The phone rang and I got up to meet a late and lost friend from downstairs to the dinner party, and left a hot pot going on the stove. When I got back I didn't even notice it and tossed a small pad of butter into the pot and it started to smoke at bit, but not really enough to set the internal smoke alarm off.  My suave and debonair smooth chef-tess demeanor was starting to fade at this point I guess you could say, but this was just the beginning.  

They spent 6 months installing these new fire safety alarms. So I had the brilliant idea to open the front door to ease the smoky air for my dinner guests.   Which set off the entire buildings fire alarm and had the whole building have to evacuate.  I knew I was busted when the City of Emeryville Fire Marshall himself knocked on the door to ask what was for dinner and to make sure it wasn't burning.