Lending a Hand - Week 2, pt. 2

Here's the deal.
I'm a "show me once, get my questions out in the open and I'll be able to do it forever" kinda of gal. But, it's like some strange muscle memory thing - ok, it's a confidence thing - but, I have to do it once. I know how I do it in my kitchen. But, I want to know how THEY do it in theirs.

So, knowing that I was likely to spill (and waste) half the onions in my next smooth move, I asked if it was easier to bring the onions to the heated pan or the heated pan to the onions (sitting on that table behind us.) He said, perhaps first we should get you a real pan. And, we were walking. He grabs the aforementioned 20 inch pan and I think to myself "This is what Godzilla uses to fry up a snack."

And we head back to the fire-breathing dragon.
I mean, um, stove.

He puts the pan down. Grabs the whole pot of buttery stuff and sets it next to the pan and adds ladle a ladle of golden goodness. I comment on how apparently you CAN bring the mountain to Mohammad. (I would have just put the pan next to the pot to measure it out.)

He says, you cook at home - no difference.
Um, yeah. I say, yeah, there is.
He said, oh, you mean because people are watching?
Well, yeah, that, too. And, thank-you-so-very-much-for-mentioning-it. But, it's more that in my own kitchen I turn around fast, ya know? And, with hot pans and sharp knives and such, this is not a "turn around fast kinda" place.

At this point he knows I'm nuts.
And, smiles.

OK, so we're all set. Pan on the stove, butter and onions in the pan. Pan has fire under it. Wait. Um, I don't... (insert fancy chef move of flipping the pan contents over with a swoosh of the wrist). Do you have, you know (insert image of me using a big arm movement of stirring something.) He laughs while reaching above and behind him - grabbing a silicone spatula.

He says, it's just... this (tilting the pan forward)...
and this (tilting it back with a shove forward.)

Yeah, sure, I said. That's NEXT week's adventure.
He laughs. OK, well, THIS week, walk this little pan to the dishwasher.

I sulked, and said passing chef 2, well, I guess I'm part of the team. I'm being teased. We share a grin. I'm back to sulking.

When I was back at the onions I said I was surprised no one had teased about my being left-handed yet.

You're left-handed?
(Oi, my big mouth!)

So, while the onions cooked we found out that we have some mutual friends - well before they moved out of state. Which was cool. Small world. I finished the quiches. And, I mentioned that who ever finishes them in the morning might want to hold off on adding any salt to the egg mixture, since between the feta and the kalamatas the sodium was already likely reaching maximum peakage. (Insert gesture of my waving my hand above me head.) He said, good reminder. And, he'd see me next week.

So, you guys didn't run off to the corner for a quick vote and decide to toss me out of your kitchen yet?
(He laughs.) No...not yet...but there's still time.
Yep. I like these people.

And, for the record, now that I have steamed spinach once with someone, once again by myself, I have confidence in my steaming abilities. So, I have that under my belt, I'm good. Well, once I figured out how to open the safety latch on the steamer door.

As long as I don't have to do anything but sauté onions or steam spinach, I'm golden.

Wait! I said I would try that fancy chef tossing move.
Oh, man. I guess I have homework.
Big pan, dry rice, and patience. :)