how not to peel squash

[abka]

I hate it when they're right. You know them, the people who say "don't do two things at once, like try to make green onion corn cake chili toppers for the chili you just made while peeling squash. Even if you've had a squash craving for like two weeks that wasn't satisfied by pumpkin and sausage pasta or squash filled ravioli. Don't peel with the bad knife facing toward you because it will slip and slice off open your finger and there will be blood everywhere. And due to the metric fuckton of blood you will be unable to flip the corncakes and forget to turn off the stove so they will burn, therefore proving to your mother-in-law that you cannot cook. And no one will be there to kiss your boo-boo, not your mother (or mother substitutes). You might have a husband but he will not be there and all he contributed to the situation is to put the non-stick burn pads, burn cream, and tubular gauze in an easily accessible place in the medicine cabinet--because perhaps when you cooked before you badly burnt yourself and so he stocked up on supples--[OMG was that the last time I cooked chili, must die of embarrassment now], but instead said husband will have put the bandaids in some sort of mysterious hidden first aid siberia."

You know, those people.

So, what's the right way to peel squash? I have already requested a new oxo vegetable peeler as a stocking stuffer. Please help.

Comments

[toran.livejournal.com]

What are you trying to do with the squash? Usually you cut a squash in half and bake it in the oven, then hollow it out. There is no peeling involved. Alternatively, I would think you would (again) start by cutting it in half, removing the seeds, then peeling with a paring knife as per things like broccoli stems. i.e. slip the knife under the edge of the rind, then grasp the rind between thumb and flat of the knife, then pull off, rather than trying to slice the whole thing.

[grumph.livejournal.com]

you peel brocolli?

[toran.livejournal.com]

The stump is by far the best part of the broccoli, even though most people throw it away. On older broccoli, the skin of the stump is sometimes stringy/woody. So to make it awesome, you have to peel the skin off.
Broccoli stumps are delicious, crispy, slightly sweet, and taste vaguely of the broccoli's mustard ancestors.

[grumph.livejournal.com]

:(

sympathy--we are cooking injury buddies.

[mrsjadephoenix.livejournal.com]

OWIE! That sounds painful! So does the totally understandable embarrassment factor of having it happen in front of your mother-in-law. I hope your finger (and confidence) heals quickly!

[metallian.livejournal.com]

Ouch. :( That's the second cutting-finger-while-cooking story I've read in as many days...

[coffman.livejournal.com]

Owie! I hope your finger is feeling better today.

And burns and cuts happen to everyone - especially since most of us are rushed when cooking and there's really no way not to multitask. When one thing goes wrong, it can make other things go badly too - I definitely know the feeling. And I know at least for myself that I tend to mess up more when others are watching - some kind of murphy's law thing. I remember having a guest over to have dinner once, and I was baking some chicken breasts on a baking sheet, and I picked it up with just one oven-mitted hand (bad move), lost my grip a little bit on it, and instinctively grabbed it with my other (non-oven-mitted) hand to steady it and save the chicken. Needless to say, all the chicken fell to the floor and we spent most of the evening sitting around with my hand in a bowl of ice water. Some dinner party!