I have talked about several things geared toward someone just getting started cooking. I have talked about kitchen gadgets, cookware, and even how to cook on a tight budget. What I have not talked about is safety. Think about this for a second. You are using heat, whether electric or gas, sharp knives, foods that can splatter hot grease, and any number of other hazards. We often take these things for granted. Full stop! Do not take any of these for granted. Do not get comfortable with them. Do not ever assume that you know what you are doing, and all is well.
A Sharp Knife Is a Safe Knife.
This is completely true. A sharp knife cuts just like it is supposed to. Remember that. Last evening I set out to do two things. Organize my drawer of random kitchen knives I’ve acquired over the years, and wash the dirty knives in the kitchen sink. Decent kitchen knives should not be washed in the dishwasher. They should be washed by hand and dried immediately. I have a few Faberware and Chicago Cutlery chef’s knives that I really like. They are very sharp, feel good in your hand, and do just exactly what they are supposed to do…cut. Well, I found out the hard way, twice, within about ten minutes, that they do just that. While organizing the drawer, one of the Faberware knives slid and just barely tapped the second knuckle on my right middle finger. I felt the bump of the knife, but no sting of a cut…until I looked at my finger and blood was about to drip off. Fortunately, the cut was not very deep. So I got the bleeding stopped and moved on to washing the Chicago Cutlery ones in the sink. Now, soapy hands can be very slippery. As I was washing another chef’s knife, it slipped just a bit..but it was enough to tap the back of the first knuckle on my right index finger. That little tap put about a 1/2 inch long slice, through part of my fingernail, and again…more bloodletting. Now the fortunate thing I that neither cut was serious enough to require stitches. A good kitchen knife will cut you, and you will not feel the actual cut. You’ll see it first. As I said, pay attention to what you are doing.
Frying Foods Cause Very Hot Grease Spatter
A very good investment is a splatter shield if you are going to fry foods on the stove. Take a look at your stovetop after cooking some bacon in a skillet. If you do not have a splatter shield, you likely have little spots of bacon grease all over the stove. That grease is very hot when it splatters, and if it lands on your skin, it hurts. Now, if a larger drop were to land on your skin, it would burn you. Also, try not to fry something that is frozen. I know this sounds like common sense, but it happens a lot. I have done it…as recently as this morning. I took a package of bacon out of the freezer and put it right into a skillet. Now, I have three or four splatter shields, so it wasn’t a big issue. Just remember, you have a hot pan, some of the bacon fat rendering out, and the water from the melting ice from the freezer. That is a perfect recipe for pops in the pan and grease splatter that can burn you.
Cooking Surfaces and Pans Do Not Cool as Quickly As You Think
Most pots and pans are made out of some sort of metal. Some metals cool faster than others. Now, I know, this is common sense, right? It is, but people get burned all the time on pots and pans they thought were cool enough. Now aluminum cookware does cool faster than stainless steel, and a lot faster than cast iron. I personally love cast iron cookware. I think it makes food taste better. However, it is a lot heavier than other cookware, and it retains heat for longer as well. If you cook something in cast iron, you have to remember it will take that pan a lot longer to cool than you think. Let it cool for a good while before you try to handle it. And never put cool or cold water on a hot cast iron pan. You may very well cause it to crack and then it is destroyed.
Kitchen Organization
Every kitchen is different. Every cook is different. Try to organize your kitchen in a manner that fits the way you cook. Now, I understand that unless you have a house built, and plan out exactly how your kitchen is going to be laid out, you will have to adapt to what is already there. Look at where your stove is. Look at where your oven is. Look at how the cupboards and drawers are laid out. Then start putting your pots and pans, your dishes, your knives, your other gadgets, where they work best for you. It’s no good if I am frying an egg on the stove and my pancake turners are not right within reach. So, my kitchen is set up so that if I am cooking on the stove, the things I might need immediately, are right there in arm’s reach. Other stuff might be on the other side of the kitchen. I know this all sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised at the number of people who haven’t figured that out yet
Safety, Safety, Safety
If you think about it, cooking can be a very dangerous thing to do…if you’re not paying attention. We use hot pans, sharp knives, stoves, and ovens. Pay attention to what you are doing. I get it. We cook all the time, and nothing bad happens right? Well, all it takes is once, and maybe that whole idea goes out the window. Cooking is such a common task, that we take it for granted every day. A couple of seconds of inattention could result in serious injuries, burns, and maybe removed digits. The bottom line is to pay attention to what you are doing and understand that a lot of kitchen implements can hurt you if you choose to be careless.