Cooking Burns and Scars

[Pickles]

cut off the fatty tip from the fleshy part of my thumb, which fell to the floor...and was promptly eaten by my cat.

What a cat-astrophe! Seriously....that sounds nasty. I had a pal who did likewise to the tip of her thumb, and she just scraped it off the cutting board and into the trash.

[NulloModo]

I was in my twenties. Just watched some Chinese cooking show on PBS involving lots of furiously fast paced chopping that just said to me"Go thou and do likewise." I'm not capable of sustaining such a pace and my knife slipped and cut off the fatty tip from the fleshy part of my thumb, which fell to the floor...and was promptly eaten by my cat.

wow, that totally beats any of my self inflicted injuries.

I tip my hat to you sir (or madame).

[Kevin72]

I'm sure there are countless more preceding them but the first two "major" scars are:

1) On the side of my right index finger is a deep scar from where my knife slipped on my "culinary nemesis", peeling chestnuts. (I should stop by that thread).

2) A little further down in between my knuckles on the same hand is a scar from where boiling honey landed.

[Ovenfrenzy]

I was in my twenties. Just watched some Chinese cooking show on PBS involving lots of furiously fast paced chopping that just said to me"Go thou and do likewise."  I'm not capable of sustaining such a pace and my knife slipped and cut off the fatty tip from the fleshy part of my thumb, which fell to the floor...and was promptly eaten by my cat.

wow, that totally beats any of my self inflicted injuries.

I tip my hat to you sir (or madame).

It's madame. I just had to share that story because it was so gross-out. I have a silvery scar on my thumb now, and the cat is still with me, still begging when I' at my cutting board for a taste of whatever I'm (slowly, carefully now) cutting!

[KateW]

Why is it that some burns are worse later on? Is it a sign of not taking care of them right away? I got a burn on the roll warmer at work that wasn't really bad that night but I woke up the next day to a really gross blister.

[zora]

Cooking bacon at the age of 3, standing on a stool and dealing with a very wobbly griddle--the whole thing tipped and landed a big blob of hot bacon fat on the top of my left thigh. Fortunately for my mother's creeping sense of guilt ("What was I thinking? Why did I even let you in the kitchen?!"), the scar finally faded away a few years ago. But i don't hold a grudge--I'm glad my mom let me cook! (Where I then proceeded to sear my arm on the waffle iron a few years later...no lasting scar, though.)

I worked with a chef in college who claimed you were either a burner or a cutter--you'd have predominant way of maiming yourself in the kitchen. I'm definitely a burner. I have about four burns healing right now. (Geez, wait--isn't that something that happens to lepers a lot? Maybe I should have this checked out...)

[tryska]

stabbed myself in the palm when i was 9 or 10 whilst trying to cut overdone brownies i had made myself with a, umm..steak knife. i jsut checked and it's still there.

[Busboy]

Years ago the now-Mrs Busboy cajoled me into making her a hamssandwich that I wasn't really in the mood to make. Fairly elaborate prep: slicing ham off the bone; frying with onions, butter, brown sugar, cheese and mustard; tosting the bread. (Actually, I'm getting a craving for one, now.)

After finishing and slicing the sandwich in half, I -- from deep in that mental no-man's-land between annoyed at having to work and pleased at the result -- announced "here's your damn sandwich," underscoring the announcement by stabbing the point of the carving knife into the cutting board. My hand, greasy from the fat and butter, then slid down the handle without loosening its grip, and onto the blade.

I probably didn't need the stitches, but the tetanus shot seemed like a good idea. And only two fingers scarred.

[Carrot Top]

Ha, ha! A 'show me your scar' thread!

First scar that has 'lasted': Sticking the tip of a clam knife right into the base of my thumb while opening clams. Seems like I still have a little piece of clamshell in there to remind me not to hurry at THAT job again!

Second scar(s) are two that remain on my upper arm. Got them while trying to take out a sheetpan of filo-dough strudels from the uppershelf of a large convection oven in a restaurant kitchen. (I am 5'2" but no self-respecting female in a kitchen in those times would dare ask for help from one of the big guys that are always in a kitchen for fear of never ever ever hearing the end of it...) Stupid move. The sheetpan tilted and burning butter poured down my arm.

Mpfh. Burned the freckles right off and they've never come back!

[FistFullaRoux]

First cooking scar I can recall - two words. Oyster knife.

Now, another scar that I got from a cooking implement: I had a bedside lamp with a short in the wire. I located the spot, then grabbed a steak knife and cut through the wire.

When the lights came back on I realized I had jammed the knife info my thumb, cauterized the wound, and blew a hole in the knife.

I had just convinced mom to get me a new lamp. And I learned that unplugging electrical items before serivicing them is a very good idea.

[tryska]

Years ago the now-Mrs Busboy cajoled me into making her a hamssandwich that I wasn't really in the mood to make. Fairly elaborate prep: slicing ham off the bone; frying with onions, butter, brown sugar, cheese and mustard; tosting the bread. (Actually, I'm getting a craving for one, now.)

After finishing and slicing the sandwich in half, I -- from deep in that mental no-man's-land between annoyed at having to work and pleased at the result -- announced "here's your damn sandwich," underscoring the announcement by stabbing the point of the carving knife into the cutting board. My hand, greasy from the fat and butter, then slid down the handle without loosening its grip, and onto the blade.

I probably didn't need the stitches, but the tetanus shot seemed like a good idea. And only two fingers scarred.

see that. god don't like ugly.

[Susan G]

..... the cat is still with me, still begging when I' at my cutting board for a taste of whatever I'm (slowly, carefully now) cutting!

What was the name of that alligator in "Peter Pan"? The one who kept circling Captain Hook, hoping for another taste of him?

[winesonoma]

What was the name of that alligator in "Peter Pan"? The one who kept circling Captain Hook, hoping for another taste of him?

Tick-Tock, because he had swallowed a clock.

[enrevanche]

Many many minor cuts and burns over the years, none of which left lasting marks.

Only two scars with stories:

-- Working a restaurant gig in college, I opened up my thumb pretty nicely while taking apart and cleaning a commercial slicer. Not on the rotary blade, believe it or not, but on a sharp edge on a bracket. Took a few stitches to close it. Small scar but easy to spot if you're looking for it.

-- A few years ago, I got distracted in the kitchen and knocked a heavy chef's knife off the counter. It fell point down and embedded itself in the top of my foot. Ow ow ow. No stitches on that one, but when I pulled the knife out it left a slightly recessed/dimpled wound (and a slightly recessed scar) for some reason.

[Special K]

Hello all - newbie here. A thread about cooking scars and lessons learned somehow seems like just the right opportunity to jump in.

First major burn: Frying bacon, got "popped" on the wrist, jerked reflexively, ended up with contents of pan on back of hand.

Result: Nice dark patch (kinda looks like a birthmark), still visible 25 years later. Lesson: Cook bacon in the oven.

First major cut: Tried to remove the pit from an avocado by holding in one hand (no towel) and popping my chef's knife into the pit to twist it out. Unfortunately, I missed the pit altogether and instead sliced down into the space between my first two fingers.

Me: Excuse me, I've cut my hand and I need stitches.

Nurse: Is it spurting?

Me: No, it's not spurting, but I can see bone. Does that count?

Nurse: That counts. Come on down, I'll fit you in.

Result: Inch-long scar, slight residual numbness after about seven years. Lesson: Protect that hand with a towel.

Some people are able to learn from others' mistakes. Some of us need to learn these things first-hand!

K

[Kent Wang]

I got this one while baking a pumpkin pie. Forearm touched the side of the oven. Ouch. I like it though, it's a good story to tell and it adds character.

[racheld]

Yep, you've got yourself one all right. Huzzah and welcome to the club!! Before long you'll be swapping stories with the pros, exhibiting scars and cuts and scabs and gouges that would slay the faint of heart and make proud the aproned old guard.

You'll proudly proffer an almost-healed cut, relate the circumstances of your acquisition, and another cook will squint through the smoke, roll up a sleeve, and trump your cut with a burn shaped like an oven-grate. You'll counter with the belly-burn you got leaning too far over the burners to stir the stock, and the chef will grin an evil grin, baring his shin, barked to the bone on a lug of lambchops placed in his path.

You'll count battlescars like badges, wearing them proudly, showing them off like pictures of grandkids. You've entered a long and proud tradition, an elite cadre of the kitchen-wise, the stoveproud, the knowledgeable and careful and cool. Cooking is art, it's war, it's life. Wear those scars proudly; you're in the club.

[lexy]

Oh boy, I have way too many. It's an unfortunate combination of skin that scars easily, and a lack of depth perception and general clumsiness. Thankfully I've never done myself serious injury, but I've got a couple like Kent Wang's from letting my arm graze the inside of a hot oven.

[Ling]

I have the exact same scar as you do, Kent, but on my right arm. It's faded quite a bit, since I got it...ohh...7 years ago. I was taking a tray of cookies out of the oven, and my forearm brushed against the top of the oven.

[AzianBrewer]

I have the exact same scar as you do, Kent, but on my right arm. It's faded quite a bit, since I got it...ohh...7 years ago. I was taking a tray of cookies out of the oven, and my forearm brushed against the top of the oven.

←

Nice!!! Kent...The scar is a batch of honor!! I am sure chicks dig that.

[Ninjai Fanatic]

Ditto on Lexy's post. My arms and hands have so many scars from burns and cuts- in fact, my newest ones are on my forehead (frying curd). I also have an inch long burn-scar on my left foot (I was baking at my parents' place) from when I made this huge cottage loaf and when I opened oven- well, the whole door fell out along with the hot tray, luckily I was holding the hot pads.. as I tried to catch the bread the scalding tray fell on my foot.

[Chris Amirault]

There's a few prior threads on the subject of scars, including First Cooking scar? and Burns, and, um, Burns.

edited to add: Forgot to mention my primary cooking scar, a spot on my left middle finger where a little cajun napalm hit and stuck while I was making gumbo. Three layers of skin came off under the cold water.

Bones look... nauseating.

Edited November 7, 2005 by chrisamirault (log)

[srhcb]

I can't even look at okra!

SB (assuming emotional scars count?)

[Marlene]

I can get scars even when I'm not exactly cooking. I recently aquired a brand new scar on my thumb. No, I wasn't chopping or slicing or anything at the time. However, my very sharp hollow edge knife was on the counter and I reached past it to grab something, and my thumb caught the blade. 2 boxes of bandages later, I have lovely barely healed gash that should scar quite nicely.

[Pam R]

sometimes... you cut yourself very badly.. and think it will leave a permanent mark - but miraculously it doesn't.

I once cut the tip of my finger off. a couple of mm - we could see bone. every week in science class we looked at it under the microscope and charted it's progress.

it grew back. wouldn't even know it happened if I didn't know it happened. And yes, I've used the robot-coup since.

Edited November 7, 2005 by Pam R (log)