1. Tuck in your shirt, roll up your sleeves and put on an apron. Make sure your hair is tight back or wear a hat. Please take off your watch if you wear one as well as any rings or bracelets.

2. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly with soap! Wash them as often as you need while you are cooking. …and then one more time. 

3. Before you start cooking read the recipe or ingredient list from beginning to end to understand what needs to be prepared. Ask your parents if you have questions.

4. Place all of the ingredients you will need as well as pots, pans and bowls in front of you so you know if something is missing. If anything is dirty please clean before you use it.

5. Wash and dry all vegetables and fruits before you start preparing them. If you are handling raw chicken or fish,  DO NOT wash before you cook them. (If you wash raw chicken or fish in the sink bacteria could spread around the sink and effect other food)         

You can pad the chicken or fish with a dry paper towel to absorb liquid if necessary.                    

6. Make sure to wash (and keep clean) knifes and cutting boards while you are prepping your food. Remember: SAFETY FIRST! Use a different knife and cutting-board for raw and cooked food.

7. Pre-heat the oven according to the recipe. DO NOT turn on the stove before you need it! ALWAYS have your parents help you when you work on the stove or the oven, please! ALWAYS keep a towel and oven mitts nearby. 

8. Always use the proper utensil. NO SHORT cuts please! Never use a knife to stir something or a spoon to cut. There is a proper tool for everything. Please let your parents explain you the different utensils and what they are for.

9. NEVER eat or try raw food! It is ok to eat raw vegetables if they are washes and prepared, but NEVER try raw meats or eggs! They are the primary source of salmonella, a dangerous type of food poisoning!

10. ALWAYS use oven mitts or gloves when you carry a pot with hot liquid from the stove to the sink! The hot liquid could burn you. Remember: SAFETY FIRST!

11. Grab a spoon or a fork and taste your food while you are cooking. This will help you learn and understand cooking time and the flavor of the food. Does it need more salt or sugar? You can always add more if you like. What if you added too much? No worries, Nobody is perfect and you can always try again.

Sven always tells me that it is very important to follow these rules.  

One time I got in trouble, because I forgot to wash my hands after I played. I showed Sven my hands and said: “They look clean so they must be clean”.

But he said that: “just because they look clean doesn’t mean they are! We touch and carry a lot of things and germs and bacteria are everywhere. We don’t want them to get on our food and into our body! It can make you sick!”

Okaaayyyy … I guess he was right …again!