Regional and community techniques in food preparation

Food must be prepared, stored, and handled properly to prevent food poisoning. Harmful bacteria
that can cause illness cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. At every step of food preparation, follow
the four steps of the Families Preparing Food Properly campaign to keep food safe.

Clean

-- Wash your hands often and wash your kitchen surfaces.

Pull apart

-- Prevent the spread of contamination.

Kitchen

Cook until the correct temperature is reached.

Cool

Refrigerate quickly.

The purchase

Buy refrigerated or frozen foods after purchasing non-perishable foods.

Never choose meat or poultry with torn or leaking wrappers.

Do not buy foods that have an expired sale or use date.

Place raw meats and poultry in plastic bags so that their juices do not contaminate cooked foods
or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

Go directly from the store to your home. A portable cooler can be used to transport perishable
foods. Refrigerate these within 2 hours or 1 hour if the room temperature is above 90ºF (32.2˚C).

Preparation Always wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after
handling food.

Prevent the spread of bacteria. Keep raw meats, poultry, and fish and their juices separate from
other foods. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting boards, utensils and counters with hot water
and soap.

Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be disinfected using a solution of 1 tablespoon
unscented liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.

Marinate meats and poultry in the refrigerator, in a covered container

The defrosting
Fridge:

Allows slow defrosting, without risks. Make sure juices from meat and poultry do not drip onto
other foods.

Cold water:

To thaw quickly, place food in an airtight plastic bag. Submerge it in cold tap water. Change the
water every 30 minutes. Cook it immediately after defrosting it.

Microwave:

Cook food immediately after defrosting it in the microwave oven.

The cooking

Use a food thermometer to verify that foods have reached an appropriate minimum internal
temperature.

Cook all roasts, steaks and chops, raw beef, pork,

lamb and veal, to a minimum internal temperature of 145˚F (62.8˚C), when measuring with a food
thermometer before removing the meat

from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow a rest time of at least three minutes before
chopping and consuming the meat. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to
cook meats to a higher temperature.

Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb, up to 160ºF (71.1ºC).

Every bird should reach an adequate minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (73.9ºC).

The service

Hot foods should be kept at 140ºF (60ºC) or higher.

Cold foods should be kept at 40ºF (4.4ºC) or colder.

When serving buffet-style meals, keep foods warm on warming devices. Keep cold foods in
containers with ice or use small dishes and replenish them frequently.

Perishable foods should not be left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours [1 hour if the
temperature is above 90ºF (32.2ºC)]

CUT&SEW

DESCRIPTION
The cut&sew technique is the simplest method to make a garment. The shapes are obtained from
a single panel and are cut according to the measurements of the patterns. The pieces can be
created from fabrics obtained with rectilinear or circular knitting machines.

HOW DOES IT WORK

To make the garment, the pieces are joined by sewing.

ADVANTAGES

- Speed and ease of knitting creation.

- Ease of assembly and subsequent creation of the garment.

- Possibility of assembling totally different parts created with different processes.

DISADVANTAGES

- The cut piece must be sewn to prevent fraying.

- The seams can be quite obvious.

- Material waste during cutting can be up to 25%.

- The perceived quality of garments made with this method may be low.

FULLY FASHIONED

DESCRIPTION

Fully edged garment.

HOW DOES IT WORK

The garment is shaped by the machine, which works harder in some points than in others. The
garment is made by creating an unbreakable chain that closes the different parts so that the fabric
cannot fray.

ADVANTAGES

- There is no waste due to cutting the fabric.

- The production of the form is precise.

- The process is programmable and, therefore, repeatable, so that defects are prevented.

The processes are reduced, compared to the Cut&Sew method.

DISADVANTAGES

- Program the machine and points to prevent defects.

COMPLETE GARMENT

DESCRIPTION
With this technique, the machine produces fully formed garments, without the need for further
sewing.

HOW IT WORKS: Regarding fully fashioned manufacturing, which works in 2D, it adds the
possibility of making a complete three-dimensional garment. Unlike fully fashioned, where shaped
pieces must be sewn together, straight knit garments have no seams. Hundreds of needles move
to build and connect different tubular shapes and create a complete garment in a single
production phase.

ADVANTAGES

- Further reduction in material consumption, even with respect to the fully fashioned method,
since seam allowances are eliminated.

- Garment made and finished by the machine, without successive operations.

- There are no seams: aesthetic and functional advantage.

- Precise and repeatable production, correct shape and measurements, the pieces are always
identical to each other.

- Post-process reduction: zero cuts, edges and other applications.

DISADVANTAGES

- Program the machine and points to prevent defects.

Traditional craft techniques

Traditional crafts are perhaps the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage.
However, the 2003 Convention deals primarily with the techniques and knowledge used in craft
activities, rather than with the products of crafts themselves. Safeguarding work, rather than
focusing on the preservation of craft objects, should focus primarily on encouraging artisans to
continue making their products and passing on their knowledge and skills to others, particularly
within their communities.

The expressions of traditional crafts are very numerous: tools, clothing, jewelry, clothing and
accessories for festivities and performing arts, containers and elements used for storage,
objects used for transport or protection against the elements, decorative arts and ritual objects,
musical instruments and household goods, and recreational or educational toys. Many of these
objects, such as those created for festive rituals, are for ephemeral use, while others can
become a legacy that is transmitted from generation to generation. The techniques necessary
to create handicraft objects are as varied as the objects themselves and can range from
delicate and meticulous work, such as paper votive offerings, to rough tasks such as making a
solid basket or a thick blanket.
As with other forms of intangible cultural heritage, globalization creates serious obstacles to
the survival of traditional forms of crafts. Mass production, whether in large multinational
companies or small local cottage industries, can often supply the goods needed for daily life at
a lower cost in time and money than manual production. Many artisans are struggling to adapt
to competition with these companies and industries. Environmental and climatic pressures also
influence traditional crafts, and deforestation and land clearing decrease the abundance of the
main natural resources. Even when manual craftsmanship becomes a cottage industry, larger
scale production can cause damage to the environment
As social conditions or cultural tastes evolve, festivities and celebrations that previously
required complicated handcrafted products may become more austere, thus diminishing the
artisans' ability to express themselves. Young people in the communities sometimes think that
the learning required – often very prolonged – to master traditional craft techniques is too
demanding, and that is why they try to find a place in factories or in the service sector, where
the work is less strenuous and frequently better paid. Many craft traditions contain “secrets of
the trade” that should not be revealed to strangers. Therefore, if family or community members
are not interested in learning it, that knowledge may disappear, since sharing it with strangers
would violate tradition.