Image: chefscatalog.com

I was a victim of salmonella poisoning in the sixth grade. These days, I don’t take any chances and I keep my kitchen countertop and sink area as clean as I can. I don’t ever want to go through that experience again!

When I’m finished with cutting chicken, or any kind of meat on my cutting board, I immediately give the board and sink area a good cleaning and rinsing. After that, I go boil a pot of water and pour it over the cutting board to kill of any remaining bacterial stragglers that I might have missed during the cleaning and rinsing process. Sure it takes an extra 3 or 4 minutes to do, but it’s better than 3 or 4 extra hours in the bathroom…or was that 3 or 4 days? I don’t remember that clearly. It was a rough time. Also, I recommend using a non-porous cutting board for meats, and leave the wooden boards for fruits and veggies. Happy chopping!