Author Topic: Food prep silliness  (Read 2986 times)

Hawkmoon

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Food prep silliness
« on: November 28, 2017, 07:25:34 PM »
I felt in the need for something easy and warm this evening, so I cooked (meaning "heated up") a batch of store brand, frozen mini cheese raviolis for supper. I've head them before, but today I happened to pay more attention to the preparation instructions.

Quote
Bring 4 quarts of water for every pound of pasta to a rolling boil. Add frozen pasta to the boiling water. Once the water and pasta return to a rolling boil reduce the heat to low and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Simmer for approximately 4-5 minutes, until pasta floats or to desired tenderness. Drain pasta and serve with your favorite sauce.

So far, so good. I basically ignore all that and just set a timer for 5 minutes after I drop the raviolis into the boiling water, but ... whatever works. But after the cooking instrructions I found this gem:

Quote
FOR FOOD SAFETY, COOK TO AN INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF 165* F.

NOTE: COOKING EQUIPMENT MAY VARY AND COOK TIME MAY REQUIRE ADJUSTING.

Really? 165 degrees for pasta and Ricotta cheese? And how am I supposed to measure that -- pull one out of the pot after 4 minutes and stick a meat thermometer into its cheesy little heart?

How much variation can there be in cooking equipment when the instructions say "boil"? I know the boiling temperature varies with altitude, but boiling is boiling. They didn't say to bring the water to 212 degrees F -- they said "rolling boil." And then they said "simmer."

I suppose the product liability lawyers tell them they have to say something, but that something could at least be something slightly related to the actual process involved.
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100% Politically Incorrect by Design

MillCreek

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2017, 07:34:23 PM »
http://www.billmarler.com/

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-information/six-foods-bill-marler-never-eats/

One of the most successful attorneys Seattle has ever produced, and one of the reasons why you see the food prep instructions that you do.
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MillCreek
Snohomish County, WA  USA


Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2017, 07:42:36 PM »
I've had food poisoning from restaurants more than once, and it's no fun. That said, the warning on my bag of mini raviolis is still silly when applied to the instructions on the bag.
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T.O.M.

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2017, 08:19:50 PM »
Most ravioli and other stuffed pasta has egg in it, either in the cheese mix or to seal the pasta.  The safety types tell us eggs are dangerous and must be cooked to 165 degrees. 
(Yeah, I don't take a temp, either.)
No, I'm not mtnbkr.  ;)

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French G.

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2017, 08:32:13 PM »
http://www.billmarler.com/

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-information/six-foods-bill-marler-never-eats/

One of the most successful attorneys Seattle has ever produced, and one of the reasons why you see the food prep instructions that you do.

Bill may be safe, but I'd rather die from food poisoning than die of the boredom of his life.
AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

HankB

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2017, 08:57:46 PM »
I never eat undercooked sushi.
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Fly320s

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2017, 09:22:46 PM »
I never eat undercooked sushi.

What about over cooked sushi?
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230RN

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2017, 01:27:51 AM »
I take at least the top layer of temperature with one of those infra red thermometers.  Harbor Freight has them at prices varying from $20 to $30 depending.  Almost everything I cook in the microwave has that 165° lingo.  Also, to let it sit for a minute "to finish cooking."

The language is so absolutely identical across products that I figured someone had sued (suen?) someone over food poisoning fairly recently.  Yup.  Guess so.

Terry, 230RN

Firethorn

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2017, 02:20:33 AM »
The language is so absolutely identical across products that I figured someone had sued (suen?) someone over food poisoning fairly recently.  Yup.  Guess so.

Or are copy-pasting the warnings.  165F will kill pretty much all bacteria, no matter the food source.

K Frame

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Re: Food prep silliness
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2017, 06:51:15 AM »
Remember about 15 years ago when eggs were the vector of all death and destruction in the universe?

New Jersey's dept of public health tried mandating that restaurants had to cook all eggs until they were hard -- runny yolks were right out.

People revolted, and they had to rescind most of the rule (they kept it in place for schools, nursing homes, etc.)

Other states tried the same thing with various other things, like burgers. Most of those have since gone by the wayside, but you'll occasionally still find a restaurant chain that refuses to serve burgers any way other than Joan of Arc'ed.

I ordered a burger in a now defunct restaurant, and ordered it medium. It came out not just well done, but so dry and chewy that it would have been a good boot sole. I complained, and was told that all burgers were cooked that way (which the waiter never told me and which the menu didn't mention). I gave the manager an earful and eventually got it replaced with something else from the menu.

I'm a big boy. I'll take my chances for God's sake.
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