Maitland City Talk

City Council recap

The City Council met on Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m.

Four presentations were given:

• Employee of the Quarter

• Life-saving Awards - Eric Guzman, Civilian Life Saving Award; Greg Brunson, Civilian Award of Merit; AJ Moore, Civilian Award of Merit

• Proclamation – Children's Grief Awareness Day – Dave Joswick, New Hope For Kids Executive Director

• Proclamation – Canine Companions for Independence – Dog Fest Walk 'N Roll Day/ Bill Gordon

The consent agenda was approved as presented:

• Minutes of Oct. 24, 2016

• Approve the City Council/TAB Flyover Workshop Minutes of Oct. 4, 2016

• Receipt of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of Aug. 10, Sept. 7, and Oct. 5, 2016

• Receipt of the Lakes Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of Sept. 21, 2016

• Receipt of the Transportation Advisory Board Meeting Minutes of Sept. 8, 2016

• New traffic signal maintenance contract with Traffic Engineering and Management LLC (dba Control Specialists)

• Industrial Waste Pretreatment Program Agreement between the city of Orlando and the city of Maitland

• Approval of Engineering for Design of Maitland Boulevard Force Main

The following decision items were considered and acted upon:

• Appointments - South Seminole & North Orange County Wastewater Transmission Authority - one member and one alternate

• Approve Carryforward Items FY 2016

The wetland protection ordinance was discussed.

How to deep-fry a turkey safely

The holiday season is upon us again, a time for family, festivities, and food. The deep-frying of Thanksgiving turkeys is a trend. Below are safety tips for safely frying a turkey.

Preparing the turkey is very important. Be sure the bird is thoroughly defrosted and all contents inside the body cavity are removed. Be sure there are no pop-up devices or anything left inside the bird and the turkey is really, really dry.

Determine the correct amount of oil to be used in the cooking of the bird. Place the turkey in the pot and add water until the bird is completely covered plus two inches. There should be several inches of room between the turkey and top of the pot. If it’s too close, use a smaller bird or larger pot. Remove the turkey and measure the water: this is the amount of oil needed for cooking. Drain the water and thoroughly dry the pot.

Add the oil to the pot and bring it up to the recommended cooking temperature. Use a really good thermometer to get the temperature right. Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, be sure the turkey is completely dry and at room temperature.

Turn off the burner and slowly lower the turkey into the pot or the oil will splatter. A good method is to dunk the turkey a little at a time; a couple of dunks and the turkey should be nicely settled. Turn the burner back on and finish cooking. Don’t wander too far away; remember deep-frying a turkey goes much quicker than oven roasting.

One last bit of advice: have a fire extinguisher on hand.