Cooking hazards and other unpleasant side effects.
I have some friends and family who just don't know why I put up with sneezing (into my arm) and tearing while up cutting onions. They would much rather go out to eat than cook. They don't understand that it relaxes me and I really enjoy cooking--be it grunt prep work or the finishing of a nice dish or hey, the family's favorite--pizza. Yeah I water up with onions, and I cough when I get a little too close to a sauce that is simmering with hot sauce, vinegar or chile flakes. And do not rub your eyes after dicing hot peppers.
These all seem common sense to me.
On the other hand I do have to say that what doesn't seem like second nature, is opening a hot oven and peering in immediately if you happen to be wearing mascara. I don't wear mascara much, but wow. It became glueish in a matter of seconds from the heat given off by the ovens.
More importantly... I have styled wigs of synthentic material for chemo clients and now from experince, warn them that that they should not open a hot oven with the wig on. It will melt or frizzle in the intense blast of heat.
What are your stories?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
16 Comments:
i look at my time in my kitchen as "my time". whether i've got my kids running by me with trucks (though there is a "no playing in the kitchen when mommy's cooking rule"), or that i've got 10, 15, 30 guests i've cooking for... i might get b*tchy and/or curt with someone trying to help me, or if i yell out "OWEEE!!!!, no really, I'M OKAY!!" after suffering a burn from a pot of boiling water or after having grabbed the oven rack w/out an oven mitt, it's part of my personal cathartic experience that is feeding those i love!
kristygarr at 11:29PM on 06/11/09
I've worn contact lenses for a long, long time. New doctor tells me that I need to go without them for a couple weeks so he can get valid readings on some tests. So I'm wearing glasses and cutting onions in the kitchen and my eyes are buring like I've rubbed the onions into my eyeballs. My eyes are watering like faucets, dripping onto the lenses of the glasses. Do I stop cutting onions? Nope.
At first, I thought I must have found some exotic, extremely pungent onions, but then I realized that the contacts had always shielded me a bit, and without them, my eyes were a lot more sensitive.
dbcurrie at 11:36PM on 06/11/09
I'm that person who catches a dropped knife by the (very sharp) blade instead of letting it fall or pours boiling water into the sink over her own hand. I've been also known to hit my head on an open cupboard door or forget that the dishwasher is open and walk (or rather, try to walk) right through it.
I burn myself at least once a week because I appear to have a desperate urge to clean the stove immediately after I've cooked something, while the burners are still hot. I may also decide to clean the bread machine right after I took a loaf out (this was a very unfortunate burn, in three places at once) or stick my hand into a dishwasher that has just stopped running, right next to the heating element (this one wouldn't heal for ever)...you got the idea. So crying over sliced onions is a walk in the park, as far as I'm concerned:-).
Despite all my kitchen-related incidents, I never thought to stop cooking. Plus, let's face it, if i didn't cook, I'd probably find another way to injure myself in various ways on a regular basis (I do occasionally walk into walls and furniture, but that's another story). I love cooking and find it extremely gratifying. My kitchen is my own world, my (not so ) little queendom, and I'm not parting with it because of a couple of silly burns or cuts here and there!
brooke29 at 3:06AM on 06/12/09
More than one dish I've prepared has a secret ingredient ... a little slice of skin from my fingers or hand. Courtesy of a hard-working microplaner or grater coupled with a cook with serial ADD.
smallkitchen at 7:16AM on 06/12/09
I continue to burn my fingers/hands/arms even after I received an oven mitt as a gift twice.
I don't know why but I always forget that a skillet came out of the oven and grab the handle. ouch.
It was really gross when I cut off the tip of my thumb and the bit of me was on the knife. That time I couldn't continue cooking, so I supervised my bf to finish the dish. It took a while to heal (grow back?) but I didn't stop cooking.
I don't get teary when I chop onions though, maybe because they are always chilled in the fridge. or I'm not that sensitive...
hmw0029 at 8:02AM on 06/12/09
@dhorst I wish someone had warned be about wig melting before! I actually had one on the wigs (I have several in case I feel like being someone else) I had a Marilyn wig melt onto my head, and barely realized it untill I stopped to wash my hands. LOL Walked into the er with a melty frizzly marilyn wig and a stained apron. LOL Needless to say it caused quite a stir.
huneybumper at 8:11AM on 06/12/09
All of my kitchen accidents I concider "taking one for the team". A few finger cuts, burns, scraped knuckles, bruised forehead (wine bottle opening) and once snipping off a finger nail with kitchen shears has not detered me one bit. Crying while cutting onions is just what happens, no big deal to me. And yeah, I've had mascara melt on my lashes too! Have been around people who will whine and complain over the smallest incident and swear it's just not worth it. Yes, yes it is.
finsbigfan at 8:55AM on 06/12/09
For the teariness of the onions--can you wear goggles? I've heard it said 'the sharper the knife, the less you cry,' although given @brooke29 & @hmw0029's experiences with knives, perhaps a bit of crying is better than a too-sharp weapon!
Outside of minor burns I can't think of anything I've really done to hurt myself on the level of participating in sports and yardwork. I do remember reading that Dorie Greenspan once burned down her parent's kitchen, so perhaps if you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, you can't be a good baker without burning down an oven or two!
HeartofGlass at 9:05AM on 06/12/09
I always look like I am about to have a stroke after working in the kitchen. I perspire copiously and when I am busy and concentrating on cooking, I start to drip. Add to that, the heat of the stove, the hum of the kitchen fan, the fact that my glasses "fog up" and I can't see a bloody thing, lots of little voices saying, "Is supper ready yet?", people that will enter the kitchen to engage me in a long conversation, the rise in the humidity - well, you get the picture! My face is bright red, perspiration drips into my eyes, my hair is plastered to my head and I have to run upstairs to change before serving (these are dinners for up to 30 family members) and honestly, I do love it, but I just don't look like I do. Hey, has anyone out there tried botox for hyperhydrosis? Does it work?
I had to give up a gas stove because it was too hot and when I opened the windows, any breeze would fan the flames and become dangerous, so now I have a flat top that works well.
bareneed at 9:08AM on 06/12/09
Ok OP.... funny you should bring up the mascara. Was roasting some veg the other night, opened up the oven door, leaned in, and I SWEAR I saw smoke/fumes from my mascara fly up! Yeouch!
I once was melting chocolate for a brownie recipe, in a ghetto double boiler (ie pyrex bowl over saucepan). Didn't really think about how BIG the bowl needed to be in order to STIR the chocolate... did you know that chocolate chips can fall into the burner and CATCH ON FIRE! I'm talking flames several inches high! Very easily, and I am surprised I haven't done it before or since.
Put out the fire with the kitchen sink sprayer and never told a soul. Managed to do all this without the chocolate seizing up, too.
wasliche at 10:24AM on 06/12/09
gave new meaning to heating up the oil ..... well, a little too long and when i threw the ingredients into the pan, i almost burned the house down!
the company was quite impressed.....
pooch at 10:35AM on 06/12/09
I too have a tendency to grab burner grates to clean them while still hot. It doesn't sink in. Also have a couple noticable scars from various burns, mostly involving rushed holiday baking and wrangling hot cookie sheets. And, my favorite, though I use fairly little plastic, I generally manage to melt it into my cookware somewhere during the process. I blame a small kitchen.
And though onions of any kind make tears pour from my eyes, there wouldn't be tomato bruschetta without some good red onions. These are the sacrifices we make.
savecara at 10:51AM on 06/12/09
I've clogged up the garbage disposal with vegetable peelings more than once, and on another occasion had to fish tiny pieces of broken glass out of it. Not fun. So now, I save my vegetable peelings for stock instead. Problem solved.
@huneybumper--you poor thing! I'm holding my sides and giggling picturing you in an apron and half-melted wig, like a scene out of a bad horror movie. LOL!
buffy at 11:45AM on 06/12/09
I'll admit there are kitchen tasks that I enjoy more than others. You can add chopping onions to the list of "not so much." I have friends who love this task and I think they're insane. My lack-of-love for certain kitchen tasks would never stop me from cooking.
Some other non-favorite tasks and/or mishaps...
Dismembering lobsters
Cleaning live blue crabs (infinitely more dangerous than lobsters)
Removing bones from finfish with a needlenose plier
Whipping egg whites or cream by hand (but I'm soooo satisfied when done)
Grabbing a pan handle that (unbeknownst to me) was over a fire source. OUCH.
Under nerve fraying...
Glove boning poultry
Bruleeing Creme
Making a multi-layer half sheet cake. (Duff makes it look so EASY...Grrrr.)
therealchiffonade at 1:22PM on 06/12/09
Having a steamer (industrial size) and opening the door with your face right there. Talk about facial.
pjracz10 at 4:36PM on 06/12/09
Never cook pork of any kind after a facial!! Instant break-out.
Also, do not order a big plate of piping hot Gnocchi at your favorite local Osteria, if you just had your hair styled. Puffy, steamy gnocchi = flat, limp hair. This happened to me just last week. : (
@dhorst - If you breathe exclusively through your mouth while chopping onions, you will not tear up.
Cheers,
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 5:23PM on 06/12/09