Althouse: "I discovered a love for cooking and working with ingredients when I started cooking for myself after becoming vegan, and I noticed that I used my stump naturally as a kitchen tool

January 2, 2019

"I discovered a love for cooking and working with ingredients when I started cooking for myself after becoming vegan, and I noticed that I used my stump naturally as a kitchen tool - a juicer, a masher, as a spatula..."

"... you name it! This whole process helped me fall in love with this awesome part of myself that I had kind of forgotten about in my adulthood (yes, sometimes I even forget I have one hand!) I also swear, wear sweatpants, and don't give a shit about dropping or burning stuff!"

From a Metafilter post about Alexis Hillyard, which links to her YouTube page, "Stump Kitchen." The video that autoplays when you click on that last link illustrates the proposition in the quote. Here's a more sustained video, "Episode 1: Gluten free vegan waffles":

44 comments:

gilbar said...: she seems nice, too bad she's a disgusting Freak*

disgusting Freak* == Vegan; 1/2/19, 10:35 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: I like her pegging videos on Pornhub better.

I am Laslo.; 1/2/19, 10:49 AM
Kevin said...: On the latest season of Great British Bake Off there was a woman with a tiny, non-functioning hand, and no one said a single word about it. That's as it should be.; 1/2/19, 10:54 AM
gilbar said...: Laslo; well... YEAH! those were Much better
when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail; 1/2/19, 10:55 AM
Anonymous said...: My wife is gluten intolerant Fortunately she is not meat intolerant as well. We have tried any number of gluten free flours as substitutes for wheat flour. Only if you truly desperate for something that reminds you of a cookie or a pancake will you find any joy in these fakes. There are certainly plenty of edible gluten free recipes and products - potato chips are my favorite!; 1/2/19, 10:55 AM
madAsHell said...: We have a new identity trans-handing. Can you imagine the fun of hand re-assignment surgery?; 1/2/19, 10:57 AM
MayBee said...: On the most recent season of The Great British Bake-Off aka The Great British Baking Show, there was an excellent baker who had only one hand and then, well, I guess a stump. And they never mentioned it and she never mentioned it. She just baked in the time allowed the other bakers, and was judged like the other bakers. They didn't hide it and she didn't hide it. It was as much a non-topic of conversation as any of the other bakers' hands. The British are very different than us, sometimes.; 1/2/19, 10:59 AM
Lucien said...: Why are there Vegan restaurants when you can get much better food at your neighborhood Indian restaurant?
Is the suffering part of the point?; 1/2/19, 10:59 AM
rhhardin said...: Craw: Do you know what they call me, Mr. Smart?

86: Lefty?; 1/2/19, 11:04 AM
Mr Wibble said...: How to make gluten-free vegan waffles.

Step 1: Don't.; 1/2/19, 11:20 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: My brother was born without his left hand, similar to that. He was born in 1954.

When we were growing up, the explanation given to us children was that his umbilical cord had wrapped around his left wrist.

Later the explanation became that my Mom took some particular medicine while she was pregnant. I think that explanation is much more likely.

We never will know the cause for sure.; 1/2/19, 11:22 AM
James K said...: Next we’ll be seeing women proudly displaying their mastectomies.

I have compassion for anyone who’s lost a limb or extremity, but I don’t see the point of the exhibitionism.; 1/2/19, 11:27 AM
tcrosse said...: She gives a good stump speech.; 1/2/19, 11:29 AM
Earnest Prole said...: Next do Stump Bedroom.; 1/2/19, 11:42 AM
tcrosse said...: Next we’ll be seeing women proudly displaying their mastectomies.

It's been done. Cover of NYT Sunday magazine a few years ago.; 1/2/19, 11:43 AM
Lucid-Ideas said...: Laslo, "I like her pegging videos on Pornhub better."

Turns out George Costanza was wrong. There ARE and inordinately high number of people having sex with amputees.; 1/2/19, 11:44 AM
tcrosse said...: Next do Stump Bedroom.

Next play Stump the Band.; 1/2/19, 11:48 AM
MadisonMan said...: A spatula? More like a scraper. Spatulas can lift things out of pans.; 1/2/19, 11:50 AM
mockturtle said...: Or she could play linebacker, like Shaquem Griffin.; 1/2/19, 11:58 AM
RBE said...: Good for her! I like her cheerful attitude.; 1/2/19, 12:06 PM
Fernandinande said...: Gluten -> "nocebo

The present meta-analysis of re-challenge studies suggests that a high proportion of patients suspected to have a NCGS cannot reach a formal diagnosis of NCGS after a gluten challenge.

Indeed, the IRR of relapse after an open challenge with gluten was 0.3, and the percentage of patients relapsing after a gluten challenge was 36% as compared to 31% relapsing after placebo, with a not significant RR and IRR of relapse after gluten challenge as compared to placebo.

These findings may be explained by the following: (a) the symptoms experienced in normal life by patients labeled as NCGS when consuming gluten may be related to a psychological anticipation of intolerance, that seems to be a “nocebo” effect; commercial pressure and emotional factors may be important, etc...; 1/2/19, 12:10 PM
Yancey Ward said...: When life gives you a stump, make lemonade with it.; 1/2/19, 12:11 PM
Fernandinande said...: Bobby, vegetarians can't be trusted; 1/2/19, 12:15 PM
Trumpit said...: I think for health reasons, veganism (a plant-based diet) is best. For moral reasons - not killing animals for food - is the way to go. So a vegetarian diet, allowing eggs and cheese, is the next best diet after the vegan diet.; 1/2/19, 1:14 PM
Known Unknown said...: "The British are very different than us, sometimes."

Mention the stump on social media, and the Hertfordshire Constabulary would be at your door, guns drawn!

Oh, wait, the baker was not Muslim. Nevermind.; 1/2/19, 1:23 PM
The Elder said...: I like her disarming sense of humor.; 1/2/19, 1:33 PM
Meade said...: Mike Sylwester said...
"My brother was born without his left hand, similar to that. He was born in 1954."

Weird. MY brother was born without half his brain. No one knew why. I've always suspected my other brother somehow swiped it.; 1/2/19, 1:59 PM
Meade said...: Overheard at Meadhouse:

"You're not going to put that up, are you?"

"Why not?"

"It's mean"

"So?"

"The StumpKitchen lady wasn't being mean. She's light-hearted."

"I'm being light-hearted. Get it? -- Lie - tarded.; 1/2/19, 2:02 PM
Jim at said...: For moral reasons - not killing animals for food - is the way to go.

I love being lectured by people who think seagulls should be eating better than me.; 1/2/19, 2:04 PM
Meade said...: "I think for health reasons, veganism (a plant-based diet) is best. For moral reasons - not killing animals for food - is the way to go. So a vegetarian diet, allowing eggs and cheese, is the next best diet after the vegan diet."

Did you know, calorie for calorie, more animals are killed in the production of tofu than in the production of meat? It's true.

Vegan Is Murder.; 1/2/19, 2:10 PM
mockturtle said...: Trumpit, animals kill animals for food. Why is it wrong for us?; 1/2/19, 2:12 PM
Scott said...: Plants get their nourishment from sunlight, water, and minerals from the soil.

Animals get their nourishment from killing, either other animals or plants.

The morale choice is clear....eat the depraved murderers, spare the harmless sun-worshippers; 1/2/19, 2:14 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: OK city folks... ever see a field after being plowed or disked??? All those millions of mangled critters aren't "animals". Farmers kill billions of animals in the production of vegetable foodstuffs. Mechanically, chemically and, as inferred above with animals. Cats and dogs kill moles, voles woodchucks and legions of other competitors for your "veggies". Moral my ass!; 1/2/19, 2:29 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Processing plants also have bad outcomes galore for your "moral alternatives". Nothing is free.; 1/2/19, 2:31 PM
The Elder said...: Meade said:

"MY brother was born without half his brain. No one knew why. I've always suspected my other brother somehow swiped it."

I have a brother like that, too. It turns out that half his brain didn't amount to much anyway, so SOMEbody needed to use it. Mom now agrees that it was the right thing for me to do.; 1/2/19, 2:39 PM
Meade said...: QED!; 1/2/19, 2:46 PM
Rabel said...: "Good for her! I like her cheerful attitude."

That might be the drugs talking. She's Manic Depressive, suffers from frequent panic attacks and has been receiving treatment for years.

I wish her well but I'm not sure that the stress of being a public figure is the best thing for her. And the diet restrictions she imposes on herself are also open to question.; 1/2/19, 2:48 PM
walter said...: Yancey Ward said...When life gives you a stump, make lemonade with it.
--
Yeah..if she has a lemonade episode, should be lead. Juicing an orange just isn't the same.

In one episode she claims one handed life is best.
Gotta hand it to her..she's really pushing it.
Maybe she has a put-down term for those with standard limb allotment.
Something like "neuro-typical" for those lacking autism.; 1/2/19, 2:51 PM
Trumpit said...: "Trumpit, animals kill animals for food. Why is it wrong for us?"

Because you're better than your inner snapping turtle.; 1/2/19, 3:12 PM
etbass said...: A word of of appreciation for Mike Sylwester. Never fail to read his comments as they always are interesting and many times informative.; 1/2/19, 4:01 PM
Rosalyn C. said...: I guess the point is she's leveraging her disability but I found the video disturbing. I could clearly see she has one hand I didn't need to be reminded every other sentence that she is "handicapped." Here we are again with a comedian who is "not funny." I'd have more respect for her if she focused on the cooking.

Back in the 60's when I was working on the high school newspaper I had an interview with the director of the local United Way. When I entered her office and she was busy with a phone call, the receiver cradled in her shoulder and she was taking some notes with the other arm, but she had no hands. I was stunned for sure. All she had were stumps like this woman but we never discussed that, we talked about the organization and the great work they were doing. I guess the difference is that back then the culture wasn't obsessed with identity politics.; 1/2/19, 4:09 PM
tim maguire said...: Trumpit said...
"Trumpit, animals kill animals for food. Why is it wrong for us?"

Because you're better than your inner snapping turtle.

Tautology. Besides, you're also wrong about veganism being healthy.; 1/2/19, 6:02 PM
Nichevo said...: BUMBLE BEE said...
OK city folks... ever see a field after being plowed or disked??? All those millions of mangled critters aren't "animals". Farmers kill billions of animals in the production of vegetable foodstuffs. Mechanically, chemically and, as inferred above with animals. Cats and dogs kill moles, voles woodchucks and legions of other competitors for your "veggies". Moral my ass!

1/2/19, 2:29 PM

For a compelling fictional treatment, read the subject of this Wikipedia article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Frisby_and_the_Rats_of_NIMH; 1/2/19, 7:02 PM
Nichevo said...: In one episode she claims one handed life is best.
Gotta hand it to her..she's really pushing it.
Maybe she has a put-down term for those with standard limb allotment.
Something like "neuro-typical" for those lacking autism.

1/2/19, 2:51 PM

The British are a race with a healthy sense of humor and self-deprecation about amputees. This is not unprecedented.; 1/2/19, 7:03 PM