MNeagle
26th August 2011, 05:18 PM
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/08/26/t1larg.tinned.jpg
Much of the Eastern Seaboard is hunkering down and stocking up supplies in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's arrival. Safety and sufficient rations should be your primary concern, but that doesn't mean you can't also eat well.
First off, here's what the FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/food.shtm) says people should have on hand, in addition to a manual can opener and one gallon of water per adult and per pet each day, with a three day minimum supply:
Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Avoid foods that will make you thirsty. Choose salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals, and canned foods with high liquid content.
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
- Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
- Staples–sugar, salt, pepper
- High energy foods–peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
- Vitamins
- Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs
- Comfort/stress foods–cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags
And the Food and Drug Administration (http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076881.htm) advises taking these safety measures:
- Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. If in doubt, throw it out.
- Do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth and similar containers that have been water-damaged.
- Discard food and beverage containers with screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops and home canned foods, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected.
- Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 °F.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
Read Hurricanes and Floods and Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety (http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076881.htm)
Got that? Now let's zest it up.
If you're at home and the power goes out, it's an excellent opportunity to race to the fridge and gobble up whatever pre-cooked meats and cheeses are at the ready. Transfer whatever you can't eat to the freezer to buy yourself a little more time, and make sure to have a cooler or two stocked with cold packs - whether you're at home or on the road.
Now is not the time to take chances, so make sure you've got a food thermometer on hand - as well as a way to disinfect it between uses. Visualize what you want from the fridge or freezer before you open the door. Things can get warmer, but you can't get that cold back.
Once the storm has safely passed and winds and rain have died down, now might be an excellent time to grill that meat that's just thawed out from your freezer. Visualize your usual process, from marinating and rubbing, to basting, flipping, carrying and prepping back in the kitchen - as well as all your hand and equipment washing - and make sure you've got enough soap and water for each of those instances, in addition to any you'd usually have on hand to quench flare-ups and fires.
Just batten down the hatches for the arrival of all the neighbors who may catch a whiff and come over with rumbling tummies. If they ask what they can bring, tell 'em "Your own plate, silverware, glass and napkin - and a promise you'll take them when you go."
Mayonnaise may adorn your sandwiches and tuna or chicken salads at the outset, and pre-sealed packets aren't a bad way to go, but after a few hours, mustard is a better safety bet. Avoid flavor fatigue by assembling a sampler pack of yellow, Dijon, deli, whole grain, flavored and honey mustards. Per the good folks at French's Mustard, "There are no ingredients in mustard that spoil. "Refrigerate After Opening" is not required for food safety–we only recommended you do so to maintain optimal product flavor."
Peanut butter is another excellent bet, but it, too can get monotonous. Put a portion into a small bowl or plastic container and play around with spice mix-ins like cumin, cinnamon, hot sauce, paprika, Chinese five-spice or curry spices. It's dandy on bread, crackers (you did remember to stock up on crackers, right?) or raw vegetables; just don't make your blend too hot or salty if water and other beverages are still in short supply. If peanuts aren't your bag, pop a can of chickpeas, mash them up and gussy 'em up.
About those raw vegetables - you're not locked in to the ho-hum trinity of carrots, celery and cauliflower. Corn that's been cut off the cob is sweet, crisp and delicious raw. So is okra, zucchini and plenty other vegetables you might never think to chomp into with cooking. Plan ahead and wash them off now, so they're at the ready when you want to get your disaster snack on.
And booze. You probably shouldn't be drinking right now, but that might not stop you (or, uh, us). We'll share a classic Hurricane recipe later today, but in the meantime - a few suggestions.
Red wine is an obvious choice, but if only white will do, stash your bottles in the fridge now before the power goes out. Should you anticipate things getting dire or dull, slip the inner plastic bag from your favorite boxed wine (Shhhh! It's okay! Food & Wine's Ray Isle says so (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/30/fear-not-the-wine-box/) and has some excellent suggested brands (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/06/25/box-wine-with-serious-bang-for-the-buck/).) and pop it in the freezer. Under normal circumstances, we would not suggest treating your wine in such a fashion, but this ain't the Loire Valley in stomping season.
You haven't had running water in two days and a nice, cool glass of something that isn't bottled tap water might go down nicely.
Prepare lidded pitchers of cocktails (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/11/02/thanksgiving-guide-23/) now and put them in the fridge. Freeze small plastic, freezer-friendly lidded storage containers of water or ice cubes made of your favorite juice, mixed with fruit like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
When it's time to serve, drop the container into the pitcher for dilution-free cooling, or let the juice cubes and fruit melt into the drink.
Last, but oh good golly, not least - make coffee NOW and chill or freeze it. Make coffee ice cubes if need be, and consider using melting ice cream or canned, condensed milk to sweeten or lighten your drink. There's no reason you should have to face a storm's aftermath with a caffeine headache.
Got any more hurricane food prep tips? Share them in the comments below and we just might feature them in an upcoming post. Stay safe out there!
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/26/spicing-and-spiking-hurricane-rations/?hpt=hp_c2
Much of the Eastern Seaboard is hunkering down and stocking up supplies in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's arrival. Safety and sufficient rations should be your primary concern, but that doesn't mean you can't also eat well.
First off, here's what the FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/food.shtm) says people should have on hand, in addition to a manual can opener and one gallon of water per adult and per pet each day, with a three day minimum supply:
Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Avoid foods that will make you thirsty. Choose salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals, and canned foods with high liquid content.
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
- Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
- Staples–sugar, salt, pepper
- High energy foods–peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
- Vitamins
- Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs
- Comfort/stress foods–cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags
And the Food and Drug Administration (http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076881.htm) advises taking these safety measures:
- Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. If in doubt, throw it out.
- Do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth and similar containers that have been water-damaged.
- Discard food and beverage containers with screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops and home canned foods, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected.
- Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 °F.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
Read Hurricanes and Floods and Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety (http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076881.htm)
Got that? Now let's zest it up.
If you're at home and the power goes out, it's an excellent opportunity to race to the fridge and gobble up whatever pre-cooked meats and cheeses are at the ready. Transfer whatever you can't eat to the freezer to buy yourself a little more time, and make sure to have a cooler or two stocked with cold packs - whether you're at home or on the road.
Now is not the time to take chances, so make sure you've got a food thermometer on hand - as well as a way to disinfect it between uses. Visualize what you want from the fridge or freezer before you open the door. Things can get warmer, but you can't get that cold back.
Once the storm has safely passed and winds and rain have died down, now might be an excellent time to grill that meat that's just thawed out from your freezer. Visualize your usual process, from marinating and rubbing, to basting, flipping, carrying and prepping back in the kitchen - as well as all your hand and equipment washing - and make sure you've got enough soap and water for each of those instances, in addition to any you'd usually have on hand to quench flare-ups and fires.
Just batten down the hatches for the arrival of all the neighbors who may catch a whiff and come over with rumbling tummies. If they ask what they can bring, tell 'em "Your own plate, silverware, glass and napkin - and a promise you'll take them when you go."
Mayonnaise may adorn your sandwiches and tuna or chicken salads at the outset, and pre-sealed packets aren't a bad way to go, but after a few hours, mustard is a better safety bet. Avoid flavor fatigue by assembling a sampler pack of yellow, Dijon, deli, whole grain, flavored and honey mustards. Per the good folks at French's Mustard, "There are no ingredients in mustard that spoil. "Refrigerate After Opening" is not required for food safety–we only recommended you do so to maintain optimal product flavor."
Peanut butter is another excellent bet, but it, too can get monotonous. Put a portion into a small bowl or plastic container and play around with spice mix-ins like cumin, cinnamon, hot sauce, paprika, Chinese five-spice or curry spices. It's dandy on bread, crackers (you did remember to stock up on crackers, right?) or raw vegetables; just don't make your blend too hot or salty if water and other beverages are still in short supply. If peanuts aren't your bag, pop a can of chickpeas, mash them up and gussy 'em up.
About those raw vegetables - you're not locked in to the ho-hum trinity of carrots, celery and cauliflower. Corn that's been cut off the cob is sweet, crisp and delicious raw. So is okra, zucchini and plenty other vegetables you might never think to chomp into with cooking. Plan ahead and wash them off now, so they're at the ready when you want to get your disaster snack on.
And booze. You probably shouldn't be drinking right now, but that might not stop you (or, uh, us). We'll share a classic Hurricane recipe later today, but in the meantime - a few suggestions.
Red wine is an obvious choice, but if only white will do, stash your bottles in the fridge now before the power goes out. Should you anticipate things getting dire or dull, slip the inner plastic bag from your favorite boxed wine (Shhhh! It's okay! Food & Wine's Ray Isle says so (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/30/fear-not-the-wine-box/) and has some excellent suggested brands (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/06/25/box-wine-with-serious-bang-for-the-buck/).) and pop it in the freezer. Under normal circumstances, we would not suggest treating your wine in such a fashion, but this ain't the Loire Valley in stomping season.
You haven't had running water in two days and a nice, cool glass of something that isn't bottled tap water might go down nicely.
Prepare lidded pitchers of cocktails (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/11/02/thanksgiving-guide-23/) now and put them in the fridge. Freeze small plastic, freezer-friendly lidded storage containers of water or ice cubes made of your favorite juice, mixed with fruit like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
When it's time to serve, drop the container into the pitcher for dilution-free cooling, or let the juice cubes and fruit melt into the drink.
Last, but oh good golly, not least - make coffee NOW and chill or freeze it. Make coffee ice cubes if need be, and consider using melting ice cream or canned, condensed milk to sweeten or lighten your drink. There's no reason you should have to face a storm's aftermath with a caffeine headache.
Got any more hurricane food prep tips? Share them in the comments below and we just might feature them in an upcoming post. Stay safe out there!
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/26/spicing-and-spiking-hurricane-rations/?hpt=hp_c2