The standard breading procedure, used all the time in the culinary arts, is a three-step process for coating foods in a crispy breading before frying them. The steps are: 1) Dredge the item in flour; 2) dip it in egg wash; 3) coat it in breadcrumbs. I like to use a flaky Japanese breadcrumb called Panko for extra crunch.

Breading helps to seal in moisture when deep-frying or pan-frying. It also provides a crunchy and delicious exterior, and the golden-brown color that results makes the food more attractive. The three-step process also ensures that the breading sticks to the food instead of falling off in the hot oil. While the standard breading procedure is typically used for items that will be fried, breaded items can be baked as well.

The procedure will work for chicken cutlets, fish, vegetables, or any other item you want to fry. Here's a step-by-step demo on the standard breading procedure.

One of the most versatile foods on the planet, chicken can be roasted, baked, grilled, sautéed, braised or fried. It can also be poached, simmered, steamed, stir-fried or cooked under a magnifying glass. But we digress.

The point is, chicken can be cooked any way you can think of. Even more amazing, after you've cooked (and eaten) it, you can simmer the carcass to make chicken stock. How many foods can be used so thoroughly and in so many different ways?

Whether you've never cooked a chicken before, or you're looking for a new twist on the same old chicken, you'll want to check out this ultimate guide on how to cook chicken.

The strain of E. coli that killed 39 people last month was particularly deadly because it combined two properties of related E. coli bugs to form a kind of super bug, according to an article in our sister publication, The New York Times:

"One trait was a toxin, called Shiga, that causes severe illness, including bloody diarrhea and, in some patients, kidney failure. The other is the ability of this strain to gather on the surface of an intestinal wall in a dense pattern that looks like a stack of bricks, possibly enhancing the bacteria's ability to pump the toxin into the body."

E. coli is a bacteria known for causing food poisoning via undercooked ground beef, as well as contaminated spinach and sprouts. Indeed, the German outbreak is thought to have been caused by contaminated bean sprouts.

Why sprouts? For one thing, the most effective way of killing the bacteria that cause food poisoning is through cooking. And sprouts are frequently eaten raw, which means that unless they're washed very thoroughly, any bacteria on them is going to get into your system. Which is not normally a problem, unless you happen to be very young, very old, pregnant, or have a compromised immune system for some other reason.

In the German outbreak, the victims were largely young and middle-aged women — possibly "because they are more likely to eat sprouts," according to the New York Times article.

You can read more about E. coli. These are some of the most common food bacteria, and here's a list of food poisoning symptoms. Finally, remember these three basic steps for preventing food poisoning:

1. Cook food thoroughly
2. Avoid cross-contamination
3. Wash your hands

Summertime is the peak season for food poisoning, for a lot of reasons, but mainly because the bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply the fastest in warm temperatures, and also because we spend so much time cooking outdoors in hot weather, which often means we don't have access to refrigeration and running water.

One interesting thing about food poisoning is that you might not even realize that it was something you ate that made you sick. Often, food poisoning is written off as the stomach flu or some sort of 24-hour bug. Especially when, in some cases, the illness might come days or even weeks after you ate the tainted food.

The symptoms differ depending on what sort of food poisoning you might be suffering from, but there are definitely some telltale signs to look out for. Here's a list of food poisoning symptoms sorted by which forms of food poisoning they might match up with.