Eat Out Eat Well

Food for Fun and Thought

Is Sea Salt Less Salty Than Table Salt?

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The short answer:  no – even though sea salt might be marketed as a health food.

Chemically, table salt and sea salt are not much different although they might taste different or have different textures. Sea salt and table salt, by weight, have the same amount of sodium chloride.

Sea water is evaporated to make sea salt.  There is little processing and the water source, along with the trace minerals and elements left behind after evaporation, add flavor and color.  Sea salt comes in different degrees of coarseness and types of grain or flake.

Table salt, mined from underground salt deposits, goes through processing to eliminate minerals. It usually has an additive to prevent clumping and may have added iodine, which sea salt doesn’t have.

What’s The Difference Between Jam, Jelly, And Fruit Butter?

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What they have in common:  they are all made from some form of fruit.

Jams and jellies are made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin. For jelly the fruit comes from fruit juice.  For jam the fruit comes from fruit pulp or crushed fruit.  Pectin, an indigestible carbohydrate found in the cell walls of most fruit, gels when heated with sugar in water and is what causes jam and jelly to thicken.

Jam is usually a thick, chunky, and fruity spread.  Because it includes whole fruit it tends to have more vitamins and minerals than jelly. To make jam, fruit is cooked with sugar and water until it starts to soften and break up. Natural pectin is released with the long slow cooking. Some people make jam without extra added pectin – just relying on the naturally released pectin.

Because jelly is made with fruit juice – not whole fruit  — pectin has to be added for it to firm up. Without the natural tartness of whole fruit, jelly tends to be a little sweeter than jam.

Fruit butter is puréed fruit that is cooked down to a thick consistency. Fruit, with or without skin, is cooked until it is soft, put through a sieve to remove seeds and skin and/or pureed, and then flavored, if desired, with spices or lemon juice.  Fruit butter is cooked until it is thick and doesn’t have pectin added to set the mixture.  Because fruit butter is supposed to be thick and sort of buttery it is usually, but not always, made with fruit like apples, pears, or peaches rather than “seedy” berries.

What About Calories And Sugar?

Jams and jellies are high in sugar in content.  Fruit butters tend to be the winner in the calorie and carb counts — although it is possible to make or buy low or no sugar (or artificially sweetened) products.

Here’s some nutritional info:

Do You Season Cold Food More Than Hot Food?

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Season cold food “generously but judiciously” according to the Sept/Oct 2011 edition of Cook’s Illustrated.

According to their “25 Tips For improving Flavor,” chilling foods dulls flavor and aroma so it’s important to compensate with more aggressive seasoning.

Cook’s Illustrated says that to keep from going overboard you should season with a normal amount of salt before you chill your food.  After it’s chilled sample it and add more seasoning to taste just before serving.

The “Power” Of Coffee

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Most of us recognize the energizing, wake-up character of coffee – but too often we forget its other “power.”

A Power Outage

Connecticut was hit very hard by hurricane Irene.  As I write this there are still half a million people without power and in an area like mine — a lot of homes have well water and no gas source — you may not have water, a working stove – or flushing toilets for that matter.  We have an abundance of trees and outside of my small town’s downtown area most of the power, phone, and cable lines are overhead making us especially vulnerable in any major wind, snow, or rain event.  We have no mass transit other than a Metro North spur line – which is still down for the count. In other words, it can feel like you’re disconnected from the world and functioning within your own little sphere.  Your lifelines become food, water, and your iphone or blackberry (if you can find a place to plug in your charger).

Coffee Shops Act As The Town’s “Water Cooler” And General Store

In my town of 20,000 we do have a Starbucks, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a handful of other coffee shops – and they have become the office water cooler, the town general store, the coffee klatch of times gone by, and the source of an electrical outlet and wifi.  Downtown has power so the coffee shops have power.

Thank goodness the post hurricane weather has been phenomenal.  So, what do you do – you get into your car where you can listen to the radio desperately hoping for an estimate for power restoration (which you don’t get) and go hang out in town at – where else – the coffee shops, or sidewalk benches, or restaurants (especially those with outdoor seating).

By far, the most popular places are the coffee shops.  Yes, the caffeine is a drawing card – but so is the conversation and sharing of war stories while you wait in the line that extends out the door onto the street.  Unshaven men and women without a stitch of make-up smile and converse.  Kids beg for donuts (and in most cases get them ‘cause their isn’t a whole lot of produce to be had  — and who could wash it and/or cook it, anyway).

The Golden Ticket

Our local Starbucks must be breaking all sales records.  It has the golden ticket.  Aside from coffee and bathrooms, it has outdoor space with tables, a lot of seating on chairs and retaining walls, and a major bonus:  wifi and for those in the know – outdoor electrical outlets built into the retaining walls. It is so crowded that you have to launch yourself in the direction of an empty space when someone vacates.

The amazing thing is that everyone is friendly and cooperative.  Tables are shared.  The Starbucks staff, overworked, has been as friendly as ever.  The coffee is flowing – but most importantly, the place itself has reverted to the general store of old – the downtown center – the water cooler in the office.  It is the place to share stories, to connect with humanity, to speculate, to rage at the power company and the cable provider.  It is the place to recharge your mind and to recharge – literally – your cellphone, iPad, and laptop!

So, for those in many towns and cities who sometimes protest the proliferation of coffee shops, or bodegas, or local bars or restaurants – think about what they offer.  It’s not only food and drink but the humanity and kinship that goes along with it – not only during crises but when you stop in everyday for your morning coffee – or your Sunday breakfast at the diner – or your burger and beer to watch the game.  For many of us, these places become part of out social structure – something that is heightened during times like power outages or critical events.

Time To Post

It’s time to get into my car, turn on the radio, drive into town hoping to spot a utility truck working on downed wires, go to Starbucks to get a cup of coffee and an update on power restoration (opinion, true or not), and stake a claim to a perch outside where I can grab on internet connection and post this online.

Is Food In The Refrigerator And Freezer Safe To Eat After A Power Failure?

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The power is out all over town. Hurricane Irene has downed power lines up and down the East Coast and I’m sure many of you are wondering what to do with all that food in your fridge and freezer.

From numerous past experiences I know that one of the challenges in the aftermath of a power failure is figuring out what to do with the food in the fridge and freezer. 

The Basic Rules For Leftovers

If you cooked up a storm right before the actual storm (or whatever caused the power failure), according to the March 2010 edition of the Nutrition Action Healthletter (Center for Science in the Public Interest), you should follow these general rules:

  • The mantra is:  2 Hours–2 Inches–4 Days
  • 2 Hours from oven to refrigerator: Refrigerate or freeze your leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Throw them away if they are out longer than that.
  • 2 Inches thick to cool it quick: Store your food at a shallow depth–about 2 inches–to speed chilling.
  • 4 Days in the refrigerator–otherwise freeze it:  use your leftovers that are stored in the fridge within 4 days. The exceptions are stuffing and gravy– which should be used within 2 days. Reheat solid leftovers to 165 degrees F and liquid leftovers to a rolling boil. Toss what you don’t finish.

Food Safety

The following food safety information is from the CDC:

  • If power is out for less than two hours food in the refrigerator and freezer will be safe to eat. While the power is out keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.  This helps to keep food cold for a longer period of time.
  • The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four  hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
  • If power is out for longer than 2 hours follow these guidelines:
    • Freezer:  “A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.”
    • Refrigerator: “Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Can Thawed Or Partially Thawed Food In The Freezer Be Frozen Again?

According to the USDA:  “food may be safely refrozen if the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. You will have to evaluate each item separately. Be sure to discard any items in either the freezer or the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices. Partial thawing and refreezing may reduce the quality of some food, but the food will remain safe to eat. See the attached charts for specific recommendations.”

What If Flood Water Covered Food Stored On Shelves And In Cabinets? 

According to the USDA follow these guidelines for what can be kept or should be thrown out:  “Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps. Also, discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.”

For more specific information please visit this USDA site.