takadi

I just started composting for the first time by just piling up all grass clippings, yard trimmings, and shredded newspaper in one huge heap. It's one hot and heavy mess and it is awesome. Might get into worms and maybe get a biostack or something fancier like those compost tumblers (or the almighty naturemill) but just don't have the time yet or the money (I can't believe they charge hundreds of dollars for a plastic container) Is there really an advantage of worms to regular composting though? Seems like alot of extra work for nothing.

Much appreciated post V gautam. Unfortunately, I'm young, I'm stubborn, I'm stupid... I wouldn't be the youthful scientist eager to bag the shark if I wasn't...well...eager to bag the shark. The image of the battle hardened stir fry veteran does remind me of this quote though: "I am tired and sick of pao. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a propane jet burner nor heard the shrieks and groans of the singed who cry aloud for flash, for smoke, for wok hei. Pao is hell."

Does anyone know how to make this stuff at home?

I'm thinking botulism

According to this great website hummingbirdkiss showed me "The following information is for the highly managed pile and the optimum finished compost in the shortest amount of time. Decomposition occurs most efficiently when the temperature inside the pile is between 104 degrees F and 131 degrees F. Compost thermometers are available at garden shops and nurseries. It is best not to turn the pile while it is between these temperatures, but rather when the temperature is below 104 degrees F or above 131 degrees F. This keeps the pile operating at its peak. Most disease pathogens die when exposed to 131 degrees for 10-15 minutes, though some weed seeds are killed only when they're heated to between 140 degrees and 150 degrees. If weed seeds are a problem, let the pile reach 150 degrees during the first heating period, then drop back down to the original temperature range. Maintaining temperatures above 131 degrees can kill the decomposing microbes." http://www.compostguide.com/

I think grain fed beef is superior to grassfed when it comes to grilling

Induction cookers are pretty expensive aren't they? Plus I don't know if they put out enough heat for a stir fry I only know two ways to get decent stir fry on an electric stove. Either use a copper wok (unrealistic), or get one of those heavy American cast iron woks. I highly recommend Lodge's pro logic 14 inch wok. It's flat on the bottom and round on the inside, so you get all the benefits of the wok plus being able to conduct heat efficiently. The only issue with this is that it is difficult to control the temperatures and it is extremely heavy. You'll have to adjust your ingredients and cooking methods around this, but you'll get pretty decent temperature levels and your food will come out pretty good

tamari is technically soy sauce without wheat. It's the liquid byproduct of miso production

Hi V gautam How does the stand alone induction wok work? Does the wok have it's own power supply or something? Do you have to buy a curved induction stove? Seems really good for casual wok cooking and extremely efficient compared to flame stoves, but it seems like the price might be out of the ballpark range of casual cooks. I subscribed to chefbalcer a while back, he seems like he knows what he's doing. His techniques and set up are very professional, so I don't think his situation is applicable to home cooks unless they are extremely passionate about wok cooking

Wow that looks great, and not a bad price either! I was gonna ask about wattage and see if it just ends up wasting electricity, but it only uses 10 watts.

Hmm I wonder why is that. Maybe freezing helps break down cell walls?

Wow it looks a little daunting...seems to have a great deal of science behind it. I always figured that you just dump whatever that is considered trash into a huge pile and let it rot, lol. I've bought some thai basil and hot pepper plant seeds, so I can't wait to give this a try

Just bumped up the gardening thread The only real food product I'm scared not to buy organic are meats. Not really sure I trust eating meat from an animal that was abused, fed dead matter from its own species, and pumped full of chemicals and hormones. I figure that since animals are higher on the food chain, the acquire more of the chemicals in their bodies

Does anyone have any good time-tested methods for making compost heaps, especially out of old grass clippings and food?

I know it has little to do with food, but is there a thread for composting? I've always wanted to try my hands at it and make a nice vegetable or herb garden from it, but I don't really know how Also I think this topic gets into the discussion of "local vs organic". I tend to prefer local first to organic, especially for produce, because I feel there is little significant difference between a conventionally grown vegetable and an organically grown one that requires it to cost several dollars per pound more. And I figure a great deal of that expense comes from fuel used to transport it. I'd rather buy from a local farmer produce that is at peak freshness and didn't travel 1000 miles just to reach the grocery store. Even so, alot of local farmers probably use organic farming methods as well.

They have a term for that: The Calorie Restriction Optimal Nutrition diet

You could have cut the tension with a knife!

White truffle oil??? I hope that car has delicious emissions! A nice twist on biofuel that's for sure. Btw, here are a list of my favorite youtube chefs (some of them have either retired from youtube or gone on to better ventures) ChefJeanPierre BBQtalk BarbequeWeb (it's all about the voice!) wokfusion WinelibraryTV (they have their own site I think) egeefay peter691107 chefbalcer thebrewdudes The foodwishes guy used to be called "learn2cook" but he upgraded from that and decided to turn off his comment section and switch everyting to his blog. He now has his own "show" on about.com. I kind of liked his old videos better, it's obvious that he is trying to advertise his blog in the new ones and it kind of takes away from the video. I save so much money on cooking lessons, I have learned almost everything from these guys!

Hi inferno Is your wok burner similar to this? http://www.indiajoze.com/equipment.html I've been trying to find something like yours for such a long time, but to no avail. Either the valves aren't powerful enough or there aren't enough holes to disperse the propane flame. So when you turn up the heat, the flame has a tendency to go out in some of the holes. Outdoorstiryfry.com sells something similar but the rim is too big (13 inches wide) and it is incredibly expensive. Apparently it goes up to 160k BTU's, but I don't know how accurate his claims are The guy at indiajoze.com apparently sells one for 90 dollars but I'm not sure if the site is even active anymore. Plus it seems way too cheap to be true. The wokshop sells one that looks really similar but it claims it only goes up to 32k BTU. I'm not sure if I believe any BTU rating anymore http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/steam...tove_32000.html There are also a bunch being sold on ebay starting at dirt cheap prices of 20 bucks not including shipping. The picture looks decent but seriously...20 bucks. The other alternative on there is being sold for about 300 bucks (being shipped from Australia).

Awesome thanks for the link! I see there are alot of different models for the Elph, is the 850 the only one with the macro mode?

To tell you the truth, I've never owned a camera in my life (I am a deprived child), so I really don't know what to get, let alone know what DSLR means, lol. I see alot of egulleters here shooting such beautiful pictures though, but I figure those are the result of some pretty expensive cameras. I wouldn't want a piece of crap, but I don't really need a professional style camera either, just one that will be able to take clear enough pictures to be aesthetically pleasing (and preferably below 200 )

As the 21st century chugs along, we find simple video sharing sites like youtube evolving into a massive social network of videos, sharing ideas, humor, stories, and things you would never find on TV. What I've noticed is the appearance of home chefs showing their skills and recipes for the entire world to see. The stark difference between these youtube chefs and the ones you often find on TV is the raw sense of reality and personalization. The low quality webcam recordings, the lack of flashy music and special effects, the one-on-one environmental settings, and the customized formats of their videos and editing, and the open comment section all provide a down to earth and personal connection with the cook and the viewers. No longer is the chef a untouchable entity but a teacher and a friend right in your very own kitchen. And without the pressures of ratings and TV spots, he or she has absolute freedom in his own domain. The sweet korean lady "Maangchi" shows you step by step how to make homemade kimchi. The wise-cracking Chef Jon of "foodwishes" shows you his very own version of steak au poivre or fried chicken. The giant teddy bear "jaybobed" teaches you homegrown cast iron cooked southern delicacies. The list goes on and on. The implications of youtube replacing television as we know it are already on its way, with major news stories breaking through youtube videos, soldiers communicating via vlog about their adventures in Iraq, and whole cultures and memes being formed virtually. And the greatest part about this literal media revolution is that it is almost entirely controlled by the people, for the people. It is truly American. Feel free to list your Youtube channel if you have one, but from my observations, egulleters are some of the most talented cooks I've ever seen. I would love to see users from egullet make their own Youtube video blog and show off their talents and personal flair

I feel the need to blog not really for publicity or attention but because I feel that I need to write down ideas or discoveries I have in my learning process of becoming a better cook. I have this compulsion to write down everything on Notepad but it's becoming a little disorganized. There will probably be the temptation of sell your blog's soul for attention, but food is such therapy in and of itself that merely writing about it will be satisfying for me All I am really concerned about is what type of digital camera I should purchase and how do design my blog

In this day and age, I find youtube is such a wonderful resource. There's a user named "chefbalcer" who has the best wok cooking videos, and his technique is pretty sharp. He even rigged his own ventilation system

Is 100 micron overkill for straining a regular stock? What about 400 micron? I have no clue how large a micron is in comparison