Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Don't Let This Happen to You

Good grips oven mitt - worth the investment!

I was cooking dinner last week.  I was making the cajun catfish in one pan and roasted asparagus with tomato, garlic and lemons in another, very heavy pan that I don't use very often.  I was going a bit fast, doing a few things at the same time.  It was time to toss the asparagus so I grabbed a kitchen towel and pulled the pan out - I tend to use oven safe frying pans for everything and this was no exception.  Except, I forgot that this pan was really heavy. I didn't grab it very securely and before I knew it, the pan was slipping from my hand and the towel dropped to the floor.
Hope this isn't TMI - I ended up with second and third degree burns

I immediately got a big bowl from the cupboard.  I filled it with ice and cold water and soaked my hand for the rest of the evening.  Since then I've looked around on the internet and the prevailing wisdom says to just apply lukewarm water over the burns.  A friend said I should have applied butter, but that is disputed on the internet.  My friend Dr. Chris Walsh (really - he takes boot camp with me) said that after you burn your hand like this you should just leave it alone - don't put on band aides or ointments.  The burns and blisters should be exposed to the air to heal properly.

To avoid this painful experience in the future I am swearing off kitchen towels as pot holders and bought a product called Oxo Good Grips.  True to their name, they grip with flexibility and dexterity.  There's a comfortable inside lining and they withstand up to 600 degrees in heat.  They're a bit pricey - I bought mine for $13.95 each at Zabars.  But I'm not taking any chances in the future with burns.  I urge you to make the investment, too.

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