dcarch

Give this idea a try: You can buy smoke bomb (emitter, generator). Get one going near your fireplace with the fireplace damper open. Now turn on your exhaust.hood. You can tell if you should have the fireplace going when the hood is operating. CO back draft is a problem with a powerful exhaust fan. That's why many areas have specific code requirements for makeup air. If you have gas or oil heat with no proper makeup outside air intake, you should really make sure that your boiler room door is well sealed. dcarch

Amazing massive hood! Love the safety treatment of the sharp hood corner, or as I call that, a "hostile projection". :-) Someone tall in your family? dcarch

When you have a long time before serving, setting the MW power at the lowest power, the conductivity takes over and will warm the food evenly without overcooking part of the food. You can't use ambient probe in a dehydrator to get an accurate measure. The metal shaft of the probe will conduct heat faster in a convective environment. Use an instant read thermometer will be better.

Dehydrator is a very poor food warmer. It dries, warms and cools the food at the sametime. (Latent heat lost from evaporation). Use your microwave, cover the food and set the power at 1 or 2or 3, depending on your MW's power. For warming plates: Put a wet thin napkin in between every two plates and MW. You can stack as many plates as your MW can take. You can get all the plates boiling hot in no time. dcarch

Especially those who use wooden knife blocks. Years of crap inside those slots. Bugs can also get in an die inside. dcarch

Have you ever watched Hibachi cooking? all the showmanship makes the very ordinary meal look like it's got "lots of life" The method of sous vide is completely lacking excitement. Psychologically, your brain thinks the food is " lifeless" , No fire, smoke, splatter, sizzling ---- Try letting your taste buds be the judge instead. Back to OP's question. Low and slow is basically the sous vide method. MHO. dcarch

All doing well. dcarch

Red meat! Not good for the heart. Look for heart shaped tofu instead. dcarch

If salt boiled pasta is better, why not just add more salt when the pasta is made? dcarch

Eggs! Wouldn't you consider that part of the reproductive organ? No one objects to eating slimy eggs. dcarch

Depends on what else you have in the freezer. In the winter, there is very little need for ice cubes. I have used ice cubes that are more than a month old, with no off-flavor. dcarch

Another way is to get extra ice cube trays. $1.00 each from Goodwill. Less mess, easier to handle. Another benefit using trays, open ice cubes evaporate in the freezer, less need to concentrate the stock. dcarch

Get a cut resistant glove (yes, you can buy one glove). Now you can practice all those dangerous knife skill circus acts blindfolded. dcarch

Perhaps I have been off-topic. The OP asks "Knife techniques"

Unless you work for a restaurant or a food supply business, there is no need to be fancy with knife skills. All the cutting onions 10 lbs in 10 seconds can be impressive, but no practical use in a normal kitchen. Rocking motion, slicing motion all can work well. The only skill you need is to keep your fingers away from the sharp end of the knife. That said, do watch a few youtube videos and practice whatever you feel can be relevant to your typical recipes and eating habits. dcarch

Simple smoked pork, Lapa cabbage & chanterelle mushroom filling. Home made cutter. dcarch

Can I play? dcarch

Nice! dcarch

If the size of the suction cup is 3" x 3", under ideal conditions, the maximum force it can resist is up to about 132 lbs, unless glue is used. dcarch

To secure this one: Westmark Multipurpose Rotary Cheese Grater 1. Get a piece of 1/4" thick plastic that is bigger than the machine's suction base. ($5.00?) 2. Rough up the plastic surface with fine sandpaper. Use Crazy glue to glue the suction cup to the plastic. ($2.00?) 3. Buy a couple of clamps to clamp the plastic to your work surface. ($20.00?) http://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-6-in-Clutch-Style-Bar-Clamp-with-Wood-Handle-and-2-1-2-in-Throat-Depth-GSCC2-506/204986132 Good luck. dcarch

Good question. This is how I have been doing it: 1. The cracked end up. This is the end the sprouting and rooting happens. 2. You can't tell whether it's the right side or the left side of the crack where the root and sprout come out, so I plant the fruit vertical. 3. Once I can see which side the roots come out, then I plant them sideways. And by the way, chayote squash is worth planting because you can eat the fruits as well as the leaves. You can get up to 150 fruits per plant. dcarch

There must be hundreds of different kinds of garlics. One peeling solution for all? dcarch

We all have our fetishes. :-) dcarch

Yes, every year. dcarch

Starting Chayote squashes. dcarch