I put the trash out two weeks ago on Tuesday morning before leaving for work. I go to work and return to an empty trash bin at the curb. I open it, it is empty. Since it was a hot day I get a big whiff of aroma from the dumpster and it smells a little like dead grass and a little like litter box. These are normal smells and they are not too strong.
I wheel the trash bin back into the garage and still smell something funny in the garage. OK we have a trash can out there. Maybe some left over food was thrown away. So I close up the bag and put it in the large trash bin.
I also think that we might have left something in the refrigerator in the garage. So I prepare for a face full of reek smelling foulness when I open the refrigerator. I am happily disappointed. The refrigerator does not smell. It has some pizza that needs to be thrown out but other than that there is no abnormal smells. I didn't leave any raw fish or other meat products sitting in the refrigerator. Since I don't find anything else I think maybe I have found the problem.
The next Tuesday rolls around and I put out my trash again in the morning before I leave for work. I follow the same procedure. I open the trash bin and verify that it is empty. Also there is less smell this time. No more dead grass smell and only a faint hint of litterbox...
"What's that wild scent you are wearing dear?"
"Oh, it is new from Ralph Loren. It is called Ode de MeowBox. Do you like it?"
"Yes it is marvelous. If only it had a touch of cigarettes and day old coffee then we would have to go upstairs right now!"Well maybe that is a slight exaggeration... and now back to the story.
I go back into the garage to put the trash bin away and it still smells funny in there. I look around and see this on the workbench sitting next to the vice:
The roasting pan has been sitting on the work bench for quite a while, since maybe February. I didn't think too much about it because it has been a long time since I used it. I remember using it. We made a beef roast with potatoes, onions, and mushrooms in a red wine sauce. It was tasty. Upon thinking back, I don't remember eating it more than once or twice. It was also kept in the garage refrigerator.
Here is what I think happened:
Someone comes to visit and brings some man flowers that need to be refrigerated. There is normally room in the garage refirgerator so I rearrange stuff. I set the roasting pan on the work bench next to the vice. Have you ever forgotten something? It happens to me from time to time. Then, I put the other stuff away into the refrigerator and I guess I see a hummingbird or a squirrel and forget to put the roaster back into the fridge. So there it sits for 5 months or so unattended.
So up until now this is a theory of mine. The roasting pan could be empty, probably not my luck... lets test the theory.
I pick up the roasting pan (I don't pull off the lid first in case there the rare beefpotatomushroomonion zombie might splash me with nastiness. I move it to the floor (after pulling the car out).
Just so you know, it did not feel empty. I'm not sure what kind of soup I'm going to find but I'm sure it will be supurb. Here we go...
Bon Appétit!
So here we have some roasted beef and some roasted potatoes in a dark sauce. Feel free to click on the picture and see it full size... it is quite a journey.
I do have to admit that when I opened the lid I was somewhat surprised. The smell did not punch me in the face like would have happened if I had stolen Mike Tyson's tiger. There was a distinct odor and it took about 2 seconds for me to identify it. It smelled like Korean Skate. I discuss my first encounter with the popular far-southern Korean dish here.
OK, so what to do now. It doesn't look like the roasting pan is in bad shape. I should be able to clean it and sanatize it for about 6 months and it might be good. I remember purchasing it. It is made from stainless steel and should not be harmed by the dreadful beefpotatomushroomonion zombie. The lid looks like new. It is time to start the cleaning. I dump the contents into a trash bag making sure not to spill anything. Not everything comes off the grate. I get a stick from the yard and scrape what used to be food off the grate and into the trash can. This is when I found the biggest surprise of all. After I get the grate cleaned off I find this:
I think I found some of the mushrooms and onions...
Apparently the grate was not made from stainless steel. I think it was steel that had been chrome plated. Lets take a closer look just for fun...
Needless to say, the grate was tossed into the trash bin. Now the Chief gets to tell me if we can keep the roasting pan (provided all remaining evidence is removed) or if it is time to go back to BBB.
Yummy!
P.S. -- Don't search for Litter Box on Urban Dictionary. If you go ahead and do it, don't say I didn't warn you...
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