The Bamboo Spatula

I broke this thing, or one very much like it, the other day. 

I've been using that particular tool for like 15 years.  Breaking it made me realize that the tool had become a third hand.  Ill bet you that 90% of the time, it was the tool I'd think of first when I wanted to stir, or scrape, or flip, or winkle something out of a pot, or any of a zillion other tasks.  I had no idea how dependent I was on that spatula.  It wouldn't scratch anything, and it took 10 or 12 years of abuse and throwing it in the dishwasher before it started showing wear.  I was really attached to it, but damn!  I felt like I'd lost a friend. 

I took a chunk out of the edge about 8 years ago when I was making oatmeal cookies for the holidays.  I was making maybe 15 or 20 dozen oatmeal cookies at once, and I think I needed an entire 2-pound box of brown sugar.  I had exactly one box, and no more.  And that one box had become rock-like.  I stupidly dumped the whole thing in the bowl without trying to soften or grind up the sugar first, and beat the sugar into submission with the bamboo spatula.  I guess that was when I broke a quarter-sized bamboo chip off the face of the tool.  I didn't notice until after I'd baked all the cookies.  I was washing the dishes, and I noticed the missing piece.  F$ck!   I was intending on giving the cookies away for the holidays.  What was I going to do with several hundred cookies -- eat them all myself? 

After some thought, I remembered Koan 69 from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Paul Reps:

     Circumstances arose one day which delayed preparation of the dinner of a Soto Zen master, Fukai, and his followers.  In haste the cook went to the garden with his curved knife and cut off the tops of green vegetables, chopped them together, and made soup, unaware that in his haste he had included a part of a snake in the vegetables.

     The followers of Fugai thought they never had tasted such good soup.  But when the master himself found the snake's head in his bowl, he summoned the cook.  "What is this?" he demanded, holding up the head of the snake.

     "Oh, thank you, master," replied the cook, taking the morsel and eating it quickly.

After remembering the koan, I became inspired.  As I was intending, I gave away most of the cookies.  Each time I gave some away, I told the recipient about the piece of bamboo, and said whoever found it would win a prize of one dollar. 

It worked out fine.

Anyone know where I can get a new one?  I need it real bad.  :)

Edit: Success at Asia Market for a whopping $1.29.  Went straight there; they had exactly what I wanted, although I'd like to have one about 3-4 inches longer.  Woo-hoo! 

Comments

[barry]

they had exactly what I wanted, although I'd like to have one about 3-4 inches longer.

Where have i heard that before?

[durhamfood]

Barry: a customer complaint form at your place of employment, perhaps? ;)

[Joe]

I've certainly never said it before now. :)

[Phil]

Congrats on getting the spanker! Er, I mean spatula-thingy! My parents have one and I thought about stealing it for you. Once again, Asia Market provides something good and prevents something bad.