tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569436735948307602024-03-08T05:12:16.172-08:00Cooking recipes, cook books and recipe books reviewsCooking recipes, cooking booksUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-30828166705584647132012-04-08T07:40:00.000-07:002012-04-08T07:40:00.554-07:00Perfect Bacon: Step By Step Place Package of Bacon on Cutting Board<IMG class=photo alt="How to Make Perfect Bacon - Tutorial With Photos - Step 1: Place Package of Bacon on Cutting Board" src="/01.jpg"> Place Package of Bacon on Cutting Board</P>Photo © Danilo AlfaroI generally opt for the low-sodium variety of bacon if it's available — not so much for health reasons, but because I find I get really, really thirsty after I eat the high-sodium kind. <P>Next page>> </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-85001544771314107872012-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:002012-04-03T07:41:00.485-07:00How to Make Brown Stock Stock starts with bones, and since we're making a brown stock, we'll want to use beef or veal bones. Veal bones are particularly desirable because they have more cartilage, which adds body to the stock in the form of gelatin. You may want to review this article on what goes into a stock. <P>Most supermarkets sell soup bones, but just ask the butcher if you don't see them displayed. The best bones to use are the so-called "knuckle" bones from the various leg joints, because of their high cartilage content. Calves feet are also frequently available, and are another good source of the proteins that form gelatin. </P><P>The bones should be cut up — pieces 3 to 4 inches long should be about right. The same goes for calves feet, if you're using them. If the bones aren't cut up yet, ask your butcher to do it for you. </P><P>Arrange the bones in a heavy roasting pan. You can drizzle them with a bit of vegetable oil if you like.</P><P>Next page >> </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-63662190549761853702012-03-31T02:35:00.000-07:002012-03-31T02:35:00.684-07:00Tomato Sauce Recipe This simple, fresh tomato sauce recipe is perfect for pasta, pizza and lasagna. The secret ingredient? Carrots, which give the tomato sauce a fresh flavor and add a nice sweetness. Once the tomato sauce is pureed, you'll never see the carrots, but you will definitely taste the difference. <P>The tomato sauce recipe calls for two 28-oz. cans of whole tomatoes, but you could substitute crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or tomato puree.</P><P>For some variations on this basic Tomato Pasta Sauce, try these: </P>In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil for a minute over medium heat.<BR>Add the onions and carrots, and saute for a bit until the onions are translucent but not brown.<BR>Add the tomatoes and the garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly reduced. If you like, you can use a wooden spoon to break up the whole tomatoes while the sauce simmers.<BR>Remove from heat and pass through a food mill, or puree in a food processor until smooth, working in batches if necessary.<BR>Season to taste with Kosher salt and sugar.Makes about 1? qts tomato sauceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-420400296855642782012-03-27T00:57:00.000-07:002012-03-27T00:57:00.331-07:0010 Ways to Use Chicken Stock Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-45143042496679767932012-03-23T13:15:00.000-07:002012-03-23T13:15:00.119-07:00Puree of Turnip Soup Recipe <P>Had a friend give me a huge turnip from her garden. Had no idea what to do with it, and frankly had doubts I would even use it for anything. Looked online and ran into this recipe, so I gave it a shot. Changed it slightly with little more butter, garlic, and my home made veggie broth, but at the end of the day, fairly close to the recipe. I was pleasantly surprised how great this soup or puree was. I'm sold. Try this, you'll love it!!</P>Write a review 6 out of 6 people found this helpful.<BR>Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No</P>See all 4 reviews</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-84247567192156907502012-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:002012-03-18T14:12:00.038-07:00How to Sharpen a Knife Keeping your chef's knife sharp will make your job in the kitchen easier — and safer, too. That's because when you're using a dull knife you have to apply more pressure than you would with a sharper blade, which makes the knife more likely to slip. <P>Sharpening a kitchen knife involves two separate but related tasks: Sharpen the knife using a whetstoneHone the blade using a honing steelGenerally I'll break out the whetstone about once a month or so. But the honing steel is a different story. If I'm doing a lot of slicing, I might give my knife a couple of strokes on the steel every few minutes — especially if I'm working with items like ripe tomatoes or plums. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-73143361328439020762012-03-14T04:50:00.000-07:002012-03-14T04:50:00.227-07:00Simmer <B>Definition: </B>In the culinary arts, the word Simmer means to cook a food in liquid with a temperature ranging from 180°F to 205°F. Simmering is a cooking technique that's used when making stocks or soups, starchy items like potatoes or pastas, and many other culinary preparations.With simmering you'll see bubbles forming and gently rising to the surface of the water, but the water is not yet at a full rolling boil. <P><B>See Also:</B> Poach, Boil </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-41050453838693388292012-03-10T16:57:00.000-08:002012-03-10T16:57:00.221-08:00Crispy Hash Browns Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-48748638820189255432012-03-05T21:13:00.000-08:002012-03-05T21:13:00.164-08:00Baked Cod with Beurre Blanc Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-55864404546050146462012-02-29T21:53:00.000-08:002012-02-29T21:53:00.627-08:00Food Temperature Danger Zone It's pretty easy to avoid eating spoiled food. If the funky smell doesn't warn you off, the weird color probably will. <P>Harmful bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli are a different story, though. When these baddies contaminate food, they do so without any physical signs, smells or tastes whatsoever. We need to rely on other methods to avoid getting sick.</P><P>Like killing the little beasties — which is really not that hard to do. Temperatures hotter than 165°F kill most bacteria within a few seconds. But to do the job, it's a food's internal temperature that has to reach 165°F, not just the outside. And with the exception of poultry, cooking meats or vegetables to that degree renders them all but inedible. </P>Fortunately, we have size on our side. Bacteria are really small, and it takes quite a lot of them to make us sick. So rather than killing them, and ruining our food in the process, we merely have to stop them from multiplying — or at least slow them down — so that there's never enough of them to do us any harm. We do that by controlling the food's temperature during every stage of storage and preparation. Bacteria won't multiply in the colder temperatures of a refrigerator or freezer, or at temperatures hotter than 141°F. Where they thrive is between 41°F and 140°F, a region known as the "Food Temperature Danger Zone." <P>To substantially reduce your chances of contracting, or passing along, a food-borne illness, make sure that your perishable foods never spend more than an hour in the Food Temperature Danger Zone. Here are some basic food handling techniques to help you do just that.</P><P>And here's a table showing the key temperatures of the Food Temperature Danger Zone. </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-44803729754010507262012-02-25T17:36:00.000-08:002012-02-25T17:36:00.095-08:00Dry-Heat Cooking Dry-heat cooking refers to any cooking technique where the heat is transfered to the food item without using any moisture. Dry-heat cooking typically involves high temperatures, meaning 300°F or hotter. Note that the browning of food, as when bread is toasted, can only be achieved through dry-heat cooking. This browning in turn leads to the development of complex flavors and aromas that can't be attained through moist-heat cooking techniques. Sauteing requires a very hot pan. When sauteing, it's important to heat the pan for a minute, then add a small amount of fat and let the fat get hot as well, before adding the food to the pan. <P>Another key is not overloading or crowding the pan. The pan must stay hot in order to achieve the desired browning of the food. Too much food in the pan dissipates the heat, causing the food to steam or boil rather than saute.</P><P>One method for maintaining a hot pan and ensuring the food cooks evenly is through tossing or flipping the food in the pan — saute actually means "jump" in French. Some saute pans have sloped sides to facilitate this, but it's generally only done with smaller pieces of food, especially vegetables. For a demonstration, here's a video on how to saute vegetables.</P><P>Pan-frying closely resembles sauteing, with the main difference being that pan-frying uses slightly more fat and slightly lower temperatures than sauteing. This makes it a good method for cooking larger pieces of meat that would not have time to cook through because with sauteing, the food isn't in the pan for very long. For that reason, larger pieces of meat are often finished in the oven after the surface has been cooked to the desired degree. </P>The words roasting and baking are largely synonymous in that they both describe a method of cooking an item by enveloping it in hot, dry air, generally inside an oven and at temperatures of at least 300°F (but often much hotter). <P>This technique cooks food fairly evenly since all of the food's surfaces are exposed to much the same degree. This differs from pan-searing, for instance, where the surface that touches the hot pan gets much hotter than the side that faces up. Roasting and baking both require that the food be cooked uncovered, so that it's the hot, dry air that delivers the heat, not steam from the food.</P><P>Despite these similarities, roasting and baking can mean slightly different things depending on who you ask. Some chefs use the word "baking" only when speaking of bread, pastry and other bakery items. Some may use the word "roasting" only when referring to meats, poultry and vegetables, but use the term "baking" for fish and other seafood. Yet another distinction can be made with respect to temperature, with "roasting" implying greater heat and thus faster and more pronounced browning. </P>Broiling is another dry-heat cooking method that relies on heat being conducted through the air. Because air is a relatively poor conductor of heat, broiling and grilling require the food to be quite close to the heat source, which in this case is likely to be an open flame. Thus the surface of the food cooks very quickly, making this type of cooking ideal for poultry, fish and the tenderest cuts of meat. In fact, because of the extremely hot and dry nature of this cooking method, it is customary to marinate meats that will be broiled or grilled. <P>Incidentally, there is one significant distinction between broiling and grilling, which is that grilling involves heating the food from below, while broiling involves heating from above. In both cases, the food is typically turned once during cooking, and a grid or grate of some kind is used, which gives the food the distinctive grill-marks that are the hallmark of this cooking technique. As with sauteing, it's critical to heat the broiler or grill before putting the food on it. </P>Since deep-frying involves submerging the food in hot, liquid fat, it might take some time to get used to the idea that it's actually a form of dry-heat cooking. But if you've ever seen the violent reaction of hot oil to even a tiny drop of water, you know that oil and water are a couple of opposites that want nothing to do with each other. To avoid that, make sure anything you place into the hot fat is free from excess moisture. That might mean patting an item dry with a paper towel before frying it. <P>Deep-frying requires keeping the oil at temperatures between 325°F and 400°F. Hotter than that and the oil may start to smoke, and if it's any cooler, it starts to seep into the food and make it greasy. After cooking, deep-fried items should actually have very little oil on them, assuming they've been fried properly.</P><P>The key to keeping the oil hot is to fry items in small batches, as introducing too much food to the oil will cool it off. Another clue that deep-frying is in fact a form of dry-heat cooking is the attractive golden-brown color of foods cooked using this method. Foods are often coated in a simple batter to protect it and seal in its moisture. </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-61238308714835211022012-02-21T02:01:00.000-08:002012-02-21T02:01:00.746-08:00What is Food Spoilage? Food spoilage is caused by tiny invisible organisms called bacteria. Bacteria live everywhere we live, and most of them don't do us any harm. As living organisms go, bacteria lead fairly simple lives. They don't walk or crawl, so the only time they go anywhere is when someone moves them. Otherwise, they pretty much stay put, content to spend their time eating and making more of themselves. <P>Unfortunately, what they're eating is our food — especially foods that are high in protein, like meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products.</P><P>To be sure, some of them will go for low-protein foods like fruits and vegetables, but those ones are a lot slower. Which is why an onion or a peach left on your kitchen counter for a couple of days would still be safe to eat, while a steak clearly would not. </P>It's important to note that spoiled food isn't necessarily dangerous food. For one thing, most people won't eat food that smells bad, looks slimy or whatever. And you can't get food poisoning from something you didn't eat. <P>Moreover, the microorganisms that cause ordinary food spoilage aren't necessarily harmful to us. In fact, centuries before refrigerators, the earliest sauces and seasonings were used to mask the "off" tastes and smells of food that had begun to spoil. This continues to be true in parts of the world where people don't have home refrigeration units (which, interestingly enough, includes most people alive on the planet today). </P>The bacteria we're concerned with from a food safety standpoint are the so-called "pathogens" that cause food poisoning. And these pathogens, like salmonella or E. coli, don't produce any smells, off-tastes or changes in the food's appearance — a slimy surface, for instance, or some sort of discoloration. So how do we control these nasties? One way would be to starve them out. As noted above, bacteria need food to survive. Get rid of the food, and your bacteria problem disappears. Unfortunately, though, without food, the field of culinary arts has very little to offer. <P>So we'll assume that food is part of the equation. Bacteria still have several other, quite specific, requirements, each of which can be controlled to some extent. Armed with this knowledge, we can effectively minimize the chances of food-borne illness. The factors we need to keep in mind include: TemperatureTimeMoisturepH Level (Acidity)Read Part 2 of the article >> Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-81479369104026659722012-02-16T10:11:00.000-08:002012-02-16T10:11:00.227-08:00Poultry Brine Recipe Brining chicken, turkey and other poultry is a great way to add flavor and moisture to the meat before cooking it. This easy brine recipe can be used for brining a whole turkey breast, a whole chicken, even a whole turkey. <P>In its simplest form, brine is a solution of salt in water. But generally for brining chicken, turkey and other poultry, we add sugar and also a few simple spices.</P><P>When you add your poultry to the brine solution, the liquid should be icy. Room temperature brine can be a food safety hazard.</P>Combine the water, salt, sugar, peppercorns and allspice in a large stockpot. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.<BR>Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow the brine to cool completely.<BR>Add the ice, and then immerse the turkey breast or whatever item you are brining. Weight it down if necessary.<BR>Transfer to a refrigerator for eight hours or overnight.<BR>When you're ready to roast, remove the turkey breast and rinse it thoroughly. YOu can pour out the brine solution at this point.Makes 1? gallons (after adding the ice) of brine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-30163319383953180682012-02-12T20:47:00.000-08:002012-02-12T20:47:00.105-08:00Ranch Dressing Recipe Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-28648634917380369902012-02-09T08:08:00.000-08:002012-02-09T08:08:00.557-08:00How to Make Perfect Bacon Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-9461078576333141742012-02-08T19:54:00.000-08:002012-02-08T19:54:00.220-08:00Pressure Cooker Soaking Beans <P>Beans should be soaked in cold water for at least eight hours so that they'll cook faster, more evenly, and also to minimize the unpleasant effects that have earned them their "musical fruit" reputation. </P><P>If you're short on time, you can use your pressure cooker to "quick soak" beans in a matter of minutes. To quick soak beans in a pressure cooker, rinse and sort beans, and add them to the pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt for each cup of beans. Cover the pressure cooker and lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook for 2 minutes. Release pressure by the cold water method: carrying the pressure cooker to the sink and running cold water over the lid (but not the valve). Drain the beans, and they're ready to use in your recipe.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-90017960168043661882012-02-05T09:01:00.000-08:002012-02-05T09:01:00.377-08:00Bread Knife Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-61393205928151408152012-02-05T01:02:00.000-08:002012-02-05T01:02:01.096-08:00Caramelization <B>Definition: </B>Caramelization is a culinary phenomenon that occurs when carbohydrates like sugar are heated to temperatures of 300°F or higher, causing them to turn brown. <P>Caramelization is related to the Maillard reaction, where proteins in meat turn brown when heated.</P>Caramelization is the principle that makes toast look toasty and turns pale white potatoes into crispy, golden-brown French fries. <P><B>See Also:</B> How to Caramelize Onions </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-60757239450715163122012-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:002012-01-31T19:09:00.185-08:00Batonnet: Knife Cut Examples Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-80178159065963084362012-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:002012-01-31T13:17:00.386-08:00Choosing Kitchen Equipment <P>Whether you're a newlywed setting up house for the first time, or you're an established cook taking stock of your kitchen, there are certain things you should consider when you're buying kitchen equipment. Here are four questions to ask yourself before you make your next big kitchen equipment purchase.</P><P>Choose appliances and equipment based on the types of food you envision yourself making the most. If you're an avid baker, you'll probably want a stand mixer to assemble doughs for cookies and breads. If your family is health-conscious, an indoor grill is advantageous for low-fat cooking, and a steamer and/or rice cooker can easily prepare healthy dishes.</P><P>If you're constantly hosting dinner parties or big family get-togethers, it's a good idea to invest in equipment that can make your work easier. Depending on the types of dishes you usually serve your guests, a large-capacity food processor, a heated buffet server, an oversized griddle or a generous-sized blender could help with your hosting duties.</P><P>A serious (and often overlooked) consideration when buying kitchen equipment is where you'll put it. If you live in an apartment or have a small kitchen and limited storage space, then it would be unwise to invest in a lot of large countertop appliances and space-hogging tools. Instead, consider equipment that can perform a variety of tasks, or only buy items you know you'll use all the time.</P><P>Luckily, many kitchen tools and appliances come in a wide range of prices. In some instances, you get what you pay for (particularly for power-based tools like blenders or food processors), but in others, such as griddles, ice cream makers or panini presses, you can opt for less expensive versions.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-42026882909178878922012-01-28T04:50:00.000-08:002012-01-28T04:50:00.529-08:00Cooking Conversion Tool - Cooking Measurement Conversion <IMG border=0 src="C:\Program Files\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Cooking recipes, cook books and recipe books reviews\Culinary popular\" width=1 height=1>This cooking conversion tool will help you convert common cooking measurement units like ounces, tablespoons, teaspoons, cups, pints, quarts. Just enter a quantity (whole numbers only), select the units you want to convert (from and to), and click "Convert." <P>Note: Units are volume measurements, not weight. So "ounces" are fluid ounces. <BR></P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-21273806296663428422012-01-26T13:57:00.000-08:002012-01-26T13:57:00.737-08:00Berry Smoothie Recipe Frozen berries and an immersion blender help satisfy a smoothie craving in minutes. The pudding mix is optional, but it adds a satisfying richness that elevates this smoothie recipe to dessert status. Combine ingredients in a small bowl or the blending jar of an immersion blender. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit, if desired.<P>Serves one. </P><P>Note: This recipe can also be made using a regular blender, although an immersion blender makes cleanup easier! </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-43771058068991334312012-01-24T06:20:00.000-08:002012-01-24T06:20:00.079-08:00Russian Dressing Recipe If there's a sandwich more delicious than corned beef and cole slaw on rye bread with Russian dressing, I've certainly never tasted it. And while the genius of putting cole slaw on the sandwich can't be overstated, it's the Russian dressing that makes it all work. <P>You could definitely make this Russian dressing with store-bought mayonnaise. It's quicker, and because store-bought mayo is pasteurized, your Russian dressing will keep longer in the fridge. But if you really want to taste something special, try making it with homemade mayonnaise.</P>In a glass bowl, combine the mayonnaise and other ingredients. Chill.<BR>Store unused portion in the refrigerator, where it should keep for a day or two — or longer if you used store-bought mayonnaise.Makes about 1 cup of Russian dressing. <P><B>Note:</B> The ingredients listed above call for ? cup of either chili sauce, cocktail sauce or ketchup. Chili sauce and cocktail sauce are just variations on ketchup, and Heinz makes the definitive versions of each one. I prefer to use chili sauce for my Russian dressing, because I like it to have a little kick.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-20963840429317544982012-01-22T09:40:00.000-08:002012-01-22T09:40:00.083-08:00Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Hamilton Beach's 3-in-One Slow Cooker has an ingenious design that gives you three slow cooker sizes in one.<P>When you're using a slow-cooker, it's very important to use a slow cooker that's the right size for the amount of ingredients you're using. If you do a lot of slow-cooker cooking for a varying number of people, you could either invest in a few different cookers, or you could get Hamilton Beach's 3-in-One Slow Cooker. This appliance neatly solves the problem of having multiple cookers. It comes with three different stoneware crocks, in 2-, 4-and 6-quart sizes, each of which fit snugly into the single base. A single glass lid also fits each of the three crocks.</P><P>Appetizer dips, side dishes, or meals for two can be made in the smallest crock, while main dishes, soups and stews for larger families or for parties can be made in one of the two larger sizes.</P><P>The appliance has low, high and warm temperature settings, and the machine also adjusts the temperature depending on the size crock you're using (you press the button corresponding to the crock size when you start cooking). The crocks have a clever tapered design, so all three sizes seem to maintain the ideal temperature consistently. </P><P>The external surface of the slow cooker base gets very hot while it's cooking, but it has easy-to-grip handles if the appliance needs to be moved. When not in use, the crocks nest together so the unit stores compactly. While some slow cookers have more bells and whistles, such as programmable timers and extra safety features, this basic machine performs very well, and the 3 nesting crocks will give you more versatility than most others on the market. </P><P>The slow cooker either comes in a stainless base with black stoneware crocks, a white base with white crocks, or a white base with colored crocks. It's priced at under $50.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556943673594830760.post-68635743541073762222012-01-20T01:54:00.000-08:002012-01-20T01:54:00.396-08:00Cutting Board Controversy <IMG class=photo alt="Are plastic cutting boards safer than wood?" src="/cboard.jpg"> Plastic cutting boards: still safer than wood.</P>Photo © U.S. Dept. of AgricultureA thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. "Pathogens prefer plastic," the article declares. <P>Fifteen years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice.</P><P>So what happened? A careful reading of the article reveals the disconnect between what the researchers observed and the conclusions they drew from those observations. It's a great example of why it's never a good idea to let someone else do your thinking for you — because scientists make mistakes just like anyone else. </P>The claim was based on an experiment in which wooden cutting boards were infected with common food-borne pathogens and then allowed to sit overnight. The next morning, researchers found that "99.9 percent of the bacteria were unrecoverable and presumed dead." <P>Presumed dead? That's quite a leap, especially when, by the researchers' own admission, "We've not recovered the little critters' dead bodies." They did allow for the possibility that, instead of dying, the "little critters" may have simply taken refuge within the nooks and crannies of the porous wood, where they would then be free to breed like — well, like bacteria. And since we know that bacteria can live on a cutting board for up to 60 hours, that wooden cutting board could be hosting an entire colony of pathogens by then. "As best we can tell, that isn't going to happen," one of the scientists said, though he did not specify why he didn't think it would happen.</P><P>As for what mechanism or agent might be responsible for wood's alleged antibacterial powers, the researchers admitted that they had no clue. One begins to see why this particular piece of "science" didn't exactly blow the doors off the conventional thinking on food safety.</P><P>Finally, though, the kicker: One of the microbiologists responsible for the study shares his recommended technique for cleaning wooden cutting boards: "A good wipe will do fine – and if you forget to wipe the board, you probably won't be too bad off." The entire 1993 article is available here. (My thanks to the reader who sent it to me.)</P><P>But if you want the real facts on cutting boards, check out this article on cutting boards and food safety. </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com