Last night I got home from yoga and started cooking dinner (like you do). I was making a recipe that required roasting garlic, which takes waaaaay more time than my post-yoga hunger would allow, so I decided to try something new (mistake #1) and took my advice from the internet (mistake #2).
In my defense, I’ve seen quite a few recipes online for roasting garlic in the microwave. It takes an eighth of the time, and allegedly works. So I pulled out my Mini MacBook (yes, it is still 2005 in my life), googled “roasting garlic in the microwave” and was off to the proverbial races!I followed the recipe exactly – garlic, olive oil, water, covered microwave-safe container, 7 minutes.
All was going well until about 6 minutes in smoke started pouring from the vents on the side of the microwave. Uhoh! I stopped it immediately and opened the window. Don’t worry Kate! I’ve got this under control! I called to my roommate.
And then the alarm went off. We have some sort of fancy alarm/security system that requires a passcode to make it stop (I’ve set off the “security” part before when I opened our front window). Obviously, we had no idea what the passcode was.
I frantically flailed a Runner’s World in an attempt to fan the smoke out the window, while SpeedyKate ransacked her room in search of our passcode. She finally found it and sprinted up the stairs shouting XXXX! XXXX!
Alarm disabled, we settled into a moment of silence...until my phone started ringing. It was a call from the alarm system company -- Hello? Yes. Yes, sorry everything is fine. You’re sending a firetruck????? Oh no! I’m SO sorry! That’s really not necessary! Can you make it stop???
Apparently the answer is no. We heard the sirens approaching and collapsed into a fit of incredulous giggles. Is this seriously happening right now?
We met the firemen outside.
Everything’s fine! Really! Sorry you had to come out!
But firemen take these things seriously (as they should). I smell smoke. We need to come in and check this out.
Umm ok Mr. Serious-face. I explained my cooking disaster as we walked into my apartment, and by the end (once they’d confirmed that we’d opened the window, and in fact are not arsonists), all four firemen were laughing at our pajama-clad panic.
Just call us when the food's done. We'll come over for dinner! they said. Umm really??? Do you smell what I just “cooked”???
Lessons learned:
- Next time roast garlic in the oven like a normal person.
- Know the passcode.
- Firemen are amused when you take pictures of them.
