I am a big proponent of learning to cook your own food because not only is it good for you, but it is also very empowering. Parents who teach their kids to cook early on in life, are doing them a great service. Research shows that people who cook their own meals from scratch are more self-confident and knowledgeable about their own diets. Also, cooking at home is good for your wallet too.
Kitchen Safety Tips for All Levels:
1. Have lots of patience. Cooking is not an error-free process. Even experienced chefs make mistakes, but this is all part of learning.
2. Prior to beginning, take the time to understand how each kitchen gadget works, as it’s needed for your recipe.
3. Prepare all ingredients ahead of time before you begin the actual cooking process. This will eliminate the need to take extra time away from the task at hand. For example, if you need to continuously stir a sauce but you forgot to chop up the onion beforehand, your sauce may not turn out as desired.
4. Understand fire safety. Know where your fire extinguisher is located, how the fire extinguisher works, how to put out a grease fire, and when to call 911.
5. Wear short sleeves when cooking. Long sleeves have a chance of catching fire or falling into boiling water.
6. Wear an apron. Aprons help protect clothes and add extra padding in case of accidental hot water spillage, grease splatters, etc.
7. Use oven mitts because they help you hold onto the handle of a hot pan more securely.
8. Keep pan handles facing in and over countertops. Handles should never extend out towards the floor where someone could bump the handle and spill a pot of hot food on him.
9. Never leave food unattended. Unwatched pots can spill over causing fires and other kitchen hazards.
10. Learn to set a timer. This will help with keeping track of what is going on in the oven or on top of the stove as cooking is a multi-step process. This will also help to prevent over-cooking food, and/or burning your meal.
10. Learn to set a timer. This will help with keeping track of what is going on in the oven or on top of the stove as cooking is a multi-step process. This will also help to prevent over-cooking food, and/or burning your meal.
11. If you have extra time, you can clean while you wait for the next step in preparing the food. (i.e. water to boil, soup simmer, etc.) This will eliminate an overwhelming amount of cleaning at the end of cooking.
12. Most of all, relax and have fun! Take your time and really enjoy yourself in the kitchen. After all, by cooking for yourself, you are in control of all aspects of the culinary process and can prepare delicious meals to your hearts desire..........
