November 12, 2007 THE CAPITAL TIMES
By ANN STILLWATER
Columnist
ARS29I@PSU.EDU
Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It
is time to talk turkey! Not everyone
eats turkey, but if you do, who will
prepare it? If you are on your own
this year, consider cooking your
own turkey. The sales on turkey
at this time of year make it a very
affordable meat. You can buy several
if you have room in your freezer. It
is a wonderful special meal in the
doldrums of January or February.
Most people choose a frozen
turkey since they are generally less
expensive. Kosher and organic
turkeys are somewhat better for the
body, but generally more expensive.
Frozen turkeys often have an odor
when defrosted but have always
tasted fine once cooked. The odor
may be in the packaging.
Frozen turkeys need to be defrosted
before cooking. Many people do not
allow enough time for the defrosting
process. The package usually says
to allow two to four days to defrost,
but three to five days is often more
accurate. Frozen turkeys can be
immersed in cold water overnight to
thaw. A five gallon bucket or cooler
may be used. Ice packs on top will
help maintain coolness if using a
bucket, and a weight or ice pack
may be needed to keep the top of
the turkey submerged. The turkey
may be marinated or defrosted in
brine for extra flavor and moistness.
Check out brined whole turkey at
www.bettycrocker.com for details.
Several common bacteria live in
raw poultry. Be sure to thoroughly
wash hands and all surfaces that
come into contact with raw poultry.
Plain soap and warm water works
fine. Cleanse countertops and sinks
well before preparing other foods to
avoid cross-contamination.
PSPEC rocks Pittsburgh
By RYAN DINGER
Guest Reporter
RPDSOOO@PSU.EDU
Each fall the Penn State
Professional Engineers and
Contractors (PSPEC) takes an
educational trip to the Pittsburgh
area. This year, the trip was held over
October 23 and 24.
The trip, hosted by the Constructors
Association of Western
PA (CAWP) and
the Master Builders
Association (MBA),
highlights key
construction projects in
the Southwestern, PA
region
The trip also includes
a banquet with various
construction and
engineering finns from
the region. One of the
feature job sites visited
was the Meadowcroft
Rock Shelter, located in
Washington County.
The rock shelter is an
archeological site which
dates back at least 12,000
years.
The site, located in a
deep valley on a hillside,
was first discovered by
Albert Miller in 1955.
The Rock Shelter was
occupied by humans
since the Paleo-Indian times but
abandoned by Native Americans
during the Revolutionary War.
Once re-discovered, archeologist
Dr. James Adovasio excavated the
large shelter starting in 1973.
The artifacts that were found would
prove to be extraordinary and cause
uproar in the historical community.
While exact dates are difficult
to determine, radiocarbon dating
from the artifacts puts the Native
American inhabitants in the rock
shelter at 16,000 years ago. The
controversy stems from supporters
of Clovis First, a prehistoric Native
American Culture discovered in New
Mexico.
Turkeys may be roasted stuffed or
unstuffed. The turkey will take longer
to cook if stuffed. If stuffing the bird,
have the stuffing and roasting pan
ready before pulling the turkey from
the refrigerator. Also preheat the
oven to 325 degrees. Any large pan
with sides can be used for roasting a
turkey. Inexpensive aluminum pans
are available at the grocery store if
you do not have a large enough pan.
Be careful if using a disposable pan,
however. Being less sturdy, they
may bend if not supported with two
hands.
Cutting open the plastic bag is a
dramatic moment. A sink is the best
place to prepare a turkey since juices
drip out. The pale pink skin of the
turkey has obvious feather holes.
The legs are often held together
with a metal clamp. It often works
to leave the clamp in place as the
neck and organs are removed from
the cavity. The organs are usually in
a wax paper style bag and may be in
the other end of the body.
Remove the neck and organs and
start boiling them in a pot of water
with any onion, celery tops and
peelings that are on hand. This broth
can be used for gravy, other dishes
later in the day or the start of broth
for turkey soup. If you like liver, it is
ready to eat after about 10 minutes
of cooking. It is delicious with salt!
The hard gizzard and oval heart
are enjoyed by some, but can also
just be boiled with the neck, then
discarded.
Rinse the turkey and be sure water
can flow through the bird. If the
center is a bit frozen, warm water
may help defrost it. It may take
a little longer to cook if not fully
defrosted. Many cookbooks say to
pat dry and rub with salt and pepper,
but the turkey will still be delicious
without these steps. Stuff the turkey
now, if you are cooking the dressing,
or filling as it is called locally, inside
the bird.
Clovis first has been widely
accepted in history books as the first
site for human occupancy in North
America. If radio carbon dating,
controversial in itself, is accurate it
would mean that the occupants of the
Meadow croft Rock
Shelter were the first inhabitants
of North America. Archeologists
generally agree that even without
radiocarbon dating the rock shelter
can be traced to 13,000 years ago.
Regardless of the date,
Meadowcroft is a discovery that
will be changing to pages of history
hooks for years to come.
The site itself is undergoing many
changes.
The enclosure around the rock
shelter has been undergoing
renovations that will be completed in
early 2008. The new enclosure gives
visitors to the site a unique viewing
perspective of the rock shelter.
The steep hillside location provided
various obstacles for the engineers
and contractors to work around.
One of these obstacles were
implementing large cylindrical
it Up
with
ff.Y
There are fancy contraptions for
sale that make it easy to remove the
turkey from the pan. This is to allow
the juices in the pan to be used for
gravy more easily. These devices are
not necessary. A friend with a clean
rag or old, clean pot-holder can hold
the turkey at the end while the juices
are poured off. Some folks brush
(with hands or brush) oil or melted
butter over the bird while others
leave it plain. Bake at 325 degrees
and check it periodically, perhaps
using a spoon to pour juices up over
the turkey. Cover the wings and
drumstick with foil if they start to
look too dark.
When is the turkey done? Check
the chart on the back of the turkey
wrapper or in a cookbook. A 20
pound turkey takes four and a half
to five hours if unstuffed. An eight
tol2. pound bird may take three to
four hours. A popup thermostat is
nice, but not necessary. If you have a
thermometer the internal temperature
in the center of the bird near the
thigh should be 185 degrees. If you
do not have a thermometer, the thigh
joint should move easily and there
should be no pink when the breast
is cut into.
The turkey should sit for about 15
to 30 minutes. This cooling makes
it easier to carve. Start carving
by removing the wings and legs,
grabbing the appendage with the
non-dominant hand and cutting with
a sharp knife at the joint. Use a fork
to hold the slice as you carve the
breast. When all the slice-able meat
has been removed, pick off bits of
meat to be used in soup, turkey salad
or casseroles later. These bits can be
frozen. Boil the carcass when done
or save it in the fridge or freezer to
boil later for a delicious soup.
A turkey is a dramatic main dish
that is relatively easy to make. For
the work of one afternoon, you can
have healthy leftovers for a week or
two.
struts connected to rock piles below
to support the structure Ascending
to the viewing platform, visitors
will be able to look down into the
archeological site and see different
artifacts and the locations where they
were found.
PSPEC members were given an up
close tour of the rock shelter.
The tour included a brief history
lesson of the site,as well as
explanation of all the changes and
renovations occurring. The site itself
was able to be viewed from a small
porthole during the tour due to the
renovation.
Many members had not heard of
the site before and were impressed
by the structure being built around
it. Senior member Rob Miller
stated that the site was "Extremely
intriguing and was a superb
integration of architectural and
engineering design." The group, as
a whole, found the trip to be very
interesting and pertinent as they were
able to view different jobsites and
make new connections with possible
employers.
C2myluiCilendar
The Office of Student Affairs
at Penn State Harrisburg is
accepting nominations for Student
Achievement Awards. The Student
Achievement Awards include The
John W. Oswald Award, The Ralph
Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award,
The Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance
Awards and The Graduate Student
Award. Nomination forms and
descriptions of the awards, as well
as the requirement are available in
the Student Services Office, Cl2O
Olmsted; Student Assistance Center,
Wll7 Olmsted; and from the
School Offices. Submit completed
nomination forms to Kathy
Eckinger, Student Services, Cl2O
Olmsted, no later then Wednesday,
November 28, 2007.
ThingsNeedm
You Know
Penn State Harrisburg is again
participating in the annual Toys for
Tots campaign in conjunction with
the Harrisburg office of the U.S.
Marine and Naval Reserve Center.
Collection bins for the campaign,
which runs from November 2
through December 8, will be placed
throughout campus for donations of
new or gently used toys. Bins will
be located in Olmsted Building, the
Capital Union Building, Bookstore,
and the library on campus. For
information, phone 948-6254.
Stepping Stone Child Care
Center has immediate enrollment
openings! Located on the Penn
State campus, the center serves
children ages six weeks through 12
years and has priority enrollment
and tuition discount for children
Photo by MARIN BENDORMS/Capital Times
The Penn State Harrisburg Veterans Days Ceremony was on Nov. 8 in front of the library. Matthew Mahoney, pictured
left, introduced the keynote speaker, LTC Burt A. Beibuyck, pictured right. Beibuyck has been part of the U.S. Army for
20 years, graduating from West Point in 1982, becoming a second lieutenant in the United States Army's Transporta
tion Corps in 1986. Beibuyck served for 10 years as a transportation corps officer in the United States and Europe,
transitioning to Information Operations Career Field as a Systems Automation Officer and Information Technology Pro
fessional. He received his masters degree Computer Science from Indiana University in 1997 and has recently been
on duty as a Branch Chief for Command and Control Systems at North American Aerospace Defense Command and
United States Northern Command in Colorado Springs. Beibuyck, a decorated lieutenant, spoke about the sacrifice
that the men and women of the armed services make while serving. He told of how it feels to touch American soil after
bring oversees and honored the veterans who had served and died for their country. A wreath was placed in honor
of those whose lives were lost while serving in the armed services as bagpipes played amazing grace. The event was
sponsored and planned by XGI, the co-ed veterans fraternity on campus.
"Federal Government Jobs"
information session will take place
on Thursday, November 15 at 5
p.m. in room E-314 Olmsted, to
learn about federal civilian job
opportunities at the Naval Inventory
Control Point (NAVICP) and the
Naval Acquisition Career Center
(NACC), both in Mechanicsburg.
Undergraduate and graduate student
of all majors should attend. For
Further information and to indicate
your plans to attend, please contact
PSH Career Services, W-117
Olmsted, 948-6260.
Reuben Fast Horse and his family
bring Native American dance, song,
culture, and history to Penn State
of Penn State students, faculty,
staff and alumni. Stepping Stone
is open Monday through Friday
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provides
nutritious snacks and lunch. It
also provides individualized and
group developmentally appropriate
activities that promote learning
though play, exploration, social,
problem solving, and creative
thinking experiences. For more
information call 948-6128.
The free shuttle service from the
campus to the Village of Pineford
in Middletown and to the Willow
Garden Apartments in Highspire
will continue until the end of the
semester. The shuttle will leave at
9:15 p.m. from the bus stop located
behind the Olmsted Building
Harrisburg on Nov. 13 at 12:30
p.m. in the Olmsted Auditorium.
A resident of the reservation at
Fort Yates, N.D., Fast Horse is an
educator, singer, dancer, drummer,
craftsman, and storyteller. His
repertoire includes the Buffalo and
Eagle dances which have almost
disappeared from Lakota culture. A
gifted singer, he performs Lakota
songs as well as those in Ojibway,
Dine, and Blackfoot languages.
Nadine Zahr is anything but the
stereotype of the demurring neo-folk
singer. The singer and songwriter
brings her unique and enthusiastic
talents to Penn State Harrisburg's
Stack's Stage at noon Nov. 12.
(Penn State Way), Monday through
Thursday. For information, contact
the Student Life Office at 948-6018
The women's basketball team
is looking for practice players
to scrimmage against the team
during practice sessions. If you
are interested in playing basketball
in the evenings, please contact
head coach Marissa Hoover at
mr_ls9 I su.edu.
Water Fitness classes will take place
from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Monday,
Wednesday and Fridays and 5:30 to
6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
These are free for current PSH
students, and $45.00/14 Class Punch
card for PSH staff and faculty.