Useless Conversation

[Samwise]

Even if they don't survive the cooking process, I'd think you'd want to minimize the number of things that are eating your food before you do.

[Mandella]

And hot water? Not to be a safety freak, but you are playing with fire there. Specifically, the surface of the meat is going to be in microorganism comfort zone while the inside is still a frozen brick. Sticking with the microwave may not be as tasty, but there is less time for tiny unwanted civilizations to set up base on your burger...

This. Tossing it in cold water in the fridge is really the best way I've found to thaw, maximizing thermal transfer and keeping everything under 40F.

I'm interested in finding out how these microorganisms can survive the cooking process.

They really shouldn't, unless you like rare meat. But the problem is one of concentration. The more critters you have swarming around on your food or work area or utensils the more chance that enough will make the transfer from contaminated to clean to make you sick. So you try not to give them anything to grow on anywhere near food prep.

I was going to make a note about how people can take this too far and become neurotic germiphobes, but, well, considering the stuff I'm reading in the Ebola thread, maybe a little more caution is in order....

[lamaros]

Fights over food preferences are silly. 

Yes, in most cases. Let me illustrate. What is pizza called in Chicago? Deep dish. What is pizza called in NY? Pizza.

NY style pizza is pizza.

 

You are being silly. Go to Italy, pizza is a different thing all over the country. I've eaten pizza down in Calabria which was literally a huge communal family meal of leftovers. It was great.

And if you struggle to eat good food when out come to Melbourne. Still the best in the world for me, and I've been a few places.

[Evildrider]

I was going to make a note about how people can take this too far and become neurotic germiphobes, but, well, considering the stuff I'm reading in the Ebola thread, maybe a little more caution is in order....

The older generation of my family is from the Phillippines and they are all completely adamant that everything they eat be well done.  Which pretty much means I buy them cheaper cuts of steak and then chow on my med. rare ribeye.  I do have some of their issues though too, cuz I will not eat rare duck or pork that even hints at undercooked.  

[Yegolev]

Even if they don't survive the cooking process, I'd think you'd want to minimize the number of things that are eating your food before you do.

There is a merit to your position but I do assume the quantities of any toxins generated during a small microbial outbreak will be of an inconsequential amount.  I mean, I'm not letting it putrefy.

If, on the other hand, you're afeared of eating dead bacteria, then you might as well break out the tissue-box shoes.

[MrHat]

Even if they don't survive the cooking process, I'd think you'd want to minimize the number of things that are eating your food before you do.

There is a merit to your position but I do assume the quantities of any toxins generated during a small microbial outbreak will be of an inconsequential amount.  I mean, I'm not letting it putrefy.

If, on the other hand, you're afeared of eating dead bacteria, then you might as well break out the tissue-box shoes.

I thought aging beef was doing this on purpose to give flavor.

That cold water thing true even if you leave it vacuum sealed? I made ceviche a few months back from frozen fish that I mostly thawed out that way before a few hours in lime juice.  Did I dodge a bullet?  It was delicious though.

[Signe]

That's back bacon, isn't it.  When I first moved to the UK, that's all I could find and it made me sad.  Luckily, they started selling streaky bacon everywhere and I became happier.

PS  Don't thaw meat in hot water unless it's very thin.  I always thaw in the fridge or in cold water.  I don't thaw in the microwave but I think I'd do that before thawing in hot water.

[lamaros]

Thaw frozen stuff in the fridge during the day, then take it to air temp out for the final bit before cooking. I'm not keen on thawing anything in water, especially not hot, and I don't and won't own a microwave.

[Cheddar]

John Stewart destroyed Bill o'Reilly on the Daily Show.  Caught the repeat and cheered.

Closet racism is becoming one of my main pet peeves.  Living in God's country has been eye opening.

[Yegolev]

I don't and won't own a microwave.

Alright, I suppose you expect me to take you seriously now?

As far as I'm concerned, I believe I am immune to anything which could infect a fish.

[schild]

Closet racism is becoming one of my main pet peeves.  Living in God's country has been eye opening.

Literally nothing closeted about racism where you are. It's just southern culture with the appearance of culture.

[Merusk]

Didn't we warn you of this beforehand? I feel like we did.

Best of luck for the next 10  years.  Try not to think about how it'll seep into your own thoughts and those of your kids.

[Yegolev]

Yep, I saw zero racism in the northeast.

[Merusk]

Concentration is different. I've spent a good deal of time in the South since that's where Mom's from. It was very different and much more casually pervasive.

And hot water? Not to be a safety freak, but you are playing with fire there. Specifically, the surface of the meat is going to be in microorganism comfort zone while the inside is still a frozen brick. Sticking with the microwave may not be as tasty, but there is less time for tiny unwanted civilizations to set up base on your burger...

This. Tossing it in cold water in the fridge is really the best way I've found to thaw, maximizing thermal transfer and keeping everything under 40F.

I'm interested in finding out how these microorganisms can survive the cooking process.

Yeah, I'm not worried and folks are being a bit overly-paranoid.  I cook to 165 or better and use a thermometer. 

[Paelos]

The south isn't any more racist than other areas I've lived. It's worse in rural areas and more suppressed in the cities.

[schild]

The south isn't any more racist than other areas I've lived. It's worse in rural areas and more suppressed in the cities.

People who live in the rural areas of places Not The South are simply southerners who just got lost looking for gold and shit. #1850slife

[Nebu]

The south isn't any more racist than other areas I've lived. It's worse in rural areas and more suppressed in the cities.

This ^^^

Hicks and rednecks are a rural thing, not exclusively a southern thing.

[pxib]

Also there's the difference between "I wouldn't want to live in a [category] neighborhood" and "I wouldn't want to have a [category] boss" (or "I wouldn't want my child to marry a [category].") The former remains very strong in class-divided urban environments, often stronger than it is in the rural areas where everybody is poor, even though the latter weakens. Urban folks are more likely to say "that sort of person" or "those people" or just "them" while rural folks tends to be more more frank and upfront.

Exposure humanizes, but not in any sort of universal way. Just on a person by person, situation by situation basis. Who do you see at the grocery store? Who's your next door neighbor? Who do you meet at work? Who do you talk to at church?

There are more kinds of prejudice than there are flavors of ice cream.

[Ingmar]

Georgia is still the only place I've ever seen someone (de facto) refused service due to race in the US. (Visiting a Japanese family friend who was stationed at Fort Stewart, we tried to go out to dinner and were just ... never visited by a waiter, as (white) people who came in after us were seated and served, etc. Eventually left and went to a chain place instead where the problem disappeared. Granted this was in the late 80s.)

[Yegolev]

I've had this happen to me.  /charliebrown

[Sky]

I lived in LA during the King riots.

So.

[Yegolev]

Ever try to explain a tech to someone who should know it, but you don't?  Frustrating.

[Evildrider]

I lived in LA during the King riots.

So.

I lived in the Philippines under a dictator.  Do I win?   

[Sky]

I wasn't bragging, just pointing out that racism is pretty serious outside the American south.

[Evildrider]

I wasn't bragging, just pointing out that racism is pretty serious outside the American south.

It is also not just a white thing. 

[Yegolev]

I've made notes of which of you are black on the left side.

[Engels]

With regards to the previous bacon commentary, I thought I'd post this miracle:

[pxib]

There seriously needs to be some specialized sort of tag for images like that. Theoretically work-safe but ouch, now I'm not going to be able to think about anything except dinner for the rest of the day.

[Nebu]

With regards to the previous bacon commentary, I thought I'd post this miracle:

You are the devil.

Now I'm hungry... damnit.

[Merusk]

Bacon Pancakes.  Makin' bacon pancakes.

Take some bacon and you put it in a pancake.

Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make.

Bacon pancaaaaaaake.

[Yegolev]

That was what went through my brain.

[Ironwood]

Bacon Pancakes.  Makin' bacon pancakes.

Take some bacon and you put it in a pancake.

Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make.

Bacon pancaaaaaaake.

That's adventure time, isn't it ?  ADMIT IT.

[Bunk]

Thanks to whoever brought up SodaStream here a while back. Got one last Monday and I haven't bought pop or beer since. Not a big fan of the syrups - I'm trying to get away from pop anyways and found the sweetener in the syrups has a weird taste to it. Experimented a bit with homemade Cream Soda, but found the simple syrup doesn't spread through the water well. What I finally settled on that I'm really enjoying though: frozen concentrate berry cocktail. One can is supposed to make a litre of juice, but I find a quarter can plenty to give a litre of soda water a really nice, but not sweet flavour.

[Yegolev]

Did you make your own simple syrup?  That's what we did.

[Merusk]

Bacon Pancakes.  Makin' bacon pancakes.

Take some bacon and you put it in a pancake.

Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make.

Bacon pancaaaaaaake.

That's adventure time, isn't it ?  ADMIT IT.

Yep. It's burned into my brain because they've been using it as the promo clip for the last 2 weeks.  Since the son watches CN almost exclusively from the time I get home until 8ish and they run it EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK I've heard it a lot.