Q & A Chef

Here are a couple of recipes for homemade dog biscuits...

Paw Lick'N Chicken

3 cups white flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1-cup chicken broth

4 tablespoon softened margarine

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

When it comes to baking changing ingredients can be very tricky. The
best alternative to solid shortening is butter. Although many people
may feel that butter is not a healthy alternative it really is the
best because the consistency helps the ingredients meld together.

If you are looking for a "healthy" oatmeal cookie the best option is
to start with a lighter version recipe.

If you decide to bake with butter just remember that having a cookie
is okay, it's all about how many cookies you have that matters.

Thanks for your question!

Answer: The T.D.Z. is the temperature range that bacteria grows the best, this range is between 40F and 140F or 4C and 60C (USDA). This is important because most of the bacteria growing in this range causes food-borne illnesses (food poisoning). Any food exposed to the T.D.Z. for more than a total of four hours needs to be discarded.

Answer: The best way to check the quality of your frozen meats is with your eyes, if the meat is discolored or has ice crystals your conclusion should be that they have been temperature abused and should be discarded. The best way to avoid this situation is to rotate your frozen foods, new meats in the back and use the meats in the front first, or first in first out. Another solution is to write the date on the outside of the packages so you know what it is and when it was bought.

Answer: The most common hazard is cross contamination. Cross contamination is the transfer of bacteria from one product or surface to another. For example, if you are trimming a piece of chicken and need to get something out of the storage cabinet, and you did not wash your hands before touching the cabinet, you have now transferred salmonella from the chicken to the cabinet. Now you want to plate crackers and need a plate from the cabinet, you get one out and start to plate the crackers, you have possibly transferred the salmonella to the cracker for your guest to enjoy.

Answer: The rule of thumb is, if the food was not exposed for more than four hour and was cooled within six hours it will be good for four days. You also want to use your other senses like smell and vision to make an educated decision.

Answer: When buying roadside food, especially seafood you need to be careful. A few tips are: Ask if the vender is licensed to sell the product you are buying. Also, if there are a lot of people purchasing goods from the vendor your chances are better to get quality products. The best way to get safe and quality products is to ask the locals where they buy their home grown produce and fresh seafood. The locals usually know best.

Answer: Most states require restaurants to post a sanitation score within sight at the entrance for customers to view. Scores are rated on a percentage scale with a total possible score of 102%. Any restaurant with a score under 90% should be seriously reconsidered before eating.

Answer: The best thing is to try to relax and let your bodys immune system fight the bacteria naturally. If symptoms continue for more than twenty for hours consult a physician.

Answer: As a chef the first point of control you have is when you purchase the goods you are going to cook with. Careful inspection of products is essential to preparing quality foods. If it comes in broken or old you cant fix it.

Answer:
1) Beef, Veal, or Lamb (steaks, chops, and roasts) minimum 145F
2) Fish minimum 145F
3) Ground beef, veal, pork, lamb minimum 160F
4) Ground turkey or chicken minimum 165F
5) Poultry 180F in thigh and 170F in breast
6) Shellfish cook until firm and opaque and firm; shells should open
7) Stuffed meats, pasta, and casseroles 165F

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services On Cooking, techniques from expert chefs, Third Edition, by Labensky and Hause