Food safety practice

Everyone should practice general food safety precautions at all times:

Obtained from Public health agency of Canada

• Bacteria can grow in the danger zone between 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Keep cold foods cold at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and keep hot foods hot at or above 60 °C (140 °F).
• Place raw meat, poultry and seafood in containers on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use containers that are large enough to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other food or touching other food.
• Keep raw food away from other food while shopping, storing, preparing and serving foods.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them, clean counters and cutting boards and wash your hands regularly.
• Read labels and follow cooking and storage instructions for all foods. Make sure to check the “best before” date, and if you find something on the shelf that has expired, let the store know.
• Use warm soapy water to clean knives, cutting boards, utensils, your hands and any surfaces that have come in contact with food, especially meat and fish.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours of cooking.
• Freeze or consume leftovers within four days of cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot before eating.
• Keep refrigerators clean and at a temperature below 4 C (40 F). Install a thermometer in your fridge to be sure.
• Many harmful bacteria that could be in our food are destroyed when food is cooked to a certain internal temperature. Use a digital food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your food so that you are sure that it is cooked properly. You can’t tell by looking.
• Cook your food to a safe internal temperature.

Food	Temperature
Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts) —medium-rare	63°C (145°F)
Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts) —medium	71°C (160°F)
Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts) —well done	77°C (170°F)
Pork (pieces and whole cuts)	71°C (160°F)
Poultry (pieces)—chicken, turkey, duck	74°C (165°F)
Poultry (whole)— chicken, turkey, duck	85°C (185°F)
Ground meat and meat mixtures (burgers, sausages, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles)—beef, veal, lamb and pork	71°C (160°F)
Ground meat and meat mixtures—poultry	74°C (165°F)
Egg dishes	74°C (165°F)
Others (hot dogs, stuffing and leftovers)	74°C (165°F)

Duck Roast

Duck                          1 whole
Oil                               2 tbsp
Mustard seed               1/4 tsp
Fennel                          1 tsp
Cinnamon                      1
Cardomom                    4
Cloves                           1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder    1 tsp
Turmeric powder             1/4 tsp
Ground Black pepper      2 tsp
Onion sliced                     1 optional
Tomato                             1 optional

Remove the skin off from the duck and cut  in to small pieces. Wash well with a bit of vinegar.
Heat a heavy bottom wok add some oil splutter mustard seeds. Turn the heat down to medium add fennel cinnamon cardamom and cloves fry for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat off Add all the powders spices mix well. Add the duck pieces  and coat well. Cover and cook under medium heat until meat is soft. use a pressure cooker if needed. I just used my wok. Make sure all the water is evaporated. Add sliced onions and tomato and fry until you reached the desires consistency. Since my kids like them dry,I did not add tomatoes and onion in the picture shown.

If you  are not that health conscious, like a bit more taste and grease, you can clean the skin you took off tie it in a clean cloth add it when you cook the duck. Just don't forget to remove it once you are done cooking.
For the healthy version you can add vegetable oil when you are adding the onions and tomatoes.

Banana Bits

You have boiled plantains for breakfast. had some left over, no one wants it when you re heat it. What can you do with left over plantains. Why don't you make some banana bits for the kids when they come back from school
Plantain                      1
Sugar                           3 tbsp
Rice flour                      2 tbsp
Coconut                        1/4 cup
Ground Cardamom        2
Oil                                 For frying

Boil plantain. when it cools down Peel off the skin and grind it to a smooth paste. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. if the mixture is too loose keep it in the refrigerator for a while. smear some butter in your hand.Take a small amount in your palm and make a small balls then shape to a log . Heat the oil in a pan fry the balls until golden brown. Drain it in to a paper towel.
This will make a good snack for your afternoon tea.

Pallappam

Rice four          2 cup
Cream of wheat   3 tbsp
Water                  1.1/2 cup
Yeast                    1 tsp
Sugar                     3 tbsp
Coconut milk          1 can

Mix Cream of wheat in the cold water.  Cook the mixture Under medium heat while constantly stirring with a whisk.  be sure not to have any lumps. when it becomes a thick paste (porridge consistency)  turn the heat off.  in a large bowl.mix Rice flour, coconut milk, yeast and sugar. Add the cream of wheat paste and mix well without any lumps to a loose consistency (pancake consistency). Add extra water if needed. keep it in a warm place over night to rise. ( keep the batter in the oven with the lights on ). You need to use the appachatti as shown in the picture to make the palappam. Heat the appachatti and smear  some oil. Pour 2 oz of batter in to the pan and swirl the pan. cover with the lid let it cook for a minute or two.  Remove the lid and transfer the appam in to a plate.  Beef curry or egg roast goes well with appam.

Tomato chutney

Tomato medium      4

Onion Chopped      1 large

Garlic chopped        4

Chili powder           1 tsp

Turmeric powder    1 pinch

Curry leaves           2

Asafoetiada              pinch

Black Gram              2 tbsp

Oil                           3 tbsp

Mustard seed           1 tsp
Salt                          to taste

Boiled water           enough to puree

Make a paste of chili powder, turmeric,asafoetida.  Heat the oil in a pan Splutter mustard seed and black gram. fry onion garlic until onion becomes translucent. Once the onion become translucent  turn the heat down and add the  chili paste fry until the oil comes out clear. Turn the heat to high add chopped up tomatoes fry until all the water evaporates. add salt to taste. Let it cool for about 5 minutes . add some boiled water if needs for the blender.Transfer to a blender and puree well .  good for chapati , Dosa  and even on bread

Pesaha appam ( indri Appam)

Indrri Appam or Pesaha appam is unleavened bread made on MaundyThursday among Jacobite and Catholics in Kerala.As the tradition goes the head of the family cuts the apam and gives it to the other members. Oldest to the youngest. this is done in great reverence and pious atmosphere. 

I remember Kochammama (My Aunt) making the kurishappam .all of us had the meal together and Appachan cut the kurish appam after the evening prayer . To make the kurish appam you have to follow the Lent properly including fasting. During my child hood my mom makes Indri Appam every year and I continue with it.
 Another story about How the name came is the ladies wanted to name this Appam they thought about it nothing came to mind..   When they went to church one of the ladies looked at the cross and Red  INRI. She told the the others and they decided to call it "Indri Appam"

Roasted Rice flour         2 cup
Urad dal (Black gram)        1/2 cup
Coconut          2 cup
Garlic               4
Cumin seed      1 tsp
Shallots             3
Banana leaves   

Grind the urad dal , in to a smooth paste. Use little water as possible to grind. Add coconut,garlic shallots and cumin, grind until everything is combined well. Pour the the batter in to a bowl . Add salt and rice flour. Mix well to make a smooth dough. Dough should not be too watery not too dry. Cut the plantain leaves in about 5" lengths. Take a hand full of dough place it in to the banana leaves press and spread out on the leaf. fold it into three. Steam for about 15 minutes. let it cool for some time. use it with pall ( sweet gravy)

        Pall 

Coconut milk           3 cup
Brown sugar              1/4 kg
Rice flour                   1/4 cup
Banana                       1
Ground Cardamom     1/4 tsp

Dissolve the rice flour in 3 cups of coconut milk add brown sugar. cook under low heat , using a wire whisk to constantly whisking while the gravy is thickening. When the gravy reaches desired consistency add  ground cardamom and sliced banana.

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