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Show (h)(n)G Follow precautions for preparing holiday leftovers By Evelyn D. Harris American Forces Information Service - For many people, Thanksgiving is an Olympic cooking and eating event. Turkey or other fowl, two kinds of potatoes, rolls, salads and vegetables and often two or three pies are placed lovingly on the table. Your family and guests try mightily to transfer the contents of the groaning board to their groaning stomachs on the big day, but there are always leftovers. Unless properly handled, those leftovers could be a cause of food poisoning. All foods contain microorganisms. Dairy products and poultry, such as that Thanksgiving turkey, for example, contain harmless amounts of such bacteria as salmonella. These harmless amounts can quickly multiply into harmful amounts unless you keep cold foods cold (45 degrees Fahrenheit) and hot foods hot (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Don't leave the cooked turkey on the table at room temperature longer than two hours on Thanksgiving for maximum safety, say the food safety experts. Even though the room may seem cool, it is still warm enough for bacteria to grow. Those experts recommend that stuffing be removed from poultry soon after cooking and placed in a separate container. The reason: Bacteria thrive in high protein, high carbohydrate food combina- - Unless properly handled, those leftovers could be a cause of food poisoning. tions, said Jody Siegel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline. Furthermore, the warm, dark and moist environment inside the bird means that, once refrigerated, stuffing does not cool down as fast as optimum safety would require. Cooked turkey in broth or gravy keeps for about two days in the refrigerator, sliced dry turkey up to four days. These guidelines are for optimum safety and taste, according to hotline staffers. Meat eaten past these deadlines isn't guaranteed to get you sick, but it increases the probability. Maj. Jane Coffin, staff nutritionist with the Army Surgeon General's Office, suggests refrigerating meat whole or in large pieces and waiting until the last minute before slicing it. "The amount of exposed air surface is the key to food spoilage. Chicken salad will spoil faster than a chicken leg, hamburger spoils faster than roast beef. Refrigeration and freezing do not stop spoilage, they simply slow it down," she said. If you don't think you can eat turkey quickly, freeze it. Cooked dry turkey keeps a month in the freezer. Turkey in gravy keeps up to six months, because freezing dries food out, and the moisture in the gravy helps the frozen bird retain its texture. Not only turkey, but all leftover foods, even green salads, should be treated with care. But generally, high protein goods meat, eggs and dairy products grow bacteria more quickly than other foods. Vegetables cooked in cream sauces and pies containing eggs, such as pumpkin pie, should be put in the refrigerator as promptly as the poultry. What about the salad made with mayonnaise? Mayonnaise has long suffered an undeserved reputation for causing food poisoning, perhaps because it is often mixed with chopped high protein foods. Actually, commercially prepared mayonnaise retards bacteria growth. When you make sandwiches out of that leftover turkey to put in the lunchbox, spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread. Make parties memorable without overindulging 4 egg whites 6 cups crushed ice By Evelyn D. Harris American Forces Information Service Plan to have a memorable party this holiday season where everyone remembers the good conversation and good food not the tragic accident or curbside session with the police that came later. When sending out invitations, you might suggest carpool arrangements in which one person in the group is the designated driver, who agrees to drink drinks you plan to only the tasty - non-alcohol- ic provide. Present non-alcohol- ic drinks as attractively as al- coholic drinks. Russian tea, hot apple cider with cin- namon sticks, mock margaritas and "virgin" or "bloodless" (no vodka) marys are popular nonalcoholic alternatives to ordinary soft drinks. Even plain cranberry juice is festive in a pretty wine glass. One partygiver mixed cranberry juice with ginger ale and lots of fresh lime slices and placed the mixture in an attractive glass pitcher. Although she provided a bottle of vodka so guests could spike their own drinks, most people drank the cranberry juice concoction plain after one spiked drink. Set up tasty food next to the beverage area so people are encouraged to nibble as well as drink. Avoid overly salty food, which makes people want to drink more. Have high protein foods available-chee- se, meatballs or quiche which also dampen the urge to overindulge. If some people do overindulge, a responsible par- tygiver should have them spend the night or get a sober friend or cab driver to drive them home. Here are some recipes for a safe healthy party: MOCK MARGARITA can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed 12-o- z. 12-o- z. 1 cup powdered sugar 1 quart soda Lime slices Coarse salt In a nonmetal container, combine lemonade, limeade, powdered sugar, egg whites and crushed ice; mix well. Cover and freeze, stirring occasionally. Remove container from freezer 30 minutes before serving. Spoon 2 cups slush mixture into blender; add 1 cup club soda. Blend until frothy. To serve, rub rim of glass with lime, dip in salt and fill glass. Garnish with lime slices. 24 servings. (From "Drinks for Driving," Minnesota Prevention Resource Center) : For safer, healthier holiday parties, try: Non-alcohol- ic drinks, like EASY QUICHE VA cups grated cheese 2 cups milk 12 cup flour 4 eggs juice and virgin marys 1 which dampen thirsts 12 tsp. pepper cup chopped vegetables (squash, onion, : mushrooms) Spread grated cheese in bottom of 10" pie plate. Blend remaining ingredients and add to cheese. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees. Makes 10 to 12 appetizer size slices. (Montgomery County, Md., Nutrition Service) : HOT ARTICHOKE DIP 12 cup mayonnaise 12 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped Paprika Mix first three ingredients together; sprinkle with paprika. Bake in small casserole at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with crackers. Serve foods |