"You get the sense that people pay more attention to food safety (on Thanksgiving) than any other day of the year, and they should do the same the other 364 days of the year."

That’s what I said to the Kansas State University newspaper yesterday as the U.S. gets ready to launch into its annual six-week orgy of shopping and food known as the holidays.

Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest and my favorite holiday. Canada has Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, about 5 weeks before the American version because it’s colder and the crops are harvested earlier. I blogged about turkeys back then, but here goes again.

I thaw meat on the counter, in a roasting pan. Some governments and industry hate this, but it works and can be safe. Pete Snyder at the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul, Minnesota, has a nice summary available at http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Thaw-counter.html. My group wrote a review note on the topic a few years ago, and it is included in its entirety at http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2007/10/articles/food-safety-communication/how-to-thaw-poultry-ignore-government/

However you prepare the bird, don’t wash the bird — that just spreads dangerous bacteria everywhere — and wash your damn hands when you’re done. And during. There’s nothing worse than those celebrity chefs who play with raw product and then touch everything else in the kitchen, including ready-to-eat food, contaminating everything. Pete’s method is at http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Handflow.html.

Clean up the counter and everywhere to avoid cross-contamination. Tips on that are available at http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/article-details.php?a=2&c=8&sc=291&id=619

And use a digital, tip-sensitive meat thermometer to ensure the bird reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Color is a lousy indicator of doneness.

Cool leftovers promptly. I make a decent turkey stock. Try to enjoy your family — mine were here last weekend — and don’t make them barf.