Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor

Amar Douglas prepares two of his mouth-watering pies inside the sterile environment of the kitchen at Sandals Montego Bay. - Contributed

"The kitchen department should be very clean and things should not be wasted. This is the first consideration." Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Aksayananda dated 1.06.76.

Mercy, austerity, truthfulness and cleanliness are the four pillars of spiritual life, according to Indian guides. Serious rules in the department of cleanliness in general but, particularly involving food, are taught and must be adhered to. In one of the cities where Indian Spiritual Guide Srila Prabhupada has followers, the devotees complained that there were rats in the temple, asking whether they were allowed to kill them. Srila Prabhupada's answer was: "No, you should be killed because you took the vow of cleanliness but did not keep it!" Serious stuff that but a good lesson.

Now that The Gleaner-sponsored Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW) is over and many eateries in the capital are sitting on their laurels, having fed followers of this annual event, it's a good time to address the kitchen situation of many of our favourite spots. Not only in Kingston, but islandwide. Not only restaurants, of course, but bookshops and side-ha-road stops too. This week is to be nominated Clean-up Week.

As you all know, I travel this island, my nose always in a pot. I have no intentions of pointing fingers - yet. But, those commercial kitchens (huge or small) reading this column, better do what is required and life will be a cinch. Those who know a commercial kitchen not exactly kosher, take this review over and say the magic words. "Me love ay food, but it's Clean-up Week Guys". Everyone - remember the six-letter word: BEWARE and change it to Be aware. Oh! Yes! The time is certainly here. We have less than one month before the official 'tourist season', we are already seemingly into Christmas and before we know what - the throes of Cricket World Cup 2007 will be upon us - so what better time to - clean-up!

Eliminating Breeding Grounds

Know where ugly little bacteria, flying-objects and creepy-crawls we all hate, live in harmony among the germs and grime that a kitchen creates. Check all those corners and cupboards, behind stoves and other kitchen gadgets. Take a close look in the refrigerator, yes! Even there. In the creases or grout between tiles. On the counters and tables. In the sinks and drains. In the overhead lights. On the walls. On the floors. In the garbage bins. Even outside the kitchen, out ha-yard. Make sure garbage is properly sealed and covered.

Pesky pests (not pets) are everywhere, even if you cannot see them, lurking in the dark waiting for you to leave the area for a second, ready to pounce on any little bit of grub they can find leaving behind all manner of gifts - horrid little deposits that make all of us very, very ill. Yak! So get on those ladders, get on those knees and start scrubbing. If you cannot afford expensive cleaners, enough bleach in a bucket of water, a pair of gloves, some scrubbing brushes and pieces of rags will do - just ensure you wear a mask. As you work, remember - It's Clean-up Week. Beware and be aware.

Hit those kitchen utensils - that includes blenders, toasters, etc. Hit those refrigerators. Bring everything in your food areas to a sunshiny shine of cleanliness. Hit those pots. It can be done, no matter how black dem pot look.

There's a man high in the hills of Portland, one named Jah T. He has a 'like' hut where he cooks for those who are in need of nourishment after a night of drinking. Sometimes Jah T. has a last customer at 6:00 a.m. but, 'he nab leave his eatery until de last pot shining, hanging them on the wall with the bottoms-up to show off his hard work with pride' - so take note.

Even knives, forks and spoons can harbour little germs we don't want to see and certainly don't want in our personal temples - our bodies. Once washed with clean soapy water, rinse these thoroughly, dry with a clean towel and ensure where they are kept is spotlessly clean, put away until ready for use. Do not ever leave exposed. Cover same if left on counters with a clean towel.

Now that you have completed this mammoth task and your kitchen is spotless, ensure it remains so. Every day or night before leaving, all kitchen staff should thoroughly clean their work sections, all restaurant staff should make sure outer areas are spotless. Everyone has a moral right to clean after the cooking and de serving done. Once a month (maximum), give that kitchen and the whole restaurant another thorough going-over.

RULES TO KEEP IN MIND

Before coming to work in a kitchen, bathe properly at home. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Wear clean clothes every day in the kitchen, whether it be uniform (preferred), or ordinary clothes. Even shoes and aprons should be bright clean. Ensure hair is covered properly - (customers prefer hair to be on heads instead of ingredient in food).

First thing, on arrival to the kitchen - wash hands in warm soapy water and rinse properly. Don't stop there. Wash thoroughly in-between preparations of different foods. Wash again if you touch your face or any other body parts. Wash throughout the day, keeping those hands that are touching food nice and clean, thank-you-very-much.

Ensure all work stations and floors are spotless.

Even though pots, plates, cutlery were washed the day before, rinse all again before use, wiping with clean or paper towels.

Ensure all towels, dish cloths and rags are absolutely clean. Wash in soap powder with added small amount of bleach. Throw away dirty and old sponges. Change out towels and rags often.

Make sure refrigerator is clean. Wipe up spills right away. Keep shelves, sides and doors inside and out sanitised - that means spotlessly clean. Make sure your stove and its oven are clean.

Don't use the same cutting board for raw meat and any other food. There should be one each for beef, poultry, fish, vegetables. Turning the cutting board over can also do if you only have two - mark the sides accordingly and you will not get customers in trouble with serious stomach ailments. Same goes for utensils. Cross-contamination means putting the bacteria from one meat to another - that is, if one utensil (dishes included) is used for raw meat, do not use same to carry cooked meat unless thoroughly washed. Do not use poultry utensil for fish and so on, and so on.

Rosemary Parkinson was last seen on hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floors, head in cupboard, sniffing out all things that might make her glow in the dark.