A Smart Girl's Guide: Cooking. Patricia Daniels

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      it and mix it together, and blast it with heat, transforming it into dishes

      you drool over. But if you don’t know how to use them, or if you’re not

      careful with them, some can hurt you. So read the rules before you

      touch the tools.

      Rule #1 Cook with an adult. Always. And

      learn how to handle sharp stuff, hot stuff,

      and raw stuff before you get started.

      Begin by taking a kitchen tour with an

      adult. Learn what your appliances do.

      Practice turning them on and off. Ask

      about the different settings. What’s

      “purée” on the blender? What’s “power

      level” on the microwave? What does

      “broil” mean on the oven?

      And find out how to use a

      kitchen timer so the buzzer

      can remind you when some-

      thing is ready.

      Tip

      Your kitchen counters

      may be too high for

      comfortable cooking.

      A sturdy stepstool can

      bring you up to the

      right level.

      Rule #2 Dress up—up and away

      from stove tops and counters, that

      is. Dangling hair, clothes, and jewelry

      can catch fire or get caught in appli-

      ances. Keep everything rolled up,

      tied back, and tucked away. If you

      wear an apron, make sure it’s snug

      and fastened behind your back. And

      wear closed shoes. Bare toes are tar-

      gets for hot sauces and heavy pans.

      Rule #3 Stay focused

      on the task at hand. If

      your attention wanders,

      you might end up

      saying, “What’s that

      burning smell?” Or

      worse, “OUCH!”

      Tip

      An apron isn’t necessary

      for safety, but it does help

      you stay clean. If you wear

      one, you can focus on food—

      instead of the stain you

      just got on your

      favorite shirt!

      Rule #4 Keep clean. The first thing to

      do every time you cook is wash your

      hands with soap. The last thing is wash

      the dishes—and your hands again. In

      between, be careful to keep raw meat

      and eggs away from other foods so

      that germs don’t spread. Always wash

      your hands after touching them—and

      countertops and any tools, too. (Tap

      Keeping It Clean to learn more.)

      Rule #5 Be cool. Hot

      stove tops, ovens, and

      microwaves can burn you,

      even if they don’t look hot.

      Handle hot stuff only with

      an adult’s permission and

      only with that adult stand-

      ing right there with you.

      Rule #6 Be patient. A

      watched pot never boils, they

      say. More important, you’re

      more likely to hurt yourself

      if you’re in a rush. So take all

      the time it takes, and make a

      pledge: “I solemnly promise, no

      cutting corners with safety!”

      Rule #7 Stay sharp. Don’t pick

      up a knife unless you have an

      adult with you AND you know

      how to handle it safely. (Tap

      Handling Knives to learn more.)

      pots & pans

      Pots and pans come in all shapes and sizes. Like Goldilocks, you want to

      pick the right one—not too big, not too small, but juuust right.

      Also called a frying pan, a skillet is a shallow pan used to cook foods

      on the stove top. Some have nonstick coatings. Some have sloped sides,

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