According to Chef Blythe, my teacher in culinary school, this is the single most dangerous thing in a kitchen. The many injuries I've sustained throughout my kitchen adventures can speak to his wisdom. Using the wrong tool is more often than not a result of another kitchen sin; laziness, rushing, distraction, poor planning. I've been guilty of all of these at one time or another, and there have been times that it has cost me dearly.
Recently I set a record for worst/stupidest injury yet. During a dinner party at a friend's house, I managed to boil about half of my left hand after using the wrong container to get water out of a pot. If ever there was a moment in time I wished I could take back, that would be the one. Ouch.
The pain was extraordinary, but what's worse is the time spent exiled from the kitchen. It's been over a week since I have been able to cook at all. Today, I was able to manage assembling a smoothie for lunch. A triumph, considering I haven't been able to bend my fingers until now. My husband has been making a valiant effort to take over my role in the kitchen, which I do appreciate, but if there is anything more frustrating than being unable to do what you love, it is watching someone else try to do it for you.
The good news is that my physical therapist believes with the proper care I can regain most, or all of the mobility in my left hand. After living without that mobility for the past week I am pretty thankful to know it is coming back. My thumb got the worst of it, which is the most important of my fingers, being the only thing I have to lord over the cat with. If I didn't have thumbs I'm pretty sure Mr. Pickles would have conspired a mutiny by now. Things being as they are, he knows he needs me to use the can opener.
Waiting to get better is a real drag. Patience is not a natural virtue of mine – which is why you don't see me baking too often. I have a theory that bakers are better patients than cooks. Cooks are more like Klingons, growling and snarling at doctor's orders to slow down, take it easy, and refrain from our usual routines. In therapy I have a bad habit of treating every exercise like a challenge to my personal honor. "Just keep the movement within your pain tolerance", she says. Pain?! Ha! I laugh at pain, you feeble human. Five minutes later I've busted all the capillaries in my thumb. Whoops.
Slowly, but surely, I'll be reintroducing myself to the kitchen. For a while, I'll be extra super careful, but somewhere inside I know this won't be the last stupid injury I cook myself into. Let's just hope it remains the most serious for a while. I plan to spend the rest of my exile compiling recipes for my return. Any suggestions? Do me a solid and leave some recipes and links in the comments for me to explore. See you soon!
Injury Update – November 1: I'm pleased as pop over my recovery, and amazingly grateful for the existence of my left hand. I'm back in the kitchen at full capacity, and am looking forward to getting back to blogging new recipes.