Hi there!

I want to know if other people have found ways to cook in seemingly impossible situations! List up to three, with a brief description of each, and what you managed to cook despite the odds.

1) I once wanted to make plum jam--in the kitchen at my office! I waited until late evening, when everyone else had left the building, then prepared and cooked the plums in a large pot on my 2-burner hot plate! I was even able to can the preserves, using a large enameled pot with no lid. It took a long time and made a big mess, but the jam was delicious! Fortunately there was a good sink for clean-up.

2) I once lived in a tiny studio in someone's basement, with only a hot plate and a toaster oven. I managed to bake bread and even a small loaf cake in that little toaster oven, and made soups and stews using the hot plate.

Tell us about your cooking challenges!

My main problem is when I make an omelette or bake cupcakes I usually get bits of eggshell in the egg and end up fishing them out with a knife! I have been told that it's better to do this with the shell of the egg, but since my main eggshell is usually rather fragmented round the edges, this doesn't seem such a good idea.

What do you do when that happens?

I don't do a lot of baking because I live on my own in a basement flat/apartment so I use Mr M&S and Mr Waitrose a lot - but I do like to try things occasionally.

Caitin,

You made me smile. Jam making in the office? Hard to picture that one! LOL...

My most challenging cooking situation was when we were having a cookout. I took on too much - trying to cook on the grill AND take care of all the sides - the corn, the potato salad, cooking greens from scratch, the cake dessert, the corn bread and the sweet tea. I was a hot sweaty mess when I was done, trying to time it all so it would be done at the same time.

"I usually get bits of eggshell in the egg and end up fishing them out with a knife! ... What do you do when that happens?"

Hardly ever happens. Like you I pick it out with a utensil or finger.

"I have been told that it's better to do this with the shell of the egg"

Do you remember where you heard this? I can't think of any reason to not use a finger or utensil, and as you do, I think risk of further 'contamination' by using the shell is relatively high.

How do you break your egs? I ask because while getting a bit of shell in food may not be uncommon, I don't believe it should rise to a frequency of "usually".

Cooking challenge?

How about Christmas afternoon and the oven won't light?

Luckily, I was going to roast a duck. far easier to cut that up and cook it on the stovetop, but nevertheless a "Time for another bottle of spiced wine." challenge.

My oven is too small. My brownies would always be too hard on the outside and not quite done in the middle. My mom suggested putting a small pan with water in the oven to keep the air moist. It works.

Because the oven is so small (a turkey fills the whole thing, I have to be creative cooking around the holidays using other appliances. My mom found an old Galloping Gourmet countertop convection oven. It is the right size with the expander ring to do a small turkey or roast to free up the oven, or even to cook a couple pies or side dish in.

Any time I step into the kitchen there is a cooking challenge! I can literally mess up boiling water. It is a good thing my husband doesn't mind cooking or the whole family would starve!

Oooh, I love hearing about cooking challenges! Thanks for sharing!

Yes, I sometimes get bits of eggshell in my bowl, too--and using half the broken shell to scoop it out really does work. Somehow the shell seems to act like a magnet, easily drawing the broken bits to it. Test it out for yourself!

And if you're worried about contamination from any dirt on the eggshell, you can easily wash the eggs in warm water before cracking them. Just be careful not to drop the eggs!

Who else has a challenging experience to share?

I use the back of a knife - not the blade - to crack the egg round the middle. My mother was the one who said about the shell of the egg!

Thank you Caitlin! Actually warming the egg by washing it to clean it's shell beforehand is a good idea because it might make it easier to break the shell anyway - remember we warm the shell of a cold hard boiled shell egg if serving it for salad, to make it easer to get it off the egg. Of course the shell should be removed beforehand, but if you've kept a few aside just in case for a party, it's a useful trick to know.