The 5 Second Rule

Do you live by the 3 or 5 second rule?

You know what I mean! …

If you drop something on the floor … you pick it up fast and yell “Five second rule” and pop that bad boy in your mouth!

Haha – it makes me laugh thinking about it because I know I”ve shouted that out a million times so far!

But honestly I never really thought about the saying until I ran across this article that breaks down the 5 second rule!

The history … oh and if you love Julia Child then you will smile at what she dropped!

The science … does 5 seconds mean less or no bacteria? .. find out!

The fun .. of course the little quirks in the 5 second rule and how it differs between men and women both!

Ready to learn more about the 5 second rule?

Click the link below to head onto the article posted by Inverse.com

The post The 5 Second Rule appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/5-second-rule/

30 Most Influential Restaurants in the last 30 Years

I recently ran over an article written by the Robb Report (link is at the end of this article) that outlined some of the most influential restaurants in the last 3 decades.

It’s interesting to see how restaurant trends have shaped how we eat and view food.

I think some of the list is on point but I think for many some of the restaurants may have some food items that are ‘way out there’ or ‘totally outside’ of what someone will try to eat.

For example – fish – several of the restaurants cited talk about the amazing and exquisite fish dishes they serve.  I find many people I talk to just don’t like fish.  They stay away from it and steer clear. Despite my efforts to get friends, family, customers and ambassadors to TRY different fish dishes, they just cant stand the though of it.

Farm to Table Eating – this trend pops up among over 1/2 the restaurants cited. And I agree. I think as we have grown into the 2000’s we are more conscious about eating local.  We are more aware of supporting our local growers with the produce they are farming.  Many top chefs either have their own gardens they use produce from or they partner with local micro-farmers and create dishes using in season produce.

The selection of restaurants cited in the Robb report are very diverse not only in location but in the type of food being offered.  They are truly an around the world look at some of the most influential restaurants in the past 3 decades.
Several on this list make my list for must try! … I don’t eat out often because I truly love cooking from home and can use my own creative juices but thinking about eating out at some of these restaurants make me giddy and excited to try something totally different, unique and delicious.

On my top list is

Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama

Au Pied de Cochon, Montreal

El Bulli, Roses, Spain

Harvey’s, London

 

What make’s your top list of restaurants to visit and try?

Read the full article on the Robb Report’s website by clicking here

The post 30 Most Influential Restaurants in the last 30 Years appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/30-influential-restaurants-last-30-years/

Half of All U.S. Produce Is Thrown Away

Did you know that close to half the produce cultivated in the USA is actually thrown away?

I definitely know food is tossed from several check points.

The farmer tosses what he or she doesn’t think will sell or ‘windfalls’ that hit the ground that have a blemish here or there

The distributor sorts the produce according to grades.  1st’s are more expensive because they are the ‘nicest’ to look like and they are th produce that best represent what we buyer’s or us consumers expect.

From there the produce is graded all down the line … all the way down to the ugly fruit and vegetables…

Bins are tossed at the distributor level and never even make it into the ugly fruit and vegetable packaging…

Then the fruit and veggies make its way to the grocery stores. That’s where the stores stock the bins and line the shelves.  During that process they pick through all the produce, showing off the nicest produce in their bunkers and display cases.

The not so pretty pieces of fruit and vegetables then either make their way to the discount bins and grab tables or they get tossed.

Oh but it doesn’t stop there! … the longer the veggies and fruit sit on display the more they will ripen and turn into uglier versions of their younger selves…. and again they will make their way to the discount portions of the store .. or worse to the big ol’ garbage bin.

It’s a growing problem .. as one study shows. Read the original study here.

What do you think? Do you shop the pretty produce? Or will you go for the uglier produce? …  Check out the original article written by the Guardian by clicking here

The post Half of All U.S. Produce Is Thrown Away appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/half-u-s-produce-thrown-away/

Will the New Chipotle Grill Menu Be Enough?

This month Chipotle Mexican Grill announced they will be testing the roll out of several new menu items, to include a Quesadilla, a milkshake and Avocado Tostadas.

But will it be enough to bring you back to the esteemed Chipotle Grill?

Will it be enough to help salvage their reputation?

Similar to Taco Bell, they have suffered from public perception.  A rash of E.coli outbreaks have caused the chain a lot to deal with and in turn, many customers have opted for other fast casual and take-out restaurants other than Chipotle

These moves don’t really make me want to run to Chipotle Grill for my next fast casual meal.  First of all, Quesadilla’s are nothing more than a tortilla filled with cheese, a few small toppings and grilled to create a cheesy pocket.  There’s absolutely no nutritional balance of that meal whatsoever.

I am not sure the Quesadilla is really going to do it for them, at least not from my perspective. I”d much rather eat a taco salad that I make with the proper amount of meat, accompanied by those delicious toppings I love to mix.

Milkshakes, just don’t make sense at all. How is a milkshake really Mexican?  Why would they think Milkshakes are the way to go at a Mexican Restaurant? Why not invest in a delicious Horchata.  A traditional drink made with carefully soaked rice combined with flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon and cacao.

Even virgin Margaritas.  Seriously.  You can make delicious frozen frappe Margaritas without the alcohol.

I mean really, Milkshakes could not feel any less Mexican. When you have so many other delicious options that are closer to Mexican origins  … and ya gotta pick the milkshake?

C’mon Chipotle…. try harder.  Restore our confidence in good healthy food that is SAFE for us.  This confidence has little to do with Milkshakes!

To read the original review by the New York Times Click Here

 

The post Will the New Chipotle Grill Menu Be Enough? appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/will-new-chipotle-grill-menu-enough/

Fancy Baking Hack : Use a Vegetable Peeler

Use a vegetable peeler to make a pretty and fancy toppings using a simple kitchen tool. Use chocolate curls and shavings to decorate cakes and other baked goods or to garnish mugs of hot chocolate.

Slightly soften a 3 to 4-inch chunk of chocolate in the microwave on medium (50% power). Using a vegetable peeler, scrape the blade lengthwise across the softened chocolate to create pretty, delicate curls.

The post Fancy Baking Hack : Use a Vegetable Peeler appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/fancy-baking-hack-use-vegetable-peeler/

How Long Can You Freeze Food Before It Goes Bad?

We all freeze food! Let’s face it …With the New Year upon us, everyone is looking for ways to stay healthier, drop a few pounds and that usually starts in the kitchen.

We all look for great strategies to eat smarter and make our prep easier.  One of the easiest ways to shed a few calories is to start cooking from home again.  And..that means shopping the sales and freezing food or coming up with great freezer meal dishes.

So how long can you actually keep your foods in the freezer for?

If you search the internet you will find a long list of helpful infographics that are to point you in the right direction about how long you can actually use that food that’s frozen.

Some charts say you can freeze chicken for up to nine months. Others say twelve. Some charts say that cheese will last for six months and others say four.

Those guidelines are helpful but are they accurate?

Not really…

If you look at the USDA, those guidelines aren’t actually referring to safety at all.  Because food frozen is safe to eat provided it was safe to eat at the exact time it was frozen.

“Because freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only,” says the USDA. “Food stored constantly at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage.” 

The charts may be helpful .. but they are only actually suggesting the optimum freezing times for the best quality .. not necessarily for safety.

For example, a frozen banana will be safe to eat in your freezer until the end of times.  It may only actually taste good and remain it’s delicious white color for three months, but in terms of safety – have at it!

The USDA explains why freezing is a safe method of storage “Freezing keeps food safe by slowing the movement of molecules, causing microbes to enter a dormant stage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.” Freezing also inactivates any bacteria, yeasts and molds that may be found in your food. (Just remember that once you thaw your food, these microbes can become active again.)

Below are the USDA’s freezer guidelines and below that is an additional guide from FreezerLabels.net that includes more ingredients ― remember, these charts are both guidelines for qualit

y only, not safety. If you’re looking for a food that’s not listed on any of the charts below, the USDA offers some tips that’ll help you determine a food’s quality:

The post How Long Can You Freeze Food Before It Goes Bad? appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/long-can-freeze-food-goes-bad/

Cooking spray for grate cheese

If you’ve ever had to grate a semi-soft cheese, you know it can be difficult to clean the grater afterward, and you know you lose a lot of cheese because it breaks up when you’re trying to press it through the grater. Use cooking spray to stop cheese from sticking to a grater and make the grating and the cleanup easier!

The post Cooking spray for grate cheese appeared first on Do You Bake.

from
http://www.doyoubake.com/cooking-spray-grate-cheese/