We, who so cavalierly call for massively-involved kitchen preparation using who-knows-how-many utensils, have suffered a tragedy. It seems our not-so-frequently-used disposal chose to drop a chunk of itself down its drain—preventing its use while also causing any dishwasher drainage to spew out the disposal bottom instead of nicely draining away. We now face at least two days of hand-washing all pots, pans, dishes and utensils. Steve has called for an emergency dining-out protocol (he has a magazine assignment anyway), but Michelle thinks that if she can cook for five hours straight (as she has today), Steve can damn well wash a few extra plates. If there are any plumbers out there, Steve requests you parachute into Gourmandistan immediately. We will gladly serve you leftover chicken & dumplings, though Steve may ask you to wash your own plate.