Souped Up

by Mara @ What's For Dinner? on November 17, 2009

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TEN MORE DAYS!!!! Only TEN days until our wedding!!!

Needless to say, cooking and blogging haven’t been in the forefront of my mind… though the wheels are definitely spinning for meals.

When I left work today, there was a chill in the air. Not the “oh its 40* and it’s going to get warmer” kind of chill, but one of those where, when the wind blows, it feels like a layer of my skin is frozen off, and that snow is going to come down any minute.

This kind of weather calls for one of three dinners: stew, chili, or soup. Tonight, I opted for soup.

This soup to be exact:

I made an even healthier version of last winter’s Zuppa Toscana alla Mara. Rather than using the fat free half and half, I omitted it all together. I skimmed the fat off the soup as it cooked, and used double the amount of greens. Tonight it was spinach because my lame grocery store didn’t have kale!

I definitely didn’t miss the creaminess of the soup, and the flavor of the spinach was just enough to contrast the sausage and bacon. I’m just hoping Adam likes it as much as I do… he has class tonight!

I was contacted a couple weeks ago by Deborah from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which is based here in Chicago. Do you know what UL is? Well, have you ever seen those videos of men in white coats smashing toasters into the wall? Or perhaps you’ve seen this logo:

Usually that logo is on your electronics, indicating that they’ve been safety tested. UL is the “gold standard” in safety, and when Deborah offered to send me UL’s full list of Thanksgiving cooking safety tips, I jumped at the chance!

I hope this list of safety tips will be helpful in your kitchen this Thanksgiving season!

Underwriters Laboratories

Thanksgiving Safety Tip Sheet

Thanksgiving dinner is the most anticipated meal of the year for Americans and an ideal opportunity for cooks to show off their culinary expertise. However, for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading product safety testing organization, Thanksgiving has a different significance. It’s considered the peak day for preventable cooking fires. Regardless of cooking style – be it a multi-tasking master, first-time chef or ambitious culinary artist – UL’s simple cooking safety tips can help keep families safe in the kitchen.

Safety Tips for the Multi-Tasking Master Chef

Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.

Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other. Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. It’s best, if possible, to keep your child out of the kitchen altogether while you’re cooking. Keep them occupied in another room by having them do their homework or offer them allowance if they do their chores outside of the kitchen.

Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.

Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while cooking. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame-resistant oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until the food has cooled.

When removing lids on hot pans, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam. If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.

Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.

Safety Tips for the Cautious Chef

Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.

Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.

Evaluate appliances wisely and look for the UL Mark. When purchasing electric cooking products such as electric knives, slow cookers and food processors, look for the UL Mark. The UL Mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted safety symbols among consumers, and confirms a product has been tested and certified to meet specific safety standards.

Safety Tips for the Ambitious Cook

Be extremely cautious if using a turkey fryer. Because turkey fryers pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards, UL has decided not to certify any turkey fryers. If a family decides they must use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, UL urges them to be extremely cautious read its turkey fryer safety tips at www.UL.com/Consumers.

Keep the stove free of clutter. Don’t overload a stove top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a stove top and cause a fire. Only cook with as many pots and pans as there are burners.

Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If the glass gets hot and explodes, it will send shards of glass in all directions causing harm to anything in its path.

I think these tips will be helpful even when cooking an average, everyday meal! Thanks for the tips!

*CALL FOR GUEST POSTS!!* With all the wedding stuff coming together, people coming in from out of town, and well, because I’m going to be preoccupied, I’m looking for guest posters! I’d love to feature one guest post a night, preferably a dinner or dessert. If you’d be interested, please send me an email with your guest post and photos by this Sunday, November 22!

Have a great Hump Day tomorrow!