How NOT to Make Pesto

Tonight's post started in a very different place than it's ending. I was going to regale you with kitchen garden history today, which I am sure is fascinating. Then we were going to talk about what's growing on my back porch - basil, oregano, lemon thyme, mint - despite the lack of space and sunlight (photos are deceptively sunny).

I had some tasty herby evening cooking planned - caprese salad (minus the mozzarella), basil pesto, and a tofu lemon thyme souffle...I never made it to the souffle. And here we come to my cautionary kitchen tale, a warning to all users of hand blenders.

I won't go into the gruesome details, but suffice it to say my finger ended up in an intimate relationship with some sharp blades. After screaming my head off for two minutes, applying pressure to the mauled index finger, and calling 911, I spent the next three hours checking things off my list of first-time activities. First ride in an ambulance, first visit to the hospital (aside from being born) for my own medical needs, first stitches. The evening was not quite as relaxing and restful (nor productive) as expected, but it could have been much worse. Hospital traffic was surprisingly light, the doctor and nurse were very nice, and I watched a good portion of Anchor Man.

So the moral of my story is simple: don't put your finger in an immersion blender while plugged in. For those of us who spend a good amount of time in the kitchen and have come to feel overly comfortable and confident, some times we need a jarring wake-up call to bring back the realities of kitchen safety. Blades are sharp; ovens are hot; food can spoil; and when a kitchen junkie's judgement grows lax, she may count her lucky stars to escape with a few deep lacerations (and four stitches) rather than one finger short.

It's been a long evening, so I will live you with that thought to mull over (and comment on).