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When Tiffany and I moved into our first apartment together, we brought with us various hand-me-down kitchen things from our parents. A set of silverware from my dad; enough spices to fill the tiny shelf above our sink from Tiffany's mom, Patty; dish towels from my mom; and a recipe for "Nana's chop suey" from Tiffany's dad, Gary. But we bought some things ourselves, too. Like new cookie sheets, which one day while I was at work, Tiffany stored--still in their plastic wrapping--in the "drawer" underneath our oven.
One night we decided to broil some scallops for dinner (Patty's recipe: a pat of butter and parmesan cheese on each little blob--delicious). While I was busy doing something else, Tiffany put the scallops in the oven. A few minutes later, we smelled burning plastic.
"The scallops are burning!" Tiffany yelled.
I came running into the kitchen to see her open the oven door.
"Why are they in the oven?" I asked.
"What do you mean? I'm broiling them!"
"The broiler is down there!" I cried, pointing to the bottom of the oven.
"In the drawer?"
We looked at each other, grabbed our oven mitts (hand-me-down: Patty) and then dove simultaneously to the linoleum to open Tiffany's drawer. Swatting black smoke, we removed the cookie sheets, now coated in melted plastic.
After we assured ourselves that we were not in danger of burning our new apartment down, we burst out laughing. Tiffany had never seen a broiler at the bottom of an oven. I had never seen one anywhere else.
Apparently the broiler-blank runs in her family. Last night, Gary was in town on a layover. He took us out to dinner and then we brought him back to our apartment to have a piece of cream-filled cornbread with maple syrup (a recipe I took from this awesome book I just finished: "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg).
I sliced us each a piece and got down on my hands and knees to slide them into the broiler. Tiffany squatted beside me, checking my work.
"What's in the drawer?" Gary asked.
I rolled my eyes.
Tiffany, though, well... she just beamed with pride.
The only oven that has a drawer as a broiler is the one at your apartment. I have never ever seen something like that. Having the broiler where the drawer goes!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a broiler under the oven either! I think this post needs a picture as proof that such a thing exists. :-)
ReplyDeleteHello! First time comment here ... I grew up in a house with a broiler at the bottom of the oven, and then every time I saw anyone open the bottom drawer I thought it was odd that they would keep things in there, but hey sometimes people keep pots in the oven when it's off. I now live in a house that has a drawer and the broiler is in the oven. I miss the bottom broiler, I think it works better. Oh and I just finished that book too! I loved it as well. I also really enjoy reading your blog it always makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteMore proof...at our apartment in Dover, NH, we had one of those mysterious suckers. Took us forever to discover it. LOL.
ReplyDelete