My Kitchen Hates Me

I don't know what happened this weekend. It was like my kitchen was cursed. First, I made one of my favorite soups from culinary school, and it didn't turn out. I mean, it tasted good, but it wasn't pretty and wasn't what I expected. Don't you hate it when that happens? I had such high hopes. Oh well. I am going to forget it happened and try another day. (Or I will just keep the memory alive from when I made it in school and never recreate it ever again. After this attempt, I don't have a desire to make it again for a while. I'll pick another one to teach you about.)

Ok, so I wasn't happy with a recipe. It happens. I am the first to admit that not everything works out perfectly in the kitchen. There are so many variables and if you lose your cool every time everything is less than perfect, you are going to be scared away from the kitchen. That was the easiest challenge this weekend. You'll see. 

Next... One of my favorite meals is a loaded salad. I cut up a million different vegetables, add bacon, beans, cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette... Sounds delicious, doesn't it? They are filling and good for you and YUM. My mouth is watering just writing about it. It is one of the ways I get my husband to ASK for vegetables. That's right. He asks for them. (My husband has a specific philosophy when it comes to food. He will eat cows, pigs, and chickens until they are gone. Then he will work on the sea creatures. After they are gone, he will start eating vegetables. So for him to jump ahead and ask for vegetables, it's kind of a big deal.) Anyway, back to the salad. I got a salad spinner years ago as a present. I love it. It's so nice to get the extra moisture off of vegetables. Well, after the first spin, it died. It didn't just get stuck. It died. I couldn't fix it. My husband couldn't fix it. I almost cried when it went into the garbage. (I knew it was close to dying. It has been put to good use for years now. It was just sad to see it go.) Worst part was that I had to eat a wet salad. Good news? I get to buy a new salad spinner. 

Finally. The worst part of my culinary catastrophes. Technically, I wasn't involved in this one, but it definitely affects me. So, we made an unspoken deal when we got married. I cook and my husband cleans the kitchen and does dishes afterward. (Sometimes he will clean as I cook so it is all done by the time we eat. It is delightful.) Well, he was finishing dishes on Saturday and had the disposal on. (Can you already see where I am going?) He was drying my favorite (and most used) chef's knife. Yeah, the one I got in culinary school and have used millions of times. It fell out of his hand and into the disposal. I was oblivious in the living room, and he started freaking out. He started to apologize over and over. He told me my knife dropped. (Not a big deal - it's sturdy enough to take it.) I walked over, telling him it is okay, and that is when he told me it fell blade first into the disposal. Well, it's bent. I don't know if it can be fixed. I don't think so. What do you think? 

He felt so bad. He was ready to run out and buy me a new one. It was sweet. I am so surprised that it wasn't damaged more. He reacted quickly to turn off the disposal and take the knife out. Either way, I'm shopping for a new one. What a fun game! I am still going to look into getting this one fixed. It has a lot of memories. I broke down my first chicken, duck, and rabbit with this knife. It has cut fish, lamb, veal, turkey, beef, fruits and vegetables of all kinds. It's almost like we're friends now. 

So that should explain why I haven't been posting yummy recipes, telling funny stories from culinary school, or talking about my awesomeness. I am mostly recovered and should be back tomorrow. As Walt Whitman said, "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." So here's to focusing on the sunshine and losing the shadows that threatened over the weekend.