. Not Chinese or West Coast casseroles. Many vegetables, Southern Style, are cooked considerably longer than most people tend to cook them. Specifically, green beans are cooked until soft and dark green in color. They are not crunchy and bright green. Okra and green tomatoes, are cooked until some burned edges appear and are very crunchy. As a general rule boiled vegetables are cooked until very tender and fried foods are cooked until crunchy (this goes for cornbread, fried chicken and pork chops, too).

3. Failure to Use Cast Iron

I have never researched all the reasons why, but Southern cooking is best cooked in cast iron cook-ware. The cast iron holds and transfers heat unlike any other type metal. Food just does not cook the same in aluminum or steel. Especially cornbread. Besides, it is the traditional way to cook Southern.

Older cast iron tends to have problems with rust and food sticking, but the newer cook-ware comes already cured (seasoned) so it is not as much a problem. However, it is not difficult to cure your cast iron if you have an older style. You can get complete, free instructions in the web referrals below.

4. Failure to Use Onions and Bacon

Onions and bacon (or bacon grease) are used extensively in Southern cooking. Some cooks, however, stray away form cooking real Southern because they (or family members) do not like onions and/or concerns about the fat content in bacon.

They do this because they fail to understand the reason for using bacon and onions. They are NOT in the recipe so that you taste onions or bacon. They are there only to provide subtle flavor. A unique Southern flavor. If you do not like onions, use only a small amount and remove the onion from the dish before serving (put onion in cheesecloth while cooking and it is easy to remove). If you are concerned about the calorie content of bacon, do not use whole bacon. Just add 1/2 tsp of grease from previously cooked bacon. And, accept the fact that Southern cooking is not inherently low fat. It is meant to be flavorful and robust. So, use that bacon and onion for real Southern dishes.

5. Overworking Dough

Southern breads are meant to be light and fluffy. Even cornbread should not be heavy and solid. Many Southern cooks never learn how to make good biscuits. And homemade Southern Biscuits are the trademark of good Southern cooks.

Three errors cause bad biscuits (and other breads). First, do not overwork the dough. Biscuit dough should only be kneaded three times. No more. Just enough to shape it for cutting out the biscuits.

Second, when cutting the dough, do not push down and twist the biscuit cutter. Push straight down and straight back up. Twisting compacts the edges of the dough and causes uneven cooking.

Third, remember the previous mistake above…preheat your oven. A cold oven can result in flat, hard biscuits.

6. Yellow Cornmeal and Sugar in cornbread

Everyone has their own preference, but, please do not use yellow cornmeal in cornbread. It may be mental, but it just does not taste the same as white cornmeal. Besides it looks funny. And, NEVER, NEVER put sugar in cornbread if you want authentic Southern cornbread. Cornbread is bread to accompany a meal. It is not dessert. It is not cake! It is BREAD. So, if you like sweet cornbread…go ahead and use your sugar…but, do not call it Southern Cornbread!

7. Failure to Use buttermilk

All good Southern cooks use buttermilk in everything except desserts. Regular milk does not add the flavor that buttermilk does. Especially in any dish with cornmeal (cornbread, hush puppies, tamale pie, etc.). If you do not have buttermilk, you can make a reasonable substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of regular milk. Allow to sit for a minute before use.

These are some of the most common mistakes (or lack of Southern cooking technique) made in Southern cooking. You can ignore all of them and make eatable food, but it will not be traditional Southern. Even some good Southern cooks fail to comply with all the above, but they have probably developed a variation of these same techniques.

So, get in that kitchen, fire up the stove and make your family a real Southern dinner tonight.
Ken Miller is a free lance writer and webmaster for http://www.olsouthrecipes.com, Southern Recipes - Southern Cooking, where you can find FREE recipes for the most popular, authentic Southern dishes like fried chicken, fried okra, biscuits and gravy, cornbread and many more.

Ready for Thanksgiving? Do you have your turkey, your guests, and all of your other recipes in order? What are you waiting for? It’s only a week away!

If you are entertaining at your apartment for Thanksgiving this year, you seriously better get to cracking. Trust me…you don’t want to wait until the last minute to get things done because if you do…your life is going to get extremely difficult.

There are several steps that you can follow to insure that your Thanksgiving dinner will go off without a hitch and with the least stress as possible.

Get Your Guests In A Row- Check out your [BREAK] list of guests. Make a few calls and send out the emails. The first step to keeping your sanity is to find out who is coming and who isn’t as soon as possible. Once you find out who is coming, divvy up the food bringing responsibility. It would be helpful to make a list of the traditional things needed and mark down who is bringing what, so that you don’t get confused and end up with two dishes of dressing and missing a green bean casserole. Here is a quick sample list that may help you out:

-Turkey and Gravy (Typically that is the hosts responsibility)
-Mashed Potatoes
-Green Bean casserole
-Dressing/Stuffing
-Cranberry Sauce
-Pumpkin/Pecan Pie
-Rolls
-Salad
-Drinks

Shopping Spree- Hit the stores several days early. If you wait until the day or even a couple of days before Thanksgiving, you are truly asking for trouble. Not only will you run into a frantic, overcrowded, melee of destruction as soon as you hit that market parking lot, but you will more than likely not be able to find most of the stuff you need because the stores shelves will have already been picked dry by those who got their shopping done before you. Get to the store…Hurry! Time is running out.

The Turkey Prep- There is way more to a great Thanksgiving turkey than just popping the sucker in the oven for several hours, carving, and then gobbling it up. The proper prep of a turkey takes a little care. If you are going with a frozen turkey, you must keep in mind that when defrosting that frozen gobbler in the fridge, it takes an entire day for each 5 lbs. So if you have a 20 pound turkey…it’s going to take 4 days to defrost.

Also, decide how you are going to cook the turkey and have all of the necessary tools ready. There are literally hundreds of ways to cook a turkey and each year new recipes and techniques are created. Generally, at 350 degrees, the roasting time of your turkey of average weight should be between 3 and 4 hours. Don’t be intimidated, but it’s more challenging than you’d think. Cook it too long and you end up with a dry turkey. Cook it too short and it could be unsafe to eat. The important thing to always keep in mind is that if the internal temperature of the turkey is between170 and 180 degrees, you should be safe and good to go.

For any turkey questions you can call Butterball’s Turkey Talk Line at 1-800-Butterball

Clean, Inspect, Then Clean Again- If there is ever a time to make sure that you apartment is extra spotless and in perfect condition, it’s now. No one wants to be sitting down to a hefty celebratory Thanksgiving dinner only to notice dust all over the backs of the chairs, or candy wrappers on the carpet. Clean like you are getting paid to do it. Make sure that your silver and glassware is polished and spotless. The kitchen and bathroom need to look institutionally clean. Make several runs with the vacuum to make sure you don’t miss any spots. Dust in places you usually overlook.

Two Minute Warning - On the couple of days before your dinner, make sure to double check your lists and make sure that everything is covered. Run the vacuum over the carpet one last time. Check to make sure you are stocked up on everything from napkins and toilet paper to bottled water. Put everything in its proper place. And make that last minute store run…only if you have to…

Keep these simple steps in mind as you prepare for your awesome Turkey Day and you should be good to go. Thankfully, I am not entertaining this year. Woo hoo! No work for me!!! I’m sure I’ll end up having to wash the dishes

Did you know….

- If a turkey looks up when it is raining it can drown
-The entire United States of America will go through 675 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving day alone
-The heaviest turkey ever raised was the size of a large dog at 86 pounds
-Turkeys’ heads change colors when they become excited
-The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger
-”Big Bird’s”feathers on Sesame Street are rumored to be from a turkey

Later Turkey’s

For more information on apartment living, visit Apartment Home Living.com
Jeff’s just a regular guy with a funny goatee that really enjoys people and life. On top of that he is a bit of an expert on apartments, living in them, and getting the most out of the apartment living lifestyle.

As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living, Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. Not only where you want to live & what you want to pay, but what you like. This way, we can help you find an apartment that fits your personality, not just your budget.

At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff’s entertaining blogs/stories, find Answers to a wide array of apartment related questions, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don’t forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!

1) To save money on expensive oils, purchase large bottles that you can split with family and friends.

2) If you buy olive oil in bulk, it is suggested to transfer to smaller containers - most preferably a can or dark-colored bottle.

3) Keep in mind that olives are a fruit; therefore you are purchasing a fruit juice that can become rancid when exposed to too much air, light, and heat.

4) You can tell when your olive oil is rancid when it possesses a buttery taste.

5) The best temperature for storing olive oil is 57 degrees. Typical room temperature of 70 degrees also works well.

6) When storing olive oil, make sure that the cap to the container is on tight.

7) If you wish to refrigerate your olive oil, keep in mind that this does not compromise most grades of oil, but it isn’t suggested for an expensive extra virgin since condensation may develop in the bottle, which can ultimately affect the flavor.

In cold temperatures, don’t forget that olive oil may cloud or become solid. Once the olive oil is taken out of the refrigerator, it will resume its original, liquid composition when exposed to a room temperature environment.

9) The best kind of containers for olive oil is made out of tinted glass, porcelain, or stainless steel. Never store olive oil in a plastic container or something that is made out of reactive metals.

10) When cooking with olive oil, the most expensive kind (extra-virgin) is best saved for salads, dressings, and vinaigrettes. Extra virgin olive oil also adds life to cooked vegetables, fish, and meat.

11) When sautéing or frying, it is OK to combine extra virgin and regular olive oil. As for deep-frying, choose regular olive oil, as virgin or extra virgin oils tend to smoke quicker.

12) When substituting olive oil for butter, you will not use the same measurements. One teaspoon of butter equates to 3/4 teaspoons of olive oil. Also rely upon the following butter-to-olive oil conversions: 2 teaspoons = 1 1/2 teaspoons; 1 tablespoon = 2 1/4 teaspoons; 2 tablespoons = 1 1/4 tablespoons; 1/4 cup = 3 tablespoons; 1/3 cup = 1/4 cup; 1/2 cup = 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons; 2/3 cup = 1/2 cup; 3/4 cup = 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon; 1 cup = 3/4 cup
San Javier
http://www.greatkitchentools.com

One of the biggest problems with grilling poultry, especially turkey, is that the meat can become dry and tasteless. A great way to add moisture and additional flavor is with a brine.

To brine a turkey you’ll need to start the night before you plan to cook it. A good rule of thumb is to brine your bird for one hour per pound. Here’s what you’ll need:

a large stock pot (or another large container of your choice) and enough room in your refrigerator for it

salt

water

sugar

seasonings (whatever you like)

Start with a clean and completely thawed turkey. To make the brine, mix 1 cup of salt with 1 gallon of water. You’ll need more than that, but keep the ratio of 1 cup salt:1 gallon water. You’ll probably need 2-3 gallons. Add whatever seasonings you like, but don’t add anything that will add additional salt. Here’s a simple brine recipe, but feel free to experiment with your own concoctions.

Ingredients:

2 quarts vegetable stock

1/2 cup salt

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 quarts cold water

In a large pot combine the vegetable stock, salt, and herbs over medium heat. Simmer for about 15 min until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the water.

Place the turkey in your large container, and add enough brine to completely cover the turkey within an inch of completely covering the entire bird. Now put it in the refrigerator.

Don’t have room in the refrigerator? A large cooler makes a good container for your turkey and brine. If it’s cool outside you may not need to worry about it, but if it’s warm you’ll want to add enough ice to keep the turkey cool. Monitor the temperature of the brine closely during the process to make sure it stays cool.

When you’re ready to prepare your turkey, pull it out of the brine and rinse it off with clean, cold water. Throw it on the grill and you’re good to go. The additional moisture will really make a difference!

Finally, be careful how you dispose of your leftover brine. Remember, this is saltwater, so it’ll kill your lawn. I usually pour it down the sink along with additional clean water.
Jay Lotz is a blogger at http://www.drinkmowgrill.com

Did you know that you can find great roast beef cooking tips on the Internet? It’s true and by using them you can really improve the results of your cooking. Here are just a few of the most common roast beef cooking tips that just about anyone can use.

Decide on the cut:

Rib eye, standing rib, and tenderloin are the best cuts during the holiday seasons, but the leaner cuts of round tip, top round, eye round, and tri-tip are also delicious when prepared correctly and they are more economical choices for everyday meals.

Decide on the weight:

Some of the most useful roast beef cooking tips involve knowing how much to buy. Here are some of the roast beef cooking tips that can help you figure this out.

Lean and boneless roasts, such as tenderloin, eye round and tri-tip will yield 4 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound. In other words, 3-pound roast will yield 12 three-ounce servings.

Rib eye roasts, which have more fat, will yield about 3 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound.

Bone-in rib roasts will yield 2-1/2 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound. In other words, a 3-pound bone-in roast will yield about 7 three-ounce servings.

It is a good idea to plan in advance if you want leftovers or not when deciding on how much to buy. Some families enjoy having something left over to snack on later while other families prefer to not have leftovers.

Some of the most useful roast beef cooking tips involve smart shopping. Always try to buy your meat last during your shopping trip. This allows the meat to stay colder for longer.

Also try to buy only meats that are cherry-red in color, without any grayish or brown blotches. A darker purplish-red color is typical of vacuum-packaged beef. Once exposed to oxygen, beef will turn from a darker red to bright red.

There are many more tricks and hints available on the Internet if you wish to search for them. Many of these are located at websites that are especially designed for meat products and meat preparations. These experts are happy to share their knowledge with you via helpful roast beef cooking tips and information pages. These sites are very easy to find and they are written in easy to understand language.

Using these roast beef cooking tips will help save money and enjoy your choices more. Your family will also enjoy the taste of your dishes more. Try some of this tricks and see if you do not agree.

Also, one of the best ways to learn new cooking tips is to watch videos online. So check them out!
Still looking for information on Cooking? Check out MyCookingVideos.info a website specializing in FREE cooking videos!

If you aren’t dieting, the cold, crisp days of January are the perfect time of year to enjoy one of my favorite childhood lunch combinations: cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Although I’ve developed many recipes for tomato soup over the years, I’m always content with Campbell’s condensed cream of tomato soup (in fact, the Soup-at-Hand version of that soup is always on reserve in my office in case of soup-related emergencies). I’m more particular about grilled cheese sandwiches though.

My grilled cheese doesn’t have to be fancy but it must be made with real Cheddar and real butter and the bread, if white, has to be crusty and fresh. That said, I usually use whole grain sandwich bread at lunchtime. By the way, A is today’s mystery letter but let’s get back to grilled cheese, shall we? Over the holidays, I sliced a baguette into thin disks and made appetizer-sized grilled cheeses for the kids who attended our Christmas Eve soiree and these two-bite sandwiches were a hit with kids of all ages!

When making a grilled cheese sandwich, please remember that slow and easy wins the race; you can’t rush a good grilled cheese. My preferred method is to keep the heat under a heavy bottomed skillet medium so that the inside of the sandwich becomes molten and the outside doesn’t go beyond golden. If using a panini press, leave a cheese-free border around the edge so that the melted cheese doesn’t ooze out and burn.

I’ve made grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced cheese and with shredded. You can get good results with either but I’ve found that for most home cooks, it’s easier to shred the cheese than to slice it evenly.

Although I always dip my grilled cheese sandwich in ketchup (the soup isn’t tangy enough for me), I can acknowledge that there are other good condiment options such as sun dried tomato pesto, branston pickle and Bengal chutney that can be spread right inside the sandwich before grilling to make a very tasty lunch!
By Dana McCauley

Blog: http://danamccauley.wordpress.com

Outdoor cooking is meant to be a fun and festive event so a little careful planning and awareness can ensure that your next barbecue is fun, safe, enjoyable and tasty. Not only should you be careful when setting up a barbecue but ensuring that safe food handling and cooking practices are used is critical to your next outdoor event’s success.

Grill Safety

When cooking on a barbecue, hibachi, or a barbecue pit make sure that you and your guests are safe. Hot coals, hot surfaces or grease flare ups can create a dangerous situation. Whether using coals or a gas grill you should be aware of fire safety at all times. Some critical items to consider:

Make sure any outside games and traffic paths are away from your grill so that someone doesn’t accidentally push over it over or gets burned on a hot surface. Also, be aware of pets getting too close.

Be sure to use proper utensils that are long enough and capable of handling the weight of what you are cooking.

Follow all correct lighting procedures weather using gas or coals. Turn the gas on only when you are ready to light and never throw lighter fluid on already lit coals or flames.

Food Safety

Perhaps one of the biggest dangers that people overlook is proper food safety. While setting up a barbecue safely is more obvious because the dangers are more readily seen, food born illness can create an uncomfortable and even dangerous situation if proper food handling and cooking procedures are not done correctly. The challenges of refrigeration and improper cooking can create unsafe food for consumption very quickly and spoil your outdoor event. It begins with shopping and doesn’t end until the last leftover is eaten.

When shopping, be sure to purchase your meats last. Utilize the plastic bags at the store for the raw meats and make sure they are all bagged separate from other perishables such as fruits and vegetables. Drive directly home from the store and refrigerate within two hours and certainly sooner (less than 1 hour) if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees. Freeze ground meats and poultry if they’re not going to be used within 2 days and other meats within 4 to 5 days.

When transporting to a picnic or even outside, make sure that the meats remain in an ice chest below 40 degrees and keep cool until you’re ready to cook. Keep the cooler out of direct sunlight to avoid any warm spots. Also, make sure that any beverages are in a separate cooler so that raw meats don’t contaminate drink containers. Be sure to use different utensils and plates when handling uncooked meats versus handling cooked items for serving. Always wash your hands thoroughly after putting on the meats to cook and prior to handling the finished product.

Cook meats to their proper temperatures to ensure correct cooking. Use a quality meat thermometer and check thick portions and never near a bone, fat, or gristle. Internal meat temperatures are as follows:

Poultry: 165 deg F

Ground Beef: 160 deg F

Beef, Veal and Lamb:

Medium rare 145 deg F

Medium 160 deg F

Pork: 160 deg F.

When smoking meats, be sure to smoking temperatures are maintained at 250 deg to 300 deg until the internal temperatures above are reached. If pre-cooking, make sure that you start your final cooking just after pre-cooking, without delay. Be sure to keep foods hot at 140 deg F or higher until serving. If outside weather is above 90 def F, don’t let food set out for more than an hour. Be sure to refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving and within an hour if over 90 def F.

Summary

As outlined above, a few simple precautions can make or break a great outdoor cooking event. Be aware of your surroundings when cooking and be sure to follow safe food handling and cooking practices. A good cooking thermometer is essential to your barbecue supplies. And yes, good sauces, good meats and a great BBQ are required but safe practices are also critical BBQ supplies.

There are several ways to thaw (or “dethaw”, depending on where you’re from) a turkey, but only a couple I recommend:

Thaw in the refrigerator

Thaw in cold water
Let’s quickly discuss both methods.

Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator

Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator is the preferred method, but you’ll need to allow several days for it to thaw. A good rule of thumb is 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. So for a 15 pound bird, allow 3 days. A 20 pounder will take 4 days. Give yourself plenty of time. If it’s thawed a day early, it’s no big deal. A thawed turkey can be safely kept in the refrigerator for up to one full day.

There’s no real science here. Just put it in a pan large enough to hold the bird, and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. You can also use the large Ziploc bags for this.

Thawing a turkey in cold water

If you don’t have several days to thaw your bird, you can use the cold water method. You can thaw your turkey in your kitchen sink, a large pot, or even a clean cooler. Be sure to use ice cold water. Even the coldest water will thaw a turkey quickly, so keep it cold. Replace the water with clean, cold water every 30 min or so. You’ll need to plan for 30 min per pound of turkey, which means you can thaw a 12 pound turkey in 6 hours, or a 20 pounder in only 10 hours!

If thawing in cold water, you should prepare the turkey as soon as it’s thawed.

Again, thawing in the refrigerator is preferred simply because it’s a controlled environment where the temperature is constant. However, if you don’t have the time or the space in your fridge, that cold water method works well too.

When you’re ready to prepare your turkey, simply rinse it with clean, cold water inside and out. Oh, and don’t forget to remove the giblets! (I have a story about that, but I’ll save that for a another time.)
Jay Lotz is a blogger at http://www.drinkmowgrill.com a blog covering beer, lawn care, and grilling.