It seems like I’ve been cooking all my life, and the mistakes I’ve made over the years stand out in my memory like “red thumbs.”
One mistake in particular, which happened when I was a teenager, still makes me laugh.
Sweet substitution
One Sunday, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making candy. I had a friend over, and she agreed it would be fun.
So, we began checking to make sure we had all the ingredients needed for the recipe. When I grabbed the sugar container, I noticed there wasn’t a lot in there. Not wanting to use it all, I looked to see if we had sorghum molasses, which we did. I figured it would work just fine, and my friend assured me that she had used molasses to make toffee, and that it had turned out wonderful.
We began the process of making toffee, with me following my friend’s instructions. When it was finished, it seemed perfect. In fact, it looked so nice that I arranged several pieces on a plate and asked my mother, who had friends over, if I might serve some to her guests.
She thought that was a nice idea, so I carried the plate into the living room where she was entertaining her friends. I left the candy with them, and I returned to the kitchen.
Laughter abounds
Several minutes later, I became aware of the sudden silence in the living room. Not a word was being spoken.
I decided to investigate the situation, so I looked into the living room. I was shocked to see everyone sitting in total silence with their teeth stuck together and a look of panic on their faces as they ate a piece of toffee.
Eventually the candy began melting, and everyone’s teeth unstuck. Then – and only then – everyone had a good laugh.
After her guests left, my mother tried to scold me. However, she wasn’t very effective at it because she couldn’t stop herself from laughing about the candy-making-gone-wrong incident.
Alma
Monrovia, Indiana
