Yum Makes It All Better

[jmfargo]

Okay, so my morning wasn't going so well and I was really ready to just shut down and take a nice long nap, which wouldnt have been a bad thing, but at the same time would have been because I have work to do. Instead, I remembered that I had to make spaghetti sauce or we would have no dinner tonight! A part of me argued that if I didn't make it we might be able to have a fish fry (probably my favorite meal these days), but honesty won out in straight sets, and I got to cooking.

Nothing soothes me like cooking. The gentle rythm of cutting the vegetables, the harsh staccatto of the oil popping to its own beat, the smells, the memories, the tears. Tears? Damn that onion was powerful.

It was nice, getting into the kitchen and making my bastardized version of my family sauce into something that Maria will enjoy. I've actually created my own "family" sauce, so that feels good.

I'm relaxed now, able to work without feeling stressed, and handling the dogs better. It's absolutely amazing what getting into a kitchen can do if I'm cooking something I know really well. Very few things can be as calming. I sincerely hope that everyone has something like this for themselves that no matter how bad things are they can turn to it, and even if they don't "return to normal" afterwards, at the very least they are better during it.

Comments

[reverendfixxxer.livejournal.com]

If you don't cut the bottom (root end) off the onion before slicing it, it won't be as powerful and likely to make you tear up. It also helps to hold your head back instead of leaning over your work (as most people chopping vegetables, myself included, are prone to do).

[reverendfixxxer.livejournal.com]

Oh, I neglected to include that if you're cutting onions and the tearing gets extremely bad or painful (which it can do if you're cutting a buttload of them), open your freezer door and stick your face in. Trust me.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Trust me.

I've read posts at the forums on your D&D Archive site (http://www.dndarchive.com/) that makes me question the wisdom of that course of action.

However, this time I will, and probably get eaten by a grue. :)


Seriously though? I have never been so strongly affected by an onion. This thing was potent! I'll keep all these tips in mind in the future, thanks! Isn't there one about "cut it near a tap while running cold water," or something? Does that work?

This Works For Me

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

I run the onion beneath cold water before I begin, and then I run the ulu/knife (whichever I happen to have conviently laying about) under hot water for about 30-45 seconds before beginning to chop up the onion. I've yet to shed a tear. But then, I'm a ten year old with pig tails, so what are you going to do, eh?

Re: This Works For Me

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

What's an ulu? I asked Maria because she's smart and she asked me to use it in a sentence, but all I could come up with at first was, "Okay, 'What is an ulu?'"

Then I read what you wrote and we still have no idea.

Yes, I could google.

No, I'm not going to. :)

Re: This Works For Me

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

It's a type of knife. Specifically used up here in Alaska. It's basically a pendulum-looking blade with a handle on it. In other words, imagine a "C" with its back being the blade and the open part between the top and the bottom of the "C" being where a handle would be. It's original use was designed for skinning, and is exceptional because of the ease of strokes while doing so. It also makes for excellent cutting/dicing of vegetables and other things because of the shape of the blade and the ease of rocking it back and forth in a bowl shapped depression in a cutting board. That help?

Re: This Works For Me

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Okay, so it's a head-knife, which is the type of knife you are supposed to use to do leatherworking. The strange thing was I kind of knew before reading your explanation, but also know I've never heard of an ulu before. *Shrugs*

Yeah, I can see how that would be a cool cutting/dicing knife.

Re: This Works For Me

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

Also jsut so you know, it's pronouced, "ew-lue". Remember knowledge is power.

Re: This Works For Me

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

But spelling, however, is not. ;P