Podcast 53: Food Safety & the Best Recipe Ever for Potato Salad

by The Meal Makeover Moms on April 28th, 2009

potato-salad-with-peas-serving-bowlNow that the weather in New England has finally warmed up (warm is a bit of an understatement – it was 93 degrees today), we thought now was as good a time as any to talk about food safety.  So on this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we share some important dos and don’ts of food safety, dispel the myth that mayonnaise is a key culprit in food spoilage, and serve up a delicious and nutritious recipe for potato salad.

For a preview of the show, take our pop food safety quiz and see how you do (and be sure to read on for that potato salad recipe – it’s a definite crowd pleaser, and kids love it too):

Q: True or False:  Hands should be rinsed in water for at least five seconds before preparing foods and after handling raw meats.
A:  False:  Hands should be washed often in warm, soapy water throughout meal preparation – especially after handling raw meats and eggs — for at least 20 seconds to help prevent the spread of bacteria. Sing two choruses of “Happy Birthday” while you lather up and you’ll get to the magic number of 20 seconds.

Q: True or False:  One way to prevent cross-contamination is to use two cutting boards, one strictly for raw meats, poultry and seafood and another for ready-to-eat foods.
A:  True: Using two cutting boards helps reduce your risk of cross-contamination by preventing the spread of harmful bacteria. When juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objects accidentally touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods (such as fruits or salads), cross-contamination occurs.

Q: Leftover foods should be reheated to ___°F.
A:  165°F:  Leftover foods should be cooked to 165°F. To be safe, food must be cooked to an internal temperature high enough to destroy harmful bacteria. Buy a meat thermometer and use it!

Q:  True or False:   The proper temperature for a home refrigerator should be below 40°F.
A: True:  Make sure your refrigerator is set below 40°F. Refrigerating foods at a proper temperature slows the growth of bacteria and prevents foodborne illness. Monitor your refrigerator’s temperature by keeping a thermometer inside your refrigerator at all times.

Q: As a rule of thumb, leftover foods should not stay out of refrigeration for more than ___ hours. In hot weather (80°F or warmer), this time is reduced to ___ hour(s).
A: Two, one:  Leftover foods should not be out of refrigeration for more than two hours because they are exposed to temperature above 40°F, where harmful bacteria multiply rapidly. In hot weather (80°F or warmer), this time is reduced to one hour. Quiz courtesy of HomeFoodSafety.org.

potato-salad-with-peas-and-scallions

Red White & Blue Potato Salad
Makes 12 Servings

  • 1 cup chopped green onions, divided
  • 1 cup sour cream (light)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (light)
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound unpeeled small or baby red-skinned potatoes
  • 1 pound small purple or blue potatoes, peeled
  • 1 pound unpeeled small white creamer potatoes
  • 2 cups cooked fresh peas, or one 10-ounce package frozen, thawed
  • 1 ½ cups crumbled feta cheese

1. Whisk 1/2 cup green onions and next 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and chill dressing.  Can be made 1 day ahead — keep chilled.

2. Place all potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil until tender, 10 to 15 minutes (time will vary depending on size and variety of potatoes). Drain and cool to room temperature.

3. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in large bowl. Add dressing, peas, and feta cheese; toss gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

4. Sprinkle potato salad with paprika and remaining 1/2 cup green onions.

Recipe adapted from Mom’s Dinner Helper.

As with each of our recipes, we test them out on kids of all ages. Last week, Liz went to a cookout at her friend Meg’s house and offered to bring this potato salad. As you can see from the photos below, there were plenty of happy taste testers on hand!

simon-serving-potato-saladgirl-eating-potato-salad

potato-salad-teen-serving

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4 Comments | Filed Under Podcast, Potatoes, Sides, Vegetables 

4 Responses to “Podcast 53: Food Safety & the Best Recipe Ever for Potato Salad”

  1. Kelly on April 29th, 2009

    That is a great quiz! It has the kind of info home cooks need to know to keep food safe. Great job!

  2. Sandi on October 25th, 2009

    These food safety guidelines bring to mind a pot luck party we had recently in our home. People brought everything from homemade sides to deli salads in plastic tubs . The food sat outside from 2 to 7 and yes it was nearly 90 here in Florida. I was in favor of throwing the leftovers out but this one single guy took them all!. He has since been on Facebook so I guess he survived but yuck I wouldn’t have done that

  3. Brian on May 31st, 2010

    Hi ladies, I was Blessed to have stumbled upon your site and so much enjoyed. I am looking for documented proof of mayo not being the first thing to spoil in a potato salad. I saw on tv ,that it was the potatos and not the mayo, but could not find anything on your site on the issue other than what I found at the top of the article which I thoroughly enjoyed.
    Could yall point me in the right direction?
    Thank you and God Bless
    Brian

  4. The Meal Makeover Moms on June 9th, 2010

    Hi Brian:

    We found this on epicurious.com:
    Myth: Mayonnaise is a major culprit in food-poisoning outbreaks.
    Truth: Store-bought mayo can actually retard the growth of food-borne bacteria thanks to some of its ingredients, including salt and lemon juice. But many dishes that contain mayonnaise tend to be handled a lot — you add celery or parsley to egg salad and then spread it on bread, for instance — so there are more opportunities for the food to be contaminated.
    Safety Tip: Wash and dry veggies before adding them to a salad, use separate cutting boards for meat and produce, and be sure your hands and work surface are scrupulously clean before making sandwiches. Homemade mayonnaise, by the way, does not contain preservatives and should be used only in foods that will remain refrigerated.
    http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/summercooking/foodsafety#ixzz0qMDU8Xjb

    And here’s a link to a brochure about mayo and food safety from the Wisconsin Department of Health: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/fsrl/pubs/Handouts/mayo.pdf

    Good luck and enjoy your potato salad safely this summer!

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