Wife's ideas Quirky

[RocketDog]

On 6/23/2019 at 5:31 PM, 473geo said:

When I first arrived this habit caught me by surprise too, not using the fridge - my family are using the fridge just a little bit more, but if food has to be left out to cool before going in the fridge then is not any possible contamination already done!

We have a fine mesh door cupboard to keep the flies off, where the food is placed, on occasion just a fly cover on the table. Never have I got sick from eating food stored overnight this way.

Rice is cooked fresh every morning, in the evening the dog gets leftovers, so there is some control in place.

Soups and the like are well heated through if reheated the next morning, I normally have fresh cooked bacon egg and chips, with toast if required ????

I remember years ago in the UK we had a fine mesh cupboard for cooked meats and the like, cooler but much the same idea kept meat for 2 or 3 days- I think we overdo the need to put stuff in the fridge if it is eaten within a day

In my view, if the cook is careful then all is good, but I do draw the line at fish the next day!!!! ????

I agree that a lot of good food is wasted because Americans especially won't even eat cold pizza from last night.

One of the advantages to taking microbiology in college is understanding the life cycle and growth rate of bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms that are ubiquitous in the environment.

 

Bacteria starts growing in virtually all food with any moisture at all as soon as it cools to body temperature. The waste products from bacteria are what make you sick, and it takes more than a few hours, FOR MOST FOODS, for those toxins to reach dangerous levels. Raw meat, mayonnaise, seafood and shellfish and other select foods can turn dangerous overnight in warm weather .

 

These same items, once heated enough, will last longer but generally not worth the risk of a belly ache and diarrhea though. I personally never eat shellfish or any seafood any longer in Thailand unless I know for sure how or whether it's been cooked. Deep fried food is an exception but I also avoid that because of the grease/oil which is also often used for days at a time for cooking multiple different foods. Scorched oil is carcinogenic itself.

 

There are public service announcements now in America to the effect that it is not necessary to discard many food products just because the 'use before' date has passed. This is just another of the fear mongering tactics we are bombarded with every day. The American Center for Disease Control had regular PSAs imploring people to not sanitize every surface in sight. In essence they are telling us that if we are never exposed to microorganisms then we will not be resistant to them. Duh! More fear mongering from cleaning product companies.

 

Cheese with mold? I cut off the mold and eat the rest of the cheese. Cold pizza? Sure, even several days old. Stale bread: that's called toast. Over-ripe fruit I'll eat if it tastes good to me. Black bananas? Banana bread! Ripe stone fruits, pears, mangoes, apples, etc? Cap it and let it ferment, for medicinal use of course ????

 

Food that is too dry does not have enough moisture to support bacterial growth. Hence dried raw fish, dried meats, vegetables, powdered eggs or milk, grains, beans, even dried cheese can last for weeks or months/years without refrigeration or preservatives (another kind of poison by itself). It takes several days for cooked rice to develop the bacterial load to make it distasteful much less dangerous.

 

Meat is an issue whether "fresh" (supposedly) or not, is laden with huge bacterial loads straight from the slaughter house. Everybody has heard the ground meat recalls. IMO, meat intake is best minimized for a large variety of reasons.

Learn to find protein in nuts, grains, soy products, eggs, beans, peanuts, wheat, rice, milk, etc.

 

I'm not saying not to eat any meat, but too much is simply too much.

 

In short, because we all must eat, it would seem that an essential education on nutrition and food stotage/preparation should be a gradeschool requirement. Sadly, even American doctors got no medical school education in nutrition until a decade ago.

 

It's better not to trust your food supply or knowledge to others to the extent that is possible.

 

I am sure that the fruits and vegetables in Thailand (everywhere in the world?) carry pesticides and other poisons. So I do my best but I have to eat something after all. I grow what I can.

 

And before anybody asks:

I am not a food scientist, nutritionist, biologist, doctor, or rocket surgeon. So don't take my word for anything. If you're curious just do the research yourself.

 

I'm just sayin'.

[pgrahmm]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

I agree that a lot of good food is wasted because Americans especially won't even eat cold pizza from last night.

One of the advantages to taking microbiology in college is understanding the life cycle and growth rate of bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms that are ubiquitous in the environment.

 

Bacteria starts growing in virtually all food with any moisture at all as soon as it cools to body temperature. The waste products from bacteria are what make you sick, and it takes more than a few hours, FOR MOST FOODS, for those toxins to reach dangerous levels. Raw meat, mayonnaise, seafood and shellfish and other select foods can turn dangerous overnight in warm weather .

 

These same items, once heated enough, will last longer but generally not worth the risk of a belly ache and diarrhea though. I personally never eat shellfish or any seafood any longer in Thailand unless I know for sure how or whether it's been cooked. Deep fried food is an exception but I also avoid that because of the grease/oil which is also often used for days at a time for cooking multiple different foods. Scorched oil is carcinogenic itself.

 

There are public service announcements now in America to the effect that it is not necessary to discard many food products just because the 'use before' date has passed. This is just another of the fear mongering tactics we are bombarded with every day. The American Center for Disease Control had regular PSAs imploring people to not sanitize every surface in sight. In essence they are telling us that if we are never exposed to microorganisms then we will not be resistant to them. Duh! More fear mongering from cleaning product companies.

 

Cheese with mold? I cut off the mold and eat the rest of the cheese. Cold pizza? Sure, even several days old. Stale bread: that's called toast. Over-ripe fruit I'll eat if it tastes good to me. Black bananas? Banana bread! Ripe stone fruits, pears, mangoes, apples, etc? Cap it and let it ferment, for medicinal use of course ????

 

Food that is too dry does not have enough moisture to support bacterial growth. Hence dried raw fish, dried meats, vegetables, powdered eggs or milk, grains, beans, even dried cheese can last for weeks or months/years without refrigeration or preservatives (another kind of poison by itself). It takes several days for cooked rice to develop the bacterial load to make it distasteful much less dangerous.

 

Meat is an issue whether "fresh" (supposedly) or not, is laden with huge bacterial loads straight from the slaughter house. Everybody has heard the ground meat recalls. IMO, meat intake is best minimized for a large variety of reasons.

Learn to find protein in nuts, grains, soy products, eggs, beans, peanuts, wheat, rice, milk, etc.

 

I'm not saying not to eat any meat, but too much is simply too much.

 

In short, because we all must eat, it would seem that an essential education on nutrition and food stotage/preparation should be a gradeschool requirement. Sadly, even American doctors got no medical school education in nutrition until a decade ago.

 

It's better not to trust your food supply or knowledge to others to the extent that is possible.

 

I am sure that the fruits and vegetables in Thailand (everywhere in the world?) carry pesticides and other poisons. So I do my best but I have to eat something after all. I grow what I can.

 

And before anybody asks:

I am not a food scientist, nutritionist, biologist, doctor, or rocket surgeon. So don't take my word for anything. If you're curious just do the research yourself.

 

I'm just sayin'.

The "Food Blues" song.....

Edited June 27, 2019 by pgrahmm

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎6‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 10:31 PM, 473geo said:

but if food has to be left out to cool before going in the fridge then is not any possible contamination already done!

Correct. Food should be put in the fridge when hot.

My wife didn't understand that.

Nevertheless, I didn't get food poisoning, as I never ate the food she liked.