Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 June 2007 14:38:02
This afternoon the parents left for a short break. This meant that I cooked dinner. I am somewhat familiar with cooking, particularly with a blow torch. But also with other things like ovens and stoves and microwaves and stuff. So it would seem that cooking pasta and sauce (both pre-made, from the chiller section of your supermarket) would not be overly taxing.
The pasta was in the water, and hence it was time to heat up the sauce. As I put it in the microwave, it occurred to me that it would be safer to place the rather flimsy plastic container on a plate for easy removal when it was boiling hot. But as I'd never done this before, I pushed such a logical and simple thought aside. After 3.5 minutes, I went to remove the rather flimsy plastic container, now filled with very hot sauce. I used a tea towel to grab it - usually a wise move when handling hot things, and a technique that has not failed me in times of heating pasta sauce.
Somehow the sauce overturned onto my hand. My spinal reflexes (mono and polysynaptic I'd say) were much faster than my slower pain fibres, and my hand was under cold running water before it had time to hurt. Due to the drought and my impatience with standing at the sink for long periods of time, I stuck my hand in a round Gladware container full of cold water and surveyed the damage. Heh. So the epicentre was in front of the... well it's not exactly a cupboard, but it's the part of the bench where the toaster and kettle live and it has sides and a top (cupboard above) and a roll down shutter thing for when we wish to pretend that we don't have a toaster or a kettle. The roll down shutter was not rolled down. The pasta sauce (spicy tomato and bacon, serves 2-4) container was nearly empty. The sauce was mainly dripping down a chopping board that is propped up next to the toaster. Some had landed on the toaster, some had gone into the toaster. A distant wall (2 metres away) bore evidence of my reflex movement, as did the fridge, and the floor. Oh yes, and the cutlery drawer which was unfortunately open.
I think the experience is what my English teacher would have called a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I have learnt the following things
* The cold water thing is actually very effective - I wasn't in any pain until half an hour after my cold water treatment (which went for 40 minutes)
* As is paracetamol, once the cold water effect has worn off - I was in lots of pain, then suddenly, I wasn't. Who knew?! Panadol has knocked Telfast out of position on my favourite drugs list
* To remove pasta sauce from a toaster, the first step is to shake it a bit, so that the crumbs at the bottom coat any large chunks and they can be easily tipped out. A cotton bud sticky taped to a fondue fork is good for removing stubborn bits from elements. Paper towel used in conjunction with the High Lift function is good for cleaning the bits that hold the bread. Yes, the toaster was unplugged at this point.
* Perhaps putting the pasta sauce on a plate in the microwave is not such a bad idea after all.
* My brother is quite good at finding pasta sauce deposits in the kitchen, and is also a rather good egg when it comes to cleaning up after a disaster.
* He is also good at salvaging the sauce that is not in grotty locations, for use on the pasta (which was ready a minute and a half after this disaster occurred).
* Next time this sort of thing happens, I should take a photo before cleaning it up!