P age A6
& NUTRITION
DOING YOURSELF A PARTY FAVOR WITH HOLIDAY F ATS
g o o d tid
t id -
This is the season o 3 f f good
ings and good cheer. It should also be
the season o f good and safe food.
Office parties and potlucks are plen­
tiful this time o f year. Oregonians
can enjoy all the wonderful treats the
holidays have to offer by practicing a
few simple common sense rules
"This is a time ofyear when new
recipes are tried out. new dishes are
brought in," says Ron McKay, field
operations manager o f the Oregon
Department o f Agriculture’s Food
Safety Division. “People are asked
to bring to a party certain foods that
may not be their specialty. It is a time
for potential problems to show up.”
There is always a chance that
good food may go bad, but the op­
portunity seems to be greater in that
period o f time between Thanksgiv­
ing and Christmas.
“Even with the best o f inten­
tions, a lot o f goods brought to these
n f f i r e n a rtlo c
„ „ .I,.„ I
office
parties and potlucks
are not
kept cold enough or hot enough,”
says McKay.
Temperature abuse o f food is
thebiggestconcem. Warm food need
to be kept warm and cold foods need
to be kept cold throughout the length
o f the party, not just prior to serving.
"Make sure refrigerated foods
brought from home are kept refriger­
ated, says McKay. "If refrigerators
aren t available at the office 01 wher­
ever the party is being held, then
bring an ice chest. If foods are going
to be served warm, make sure there is
an electrical outlet so that warming
ovens and crockpots can be used to
keep the foods hot. The food
shouldn’t be brought from home and
left unheated for several hours be­
fore being placed in a microwave just
prior to serving.”
There is a certain temperature
zone that is conducive to bacterial
,
growth on food. Allowing many pre­
pared foods to stay at a temperature
between 45 and 140 degrees Fahren­
heit for a couple o f hours is inviting
trouble. Refrigerated foods may sit
out in room temperature for much o f
the afternoon or something in a
crockpot may not be maintained at a
high enough temperature to keep
bacterial growth in check.
"A food product that is going to
sit out four or five hours during the day
it isgoingto be consumed shouldn’t be
taken home and fed to the family after­
wards," recommends McKay. “By the
end of that fourth hour, the food mas
not be safe to feed to your co workers or
party guests either.”
Certain types o f food require
more attention than others. Meat dish­
es, dairy products, salad dressings
and party dips all promote rapid bac­
terial growth if not kept at proper
temperatures. Fresh fruits and vege­
W
tables may get dried out over the
course o f a party , but there is very
little food safety' concern.
Food preparation is always a
concern no matter what time ofyear.
Many potluck participants will do
their cooking the night before th e
party. Once again, proper handling
o f the food is important. D on’t mix
and match different types o f food
during preparation.
“There is always the chance for
cross-contamination in a situation or
an area where you handle both raw
and ready-to-eat products,” says
McKay. "For example, using ihe same
cutting board or the same knife for a
raw meat as well as preparation o f a
salad can lead to problems. Utensils,
cutting surfaces, and hands should
be washed thoroughly after handling
a raw product before handling a
ready-to-eat product.”
After preparing the food, once
EX E a il M a k es T u r k e y E a s y Ta H a n d le
again proper storage is essential until
it’s time to eat. Foods prepared the
night before the party need to be
properly cooled and refrigerated,
even if they are meant to be served
warm. McKay recommends cooling
the food in a shallow pan after prep­
aration, keeping it refrigerated over­
night, heating it quickly the follow­
ing morning prior to serving it at the
party, then keeping it at the proper
temperature.
“A crockpot doesn’t necessarily
reheat something quickly,” he says.
"So you may need to put it in a oven
or a microwave to heat it quickly
before putting it into the crockpot to
hold it at a safe, warm temperature.”
Finally, areminderthatmany left­
overs should be discarded following
the party, especially those that need to
be kept either warm or cold. As is the
case for all leftovers from all meals,
when in doubt, throw it out.
C ranberry
Cappuccino B iscotti
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
2 eggs 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Combine eggs, egg
whites and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Add to dry ingredients, mixing
just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add cranberries;
mix thoroughly.
On a floured surface, divide dough in half and pat each half into a log
about 14-inches long and 1 1/2-inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet and
bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 F. Cut biscotti into 1/2-inch slices.
Stand upright on cookie sheet. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool
and store in a loosely covered container. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
PAGIN' CAJUN MARKET
Whether it’s over the woods to
grandmother’s house or ’round the
corner to the neighbor’s condo, the
EZ Foil SupeRoaster will make the
holidays a little more festive!
Built to hold up to25 lbs.,theEZ
Foil SupeRoaster with or without
handles has a new shape which fits
the turkey, particularly larger tur­
keys. I he deep side walls o f the
SupeRoaster make it easy to baste
and there is plenty o f extra room to
add vegetables.
The SupeRoaster’s heavy duty
construction and innovative design,
make an ideal way to transport your
holiday dinner. The new design also
provides for more efficient use of
heat and oven space.
And consum ers will enjoy the
special in tro d u cto ry o ffer from
EZ Foil. W ith the purchase o f
turkey and a S u p eR o aster, con­
sum ers can take ad vantage o f a
m ail-in refund o ffe r w hich w ill
give them a $2 r e b a te - th a t’s a
lot to be thankful for! C om plete
d e ta ils are on the label o f the
S up eR o aster can be found in su ­
p e rm a rk e ts, m ass m erch an d ise
and discount sto re s...a n d in o v ­
ens all across A m erica!
With the holiday season upon
us there are many looking for some­
thing different to serve their fami­
lies and friends. Here to offer more
than the usual for preparation dur­
ing the holidays is Ragin’ Cajun
market, Inc. The owners o f Ragin’
Cajun Market, inc. have been of­
fering to the northwest the culinary
delights that have made Louisiana
world renowned.
Located in the O.A.M.E. Cas­
cade Business Center, RCM, Inc.
is an active participant in the com­
munity having provided donations
to churches, mentoring high school
students, etc. RCM, Inc. plan to
continue and expand its role in the
community through business ex­
pansion and community-based hir­
ing.
RCM, Inc. is one hundred per­
cent minority owned and operated.
Itsow nersA rthurandLindaOliver,
are Louisianians who have spent
the previous years developing, test
ing and finally bringing to you the
finest ofcajun and creole products.
The products offered are all natu­
ral.
The company is proud to ac­
knowledge they perform their own
blendingandpackagingofall prod­
ucts, not wanting to compromise
on the quality. The selection o f
cajun and creole products range
from the traditional jam balaya and
gumbo mixes to beignets (pro­
nounced ben-yahs), deep friend
French donut squares and creole
rice, made with blended herbs and
seasonings with pecans and raisins.
Their products can be found local­
ly at E&M Market, Sweet’s Fish
and Meats on North Vancouver,
15th Avenue Select Market on NE
15th & Brazee, Food Value Stores
and other fine independent gro­
cers. Bring home for your holidays
the unique flavors o f Louisiana!
(5) H ome for the H olidays
Pricss^Effective December20 through December26,1995 at yournearby Safeway store.
Tender B one-In
Smoked Ham
Shank Portion, Ham & Water
’ Butt Portion, 98e-lb
SAVE UP TO 810 LB
88
0
Jr
Safeway will close at 7PM on December 24 and all
Day Christmas Day...to allow our store employees
to spend time with their families. All stores will be
open regular hours Tuesday, December 26.
lb
Sunkist Seedless
Navel Oranges
Fresh N atural
Grade A Turkey
• SAVE TODAY AT SAFEWAY
• Manor House
• 10 to 23-Pounds
• SAVE UP TO 40« LB
0
79
lb
6t
P rim e ” Rib
Beef Roast
• Bone-In Rib Eye or Boneless Beef
New York Strip Roast
•S A V E UP TO 1.31 LB
Premium Beauregard
Holiday Yams
Look For Your
Safeway Weekly Shopping Guide
In Your Mail Box ...And Save More
Shopping At Safeway!
3Ï1
Enjoy Exira Savings With The
SAFEWAY EXTRA Iw-Store
Savings Guide
Available i l your Site w iy store