Follow Up

So Tasty Thursday still turned out tasty, but there were a few hiccups along the way!

First off, the James Island Piggly Wiggly is right on my way home, therefore, it is where I buy food. However, it does not have all the things I'd like to purchase. i.e. they were out of brussels sprouts yesterday. So I opted for broccoli and made this:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html

It was, perhaps, the best broccoli I've ever had...if I do say so myself. And the curry chicken tasted great, too! But here's what went down in the kitchen in order to have this good meal.

The broccoli required the oven to be at 425. No big deal...but what is that smoke you wonder? Oh, it is my two cast iron frying pans in the oven (with grease)*. Normally this isn't a problem when you heat the oven to 350, but I guess 425 was too much for these bad boys with nothing in them cooking. Smoke detector going nuts. Turn it off, remove pans, and continue cooking.

The whole grain rice is cooking, the broccoli is in the oven, the onions have been sauteed for the chicken curry. Now I'm sautéing the chicken and I notice the smoke. At first I think it is the smoke from before. I think this for quite a while, actually, until I remove the chicken from the pan and realize the spices have burned on the bottom of the pan. Blerg! Now there is smoke everywhere!  The fire alarm is going off again!

I remove the pan as quickly as possible and try to salvage the non-burned onions. In doing so I put the pan on the butcher block. Then transfer the goodies into another frying pan and continue cooking. I grab the original pan to move to the sink and realize it has left a black burn mark on the butcher block. Don't worry, my roommate that owns the house, yeah, her dad made that block. Praise the Lord it wasn't on her (dad made and gorgeous, yet unfinished) butcher block counters. Such a mess...

A few fans and open doors later and the smoke finally cleared. The meal was completed. And 20 or so minutes later the fiance and the other roommate arrived home. Let's be honest, an ice cold Blue Moon was well deserved! I think that people cook differently in different kitchens, with different pans...after several mishaps in this kitchen, I'm not sure if this one is the best for me.

* I think that all good Southern cooks keep a cast iron skillet or two. The great ones keep bacon grease in theirs. Just another way I am my mother's daughter.