Food For Thought? Cookery programmes and celebrity chefs seem to be on TV in ever-increasing numbers. They tell us how to create a gastronomic delight in cordon bleau cookery. Unfortunately, they do not tell us the more practical but less glamorous side of cooking – the cleaning bit! Nor do we see them having a pan on their shiny stainless steel hobs and leaving it to answer the phone, or popping down to the shops to get more ingredients.
Unfortunately, there has been a significant rise in fires involving ovens, hobs and grills, including the portable ones that sit on top of the worktop. I am not talking about chip pans but a basic oven, or stove as my mother often called it. In NE Lincolnshire 50% of fires starting accidentally in a home are due to cooking. Just recently, in New Holland, there has been a serious house fire that occurred whilst cooking. It has left two people seriously injured and five people without homes.
I have been to many fires where people have been distracted whilst cooking – it doesn’t take much for us all to forget the cooking and answer the door, or make a ‘quick’ phone call …. but then again it doesn’t take much for a pan of food to catch fire either! Over 40% of cooking fires are caused by people being distracted or falling asleep – possibly due to medication or drinking alcohol.
Our fire crews have found that the people most at risk tend to be elderly, people living alone or single parents. If you feel that you are a safe cook, think about it next time you visit a friend, neighbour or relative and check on them – it only takes a minute and you could save them an awful lot of mess and an expensive repair bill …. you may even save their life!
Reminders:Ø Do not leave pans of food or liquids on the hob – it may be turned on by accident.
Ø Do not cook if you have been drinking alcohol or taken prescription drugs - you may get drowsy or lose concentration.
Ø Turn saucepans so the handles don't stick out over the edge of the hob or over another ring.
Ø Double check that the cooker is off when you have finished cooking.
Ø Make sure tea-towels aren’t hanging over the cooker and don't put oven gloves on top of a hot cooker.
Ø Keep the oven, hob and grill clean - built-up fat and bits of food can start a fire.
Ø Check that the toaster is clean and well away from curtains and empty the crumb tray regularly.
Ø Take pans off the heat or turn the heat down if you're called away from the cooker, e.g. by a phone call.
