Last night, I went into the kitchen to give the cats a treat. Suddenly there was a sizzling and clanging and I turned to see the saucepan San Geraldo had left simmering on the stove, sending off clouds of steam. The lid was rattling and the contents were splashing and sputtering onto the cooktop.
In the few times I’ve cooked in the past, I never worked on a ceramic cooktop. I had experience with electric coils, but gas was my preferred medium (primarily because, when I burned anything, I could immediately turn off the heat).
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“Jerry!” I yelled. “Something’s boiling over!”
I shifted the saucepan lid to the side to allow the heat to escape. I then started pressing the controls on the cooktop. But nothing happened. When Jerry (aka San Geraldo) came into the kitchen, I was obviously in a panic holding the lid in the air watching the mess bubble all over the cooktop.
Before patting me on the back, San Geraldo grasped the handle and slid the pan to the right to remove it from the hot burner.
Now, why didn’t I think of that? (And why does he leave me alone in the kitchen?!?)
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One of my worst nightmares is being alone in the kitchen, with all of the dangers that lurk there. I admire anyone, like Jerry/San Geraldo, who can nonchalantly take charge in a crisis like that, and save me. Glad he was there for you.
Jo:
Well, we both burst out laughing when he so cleverly moved the pan off the burner. I probably would have gotten there on my own… eventually.
Yummy yummy plate full of food– and nice stove top 🙂 What WAS that in that pot? It looks like eggs!
Judeet:
That was parsnips and carrots, which were then mashed (as shown in the second photo).
I love my ceramic cooktop. And you eat extremely well!
Knatolee:
Thanks to San Geraldo, we sure do eat extremely well. I think I'll keep him around. (I like cleaning the ceramic cooktop… I love making things shine.)
Is that an induction cooking hotplate? Like you, I prefer to shine than cook.
Andrew:
I'm so impressed you can say "induction cooking hotplate" with such authority. I have no idea what that is, but maybe it's because I've never cooked an induction.
And if there were flames rather than boiling you should first put the lid back on the pot and then remove it from the heat.
Ha, Parsnips and carrots. I thought perhaps cauliflower and squash but it didn't quite look like that. You eat very well!
Kristi:
And I know (from experience… pre-San Geraldo) that throwing salt on a chicken could make the flames stop.
I love this new plan San Geraldo is following. Other than no more digestive biscuits smothered in dark chocolate after every meal, it doesn't feel at all like a sacrifice.
I often ask myself a similar question about Carlos:
Why do i leave him alone in the kitchen?
Bob:
Jerry apparently doesn't think of that.
I am pretty comfortable in the kitchen 'rattling them pots & pans' and I love ceramic cook tops. Once one gets the hang of them they work like any electric cooktop and look so much cleaner and sleeker than coils
HK:
Well, ceramic cooktops are definitely more satisfying to clean.
Induction is the heating method. I love mine except for one little problem…you can't can with a pressure canner on an induction cooker because they don't maintain a steady heat. If you don't can fruits and veggies it's no big deal.
I can and can't wait to get another gas stove!
Jacquelineand….
Well, that (induction) explains a lot. Thanks! San Geraldo doesn't like the fact that the burners don't maintain steady heat. I'm sure he'd be much happier with a gas stove.
We had one of those electric ceramic cooktops and I found it very hard to clean. I ended up using Windex and a razor blade, and when I used that white cream to clean it I discovered that it worked best if allowed to dry before polishing. Otherwise it just streaked.
Stephen:
I wonder if they've gotten better. I find it easy to clean (even with the mess San Geraldo can make of it) and the cooktop cream made especially for it is great.
What's a 'ceramic cooktop'? (Don't bother!)
Btw: Is that egg-plant slices I see on the plate? They look much more appetising than my 'experiment' turned out.
Raybeard:
Yep. Those are the same recipe eggplant slices that San Geraldo made before. Again, exceptional.