I'm serving a buffet dinner which will be out for several hours at an upcoming party at my home. Use chafing dishes or other heated servers which keep already hot foods at a temperature of at least 140F. Do not leave high-risk foods out for longer than 2 hours. Make sure to stir the food frequently if the heating source does not cover the entire bottom of the dish. Cold foods should be set on ice. Never mix fresh food with foods that have already been out for serving.
Most food borne pathogens thrive at room temperature or in warm water.
Instead, use your refrigerator to thaw foods by moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator one or two days before you plan to cook them. An alternative method for thawing is the microwave oven. However, if thawing is done in the microwave oven, the thawed food must be cooked immediately afterward. It seems like it cooks at very low temperatures. Yes, you can safely prepare foods in a slow-cooker.