The Great American Smoke-Out

Been off the blog for a few days, as I've been recovering from a serious case of smoke inhalation.

Yes, I just about burned the house down Monday night while attempting to re-create a dish I learned in Culinary class last weekend.

If my kitchen had been an airport, planes would have been grounded - that's how bad visibility was due to the smoke.

I had to open up TWO doors in order to get a cross-breeze going, while running the hood fan AND the ceiling fan, and donning a gas mask.

All the while, I was frantically looking at the clock, knowing that Hubs was due home from work at ANY moment, and I really, really didn't want him walking in and thinking that our local fire department was holding training exercises in our home.

I would never have lived that down...so I was "shooing" smoke as fast as I could.

At one point, I panicked - when I saw a dark shape emerging from the fog - but quickly calmed down when I realized it wasn't Hubs. It was just the Daughter.

"Mom!!!!" She exclaimed, between coughing and hacking. "What (cough, cough) the heck are you doing??!!"

Duh.

ALL chefs smoke their houses out every now and then, I calmly explained to her.

There was no need to panic. Yet. We only needed to panic if Hubs were to walk in, I told her.

Fortunately, I was on call Monday with the American Red Cross - so if the fire department HAD to be called, and Red Cross services were needed, I was already right there. I wouldn't have to travel very far, huh?

Some other good news, is that despite the near-death experience, my dish turned out pretty tasty. And I didn't lose any fingers to the Chef's knife during the prep work.

And Hubs was a little late that night - so he didn't get to experience the full brunt of the Great American Smoke-Out.

I am so grateful.

Peace.