Thanksgiving was just the beginning. South Carolina has a rich culinary tradition, making the holidays a great time for experienced and budding chefs around the state to add their own regional touch on seasonal classics. The flurry of activity makes it all the more important to keep safety in mind when preparing these special meals. Family and friends will be most disappointed if the cook is injured before the dinner bell sounds.

Did you know, for example, that Thanksgiving sees three times the number of cooking fires as any other day of the year? That statistic alone should prompt everyone to follow some basic safety tips.

Safety experts advise against the use of turkey fryers because of their high risk for burns and fires. If you decide that you must use a turkey fryer for your meal, exercise extreme caution and educate yourself about the risks. Additionally, consider not stuffing your turkey. The USDA recommends against stuffing turkeys for optimum safety due to risks related to undercooking (including e coli). If you still want to stuff your turkey, try cooking the stuffing first, outside of the turkey.

Always keep your cooking area free of messes and clutter when preparing a meal. Having too many pots and pans on your stove at once increases the chance of grease spilling onto a burner and starting a fire. Likewise, never place glass dishes on the stove top, as the heat could cause them to explode and shoot out shards that could severely cut you.

If a grease fire does occur, never use water to attempt to extinguish it. It will not douse the fire and can make it spread to other areas. Instead, put on an oven mitt or other protective glove and place a lid on the pan; leave it there until the fire has been extinguished and the pan has cooled to a safe temperature.

Now, set the timer for some good eating!

Source: Underwriters Laboratory, "Thanksgiving Cooking Tips: Serving Up a Side of Safety," Nov. 2011