I have no idea how I'm going to work tomorrow. No idea.

I burned myself so badly on Friday night that I just don't think my foot will rebound in time. My foot! Can you believe it?

The handle of an enormous pot of salted boiling water broke and I slipped on the rubber matting and dumped it right down my ankle and into my cooking clog. Immediately I rolled up my pant leg to get the hot cloth off my skin. But my sock and shoe were the last to come off trapping the heat in for longer.

Wincing, I tried to continue with my mise en place but the burning sensation wouldn't subside. I stuck my foot in an ice bath and still the burning continued. I smeared burn gel all over it but no relief. The burn burned for five hours after the accident. Five hours! Fifteen minutes after icing and gelling, inch-high blisters started bubbling up over the top of my foot and the skin around my ankle began peeling off. Time to go to the hospital.

So much for working a double shift. And what a terrible way to end a difficult day. This week has been hard and I'm not sure why. I love my new station and I have a firm grasp on all the mise en place. I absolutely adore working with the morning staff, many who have been at the restaurant for over fifteen years and understand/embody the concept of mentoring. And I especially love cooking Family Meal. It's the highlight of my day and I've been enjoying the complimentary response from the staff.

And I would LOVE some new creative ideas that are tasty, feed over 35 people, and can be made in an hour and a half. I make a lot of fish stews (cioppino and thai curry are big hits right now) with the extra scraps from our fish butcher. Most of the fish is white and includes: black bass, striped bass, halibut, cod, monk fish, and skate. Unfortunately the scraps are all different sizes and normally not big enough to serve as whole fillets so some sort of stew or all-covering sauce works best.

I once made fish tacos with black beans, rice, salsa fresca, and gaucamole. That meal disappeared fast. Got any ideas? Recipes? For mixed fish scraps?!?!?!

My pantry at work always includes: 1. Canned tomatoes, tomato paste 2. Coconut milk 3. Onions: red, yellow, green onions, garlic 4. Potatoes: russet, yukon gold 5. Rice: japanese, basmati, uncle Ben's 6. Black beans dried, chinese black beans 7. Israeli couscous 8. Pasta: rigatoni, spaghetti, penne 9.Vegetables: green beans, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, bok choy, carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc 10. Herbs: cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, chives, bay leaves, mint, basil, thai basil 11. Mushrooms: chinese dried mushrooms, button mushrooms, wild mushrooms 12. Chicken stock 13. Sauces: sirracha, soya sauce, thai red curry paste, harissa paste 14. Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans 15. Dried fruits: cherries, figs, apricots

Help a burnt out cook and send your recipes to msglaze@gmail.com or write them below. International recipes welcome – especially the spicy ones!