Kitchen and Pantry

This is the default page for all “Kitchen and Pantry” information. If what you’re looking for doesn’t quite fit into one of our other K&P categories, it’s probably here. If it’s not, try a search, ask us about it by email at info@thepracticalfibromite.com, or just let us know in the comments!

Kitchen Safety
Always wear closed-toe shoes when you’re in the kitchen, especially while preparing or cooking food: the risk of drops, spills, and slips increases when you are fatigued.

Keep a damp towel or non-skid rubber mat – often available at hardware stores as “refrigerator matting” – underneath your cutting board. This will help keep the board from slipping while you work, which can cause serious injury.

Even when it’s warm outside, consider wearing long sleeves when cooking, especially if you’ll be frying food or using the oven – it helps mitigate the risk of fatigue-related burns to your forearms’ fragile skin.

Always use both hands when removing something from a hot oven.

Many of us save kitchen space by storing countertop appliances directly under kitchen cupboards, but then we have to slide each appliance toward us for use – which can be difficult, if the appliances rest on those little rubber feet. Try applying felt pads (the kind used to protect hardwood floors from furniture) to the bottom of each appliance: the machines will glide smoothly on the felt pads, reducing the strain on your arms and upper back.

General Kitchen Tips
Stale cooking odors linger longer when the air is hot and humid. Opening windows and running an exhaust fan can help clear the fug.

If you have spare space on your kitchen windowsill, why not add small pots of fresh herbs? Many herbs – chives, cilantro, dill, and so on – do very well indoors, and small coir or peat pots are inexpensive. Not only do they add delicious flavors to your food, but they provide a visual lift to your kitchen as well.