Cooling food

Cooling food

The professional way — To cool food down fast, spread it out flat in a roasting pan. This is great when you’re trying to quick-chill stock for storage, or pastry cream for dessert, or risotto or polenta for cakes. The more of the surface that’s exposed to air, the faster the food will cool. If you’ve got an extra pan and an icemaker, nest the food-holding pan into the ice-filled second pan to make it go even faster.

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Keeping bananas fresher

In summer, bananas often ripen faster than you can eat them. Slow down the process by separating bunches and storing bananas apart from each other. As they age, bananas, like many fruits and vegetables, emit a gas called ethylene that accelerates ripening. By separating them, the ethylene gets a chance to escape, thus reducing each banana’s exposure to it and slowing the ripening.

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Zucchini time!

Now that you’ve got all this zucchini, what are you going to do with it?

It’s best to stick to cooking methods that will concentrate its natural flavors. Grill long slices and serve with a simple dipping sauce, or skewer 1-inch chunks with other vegetables and grill as kebabs.

Deep-fry them batter-dipped, or pan-fry in a light breading. For something a little different, use as an ingredient for salad by slicing very thinly or cutting into julienne.

And when faced with the inevitability of too much zucchini, peel, puree the inside, and store in the freezer for up to a year for zucchini bread all year round.

Food pyramid quiz

Have you taken a look at the government’s food-guide pyramid lately? Here’s a quiz to find out how much you remember about the recommendations for adults. This information is based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

True or False?:

1. Half of the grains you eat daily should be whole grains. True or false?

2. Your goal should be 6 ounces of grains a day. True or false?

3. Eat at least 21‚Ñ2 cups of vegetables a day.

4. One cup of fruit is recommended per day.

5. Adults who are not lactose-sensitive need about 2 cups of milk or milk products a day.

6. If you can’t tolerate dairy products, lactose-free is a good substitute.

7. An ample daily amount of protein for most adults is 5-1‚Ñ2 ounces of lean meat, fish or poultry.

8. For good health, you should be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.

Answers: 1. True; 2. True; 3. True; 4. False. Two cups is the recommendation. 5. False. The recommendation is three cups. 6. True; 7. True; 8. True.

Source: “American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide: Revised & Updated 3rd Edition,” by Roberta Larson Duyff (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., $24.95, 676 pages).