How to Treat a Burn in the Kitchen

Picture this...

You have a dinner party planned for this evening, and you are in the home stretch.  Your hors d'œuvres are out and presented; the table is set.  The only thing remaining is for you to pull the roasted lamb rack.  While you reach for the handles of the roasting pan, you realize the towel in your hand is wet.  "OUCH!" You scream, wondering how you are going to get this pain to go away before your guests arrive. 

Coming from an industrial kitchen, this used to happen to me and my co-workers on a nightly basis.  I used to lather on the burn creams, throw on a band aid and a glove over it; however, this did little for the pain. 
I am rather skilled now at cleaning and wrapping cuts, but not great at treating burns.  I became careful not to burn myself; nevertheless, there were always the exceptions when I would. 

One night when I was at the fish/sautee station, I was burnt pretty badly by the cook next to me.  He threw his ingredients into a pan with hot oil and it splattered on my forearm.  Normally that wouldn't bother me, because I don't use my forearm to cook.  Since my arm was constantly over heat that night, the pain was unbearable.

The other Jr. Sous Chef, told me to put a tomato slice on the burn.  I looked at him like he was crazy.  He explained to me that the acid in the tomato will neutralize the pain.  I thought, "what could it hurt?"  Sure enough, I placed the tomato on the wound and the aching started to slowly go away.

I have worked in several other kitchens since then, and taught that trick to many other cooks.  Not only tomatoes work; my personal favorite is lemon.  Squeeze some lemon juice on your burn or hold a lemon slice on it.  The pain will start to minimize.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a cure-all.  The skin will still be tender and sore to the touch, but it does relieve burn pain. I am sure there are other burn remedies out there, but I find this one to be easy, fast and convenient.

If you have other burn treatments, please share on the comment section below...

Watch this short video on how to separate an egg white from its yolk.

7 Layer Dip Superbowl Recipe

Seven layer dip is probably the easiest item to make for a get together with friends.  It requires no cooking.  This is a simple recipe that is cutting and assembling only.  
Here are the ingredients:
canned refried beans
shredded cheddar cheese
avocados, copped
sliced olives
tomatoes, chopped
jalapenos, diced
cilantro, minced

Now that all of the ingredients are ready, here comes the easy part...
Layer these ingredients in the same order listed, in a large flat serving tray or shallow dish.  For example, spread the beans on the bottom, followed by the cheese, avocados, olives, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro.   My mom usually puts more jalapenos on one side and then marks it with a toothpick so that the guests have a choice of how spicy their bite will be. 

This is a great and easy recipe for group gatherings.  Superbowl recipes are always fun to think of and even more fun to eat.  This is one super bowl recipe that wont disappoint your guests. 

Learn how you can use lemons and other acidic foods to treat burns.

Lemons, lemons, lemons....

Do you have extra lemons and no use for them at the time? 

My mom has a lemon tree, and when it blooms, it blooms!  She has so many extra lemons and I am more than happy to take them off her hands.  As a chef, I love lemon in everything! To me it is as natural to squeeze lemons into a dish than it is to add salt.  It gives food that extra edge.  That flavor that you just can't quite put your finger on.
Well, if you find yourself in a bind and have too many lemons on hand, don't stress.  When there are extra lemons in my kitchen and I know they will go bad before I can use them, I juice them.
Invest in an electric juicer, they can be found for under $20 and are well worth the investment.  Cut the lemons in half and juice them till just the skin is left.  Save the shells for later use.

Once all of the lemons are juiced, there are two options in how to save the liquid.  the first option is to store the lemon juice in Tupperware and freeze for future use.  (This would include thawing out the whole Tupperware to use a small portion.) 
Or the second option (and my preferred way) is to pour the lemon juice into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.  Once they are fully frozen, pop them out and store them into plastic baggies.  When ever you need a small portion, pull out however many cubes you will need.  It is fast and convenient!


Now, for the lemon "shells" that you put aside for later.  Cut off the bottoms, or the tips, to create a flat surface at the base.  Once they all have a flat bottom, place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them.  After completely hard, store in a large zip lock bag.  These can come in handy for on the fly ideas.  They make great cups for dessert, appetizers, intermezzo's or anything you create...


Check out this Seven Layer Dip Superbowl Recipe