Friday, 22 August 2014

Devil's Puzzle

I learned something new this week. When you’re about to cook a chicken, you shouldn’t wash it. I’ve done this for as long as I can remember. Whether I’m cooking a whole chicken or parts, I remove it from the packaging, rinse it in the sink, and pat it dry with paper towels before I begin. I believed I was rinsing off bacteria that can often be found on raw meat, like salmonella. The thing is, if I cook my poultry thoroughly, those bacteria are destroyed anyway. What I never thought about was that the act of rinsing could splash bacteria from the raw meat as far as three feet away; to surfaces that may come in contact with food I won’t be cooking. How far from your kitchen sink is your paper towel roll? Your bread box? The cutting board you use to chop salad ingredients? Excuse me a moment. I have to go disinfect my kitchen.

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