University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
FOOD
REFLECTIONS

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November/December 2003
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Internet Holiday Cooking Tips
for the Hurried and Harried

Alice Henneman, MS, RD
ahenneman1@unl.edu
Extension Educator & Dietitian
University of Nebraska Cooperative
Extension in Lancaster County

Joyce Jensen, REHS
jjensen@ci.lincoln.ne.us
Environmental Health Specialist
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

 

"What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents."

     ~ Michael Chiarello, cookbook author and chef

Though filled with food gatherings, the true meaning of the holidays is about spending time with family and friends.

Unfortunately, getting food ON the table often consumes more time than we spend with others AROUND the table. Here are some Web sites to help remove the "hassle" and put the "happy" back into your holidays by answering the following 16 questions.

Turkey How-To

1. When should you start thawing a holiday turkey so it's ready to prepare on the day of your meal?

ANSWER: Follow these guidelines given by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) at www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/tbthaw.htm

2. How early do you need to start cooking your turkey before guests arrive?

ANSWER: Check the USDA/FSIS recommendations at www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/tbcook.htm

3. What if you want to cook your turkey the day BEFORE your meal?

ANSWER: Try these suggestions from Cook It Quick at lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-cooking-turkey-ahead.htm

4. What time guidelines should be followed if you buy your turkey already cooked?

ANSWER: USDA/FSIS recommendations are given at www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/tbtakeout.htm

5. What can you do with leftover turkey?

ANSWER: Either freeze leftover turkey or plan to eat cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, and stuffing and gravy within 1 to 2 days. Once removed from the oven, turkey shouldn't sit at room temperature longer than 2 hours TOTAL time. For best safety and quality, avoid reheating and cooling turkey multiple times.

For recipes using turkey, check the over 700 recipes in the data base of the National Turkey Federation at recipes.eatturkey.com/search.asp

Preparing Those "Other" Holiday Meats

6. There's a lot of information available about roasting turkey for the holidays -- where can I find guidelines on preparing other meats as well?

ANSWER: For directions on roasting beef, pork, lamb, veal, venison, capon, cornish hens, duck, goose, pheasant and quail, check this USDA/FSIS site: www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/holmeats.htm

For information on chicken, go to this USDA/FSIS site: www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/chicken.htm

For seafood, check the US Food and Drug Administration site at vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsafe4.html

For some specific recipe ideas, check:

Preparing Foods in Advance

7. How can you cook ahead for holiday meals?

ANSWER: Some online resources that may be helpful include:

8. What is the best way to freeze baked goods for later use during the holidays?

ANSWER: Bake ahead by following the advice in the past issue of Food Reflections found at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftnvdc99.htm

9. How long can you store foods purchased before a holiday meal?

ANSWER: Follow the USDA/FSIS guidelines given in the chart at lancaster.unl.edu/food/storeitchart.pdf

Egg Updates

10. What can you do if your favorite egg nog recipe is made with raw eggs rather than cooked eggs?

ANSWER: If you'd like to make egg nog from scratch, try this recipe from the National Egg Board that uses eggs cooked to a safe temperature at: www.aeb.org/recipes/classics/egg-nog.html

Ingredient Substitutions

11. Where can you get help with ingredient substitutions so you don't have to buy a large container of an ingredient when you need just a small amount for a holiday recipe?

ANSWER: Check this ingredient substitution chart at lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciqsubs.htm

Reducing the Size of Recipes

12. If you need to reduce the size of a holiday recipe, what's the best way to go about it?

ANSWER: To help you calculate how to make smaller amounts of recipes, check Cook It Quick at lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-changing-recipe-size.htm or print off a PDF copy of this information at lancaster.unl.edu/food/reducingrecipesize.pdf

What's a Number "2" Can?

13. If you're in charge of making traditional family holiday food favorites this year and the recipe calls for a number 2 or a number 303 can, where can you learn what this means?

ANSWER: Check Cook It Quick at lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-can-sizes.htm

Questions about Specific Food Products

14. Where can you go for information about cooking with specific commercial products?

ANSWER: Foodandhealth.com Web site provides links to over 150 companies at www.foodandhealth.com/links/Food_Links/Companies_and_Products/index.shtml

15. Is there an Internet site that provides help with holiday baking?

ANSWER: Check the Home Baking Association and its member companies at www.homebaking.org/hbamembers

16. Where can you find more information about using low-calorie sweeteners in cooking and baking?

ANSWER: For an overview of the four low calorie sweeteners currently available for use by the home cook (acesulfame potassium or acesulfame-K, aspartame, saccharin and sucralose), check this article from the American Diabetes Association found at: http://www.diabetes.org/health/nutrition/sweeteners/default.jsp and from Mayo Clinic at http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ01029

For more information and recipes using these sweeteners, check these Web sites:

(NOTE: Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension. Nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned. The links in this article are provided as a general information source and the information provided via these sites has not been formally evaluated. The links provided are maintained by their respective organizations and they are solely responsible for their content.)
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ABOUT FOOD REFLECTIONS

Food Reflections is a FREE monthly e-mail newsletter from the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension and also is archived at lancaster.unl.edu/food/archives.htm. It provides a "how-to" message on food, nutrition, or food safety for health professionals, educators, and consumers.

  • Author: Alice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator.

  • Permission to Copy: You may reproduce for educational but not sales purposes. Please credit: Food Reflections Newsletter, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County (lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodtalk.htm)

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  • Endorsement Policy: Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County. Nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.

  • Contacting Us: Send your comments and suggestions to: ahenneman1@unl.edu

  • For More Information: For personalized answers to food, nutrition and food safety questions, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. Find your Extension office at: lancaster.unl.edu/office/locate.htm


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