Bring it to a burn...

How to salvage food with visible burn marks:

Cookies: - scrape off black parts, frost or dip in chocolate
                - fill with frosting and turn into cookie sandwiches
                - tell family they're supposed to be that way
Hot dogs: - trim off black parts
                 - smother with condiments
                 - tell family they're supposed to be crunchy
Pizza: (if left in oven too long, cheese topping turns dark)
            - take off 'sheet of cheese crust', either use as snack or discard.
              Sprinkle new cheese on top and bake 5 more minutes.
            - say it's supposed to be that way
Cake: - easy. Scrape off, use extra frosting
Meat: - cut off ashy parts, but remainder of meat will be too dry.
             Shred it and add bbq sauce or gravy a la Sloppy Joe.
Spareribs: - are best when they're crispy, right before they burn!
Sausage: - off the grill okay to be a little burned
Hamburger patties: - too dry to eat once burned, so use for street hockey pucks
to entertain guests during barbeque
Bottom of pot: - boil water with baking soda for easier cleaning

Any other ideas from my readers?
          

Ultimate caramel treats and a couple tips on how not to burn certain things

How not to burn the rolls for Christmas dinner: Don't let two women at once into the kitchen, drinking wine (thanks to Debbie Smith and her sister, Julie Wooden).
How not to burn Brownies: Don't use a dark pan and don't set the oven on 350, set it on 325!
Yet: correctly burned sugar becomes caramel. Here is the best ever recipe for it (from the CA milk advisory board):
Walnut Caramel Squares
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
To prepare crust: (Preheat oven to 350 degrees)
Combine flour, 1/2 cup butter and 3 Tbls suar in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until well blended. Press into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan. Prick with a fork and bake until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 2 minutes, then spread chocolate over crust.
To prepare filling:
Place 11/2 cups sugar in a heavy saucepan, cook and stir over low heat until melted and caramel colored, about 20 minutes (stay with the pot!!). Stir in corn syrup, 1 cup butter and cream. Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer (I just guessed, before I bought a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and stir in walnuts. Immediately pour over crust, smoothing to make an even layer. Drizzle with melted chocolate and refrigerate until firm. Don't leave in fridge too long or it will get too hard! Cut into small squares to serve. Makes 16 servings.

This caramel recipe is unbelievably good! It takes a lot of patience to wait until the sugar caramelizes, so obviously I don't make it very often, because I have a life. If you don't have a life and share this treat, at least you might make some friends to get a life.

How the blog came to be

As an author, I read, write, tweet, facebook and blog, to connect with my readers and get books into print (besides my full-time job). I'm not saying I don't have time to cook, I'm saying I don't have time to stand around the stove waiting for the meal to simmer, cook or boil.
When my husband comes home and sees the kitchen light on, he worries.
"Did you cook dinner tonight?"
"Um, yeah."
"Oh no!" he groans. "What did you burn now?"
One day he suggested a title for my next project: Burnt - The Cookbook
I liked the idea, or better yet, the title, and decided to start out with a blog. If it turns into a book, so be it.