Valentine’s Day is coming up which means that many couples are making reservations for their favorite restaurant. Although the crumbs on the floor and the occasional sticky table might add to the “homey” atmosphere of your preferred mom and pop diner, you should think twice about what the kitchen might look like if the dining area is so filthy. You like the relaxed nature of the employees that shows when they prefer to handle your food without gloves; however, you should also consider how many “relaxed” food handlers tend to disregard those “Employees Must Wash Hands” signs hanging in the restrooms. Hopefully, you are trying to help your significant other remember this special night for how much you love them, not for how upset their digestive system feels. Here are some suggestions to help make your dining experience safer and more enjoyable:

• Take note of the dining area and restrooms. If they do not meet cleanliness standards, it’s probably a good sign that the kitchen is also in need of more than just a light dusting. You might consider eating elsewhere for your own safety.
• Only eat foods that are served to you hot. If the food is served to you at a lukewarm temperature, chances are that it was left sitting for too long and has allowed harmful bacteria to multiply.
• Make sure the staff does not touch your food or the tips of your silverware with their bare hands. It’s probably not a good idea to let them sample your drink either.
• Be wary of meat, eggs, oysters, or other raw foods that are undercooked.
• Wash your hands properly before and after eating.

And what about the doggie bag? If you and your loved one know that you will not be back home to refrigerate your leftovers within the next two hours, leave your food remains behind (even if it makes starving children in other countries cry.) If your leftovers do make it home, make sure that you reheat the goods to at least 165 degrees F. With leftovers, always keep the “Temperature Danger Zone” in mind–the range of temperature that bacteria thrives in, usually falling between 40 and 140 degrees F. Make sure to keep your food above or below this range.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

–Madelyn Tucker

Sources: NSF.org, FDA.gov

When I think of Illinois, of course Abe Lincoln comes to mind, but shortly after that, I think of all those wonderful John Hughes films that took place in the suburbs of Chicago. In light of the new road kill laws passed in that wonderful state I have the following suggestions:

In the remake of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” let me suggest some small, but truly enhancing changes. When the parking attendants take the Ferrari for a joy ride, and they take that jump and we get the awesome undercarriage shot, have them take out a deer. Then they can be all excited about the new road kill law in Illinois. How about when Sloan is describing Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago, instead of “leather jacket,” she can say, “road kill jacket.” Or, the scene where Cameron kicks the car off the jack and out the back of the garage let it land on a beaver. Everyone loves good beaver meat.

Illinois has joined some 14 other states, making it legal to retrieve road kill for the purpose of pelt or food. People with the correct license are now able to remove road kill from the roads. First they must contact the state to get a furbearer’s license. Then, the animal hit needs to be in season. The law went into effect at the beginning of the year. So, to all those on the Illinois roads: Happy hunting! (Just kidding, the other stipulation is that the animal needs to be legitimately killed accidently.) For more information about the Illinois furbearer license click here.

–Tim Snarr

The Christmas Milk

An Original Poem by Timothy Snarr, Esq.

The orange that you put in the toe of the stocking,

Has a hole in the rind and, being smashed, it’s dropping,

Orange juice into the cup that is sitting,

On the mantle waiting for the Bearded One’s sipping.

And the heat, oh the heat, from the fire is warming,

That milk on the mantle with the juice which is forming,

A curdle from unknown origin and warning,

Combined with the goo from the stocking’s long storing.

All this, you don’t know, as you lie down to slumber,

Is the death trap for Santa you’ve laid with your blunder,

Santa likes milk tasting and sends it a whirling,

Looking for legs but sees only curd’ling.

But, try as he might, Santa cannot resist;

Addicted to obsessive milk drinking bliss.

And though the milk, ahem…curdle, might soon cause a thunder,

It’s Santa, don’t worry; his bowels are a wonder.

T’were you, with your bowels in humanoid fashion,

You’d double over in pain from drinking the ration.

And the knowledge you’d gain from downing the spoilage,

Is why the Great God put sink next to toilet.

His elfin magic saves him from the vomits,

And from fears of waking up kids in pajamas,

By thunderous reverberations of “cheer,”

He’s probably skipping your house next year.

It’s Christmas and you want to spend your precious days off in your pajamas wrapping presents and making cookies.  Nobody blames you for that!  But if you are the kind of person whose cookie dough never makes it to the oven because you opt for savoring every morsel raw rather than cooked, there might be a problem.  Then again, there might not.

When it comes to eating raw cookie dough, there seems to be a debate in the food safety world.  Some argue that you should not, under any circumstances, eat food that contains raw eggs because there is always a risk of Salmonella enteritidis, a strain of bacteria that causes foodborne illness which can sometimes become serious, especially for children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, and the elderly who are highly susceptible because of their impairment of immune responses.

Others, however, think that because the chances of coming across an egg contaminated with Salmonella is so rare, you should be able to consume foods made with raw eggs freely, even if you are taking a chance.  To give you an idea of the risk you are taking, statistics show that “only 1 of every 20,000 eggs might contain the bacteria. So, the likelihood that an egg might contain [Salmonella] is extremely small – 0.005% (five one-thousandths of one percent).  At this rate, if you’re an average consumer, you might encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years.”  And even if you do encounter an infected egg, you still might not even become sick.

So what does this mean?  Simply, it means make your choice.  If you are worried about Salmonella, simply refrigerate your eggs, cook them thoroughly when you use them, and don’t eat them raw.  If you’re up for the risk, eat away.  Just don’t blame me when you have a run-in with Salmonella enteritidis during your vacation—or in the next 84 years.

–Aubrey Pontious

This is me. Well not really, but you can imagine what it would be like if it was . . .

Sources: farmprogress.com, incredibleegg.org, plosone.org

Thanksgiving is over, and the leftovers are gone. It’s depressing. But who am I kidding?  Thoughts of Christmas sprang up as the last morsel of turkey hit my tongue. Even though December is still hours away, my mind already lingers fondly on fireplaces, It’s a Wonderful Life, and eggnog.

Although made-from-scratch eggnog may be one of those long-standing traditions you can’t do without, the fact is that this holiday treat is often made with uncooked eggs. And that is a definite concern. Yes, the eggs may look untainted, but don’t let their flawless shells fool you. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), “Even grade A eggs with clean, un-cracked shells can be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritis bacteria.”

But don’t worry! There is a quick and easy solution that will keep you safe: just cook the eggs. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. This simple step will not only keep you far, far away from bacteria this Christmas, but it will also allow you to enjoy your eggnog without fear.

Try this safe and delicious recipe found on the USDA’s website:

Holiday Eggnog

Ingredients

• 1 quart of 2% milk
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
• ground nutmeg

Note: And no, a dash of rum won’t make it safe! Adding alcohol cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.

Directions

1. Heat milk in large saucepan until hot (do not boil or scald).  While milk is heating, beat together eggs and salt in a large bowl, gradually adding the sugar.
2. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture while continually stirring.
3. Transfer the mixture back to the large saucepan and cook on medium-low heat.  Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens and just coats a spoon.  The food thermometer should register 160° F.  Stir in vanilla.
4. Cool quickly by setting pan in a bowl of ice water or cold water and stirring for about 10 minutes.
5. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight.
6. Pour into a bowl or pitcher.  Fold in whipped cream.  Then dust with ground nutmeg and enjoy!

Calories: 135 per 1/2 cup

Cholesterol: 120 mg. per 1/2 cup

Yield: 2 quarts

Drink up!

-Aubrey Pontious

Photo Source

Source: FSIS.usda.gov