Thanksgiving, Now and Then

My daughter called me on the day before Thanksgiving to tell me my little sister, who was hosting, was thawing the turkey on the counter. I shuddered. If I really think back, though, that is what my mom always did, thawed that turkey at room temp. I grew up eating my turkey that way and now wonder how the heck I lived? Turkey sat out for HOURS and I just wonder if all that salmonella jumpstart helped me get through the worst of times? By the way, mine was thawed in the fridge. Did anyone else experience this?

HI,

Perhaps an overcooked bird is a blessing in disguise: kills the bugs harbored inside.

Years ago, I was at a roadside fair where a woman was selling her family's recipes. I flipped to the canned goods area. They had a family recipe for a canned beef stew that was water bath processed. Meat and non-acidified vegetables are always pressure canned. I mentioned this to my canning mentor who said those same people boiled their canned goods for 15-20 minutes before consuming. It is possible this not-so-gentle reheating knocked out the e.coli. When I mentioned meats were usually pressure canned, I got a cold look and snappy reply, "We have made it this was for 100 years. Nobody ever got sick or died."

In years past, my Mom would defrost hamburger on the counter.

Regards,

Thanks, Cathy, I did not remember the ground beef & chicken left out to thaw, but now it all comes back. Plus, when we did order pizza out, it was not refrigerated but left in the cold oven overnight. I did really enjoy that for breakfast and still alive to tell the tale.

What I remember and still shutter to think about it is the frozen beef liver left on the counter in the morning to thaw out for dinner. To this day, I can't look at beef liver.

I confess, sometimes I will leave chicken on the counter in the morning to thaw. Sometimes steaks too. Not all the time, but if I am pressed for time I will do it. The family is still alive!

I've done it a few times, but only for an hour. I want to be able to peel off the paper backing without thawing in the microwave. Still alive!

Hi,

Before everyone got all germ phobic, there was the miracle of the oven timer. Slip into the oven a casserole or chicken to roast and leave for the day. At the appointed time the oven wake up to heat and cook your dinner. Arrive home to a home smelling of a freshly made dinner. Modern living's finest hour!

A few years ago, I learned of an oven that keep food cold in the oven until it was time to heat and cook your food. Whirlpool offers this oven-fridge combo called a refrigerator-oven combo]Polara with a MRP of $1499.99.

Basically, it'll allow you to have a hot dish waiting for you when you get home from work without any work. It's a pretty awesome idea, albeit one that's sure to suck up tons of extra energy by basically acting as a second refrigerator in your kitchen. But hey, laziness has its price.

Looking around, I find there is a microwave-refrigerator combo, which seems far less practical. If you are going to nuke something, why not just take it out of the refrigerator-freezer right when you want it.

Regards,