Summer Cooking Tips
Read these 10 Summer Cooking Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Prepared Food tips and hundreds of other topics.
Combat Against Foodborne Illnesses in Summer
It's true. Foodborne illnesses do increase during the summer months, according to the USDA. The reason for this is natural causes (bacteria grows fastest in very hot, moist weather) and human causes (outside eating increases in the summer). So learn how to keep your summer foods and summer cooking safe.
Here are some government guidelines:
1. Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets.
2. When eating away from home, find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean, wet, disposable washcloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
3. When packing the cooler chest for an outing, wrap raw meats securely; avoid raw meat juices from coming in contact with ready-to-eat food.
4. Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that held the raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food.
5. Take your thermometer along. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, so be sure that meats are cooked thoroughly. Check them with a food thermometer.
6. Cook hamburger and other ground meats (veal, lamb, and pork) to an internal temperature of 160 F and ground poultry to 165 F.
7. Cook steaks and roasts that have been tenderized, boned, rolled, etc., to an internal temperature of 160 F for medium and 170 F for well-done. Whole steaks and roasts may be cooked to 145 F for medium rare.
8. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 F in the thigh; breast meat to 170 F.
Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site. Partial cooking of food ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point that subsequent cooking cannot destroy them.
9. Cold refrigerated perishable food like luncheon meats, cooked meats, chicken, and potato or pasta salads should be kept in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, ice packs, or containers of frozen water.
10. Consider packing canned beverages in one cooler and perishable food in another cooler because the beverage cooler will probably be opened frequently.
11. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of the car, and place in the shade or shelter, out of the sun, whenever possible.
12. Preserve the cold temperature of the cooler by replenishing the ice as soon as it starts melting.
13. If a cooler chest is not an option, consider taking fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, canned or dried meats, dried cereal, bread, peanut butter, crackers, and a bottle of refreshing beverage.
14. Take-out food: If you don't plan to eat take-out food within 2 hours of purchase, plan ahead and chill the food in your refrigerator before packing for your outing.
Food left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours may not be safe to eat. At 90 F or above, food should not be left out over 1 hour. Play it safe; put leftover perishables back on ice once you finish eating so they do not spoil or become unsafe to eat.
15. If you have any doubts, throw it out!
Safety When Food is on the Go
So your gourmet food has arrived and now you're ready to transport it to that family picnic in the park.
You may be wondering, how can I safely transport perishable foods such as steak and other picnic food to a picnic site, community supper, or family gathering?
According to the USDA, if taking food away from home, try to plan just the right amount of perishable foods to take. That way, you won't have to worry about the storage or safety of leftovers.
Items which don't require refrigeration include fruits, vegetables, hard cheese, canned meat or fish, chips, bread, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard, and pickles. You don't need to pack them in a cooler.
After estimating the amount of food which needs to be kept cold, pack an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or gel packs to keep the food at 40 F. Pack food right from the refrigerator or freezer into it. Why? Because bacteria grow and multiply rapidly in the danger zone between 40 F and 140 F (out of the refrigerator or before food begins to cook). So food transported without an ice source or left out in the sun at a picnic won't stay safe long.
When taking food to a picnic, don't put the cooler in the trunk; carry it inside the air-conditioned car. At the picnic, keep the cooler in the shade. Keep the lid closed and avoid repeated openings. Replenish the ice if it melts.
Three Great Summer Sauces
Looking for a way to jazz up your meats, salads or pasta this summer? Create one (or all) of these three great summer sauces for your gathering and watch your guests delight in the taste.
1. Paloise sauce (a lot like a Hollandaise sauce but with a handful of chopped mint added at the end). This is perfect for
grilled meats, especially lamb.
2. Pesto sauce (pine nuts or walnuts, fresh basil or parsley leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, oil. Good on pasta, chicken or in salads.
3. Al Verde sauce (basil leaves, parsley, scallions, garlic, orange and lemon juice and zest, salad olives, capers, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, oil). This is great with any type of pasta, or just spoon it on slices of toasted bread.
Choosing Summer Fare
Summer is all about easy entertaining.
Experts will tell you to think light when preparing a summer party menu.
Think summer salads such as fruit and ham, chicken artichoke, strawberry shrimp melon, antipasto, Greek, or marinated vegetable. For soups and sandwiches think Gazpacho or Texas melon soup and pressed or brie peach sandwiches. Think simple grilled meats and fish for main courses. For dessert, try lemonade pie or sherbert fruit pie.
Stay away from heavy pasta dishes and heavy stews and roasts. Avoid really hot foods in general. No one wants to eat steaming hot food on a steaming hot day. And be conscious of dishes with cheese or chocolate that will melt in the sun or hot weather.
Summer Garden Party Food and Decor
Summer is a time to eat outside. Planning a garden party is a fun way to be outside with your family or friends. And you don't need an enormous back yard or "garden" to have one! A small patio, city backyard - or any outdoor space with room for chairs and a group of people can be transformed into the perfect garden party summer setting.
Here are some guidelines for what to serve and how to decorate for your summer gathering, courtesy of Oprah Winfrey.
Some tasty garden party recipes you can order from a gourmet prepared food company or create yourself include dandelion fritters, dandelion salad, cucumber Gazpacho, prosciutto and melon salad, potato and leek fritatta and creamed porobello mushrooms on toast.
To create the perfect garden party setting, follow these suggestions from Oprah:
1. Wrap old drapery or fabric around your table and tie them on the corners. This simple touch can give your entire presentation a dramatic flare.
2. Make simple napkins exotic by dressing them up. Thread ribbon through them for decoration — dress them up.
3. Place a unique setting, like a homemade tray, at each spot. Try using ribbon to cover inexpensive picture frames, like wrapping a present. Decorate each one differently so each guest feels special.
4. Set a paper fan at each place setting with the menu written on it. Guests will know exactly what you're serving and have a chance to cool themselves off!
5. Give your chairs a little flair. Take ordinary table runners and tie them to the back of each chair with a bow. You can even put flowers in each bow for fun.
6. Make a party favor they'll actually use. Take ordinary Epsom salt, mix it with aromatherapy and a few herbs, and put it in small bottles — they'll make your table smell great, and guests can take them home as party favors!
7. Make your own halo chandelier. Decorate Styrofoam wreaths with inexpensive greenery, flowers and ribbons. (Attach everything with spray adhesive or hot glue).
8. Cover a table with basic paving slates—you can write guests' names on them with chalk, or adorn them with rocks for a more "zen" feel!
9. Don't spend too much money on flowers. Fill vases with water, putting rocks at the bottom, and float tea light candles instead.
Remember, the idea is to stay simple and affordable. Pick and choose which ideas are right for you!
Wines and Summer Food
You're anticipating a big crowd for the family reunion this summer and have placed an order for many different kinds of gourmet prepared foods to make the day's cooking easier. You've ordered meat, fish, appetizers and desserts from the experts and had it delivered to your door. Now you're trying to figure out which wine goes with which entree. Use these guidelines, courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine.
Lamb, ribs or steak: a powerful red like a Cabernet Sauvignon
Hamburgers and sausages: a fruity red like a Shiraz
Pork: a medium-bodied red Sangiovese
Chicken and salmon: the light red Pinot Noir
Shrimp, scallops and lobster: the succulent white Pinot Grigio
Halibut: the zesty white Sauvignon Blanc
Cooking Versus Ordering Foods
Summer is a busy social season. There are plenty of reasons for summer cooking: barbecues, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Fourth of July celebrations, family get-togethers, etc.
Decide whether you want to do the summer cooking or whether you want someone else do to it. To help you decide, here is a list of advantages and disadvantages to doing it yourself:
Advantages:
1. You make the exact foods your family and friends love and add your own personal touches to the dishes.
2. You can save money.
Disadvantages:
1. It's a lot of work.
2. You have to worry about more than just the food. You need table linens, plates, utensils, etc.
3. You need to designate someone to serve the food.
4. You will have less time to mingle if you are tied up in the kitchen.
Top 10 Summer Cocktails
Summer is a time to kick back and enjoy a refreshing cocktail with your meal. If you're wondering what cocktails to make at your summer gathering, here is a list of what is predicted to be the hottest summer cocktails this year and what's in them, courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com:
10. Sea Breeze - vodka, cranberry, orange and grapefrut juice with lime garnish
9. Cosmopolitan - cranberry juice, vodka, Cointreau, lime juice with a lemon twist
8. Pina Colada - rum, pineapple and coconut, with a pineapple wedge
7. Long Island Iced Tea - vodka, gin, white rum, tequila, Triple Sec, lemon juice, Coke with a lemon wedge
6. Mai Tai - rum, lime, curacao, orgeat, sugar syrup with a lime wedge
5. Martini - gin or vodka, a splash of vermouth, a twist of lemon, pimento-stuffed olives
4. Cape Codder - vodka and cranberry juice with a lime wedge
3. Gin & Tonic - tonic, gin and lime wedge
2. Sangria - red wine, fruit juices, soda water and liqueurs and a sliced fruit
1. Mojito - light rum, mint sprigs or spearmint, lime juice, sugar, club soda, lime wedge
Summer Wedding Menus
If you're trying to plan a menu for a summer wedding, remember that wedding guests will have a wide range of dietary restrictions and tastes.
Living in a country that's a "melting pot" gives you the advantage of serving guests a variety of foods from different ethno-cutural backgrounds.
Even if the bride and the groom are both of the same heritage, remember that not all the guests generally are. So instead of having an all-Italian or an all-Greek menu, bring your heritage to only part of the menu. This is a good way to ensure you are not isolating any guests who may not like that type of food. Or if the bride and groom are from different heritages, perhaps the main meal is Italian but the dessert is Greek.
Try to choose light foods to match the warm season rather than heavy foods with heavy creams and sauces.
Also, don't forget to take into account the needs of those with certain dietary restrictions. Can you offer a sugar-free dessert for the benefit of guests who have diabetes?
If there are kids at the wedding, it's probably a good idea to serve the universally kid-friendly hamburgers, pizza and french fries.
Summer Foods With Maximum Nutrition
Eating foods when they are in season can reward your immune system as well as your taste buds, according to research by a non profit foundation called the World's Healthiest Foods.
According to the foundation, a study from Japan found three-fold differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter.
The foundation recommends eating the following foods during summer months to benefit from their maximum nourishment: fruits like strawberries, apples, pears, and plums; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro. Use these foods and ingredients liberally in the summer and reap the nutritional rewards!
| Guru Spotlight |
| George Sayour |
