98 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
Keeping leftovers safe
Whether frozen or refrigerated, leftovers need to be handled safely. Don’t let
leftover food that you’ve cooked and want to save sit out for more than two
hours.When freezing, place the food in an airtight container and freeze within 24
hours. The shelf life varies once frozen, but the food usually keeps close to
100-percent quality for 60 to 90 days. Any longer and the food starts to break
down and the quality is significantly compromised.Refrigerating leftovers is a great way to have a meal all ready to go.
Refrigerated food is good for between 72 to 96 hours (three to four days).
Soon thereafter the food begins to break down quickly and spoilage sets in.
Again, store food in an airtight container.Reviewing Cooking Methods
Different cooking methods produce different results, and having an under-
standing of what they are will carry over into successful meals every time.
You may see the terms sauté, broil, stew, and braise, but do you know how
that applies to food? No matter how great a recipe is, if you cook the food
the way you think it should be done instead of the way the recipe intended,
or try a cooking shortcut, you have no one to blame but yourself if the meal
turns out badly.Pot and pan sizes matter and the recipe will turn out differently if the
appropriate pan size isn’t used. If the pan or pot is too big, the food will likely
dry out while cooking. If too small, the food may take longer to cook and
become chewy and/or overcooked.Some cooking methods are dry, and others are moist. One easy-to-remember
rule to follow in choosing between the two is if the animal walks on land, dry
cooking methods are recommended, and if it lives in water, moist cooking has
better results.What about sushi?
Sushi grade fish is served raw, but it’s handled
much differently then fish that’s going to be
cooked. The fish goes through a rigorous
inspection before being graded for sushi,and it’s then kept below 40 degrees at all
times. However, you are still taking a risk by
consuming sushi-like raw meats.