Introduction
Fast pace of modern life has paved way for a culture of fast foods and aerated drinks. We have arrived at a point in time where the very mention of food brings the thoughts of burgers and fried chickens. Mankind, in its quest for modernity, has ignored the healthy options for long, resulting in increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes, cardio vascular diseases, hypertension, depression and a lot of other diseases which were rarely heard of so far.  
In addition to unhealthy food habits, the sedentary lifestyle of the urban professional has exacerbated the issue. This is especially true in the case of those who work from 9 to 5 sitting at their desks in the office. The lack of strenuous physical activity to burn out their calories in addition to the fatigue the person feels at the end of the day rarely leaves someone time to plan out a healthy meal. This presents a dilemma to the working parents who want to ensure the health and wellbeing of their family along with inculcating healthy food habits in their children.
This book aims to help you address these issues. We bring you the ultimate guide to cooking which will guide you in your path to a healthy life. The recipes we provide you will give you mouthwatering dishes prepared in a small-time period using healthy raw materials and cooking methods. If you were to follow this book, you and your family will have a more fulfilling life with good health and wellbeing without compromising on the quality and taste of the food.

Chapter 2: The Basics of Kitchen Etiquette
Every year more than 80 million people all over the world get food poisoning. A person who eats contaminated food can have health issues like stomach ache, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Most of these can be treated and cured with immediate medical assistance. However sometimes, food poisoning can be fatal too. Some germs which can spread through food are even known to cause paralysis, blood infection and kidney failure. Hence, we should practice good kitchen etiquette to avoid contamination of food since germs cannot be detected by taste or smell right after infecting the food.
Some common preventive measures which are the basic practices to ensure a healthy kitchen are:
Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food. This is especially relevant while handling seafood, fish, poultry and meat. Any utensil or surface which has been exposed to raw meat should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water to avoid easy growth of germs. Special attention should be paid to this when utensils and tools used for handling raw meat is used for preparing raw vegetable and fruit salads.
Eat the food soon after cooking it. Hot foods should be kept at 140-degree F/ 60 degree C or above. Cold foods should be kept at 40 degree F/ 4 degree C or below. If the food is to be consumed later, refrigerate the food right away.
The fridge should be set at a temperature of 4 degree Celsius or below. All leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as possible. This is especially true in the case of salads with creamy dressings, eggs, potatoes and cream filled pastries.
Whenever food is reheated for consumption, reheat it thoroughly to kill off any germs which might have grown in the stored food.
Kitchen should be kept very clean at all times. All dishes, utensils and the kitchen counters should be thoroughly cleaned, daily.
Do not store food in the open in the kitchen, since it can be contaminated by insects, pets, rodents etc. Always used closed containers to store food.
Ensure that the water being used in the kitchen meets the highest standards of purity. If the water available to you is not up to the mark then either install water purifiers in the kitchen or boil your water thoroughly before use.