Holiday Cooking Safety Tips from Triangle Electrical Services
Cooking a big meal with family is a wonderful way to celebrate any holiday. There are a few steps you can take ahead of time that are simple and effective in ensuring a safe & enjoyable holiday meal:
- Make sure your smoke detectors are working properly. Use the test button to check them each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year if your smoke alarm requires it. Additionally, consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing or sleeves that hang low while cooking.
- When you are cooking, whether it’s frying, broiling, or grilling, never leave it unattended – stay in the kitchen. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- If you’re simmering, baking, roasting or broiling food, check on it regularly. You can also set a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
- If there are kids or pets in your house, keep them away from any cooking areas.
- Keep anything that can catch fire – pot holders, oven mitts, utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels – away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
- Be sure to check the kitchen or grill before going to bed or leaving your house to be certain that all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
- Make a plan in case something does go wrong. Be sure your first aid kit is up to date, and know your closest urgent care location, especially if you’re traveling
Enjoy your Holiday meal with friends and family while staying safe while you prepare. All of us at Triangle Electrical Services want to wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Holiday Highlights Recipe #2 — Sausage and Spinach Manicotti
I love to slowly simmer a large Dutch oven full of made-from-scratch marinara sauce because it can truly hold just about anything I want to toss in it. It’s a chance to use up any meats, veggies, herbs or cheeses I have lingering in the fridge that may soon need to be thrown out.
Though you may be short on time and busy making holiday magic this time of year, you can still prepare a beautiful and hearty meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
(Note from Ali the Chapelboro Christmas Elf – I make this dish at least once a month and not only does it make me look like a talented chef, it’s a beautiful, hearty meal that looks good on a plate & fills you up!)
Holiday Cocktail Recipes from Carrie Brogren
Persimmons are an occasionally unexpected treat this time of year, and this week’s cocktail makes wonderful use of them alongside some botanical gin, acidic lemon and one of the ultimate fancy-cocktail ingredients — egg white! The egg white adds plenty of body to this delightful drink, and a little bit of fresh rosemary really serves to bring home the flavor of the persimmon simple syrup. The best things about this cocktail is that it’s easier to make than it looks!
“Perfectly Persimmon”
Cocktail Recipe
- 2 1/2 ounces of gin (I used locally made Conniption Gin)
- 3/4 ounce homemade persimmon simple syrup
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 egg white
Persimmon Pear Simple Syrup Recipe
- 1 persimmon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1 fresh sprig of Rosemary
Wash and cut/discard the top stem of the persimmon. Cut it into small chunks add it to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the persimmon alone and allow it to caramelize a bit (about 5-10 minutes). Add the water and rosemary. Scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate some of the caramelized persimmon flavor. Grate about a quarter of a whole nutmeg and stir. Bring to a boil and slowly add the brown sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, let cool, and strain the syrup into a glass jar (with a lid) for storage.
To make the cocktail:
Add gin, persimmon simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker. I prefer to shake vigorously without ice first, then add a handful of ice and shake vigorously again. I strained my cocktail into a coupe glass, which adds a bit of glamor. I finished it with a dash of orange bitters and a slice of dehydrated persimmon, but a sprig of Rosemary would make an easy garnish if you’re wanting to keep it simple.
Cheers!
Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook Group engages in a Holiday Charity Collaboration each year. This year, we have partnered with Christmas House and we are raising money for Christmas House, so that they can purchase and distribute grocery gift cards to local families in need during the holiday season. Tandem restaurant of Carrboro has also partnered with this Holiday Charity Collaboration and all throughout the month of December, you can visit Tandem and purchase my “Partridge in a Pear Tree” cocktail. Tandem will donate $5 from the sale of each cocktail to our Christmas House Charity. Please visit Tandem and support this wonderful, local cause!
