Cinco D Mayo

For a quick and fun dip make some Queso Fundito.  Use the Tacos My Way recipe and add some Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheese.  Or you can also use cheese sauce recipe and add your favorite salsa.  Easy and very  good!

Room Temperature???

Many recipes call for something “at room temperature”. So what does that really mean and why does it make a difference?

The phrase room temperature means that food – usually eggs or butter – has been sitting out of the refrigerator long enough to affect how the food acts.  For example in a cheesecake I will set the cream cheese and eggs out before I go to bed to use in the morning. This allows them to reach about 65 degrees +/-. While the temperature is not exact the results are.  In a cheesecake the cream cheese has to be soft.  If you add cold eggs to soft cream cheese, the mixture may form lumps. If the cream cheese is cold it will not cream and you will have lumps of cheese,  not good!  Likewise a soufflé or meringue will rise higher if the egg whites are not cold.  It is basic chemistry the whites will allow more air to whip in if they are cold.  Eggs sitting at room temperature should be used that day.  So if you have some left over, make egg salad or hard boiled eggs. 

The other thing to remember is that many of our classic recipes were created when refrigeration was not common or much different than today.  Also the cooks then used fresh eggs and butter that most likely were not cooled. Don’t go overboard just be smart how you use the ingredients and you will have a better result.

Food Safty

In line with yesterdays post, I want to take a quick minute to go over some basic food safety guidelines. 1.Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  This is important as we go into summer and we go outside to eat and prepare food.  If the food is to be served hot it must be held at least at 140 degrees or higher Between 40 degrees and 140 is the danger zone.  That is where bacteria can grow.
2. Cook your food to the right temperature.  If you are uncertain what that is, Google the food and add temp (Chicken cooking temperatures for example).  Undercooked food is a big problem.
3. When in doubt throw it out!  If you don't remember what that food is or when you put it in the fridge, toss it!
These are some quick tips  - more later