"time" news and stories

When I first began to dabble in green tea, I absolutely hated it. It was bitter, drying to the mouth, wretched taste, and I was left for a long time feeling that green tea just wasn't for me. Many people I knew who drank black tea felt the same way, so I concluded that green tea was for the few who had the palette for it.

Of course, this was during a time when the only other tea drinkers I knew were buying Bigelow or Lipton bags and, like myself, just throwing them in some boiling hot water and coming back whenever we remembered to take the bag out, squeezing the bag thoroughly to get the last drops into the cup.

I shudder these days when I think about how badly I was scalding my first attempts at green tea, and I marvel that I enjoyed any tea at all, considering the way in which I was preparing it. This is a predicament many novice tea drinkers find themselves when it comes to anything other than black tea: you're scalding (and probably over-steeping it).

How long does your average meal last? Is it more like 5 minutes or 45? A recent survey conducted in Britain found that the average dinnertime lasts just 14 minutes and 27 seconds, which is a decrease of more than 50% over the 33-minute mealtime recorded two decades ago. Only 1 in 10 diners have meals that regularly last over 30 minutes. On top of the shorter, speedier meal time, more people are eating alone and swapping home-cooked food for take out food and prepackaged goods.

Nutritionists can't help but link the diminishing importance of meal times with the growing obesity rates, citing the facts that 8 out of 10 people regularly eat in front of the TV and 1 in 5 eat at their computer as examples of mindless eating that proves people no longer pay attention to what they put into their bodies. The statistics support this position. 20% of all Britons are now clinically obese, with 25% of all British women falling into the obese category.

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The fact that Howard Schultz wants to tweak Starbucks operating procedures and the cafe atmosphere to be more appealing to coffee lovers is admirable, given that the current "sterile" formula seems to have brought the company a great deal of success. A recent Time Magazine article goes to show that there is no pleasing everyone, as writer Bill Saporito expresses no pleasure in the fact that the cafe atmosphere might improve. Doubtless, he is expressing the sentiments of millions when he says that all he cares about is not having to wait for more than a millisecond for his cup of black coffee.

Unfortunately for Mr Saporito and people like him, they seem not to realize that just because their drink doesn't take that long to make (although brewing the coffee takes several minutes), that it doesn't mean that other people don't want a latte, a mocha or a cold, blended drink and, as with service in all restaurants - even McDonald's - you have to wait in line. There are also people who like their coffee black, but enjoy a few minutes in a cafe setting in the morning.

Perhaps those looking for instantaneous service above factors like quality, taste and experience should just stop at the convenience store on their way to work in the morning. The coffee that comes out of those automated machines doesn't seem to take that long to dispense and they won't be bothered by all those pesky people waiting for espresso drinks on their way to work.

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The USDA has some comprehensive food safety guidelines to help you cook your Thanksgiving turkey. While some cookbooks, and probably some chefs, might tell you that cooking times and temperatures should be changed to produce a moister bird, at least you'll get a safe bird from using the USDA's guide. First things first, you need to completely defrost your turkey before beginning. Keep the turkey in its original wrapper as it thaws and try to keep it as cool as possible. It should either be defrosted by being submerged in cold water or on a tray in the refrigerator.

Frozen turkey thawing timetable
Weight In refrigerator In cold water
4 to 12 pounds 1 to 3 days 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds 3 to 4 days 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days 10 to 12 hours

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Brownies are notoriously difficult to time. Unlike cakes and most cookies, you can't simply judge by looking at them, since the batter is far too dark to allow for the tell-tale browning. The tests that are usually applied to tell when cakes are done - namely, the toothpick test and gently pressing the top to see if it "springs back - don't work because brownies are often wet and fudgy when done; a brownie that is dry when it comes out of the oven is overcooked. But recipes and mixes give a range of times - which time is correct?

One strategy is to use Real Simple's tips and gently press the very edge of the brownies to check for firmness. They also suggest that the batch is done when the top looks set and dry. Try keeping a list of the times you try, so you know that when you use Brand X, 25 minutes is the best time. Another strategy is to pick a really reliable recipe and stick with it, that way you won't have to worry about the time and you're assured to try great results.