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Thanksgiving Day Feasts
Refrigerator and Freezer, Approximate Storage Times
Breads, pastries and cakes can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, for up to one year, depending on the type.
Unbaked breads and rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks and in the freezer up to 1 month, longer time inactivates the yeast.
Cinnamon rolls that have been partially baked, baked quick breads unbaked fruit pies and unfrosted baked cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Baked muffins, cookies, angel food cakes and fruit cakes can be stored in the freezer from 6 to 12 months and still have good flavor when they are thawed out.
Dairy products require different freezer times; Butter and margarine can be stored up to one year in the freezer, but only 3 months in the refrigerator.
It is not recommended that you freeze buttermilk, heavy or whipping cream, milks or commercial or homemade dips.
Cottage, cream cheese and ricotta cheese can be frozen up to a month but should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks. Natural, aged cheeses and pasteurized process cheeses can be frozen up to 8 months.
However, freezing changes the texture of soft cheeses and they become crumbly.
Eggs still in the shell should not be frozen, to freeze fresh yolks and whites for up to 12 months break shells and stir until well blended, adding a small amount of salt or sugar improves storage quality.
Most fresh fruits, except citrus fruits can be frozen up to a year, it is not recommended that you freeze avocados.
Opened canned fruit can only be frozen for 1-2 months.
The majority of fruits should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 3 weeks.
Beef roasts and steaks can be frozen up to 12 months, veal or pork roasts and lam and veal chops should not be frozen longer than 9 months. Meats should not be kept in the refrigerator longer than 5 days.
See Also:
Beit HaChatulim Makes Ice Cream the Old-Fashioned Way
Whats a Wok?
Woks are for stir-frying over a very hot fire for a very short period of time, stir-frys are usually made with fresh vegetables that remain crisp and some type of meat.
They were originally created with a very round bottom, and were balanced on the coals of a fire.
Thus leaving the both hands free to prepare the food, usually holding a spatula in one hand and chop sticks in the other.
Later, when stoves were made, there was a special place made to hold the wok. A concave metal disk placed on the hearth allowed the flames to reach up and around the sides.
The difficulties for Americans using a wok are that the wok was not created for the burners on American stoves.
Because the wok is round bottomed, it is very dangerous, and may slide off of the stove. You can purchase round bottom woks with two metal handles; this allows you to hold it in place with an oven mitt while cooking.
The disadvantage is that you must remove the wok before adding additional ingredients; this changes the heat which should remain constant.
A ring may be purchased to sit over the top of the burner; however this raises the wok up off of the flame, which reduces the intensity of the heat.
There are three styles available on the market today:
*Round-bottomed with two steel handles, (the handles get hot and you will need either an oven mitt or a dishtowel to hold it in place)
*Round-bottomed with one wood handle and one steel handle
*Flat-bottomed with one wooden and one steel handle (these work best for American stove tops.
Even though you can buy woks made with a wide variety of metals, the best woks are made of heavy-gauge steel. Properly maintained this wok will last for a lifetime. |
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Pastas
Regardless of the meal, fine dining, family dinner or anything in-between, there is pasta to fit the bill. How many foods do you know of that go with almost any type of meat, seafood and vegetable?
The braver cooks can make their own pasta, from simple egg noodles to spinach pasta and herb pasta, it isnt really as difficult as you think, and that taste treat is well worth the work. You can cut and shape them by hand or purchase a pasta machine.
Shaping pasta is interesting; to make lasagna cut the dough into strips about 2 ½ inches wide, and then cut to preferred length. Farfel are 2 x 1 inch rectangles with the centers pinched creating little bow ties.
Tripoli are one inch circles with the centers pinched to fashion butterfly designs. To make linguine or fettuccine loosely roll the dough up like a jelly roll, cut 1/8 inch slices for linguine or ¼ inch slices for fettuccine, gently shaking the strands separates the noodles.
Homemade pasta can be stored in an airtight refrigerated container for up to 3 days. To freeze the pasta for up to 8 months, dry it for at least 1 hour, seal in a seal-a-meal or similar moisture and air proof bag and freeze.
If you arent into making your own you can buy any type you want in a super market near you.
A large saucepan or Dutch oven with lots of water is necessary to cook pasta, (about 3 quarts of water for 4 to 8 ounces of pasta).
Bring the water to a boil over high heat, adding a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil helps keep the pasta from sticking to itself.
Once the water boils, add the pasta slowly so the water continues to boil. Long pasta like spaghetti should be held by one end and placed in the water, as it softens, curve it around the pan and down into the water.
Reduce heat slightly and boil uncovered for the amount of time on the package, stirring occasionally.
When it is close to the end of the cooking time, check for doneness frequently. A little note for dieters, the longer pasta is cooked, the fewer calories it has.
Related Topics: Thanksgiving Day Feasts,
Cooking For the Holidays, Outdoor Grills
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