[Sca-cooks] Safety in the Kitchen

[John Kemker]

As I've been asked (Hi, Serena!) to be the "Outdoor Chef" for Red Tower 
Tourney this fall, I am absorbing this information quite greedily in 
possible plans for saying yes.

I've already asked my ladywife, Seonaid, to determine if she could put 
together a pigskin apron prior to the event.  The idea is that it would 
be better suited to sloughing off liquids, as well as being a reasonably 
tough barrier to hot coals, etc.  My concern with even natural fibers in 
an apron is that they tend to absorb liquids (Even wool.)  Leather, on 
the other hand, is less likely to hold a much liquid, especially if I 
oil it well prior to use.  That way, I can always use the hem of the 
apron for grabbing hot things, as well as have a reasonably tough apron 
to protect my garb from spills, etc.

A lot of this comes from reading safety guidelines for one of my other 
hobbies, amateur rocketry.  When dealing with energetic chemicals, it is 
standard in many labs to use leather aprons for much the same reason.  
Synthetics tend to melt and stick to skin, natural fibers tend to hold 
granules of chemicals and liquids, whereas leather provides at least a 
few seconds of "I need to get this thing off really quick!" before 
things get really critical.  While I don't expect to be handling any 
chemicals more energetic than charcoal lighter fluid, it's still nice to 
use something that can protect me from some of the heat and messiness 
without having to worry about soak-through.

--Cian O'Madadhain

PS:  Serena, the answer is "probably," but I need to see how Autocrating 
MWA&S leaves me before I give a definite "yes."


Robin Carroll-Mann wrote:

>On 12 Jan 2004, at 8:54, Anne-Marie Rousseau wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I STRONGLY RECOMMEND natural fiber clothing and sensible no skid shoes
>>for any cooking setting and REQUIRE it for outdoor cooking using any
>>sort of flame. Linen is good, wool is better. (I have an old polyester
>>apron I use as an example of WHY. Scared straight works good :))
>>    
>>
>
>This was at home, not in a feast kitchen, but I can testify that spattering oil 
>from browing meat will make a nice neat hole in polyester, and will still have 
>enough heat left to burn the skin underneath.  Fortunately, it was a small 
>spatter.
> 
>
>Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
>Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
>rcmann4 at earthlink.net
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