Most conscientious cooks use common sense when preparing or storing food. But common sense in food preparation doesn’t just happen -it is learned. This learning happens and when we forget where we learned it, we call it common sense.

Here are just a few pointers to refresh and reinforce your common sense as you are preparing your current meal or storing it for future use.

• Food safety actually starts with your excursion to the supermarket. Pick up the packaged or canned foods. Do the cans have dents? Don’t buy them. Is the jar cracked? Leave it. Does the lid seem loose or bulging? Pick up another. Look for any expiration dates on the labels -they are there for a reason. Never buy outdated food. Check the “use by” or “sell by” date on dairy products and pick the ones that will stay fresh the longest.
• After grocery shopping, put food into the refrigerator or freezer right away. Make sure to set the refrigerator temperature is set to 40 deg F and the freezer is set to 0 F. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours. Raw meat, poultry, and seafood should be placed in containers to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods. Raw juices could possibly harbor harmful bacteria. Eggs always go in the refrigerator.
• Always cook food thoroughly until it is done. Red meat should turn brown inside. Chicken, when poked with a fork, should have clear juices. Fish, on the other hand, when poked with a fork, should flake. Cooked egg whites and yolks should be firm and not run. Be sure to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperatures of your poultry, meat, and other foods. Leave it in long enough to ensure an accurate reading.
• Wash your hands and cooking surfaces frequently. Bacteria can be spread quickly so this will ensure that it will not take hold and grow onto your food. A solution of one teaspoon of bleach in one quart of water is all that is needed to sanitize washed surfaces and utensils.
• Cooked foods should definitely not be left standing in the kitchen counter or table for more than two hours. Bacteria tends to grow in temperatures between 40 and 140 deg F.
• Foods that have been cooked ahead and cooled should be reheated to at least 165 deg F. (This just so happens to be one of the most overlooked areas in food prep).
• Chill Leftover Food Promptly. Place food in the refrigerator and don’t overfill. The cold air needs to circulate freely to keep food safe. Divide the food and place in shallow containers. Think about labeling some of these containers so you don’t lose track of how long they’ve been refrigerating.

These are just a few pointers that you already know, but need to keep remembering. If you follow these basics you will avoid most of the ‘disasters in waiting’!

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Making dried fruit and fruit leathers isn’t hard and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. While some food processors and juicers can get really pricey, a dehydrator isn’t going to cost that much and it’s a lifesaver to have fruit leathers, dried fruit or fruit jerky on hand when you can’t get out to the store for fresh food.

When buying a dehydrator, some things to consider are the materials and construction used to manufacture the product, the size, heating elements, fans and guarantees. Make sure you have room for the dehydrator in the space you have planned for it.  Choose one that’s multi-purpose, with multiple trays and special trays for fruits and herbs. A side-mounted or horizontal fan is best when choosing a food dehydrator.

Here are some food dehydrators to consider. But do a little research to find just the right one for you!

Nesco American Harvest – A very inexpensive food dehydrator with five trays that don’t have to be rotated. Price is $40-$55.

Excalibur Dehydrator – Has over 12 square feet of drying space. Comes with 9 free sheets and has a horizontal fan for maximum drying efficiency. Fast drying times, no tray rotation needed and fast cleanup. Price approximately $200-$220.

L’Equip Dehydrators – Comes with special mesh for drying sheets, plus special sheets for making fruit leathers and fruit roll-ups. Has a compact design and good, uniform drying. Price is around $150.

TSM Commerical Dehydrator – When you’re really serious about drying foods! Comes with 12 racks, 1600 watts of power, dual 6” fans for strong air flow. Can dry 15-18 pounds of jerky. Priced at $650 and up.

And don’t forget a food slicer for all that fruit drying! The Chef’s Choice 645 food slicer has a powerful 130 watt geared condenser motor for smooth, quiet, fast operation. A large 7″ nonstick stainless steel slicer blade cuts fruit & vegetables. Micrometer control dial selects slices from deli-thin to 9/16″ thick.

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There are some rules to learn and follow about what you can put into your compost bin in order to keep your pile healthy and working properly. The most widespread organic material that you will add to your compost will be kitchen scraps. The kitchen scraps are considered green food that you feed to your compost as they contain nitrogen, an essential element to the process.

It is a good idea to have a container with an airtight lid to store the food waste in your kitchen. You do not want to attract insects or pests inside your home nor do you want to be running to your compost bin every time you make a meal or snack. If your kitchen container is airtight you will also cut down on unpleasant odors.

Here is a list of the most commonly used compost items from the kitchen:

• Vegetable peels and seeds
• Fruit peels, cores, and seeds
• Coffee grounds, you can compost the paper filter too
• Tea bags or loose tea leaves
• Crushed egg shells, do not add left-over eggs cooked or raw
• Breads

You may be tempted to add other food scraps into the bin, but don’t. You should not add any animal meat or bones, oily products, or fish remains not only will they be sure to attract unwanted pests but they will make your compost smell badly. Whenever you are adding your green food to the compost bin, make sure you cover it under a thick layer of brown food (yard waste or other carbon producing agent such as dry leaves, wood chips, sawdust, or small twigs).

If your food scraps are very wet or moist, in addition to putting brown food on top of the scraps mix some in with the waste too. This will enable better air circulation.

The post The Best Foods for Your Compost Bin appeared first on Secret Menu.

Who doesn’t love low carb cheesecake? The low carb cheesecake is now one of the recommended products for low carb dieting which will greatly contribute a big part for the quick and successful results with the diet.

There is no doubt that due to the increased number of people who love low carb cheesecakes for their low carb diet, many food companies are now offering so many flavors and varieties of low carb cheesecake. However, the low carb cheesecake is not only found from those companies, for the fact that even yourself can make a perfect low carb cheesecake. How? It is not a problem though. So if you want to know on how to make a perfect one? Find out here.

Yes! You can make a perfect one through these considerations. The first important thing to consider is to bring all the necessary ingredients to room temperature before mixing. This process typically takes for about thirty minutes. After that, you try to soften the cream cheese in the microwave and this will take for 15 seconds. It is also important for this step for a perfect low carb cheesecake that you add 15 seconds for every additional bar of cheese.

The filling for the low carb cheesecake must be blended only until it is combined. Over mixing will give a bad result. In removing the low carb cheesecake, you should butter the sides or use a metal spatula around the edges immediately after removing the low carb cheese cake from the oven. Then put a spring form pan on a thin pan, just like the pizza pan, or you can coat the bottom and up one inch around the sides with aluminum foil. This method is given to avoid leaks in the oven.

After that, you should place a thin pan of water in rack below the low carb cheesecake to keep the oven moist, then don’t open the door while baking. It is also interesting to know that a perfectly baked low carb cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. Then cool slowly on a wire rack that is away from any drafts. It is also recommended that the low carb cheesecake be stored in the refrigerator being loosely covered for up to four days. It is also interesting to learn that the low carb cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature. And surprisingly, this food can be kept for up to two months in the freezer.

So are you ready to prepare now? If so, then great!

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