Sleepwalker, can you figure out what, exactly, you're afraid of about the stove?
If it's a gas stove, yes, the fire can be scary. So can the heat, regardless of stove type. This is why we use wooden spoons (traditionally) to stir with: they don't transmit heat. Modern heat-insulative materials are available, too.
Wooden spoons have long handles (so do their modern substitutes) to keep our hands well away from the actual heating elements.
If you're afraid of ruining food, start cooking with cheap things. Try making a soup with dried peas or beans or lentils. Or even easier: make a potato and onion soup.
If you're afraid of starting a fire: stay in or near the kitchen while the heat is on. And buy both a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket.
The blanket is extremely easy to use: grab it, shake it out, and drape it over the burning saucepan. And turn the cooking element off. Grab a potholder, and move the saucepan in question from the hot element to an unused one. Then you just have to wait while the burning food is smothered by the blanket, and the whole mess cools.
Yes, I've ruined a pot or two this way. It's not really any sort of big deal, as long as you keep your wits about you.
Anyway. If you're interested, I can come up with a potato and onion soup recipe-and-explanation for you.
If it's a gas stove, yes, the fire can be scary. So can the heat, regardless of stove type. This is why we use wooden spoons (traditionally) to stir with: they don't transmit heat. Modern heat-insulative materials are available, too.
Wooden spoons have long handles (so do their modern substitutes) to keep our hands well away from the actual heating elements.
If you're afraid of ruining food, start cooking with cheap things. Try making a soup with dried peas or beans or lentils. Or even easier: make a potato and onion soup.
If you're afraid of starting a fire: stay in or near the kitchen while the heat is on. And buy both a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket.
The blanket is extremely easy to use: grab it, shake it out, and drape it over the burning saucepan. And turn the cooking element off. Grab a potholder, and move the saucepan in question from the hot element to an unused one. Then you just have to wait while the burning food is smothered by the blanket, and the whole mess cools.
Yes, I've ruined a pot or two this way. It's not really any sort of big deal, as long as you keep your wits about you.
Anyway. If you're interested, I can come up with a potato and onion soup recipe-and-explanation for you.
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