Afraid To Cook!

Have you ever been afraid to cook?  I am not talking about being jun shy in the kitchen, I am talking about using a method or a tool that really made you really scared?  Adrenaline pumping, sweat poring, heart beating, scared?

I have.  Twice.

The first time was about eight years ago.  I was not overly confident in the kitchen but for some reason I decided to attempt to make homemade onion rings.  What possessed me to get a pan of oil frying when I had no clue what I was doing is beyond me. 

The pan went up in flames and I freaked out.  I mean really freaked out.  I did everything they tell you not to do.  I smothered the pan with the lid and then removed the lid to "check on it" only to have the flames get all excited by the new oxygen and triple in size. 

I am lucky my brother was there to take control of the situation.  I lost a very expensive pan but my kitchen came out just fine and the fire department did not have to be called.

The second time was just the other night.  My new camera had arrived that afternoon and I had spent way to much time playing with it and not deciding what to make for dinner.  Before I knew it, it was almost 6 pm and I hadn't even thought about making dinner.

I started to dig through the freezer and found two almost empty bags of Chicken Nuggets.  Well, that will work, I thought as I dumped them on a cookie sheet. 

Now, what to have with the nuggets?  How about some fries?  I was plum out of Orieda but there are plenty of potatoes in the pantry.  But do I have time to slice them and cook them before Shawn and Heidi are back from dance?

Hmmm...

Wait!  Great idea!  Dig out the Mandolin.  My cooking teacher told me I just HAD to have a mandolin so I picked on up last winter.  I took it out of the box, noticed how incredibly sharp the blades are, and that was about the end of my relationship with the mandolin.

Until now.  I dug that thing out, I washed it up, I installed the blades that were labeled fries, and started to slice that potatoes.

After the first slice of the potato, I noticed my heart was racing. 

A few more slices and I am clenching my jaw.

One potato down and I am starting to shake.

And then this happened.

Man, was I glad it just took off my nail and not the tip of my finger!

To this day, I have never attempted to make onion rings.  As of right now, I have no desire to use that stupid mandolin again.  I want to keep my fingers.  Thank you very much.