Sunday, August 30, 2009

Now we're cookin' with gas.

On Friday, the nice man from the gas & electrical company installed our new gas range. We'd needed a new stove for awhile now, and now that we're on the natural gas grid, it was an opportunity to do something I'd always wanted - cook over flame. For years I've heard women from overseas wax ecstatic about their gas ranges in their country of origin, and how hard it was to adjust to the clumsy electric burners that are standard in Canadian homes. That jibed with all the research I was able to do online. Proponents of gas cooking are only slightly less passionate and evangelical than Apple fans.

I picked the stove, but Husband did the heavy lifting, arranging delivery and installation (which took about 4 hours).

It's taking some time to adapt, but so far I love it, love it, love it, love it, love it. Temperature control at the click of a knob. Everything cooks faster, and you can actually hit a sweet simmer spot when you want to.

I also picked up a netbook - an Acer Aspire One. Husband got one about a month ago, after a LOT of research, and has been really pleased with it. I love it - it can do so much of what a full-sized laptop can do, but at a fraction of the weight. It'll be ideal for travel.

Other than that, not much news. Summer's faded - the temps have dropped. Work is more challenging now, and my career is moving in directions I didn't really expect, but directions that both challenge, occasionally terrify, and excite me. This week will be challenging. And terrifying. I've been given a really important and very public assignment that shows my managers have a lot of faith in me and which will - if I pull it off - bring me a lot of credibility for future advancement.

Did I mention that I'm terrified?

ronnie

Labels: ,

6 Comments:

Blogger Sherwood Harrington said...

Oh, fie, ms cat. If you're not terrified, you're not paying attention. And you're probably not headed much of anywhere.

Gas cooktops are wonderful; instant adjustments to temperatures while sautee-ing are absolutely necessary, and afforded only by gas.

We're happy with our stove, which has a gas top but an electric oven. I hope yours works out just jim-dandy for ya!

PS - are your new laptops still electric, or did you get gas ones?

1:42 a.m.  
Blogger Xtreme English said...

what a lovely post! you go, girl! you will absolutely love cooking with gas, i guarantee it. and a new laptop! and new challenges for your career! my lululemon water bottle advised "do one thing a day that scares you." (or something like that...) sherwood's right. if you're not terrified, you're not paying attention. but never mind...just do it!!

9:55 a.m.  
Blogger Nostalgic for the Pleistocene said...

It does sound like a positive type of Terrifiedness, and it wouldn't be coming at you if you weren't doing great already!

We had a gas stove in NJ, with a tank that the gas company came and filled every so often. And we plan on one again when we build to suit ourselves. I seem to have kind of a fear of fire - OK, kitchens seem filled with lethal weapons, to me! - but even i miss the better and quicker performance of the thing.

11:03 a.m.  
Blogger Brian Fies said...

Another big fan of cooking with gas here. Like Sherwood, our stovetop is gas and our oven electric (I've had both gas and electric ovens, and not seen much difference). You'll get the hang of gas very quickly and never go back.

The only thing I thought electric did better was pop a pot of popcorn. Not so much for the heat, but because the electric coils made for a very smooth and satisfying slide as I shook the popcorn. I adapted.

1:01 p.m.  
Blogger Carl said...

I recently got an ASUS 1000HA. I like my netbook as much as you seem to like yours.

Can't comment on the cooking thing--can't cook.

5:22 p.m.  
Blogger Mike said...

Haven't had a gas stove since I switched from owner to renter. One of the few things I miss -- beyond, y'know, being able to drive nails in the wall and let the crud build up.

And I just picked up an ASUS laptop because it's easier than hauling a tower from place to place, though I'll need a real keyboard if I want to avoid repetitive stress damage.

A laptop, a gas range, and thou beside me singing in the wilderness, and wilderness is paradise enou ...

Hmm ... been a while since I've had a "thou," too ...

7:40 a.m.  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home