Monday, August 27, 2007

Sequel Best

Epilogues to a couple of previous posts. (links in the titles if you need). One happy ending, one ambiguous.

Baked Risotto
My Aunt Anne was very excited when she popped by my house on Thursday to tell me that the local kitchenware store was having 40% off Chasseur products. She doesn't mind a bit of bargain-hunting, my Aunt. So the next day Cherub and I met with Anne at the store, where the Bargain Gods looked down and smiled on me - hiding at the back of the boxes of cast-iron casserole dishes was a 27cm oval french oven in blue for $119. Which was actually 50% off the RRP. And the store-owner was happy to honour that price.


I christened it that very evening with Bill Granger's Exploding Baked Zucchini Risotto, and the next day with a Beef, Beer & Bayleaf Casserole, which was delish.

Also, thank you to Tanya & Crafty for bestowing honours upon me.

It seems fit to mention this here, owing to the fact that Tanya basically gave me the award because of my crockery smashing credentials, and without Crafty I would not have been able to christen the new casserole dish owing to a temporary parmesan cheese shortage whilst Cherub was sleeping. Fortunately her fridge was well-stocked. This award has spread faster than Equine Flu so I didn't think I'd pass on specifically. But you know I think you all rock.

Dem Bones

The tap student I've been so worried about has now been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Brittle bones. She is in the first stages of it so provided she is scrupulous in her management of it (calcium supplements etc) it may not be too dangerous, but it presented me with more to worry about. Not being a doctor I'm not sure how I should be directing her to modify what we do in class to minimise risk. For example, would jumps be high risk? Or toe-knocks? Anyway, her particular class is a sub-contract for me, rather than at my school, so I had a discussion with the Academy's Principal about how to manage it and the upshot was that we requested ongoing medical certificates and a signed waiver about dancing-at-own-risk. Sounds fair enough, doesn't it? But it upset her quite a lot, made her feel she was being singled out and that she should never have been open with us about her health. And she was also very insulted about the implication that she would ever do something like a lawsuit. So tricky. The thing is, she WAS open about it so it would have made both myself and the Principal negligent if we didn't seek medical certification, surely? It's horrible having to be hard-line about this stuff. I like this student and appreciate that she has been honest with me, but have ended up punishing her for it.


I have one more sequel for you, to do with this story and this one but that's a whole 'nother post.

17 comments:

  1. Thank goodness you have yourself a new pot. Now I might be able to check out the risotto recipe - I was so aghast at the exploding pot story a while back that I totally forgot you were actually cooking something in it. I'm sorry to be a hard ass but I do think it is wise to get a waiver from your student - - causing some small offence now may save you massive issues later. Enough from me

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  2. ps look at me breaking no blogging till kids bedtimes rule already!

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  3. I think you're very wise to get the medical clearance and waiver...at least that way everyone knows exactly where they stand.

    I'm glad you've finally got the chasseur...mine is royal blue too (a slightly different shape...but then again, mine is practically vintage. Have fun with it.

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  4. I think your pot is the same as mine - in one of my food posts, shown inside the sparkly clean brand new oven when I was showing off. One month on and the oven is no longer sparkly. Sigh ...

    I'm off to make dahl for dinner in my very own blue oval Le Creuset (ours was a wedding gift, many years ago now, and still going strong).

    Bugger about osteoprwhatsit student. Both for her and you.

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  5. Sounds like Osteo chick is brittle in places other than the bones: I'm just sayin'...

    Love the pot. You can't go past them. I have two le creuset that cost me a FORTUNE EVEN ON SPECIAL at a David Jones sale about 15 years ago. Let me tell you, even if the enamel chips? Which it did in the round one, quite early on, thanks to some excessively enthusiastic browning action, they are still the best pots in the universe. Beat the pants off those wussy Scanpans.

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  6. sorry to get all dr phil on you, but...it's ok for your tapping lady to respond like that so long as everyone realises that she owns her behaviour. She chooses how to respond, you did not choose that for her. It's also ok for you to feel sympathy for her reaction, but none of that changes the issue of her health, nor the issue of how the dance shool needs to deal with it professionally. You are doing what is best for all parties.

    looking forward to hearing more of the sequel news

    off to make risotto now

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  7. In this age of "Sue-age" it is not stupid to cover your bases-carefully. I can also relate to her hurt feelings.
    I was devastated when first diagnosed with Osteoporosis.. but I decided to 'live' with it.

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  8. Stomper's got a Cool Pot.

    Don't drop it, though.

    Trust me on that one.

    I'm with Bec on the student.

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  9. All this dinner cookery is making me feel guilty for the same tired old stuff I'm serving the family. Yay for the new pot!
    I think you and the poor girl both did the right thing, she's got to live with her problems. It's not your job to be in her head so don't feel guilty.

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  10. I'm with Bec & Shula.

    But you knew that already ;)


    Jealous over the posh cookware.
    I'm too tight to fork out that $, even though I know how cool they are.

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  11. You realize you're making my Shepherd's Pie supper look very, very dreary, right?

    I'm with the others: Medical waiver all the way.... it is truly a tough love scenario... you have to do what is best for her and yourself.

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  12. Oh yum yum yum. I want that pot, I want the food that you cook in it, I DON'T want the washing up!

    As for Osteo-Chick (to coin Bec's phrase), if her condition wasn't such a big deal, why did SHE bring it up in the first place? Surely she felt it was necessary to mention for a reason other than to gather sympathy?

    You did the right thing Stomper. If she is reacting this way about it already, then you can pretty much guarantee that if something went wrong, she'd be blaming you.

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  13. Shula's comment almost sounds like a tap dance, yes?

    And I just popped back to see if anyone else had commented on the irony that if the baked risotto was really just a baked risotto you wouldn't have cracked the ceramic one in the first place...

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  14. Love your christening choice. Never tried zucchini in risotto --have to give that a go. Congrats on the bargain.

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  15. Congratulations on the new casserole! It's beautiful, and I predict much yumminess in your future.

    As for the tap student, it's an uncomfortable situation and it would be nice to merely be able to pat her on the back and say "there, there". Unfortunately, you have a business arrangement with her so you do have to think about liability issues - not only for yourself, but for the group you're contracting with. You did the right thing in bringing it up with the Principal.

    She has an eating disorder and a demonstrated history of being in denial. She may very well feel put upon and singled out, but this is a serious matter. The sooner that hits home with her, the better off she'll be in the long run. If she'd absorbed that lesson sooner, she might not be facing osteoporosis.

    Asking for a waiver isn't punishing her. It's business. You needn't feel guilty. People who really respect and care about you won't put you in difficult situations or pull guilt trips on you.

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  16. Oh that Bill Granger does the rounds doesn't he? He's just been over my cooking up a sweet loaf - but I think you know about his two timing ways already!

    Glad to hear of the pot pick up - hope it treats you much, much better then the last one!

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  17. This makes me think of those people who eat regularly at fast food joints, and are then surprised when they gain weight [how could such a thing happen??]and THEN decide to sue McDonalds or wherever. I'm going to sound like an old fossil here, but when did it become someone else's responsibility to take care of your health?? Every time you want to start a new physical activity, you are cautioned, with monotonous regularity, not to start until you've checked with and been given the go-ahead by your doctor. Even though I sympathise with osteopore student,I imagine the last thing you need is to have to chase down all your students, taking on yourself the responsibility for their well-being......

    Love the pot. You make me long for soup and stew weather.

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.