Are you stuffed?

And some days, the stuffing is more work than intended... Yesterday, in my new kitchen, first big cook in the new kitchen, I did a quick test-fit of the two roasting pans in the oven (one for the bird, one for the dressing). Lo and behold, the oven door will not close. The handles on the Cusinart lasagna pan are the problem: too big by an inch or maybe even less. It claims to be a 14" pan but, with the handles, it is over 17" long.

After a moment of panic, I fell back on the Staub cocotte and all was well.

Today I went back to the store and exchanged the steel lasagna pan for a similar-size Le Creuset stoneware dish... that is 16" long. The shopkeeper and I both had tape measures out.

Paul, my son, is 55 years old, so that was a long time ago. I doubt teachers still do that. They have so many rules now. My daughter is a teacher; for many years, she has worked with special needs children, many of them severely damaged, who can kick and hit her, but she is not allowed to touch them in any way. Very difficult.

And some days, the stuffing is more work than intended... Yesterday, in my new kitchen, first big cook in the new kitchen, I did a quick test-fit of the two roasting pans in the oven (one for the bird, one for the dressing). Lo and behold, the oven door will not close. The handles on the Cusinart lasagna pan are the problem: too big by an inch or maybe even less. It claims to be a 14" pan but, with the handles, it is over 17" long.

After a moment of panic, I fell back on the Staub cocotte and all was well.

Today I went back to the store and exchanged the steel lasagna pan for a similar-size Le Creuset stoneware dish... that is 16" long. The shopkeeper and I both had tape measures out.

Ack, I have a 24" oven so know the pain of getting ready to cook only to find that a new dish simply won't fit. I generally eschew handles for that reason, even though they can be convenient.

I'll grab the shallot recipe this week.