Tips to Keep Cooks Out of Trouble This Holiday Season

(ARA) - The holidays can be a recipe for accidents in the kitchen: There's a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of cooking to do - but not a lot of time.

That's why the National Consumers League (NCL) is offering tips to keep consumers safe in the kitchen this holiday season.

"With all the guests, distractions, and stress of the holiday season, food preparation can be overwhelming -- and potentially dangerous -- for cooks this time of year," says Linda Golodner, NCL President. "Our goal is to make cooking as easy and as safe as possible this holiday season."

NCL has created a new brochure, "Good Cooking Starts with Safe Cooking," that offers busy, time-starved cooks helpful tips to prevent accidents in the kitchen. The brochure is available to consumers who visit www.nclnet.org or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NCL at 1701 K Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC. 20006.

Some of the brochure's helpful tips include:

* Heat with care: Learn how to tell whether your pan is properly preheated. If you are using a non-stick or empty pan, flick a few drops of water onto the pan. Once the water droplets begin to sizzle in the pan, it is hot enough. (Never flick water into hot oil - the spattering oil can cause serious burns!)

* Stay in the kitchen: Don't leave any cookware on a hot stovetop unattended. Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires across America, and unattended cooking is the No. 1 contributor to cooking fires.

* Play matchmaker: Use a stove burner that matches the size of the pan bottom. Once you have selected a pan that is appropriate for your recipe, use the burner that matches the size of the pan bottom. Using too small of a burner will result in uneven heating and long cooking times. Using too large of a burner is inefficient and exposes hot coils or flames.

* Keep it clean: Wash cooking surfaces to remove grease -- and prevent fires.

* Look for healthy habits: Consider using non-stick cookware to prepare meals with less oil. The American Heart Association recommends using non-stick cookware to "create a healthier diet without losing out on flavor."

The "Good Cooking Starts with Safe Cooking" brochure has been endorsed by the American Personal Chef Association, the Home Safety Council and the Cookware Manufacturers Association, and was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from DuPont. For more information, visit http://www.nclnet.org .

Courtesy of ARA Content