a not so dangerous dinner
The kitchen is quite a dangerous place. Sharp blades, steam, hot plates, gas – really, it’s not the best place for an accident-prone, impatient, careless, and dangerously silly person like myself. Over the years I have sustained many injuries from my experiments. The top of the blender popping off as I was blending up boiling hot soup (let it cool down first, Lou – I’m so impatient) was a particularly good one. Burns are not fun. Porridge (oatmeal) burns are the worst, it’s so gluey that it sticks to your skin and just keeps on burning. Great.
My finger tips will never be the same. Bits chopped off, multiple singes from using them to turn stuff on the hot plate (tongs, Lou, tongs) it’s all part and parcel. One bonus nowadays is that my hands are kind of de-sensitised, so I can just shove them into the oven with reckless abandon. Makes me look so tough.
I think it was Anthony Bourdain (man I love that dude) that said the sign of a cook was ugly hands – it was his mission as an aspiring chef to get that knarled and disfigured look which equates to kitchen kudos.
I didn’t even notice that I sliced the top off my finger this morning as I was hacking up a bit of beef for Boosty’s weekly meals. All the red stuff over my shopping list was a little clue. Gross.
I’m not the most careful cook – my technique, although fast is not exactly “safe.” My Mum would always cringe watching me use a knife.
What’s been your worst cooking related injury?
Seeing HEAB‘s post on homemade apple and sweet potato purees, I remembered I had some of each in the fridge that needed using up. Misty doesn’t really dig the whole ‘puree’ thing – he’s an independent man, and likes to feed himself. Balls seem to be the way to go (and get good distance as a tasty chaser for Boosty).
Having purees on hand is kind of useful – they add a certain something (yeah, the M word) to baking, extra flavour to sauces and soups, and are great mixed in with cereal or yoghurt. If you have too much, just freeze and use at your leisure, what could be easier? I also think eating pureed food is quite comforting in a ‘reverting back to childhood’ kinda way. Maybe that’s just me.
I’m still on my sweet potato kick, so made these to involve Misty in the madness.
Misty’s Millet Munchies
(Gluten free, nut free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)
- 1/4C sweet potato puree
- 1/4C apple puree (or just use all sweet potato)
- 1/4C millet
- Pinch of ground cinnamon and ginger (approx 1/8t of each)
- 1/2C water
- 1/2C rice milk
- 2T ground flax
- Sesame seeds for coating (substitute with wheat germ, coconut, quinoa flakes, whatever you have).
- Combine everything except ground flax in a small saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and wait until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (around 20 minutes, it may be longer).
- Turn off heat and stir in flax seed. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and let the flax work it’s magic.
- Roll into balls, and coat in sesame seeds.
No injuries were sustained in the making of these balls.
