Dayton native Anthony Head says preparing Christmas dinner shouldn’t end with a trip to the ER.

“Anybody can cook if taught the proper technique,” said Head, who teaches a class at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center titled “Cook’s Fast Track to Employment,” a seven week introductory professional cooking course.

He said there is a science to cooking, and certain steps can be taken to ensure food safety.

We asked Head, a graduate of Colonel White High School for the Arts and Ball State University School of Business, to provide a few tips for readers ahead of Christmas dinner - the super bowl of holiday feasts.

Head should know about the connection between food safety and health.

The father of two has a background in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. The self-proclaimed science geek said his interest in food is an off-shoot of his interest in nutrition.

Head took pre-med classes while attending Sinclair Community College’s American Culinary Federation certified culinary program.

“I use science in my cooking,” he said, adding that there is a chemistry involved in preparing winning dishes.

Head, 33, is preparing to attend medical school, and hopes to ultimately share what he knows about nutrition as a family physician.

Below are a few food safety tips from Head. We will share other tips from the self-proclaimed “People’s Chef” in the days before Christmas.

Prepare for race

For many families, Christmas dinner is a marathon rather than a sprint.

People tend graze over their meal for several hours. This sometimes means food left out for long periods of times, and that can lead to food borne illnesses, Head said.

He suggests small batch cooking, a trick used in the restaurant industry.

For the sake of Christmas dinner, it involves pulling fully-prepared or nearly prepared food out of the refrigerator and using it as needed.

“That way the first plate tastes just as good as the last batch,” Head said.

Start with quality products

“You don’t start off bad and make it good,” Head said.

He said it is better to have a few quality ingredients than to spend the money on a whole lot of trash. Check those labels.

If budget is a concern, ask family members to bring side dishes while you focus on the main items.

Don’t let it sit out too long

Head said hot foods can safely remain unrefrigerated for roughly four hours. Cold foods can safely be unrefrigerated for roughly six hours.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Dirty fingers can contaminate even the most delicious dishes. Head said children and seniors are particularly susceptible to food sickness.

“We live in a very dangerous world,” Head said. “We are playing Russian roulette every time we eat.”

Freeze

Head stressed that the refrigerator is a temporary thing. Leftovers can last in the refrigerator seven or fewer days.

If you don’t plan to eat it right away, “wrap it up and freeze it,” he said. “Things can’t stay in the refrigerator indefinitely.”

Most foods can keep in the freezer for several months.

Next in our holiday cooking series: “Learning from Grandma”