In the past twelve months, I have broken eleven wine glasses, three of them in the past month alone. The most recent was last night when the stem snapped while I was washing it, slashing a nice crimson arc in both my left thumb and left index finger. The wounds were not deep but were very bloody. I was determined to finish the dishes, so I put on a vinyl disposable glove (I have a box of them in the kitchen) and kept on working. By the time I was finished, my left hand, inside the glove, was a beautiful, bright, and sopping red. It was only a couple of spoonfuls of blood, but smeared around inside the glove it looked like I had dipped my hand in a dish of crimson dye. My, what a beautiful color!
I have also, in the past few months, ruined two pots. It’s just as well, as both were as old as Methusula. But still, how is it I spend fifteen years with these pots and then bust them both inside of six months? The upside of all this is the changing face of blork’s kitchen. All of my three pots (the most recent acquired just yesterday) are shiny and new.
Yesterday I also went out and bought a new bread knife–a Henckels (from the cheaper “Fine Edge” line). This is a result of my using such a knife in Ottawa a few days ago. I am an adamant defender of the necessity of a good quality chef’s knife (or two) in any sensible kitchen, but I never gave much though to bread knives. After all, slicing bread isn’t much of a culinary issue. Whoa, was I wrong! Slicing bread with a stong, heavy, and sharp bread knife is a sensual experience on par with with first time you touch a new lover’s face.
I also bought myself a new French Press–a small one to replace the one that mysteriously disappeared while I was (ironically enough) in France last spring. I just now tried it out, and it is marvelous! I even researched the best method for using a French Press, and I now use that method. Mmmmm. Now all I need is a few new wine glasses, and one of those mesh things so I can hang my five skillets on hooks hanging from the ceiling. Of course that would require a new kitchen–preferably in a loft–but I’m working on that too…