Fridge Closeup by Liza
Developing a life-long passion for cooking rests on a foundation that includes not only understanding your ingredients, but also understanding the tools you use to work with that food. Yes, your knives, your pans, all those little hand tools that make your life easier are dreadfully important for each of their tasks. Arguably one of the most misunderstood tools, however, is the refrigerator. It is quite likely the sole tool in your kitchen that Chef Alton Brown would accept as a “uni-tasker.” Your refrigerator was meant to keep its contents at a constant temperature and stay fresh longer by retarding the growth of the bacteria that would otherwise spoil it.
It’s important to understand that bacteria that causes your food to spoil isn’t always the same as the bacteria that can make you sick. For example, fruits and vegetables that look a bit “past their prime” aren’t necessarily bad, per se, just ugly. They may well be quite useable for a variety of things, even when their appearance indicates age. It’s the harmful bacteria you need to worry about, bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella that thrive and multiply rapidly in those temperatures just above the what your refrigerator should stay below.
The Chef Jacket Speaks 