Got distracted and the smell of burning food brought you back to reality? First of all, don’t stir the pot furiously, because the rest of the food will pick the smell and will get mixed with bits of the carbonized food. Carefully, remove the food on top with a spoon, without scratching the bottom and place it in another pot. This way you should be able to rescue most of the dinner.
Now you are faced with the feat of cleaning the burned food that is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top of the burned food. Add some water and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes. Let it stand for a couple of hours. You will see that most of the burned food has lifted off the bottom of the pan and you may have to rub a few spots here and there with a scouring pad.