Cooking is a skill, which once obtained,
stays with you for the rest of your life. We look for easy and quick
recipes, but they only provide the ingredients and process to prepare a
particular dish. There are a number of other aspects of cooking to learn to gain cooking experience. Read them through and try to incorporate
them in your kitchen activities.
How
to efficiently store foods?
Health Canada recommends safe food handling
practices at home as well as at grocery store to prevent food poisoning (Health
Canada, 2013). Besides food poisoning, safe and efficient food storage helps to
avoid headaches, illness and food waste. Follow four basic steps while handling
food:
- Clean: First of all, clean your countertops, dishes, utensils, sink and most importantly, hands before preparing food. After preparation, clean up completely before moving to the next recipe.
- Separate: Minimize cross contamination by using different chopping boards for meat and produce. When you use tools and cutting board to prepare meats or fish, do not re-contaminate the food afterwards by keeping the on the same unwashed surface.
- Cook: Take care when putting food in oil. Moisture presence often causes oil to splatter, with possibility of causing burns. A thermometer can be used to check the desired temperature. But be careful to clean it properly after every use. Do not taste food with cooking utensils or twice with same spoon.
- Store: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, says Health Canada. It would refrain bacteria from growing. Cool leftovers to room temperature first before transferring them into refrigerator. Keep the refrigerator temperature from 40 degrees F or less at all times (The beginners cooking manual, 2012). Defrosted foods should not be frozen again. Try to label stored foods for the “best before” date.
