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Dish
By JANET K. KEELER, Times Staff Writer deconstructing: explanations from the inside outmeat thermometersInternal temperature, rather than time, is the best measure of when meat and poultry are done. To determine that, a meat thermometer is in order. For meat, insert the thermometer into the thickest part, usually in the center. Make sure the tip is not touching bone or you won't get an accurate reading. If you're cooking a whole chicken, put the thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, again not touching bone. If you use a traditional ovenproof thermometer, make sure it's not more than 10 years old. As more research is done, the government adjusts the internal temperatures at which different meats are considered safe to eat. It's also important to consult the thermometer so you don't overcook your dinner. Ground meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill any harmful bacteria. At that temperature, the meat will be medium well, cooked through and still juicy. Other guidelines are: Pork, 160 for medium and 170 for well-done; whole chicken, 180; chicken breasts cooked alone, 170; steaks, 145 for medium rare, 160 for medium and 170 for well-done. Here are some of the more popular types of thermometers. Traditional, ovenproof
This is the thermometer most of us are acquainted with. These are easy to read and can go into the meat at the beginning of cooking. Better for the oven than the grill. Instant read
Digital instant-read thermometers should be used only toward the end of the cooking time. They can be used in a variety of foods because the probe needs to be inserted only about a half-inch deep. Great for grilling and thin meats such as burgers and boneless chicken breasts. Fork
Another version of an instant-read thermometer. Handy for outdoor grilling but can be a little hard to read because of the angle of the fork. Probe
The thermometer for the busy cook. The probe goes into the meat when it goes into the oven, and a gauge connected by a wire hangs on the outside of the oven. (The door easily closes over the thin wire.) When the desired internal temperature is reached, the timer goes off. No need to open and close the oven door, letting heat escape. this web site cooksThis site takes some of the shopping hassle out of trying new recipes by offering substitution suggestions for fruits, vegetables, spices and many other food categories. For instance, achiote seed, which doesn't impart much flavor but adds a yellowish-orange hue to Latin stews and sauces, can be substituted with yellow food coloring, hot paprika or equal parts turmeric and paprika. Make this site your new best friend in the kitchen. constant comment"How come anything you buy will go on sale next week?" -- The late humorist Erma Bombeck cooking classIn chef lingo, "reducing" means to boil off excess liquid, to concentrate flavors and to make a sauce thicker. If you need to do this quickly, transfer the sauce to a wide pan or skillet, since the larger surface area lets it evaporate faster. when cookbooks go bad
space foodYou don't have to go into outer space to eat like an astronaut. Yoplait started a snack food revolution with its clever Go-Gurts, yogurt in a pliable plastic tube. Now, there are tubes of pudding and gelatin. We slurped Hershey's tasty chocolate pudding tubes ($2.89 for eight tubes) but weren't so high on the Jolly Rancher Gel Snacks in watermelon and sour apple ($2.69 for eight tubes). Look for other gelatin snacks in tubes, most notably from Jell-O, and fruit-flavored applesauce tubes from Mott's. flip your lid
It looks like that thing that Miss Judy from Romper Room used to peer into our living rooms from the TV. "I see Billy and Bobby and . . . ." Actually, it's a smart idea called Vista Chef, and it stands in for pots that have lost their lids. The see-through lid called Vista Chef is the brainchild of Helene Vollmer of Sarasota. It comes in two sizes, small and medium, with large being added in August. Small ($12.95) fits pots 4 to 10 inches and medium ($14.95) is for pots from 6 to 12 inches. To order, call toll-free 1-888-805-6096. Web site is www.vistachef.com.
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From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
We're guessing that one recently published cookbook won't be honored next year as the genre's best by the James Beard Association. We're also sure that at least one of the authors couldn't care less. That would be rocker and hunting enthusiast Ted Nugent who, with his wife, Shemane, has written Kill It and Grill It: A Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish (Regency, $21.95). Lots of photos of Nugent and family members with dead animals.
