Category: Let's talk
Ok, I know lots of you cook, but I was wondering if there was any equipment you use or whatever to keep from gettinb burned on the stove or do you just use nothing and hope for the best? Lol. I need to learn cooking
Use a ceramic hob or buy an oven with a ceramic hob if you haven't already got one, always feel for the handle of a hot saucepan before doing anything with the contents, use just one hand when taking something in or out of the oven using an oven glove, and just generally stay safe, and you won't burn yourself. Having said that, I set fire to mum's oven glove recently when I was lifting something out of the oven, but it was swiftly put out in the sink.
A few tips I can think off.
Don't be shy to wear gloves, even with just frying or grilling, especially in the beginning while you're getting used to the appliances.
I use both hands when putting stuff in and removing it from the oven. Just remember the burner is on the top side of the oven so avoid touching the top of it with the glove. I, too, have set a glove on fire that way, if you make sure the shelve is put in low enough so the back of your hand does not touch the burner you're fine.
I open the oven, take the food out and let it sit on the oven door for a few minutes before handling it further, letting it cool down a bit.
I use the George Foremann grill a lot for meat and chicken. You can even put the meat/chicken on it while it's cold, just add a few minutes to the cooking time. I do chicken breast (boneless and skinless) in about 12 minutes from cold setting. Just unplug the grill, open it and remove the meat/chicken with a fork to a plate, you can wear a glove the first few times if you like. The grill is great for potatoes and vegetables (green peppers for instance) too but does not work so well with chicken Marinade.
Cheers
-B
Do you have a rehab center in your area? The one I work for not only teaches safe cooking techniques here at the center, but we have community teachers who work with people in their homes. You ought to check with your state rehab counselor, if you have one, to see if such services are offered. There doesn't even have to be a rehab center nearby. Many independent teachers work in this field and travel all over the state.
Welding gloves, seriously. Get some you won't be able to burn your self unless you try.
I didn't know that you can set a glove on fire if you touch the top part of an oven. Are you talking about ovens that work with gas or is it the same with electrick ovens?
I am always using electrick once because i think gas is dangerous and i am skared using it.
I can use the oven easily but unfortunately i can't use the grill or the top part of a cooker and i can't fry either.
<grin> just the heat of the burners will set the glove on fire (unless it's a welding one apparently), even if it's just electric.
I agree about gas, I don't use it if I can avoid it.
Grill and stove top, you can use it, just start with something easy, like cut up chicken breast and a bit of olive oil, put the pan and such on while the stove top is still cold, turn it on to about half may be, wear gloves, stand over it and stir the chicken/move it around the pan with a psatula. It'll take 4 or 5 minutes. It won't be as good, because the oil somehow mushes the chicken if you put it in cold, but it's not so bad tasting and it's a good first step towards practicing the cooking, chicken won't splatter so you don't have to worry.
cheers
-B
thanks, will try it. a george forman grill sounds easier than the stove haha.
Yeah like others have said just being very careful while learning the appliances is the best thing. It took me a bit to trust myself after losing my sight to cook again. But now I love to cook.
I also own a foreman grill. Plus a crock pot is a good thing to cook with.
Or ordering out works too, LOL.
yeah forman grills rock, use them for a lot of things. I also thing a good thing to work with is pasta, it's not difficult to cook and can go with a lot of other foods. There are also cookers where you can make rice in the microwave and stuff, which make life generally easier but are not required.
the Deep frier or croc pot, whatever, is my friend also, lol I think I'll start with that
There are lots of good books on the subject. an oldie but a goodie is Cooking Without Loking. Another is So What About Cooking. I agree with what others said about appliances. Have someone mark the settings on your oven/stove, unless you can already tell by the position of the knob something about the temperature/setting of the burner. You might try something simple in the microwave like making a cup of soup or coffe or hot chocolate. You start out with cold water, and as WB said, when you start out cooking, you may want all the confidence-bulders you can find. National Braille Press has a couple books with cooking directions for packaged foods, too. I don't cook much, but that's by choice. On the other hand, nobody will starve in my house from what the expansion of my clothing sizes tells me.
Lou
The George Forman is a very handy tool for any blind person.
Plus with the lovely voc rehab counsellor that we have--yay for us!--, Cala, you could easily get an independent living person to come out and help you. Ask Georgina.
In Him,
Shanda
I use a forman, very easy to clean/take care of. I learned safe cooking at my local rehab center as well. Wouldn't know what to do without them honestly. I also use rubber mits which work very well and it is very hard to set them on fire as I too have sat gloves on fire. If you do have a rehab center that teaches that kind of thing I would incurrage anyone to take advantage of it.
Troy
A rehab center will give you the confidence to try it. Cooking can be a very scary proposition, but needn't be.
One thing, when setting a pot or pan on a burner on the stove, turn the handle toward the back of the stove so you don't walk by and knock it off. It's little clues like this that will make you a successful cook.
I speak from experience, because I am anything but successful, but I'm not afraid to try when ordering out is not an option.
Thanks,
Bob
thanks yall and I will try Georgina. thanks Shanda. ant the microwaves is already my friend.
The George Forman grill is definitely a fantastic invention. I am border line hopeless in the kitchen yet even I can use one of those things so they have to be user friendly.
I'd strongly recommend getting one of those Cala if you haven't already.
Dan
George Formans kick ass, I use that bad boy to cook prokchops, burgers, thin steaks, chicken breasts, and whatever else I can think of. It's also quick and easy since it cooks the meat on both sides. Yes and I agree with Harp, you definetly need to get yourself one them. The only thing is, is that it's a bitch to clean.
Crocpots are good to, I made many, many, many meals from mine. there also easy to use. all you need to do is have a sightie teach how to use them and label the knobs on them for ya, then you'll be good to go.
George forman is fan-freakin-tastic@ and now, for my response without in-fixes:
If you aren't scared of a little bit of heat, cleaning the forman is a whole lot easier if you do it when it's still plugged in, especially with burgers. i just put on an oven mit and use one of those hard sponges and the grease slides off.
Cala, i agree with dan. you should definitely get yourself a georgie.
other than that, if you like fried food but don't like grease popping out at you, there are deep fryers available that like completely enclose what you're cooking in a hard plastic box looking thing and all the grease stays in there so you don't have to worry about it splattering out at you.
um...lets see, oh yeah, never use water to put out a grease fire; throw flour on it. water'll just make it pop more while the flour stifles it.
other than that, just have fun and once you get the hang of your appliances, you'll be good to go.
p.s. the george forman has a grease catcher which can be hard to clean so what i do is wrap it in foil and just throw out the foil when i'm done using it. that way, you don't have to try to scrub fat out of the catcher thinggy, you just take off the fatty foil and throw it out.
I use a dish rag with dish liquid and water to clean mine, it sure beats using that scraper that comes with it, I could be scraping all day!
Troy
lol, i know about the fire thing. and much helpfulness yall, thanks
ok some good things here now my 2 sence, never, never cook on high unless your trying to boil water and stay near the stove when your cooking. as far as the george, well to each there own, a toster oven can be a great friend too, and when pulling things out of the oven the rack should be able to come out some making it easier to grab what ever you are cooking.
Toaster ovens are wonderful, especially if you can get one big enough to fit a 9x13 pan in.
I have used the Foreman grill in the past, but I find it can be hard to clean, despite the hype. I want to upgrade to a model where you can remove the grill plates and wash them in the sink or dishwasher. One thing I learned when dealing with hot food, as in how to check it, is to touch it very lightly and quickly with the very tips of the fingers. I really really hope I explained that one well, else there'll be some people with mighty burnt fingers. LOL! Oven mitts are a good thing to have, as well as a splatter screen for use when frying things in a skillet, just to cut down on the mess. I haven't quite gottten the hang of frying in oil or deep fat, so I leave that to my girlfriend or just find an oven-based solution. Also can't quite get the hang of making pancakes either. For now it's oven-baked versions I suppose.
Here's a tip for cooking beef, chicken, fish, etc in a frying pan. After you've turned it over and cooked both sides, one easy way you can check if it has cooked through is to take a fork or butter knife, a metal one mind you, and stick it right in the middle of the piece, all the way to the bottom, let it sit for a few seconds and then pull it out, now, touch the end of the fork, if it's hot, then you're safe. If it's cold or barely warm, you need more time. Actually touching what's in the pan is a bad idea because if you are even a little off, you'll seriously burn your finger so this way is safer. also, using a timer is very good. You want to cook both sides even.
I use foil for most oven cooking because it helps cleanup. I don't fry much but I can I use an electric fry pan for that because I have 5 to cook for I go by sound of the grees when it gets close to being done it slows down. Speices area good thing to get to know. Salad dressings are good for meats and potatoes. I don't like to make many box dinners They have frozen dinners for the crockpot That are pretty all you do is addeverything andsome you add the rice or noodles the last 30 minutes I don't like the microwave for cooking only for warm up I think Makes tuffand rubbery. If you cook tolong
Microwaves and George Foreman (or in my case Anthony Warrell Thompson) grills arre fmy friends.
I intend to do a microwave cookery class if I can, I've heard some local Societies for the Blind do them, so when I settle somewhere permanently and not just for Uni I will be in contact with mine.