dcarch

Lime juice is used to "cook" raw seafood. And if you have very sensitive skin, you can even get sunburn without lime juice. dcarch

All ovens are designed not to ventilate very well to conserve energy. Only ventilate enough to keep certain controls not to overheat. Therefore for dehydrating, it's a good idea to keep the door slightly open to vent moisture. A convection fan in a convection oven does not move air as well as a regular fan. dcarch

A few days ago, I bought chicken leg quarters at $0.69 a lb. Whole chickens at $0.99 a lb. Do you know how many people and children will be miserable if they can't buy chickens at these prices? Can you see a way to free range farm chickens at these prices? Already, beef prices are much higher ever since the "pink slime" incident. Wait until people find out chicken slime is in many foods. Yes I have seen commercial chicken farms. I would like to know exactly how unhappy the chickens are in those conditions. There must be a way to test their stress hormone levels, blood pressure, etc. and other ways. Yes I have seen very happy free range chickens. In Hawaii, true free range (wild) chickens are everywhere. dcarch

I was going to be a smut peddler. I had heard so much about "Mexican Truffle", huitlacoche So i bought a can from Amazon to create a special dish based on a recipe for a dinner party. No one liked it. Truffle? No way! Corn smut? yes! I may try again just in case. Anyone with suggestions? dcarch

If you can keep your oven temperature low enough, below 180F perhaps. you can try to put an electric fan inside to make dehydration much better. Make sure you use an induction motor or a shaded pole AC motor driven fan. Don't use a computer "muffin" type fan. Those are "brush-less" electronic fans which are heat sensitive. dcarch

Let me make it clear first, I am against caged chickens. I was raised on a farm. Has there been a study that shows caged chickens are miserable? How do we know? Just common sense? What about dogs and cats in tiny city apartments? I know there will be millions of miserable people if price of chicken goes up. dcarch

Plastic paper binders is a great idea. Try this out, if you have not done so already. For curved blades, use rubber band to tie the binder to conform to the curvature of the blade. Dip in boiling water for a minute, then run it under cold water. You will have the binder permanently curved. dcarch

Really? Here is one. Hot dogs, with tomatoes, mayo, mustard and ketchup. dcarch

There is a need to make a distinction for a different class of people. People who are selective. A wine lover, a coffee connoisseur, for instance are not picky, they are very selective. dcarch

Lot's of information on solar oven jerky making. dcarch

Free thin store plastic produce bags works very well. They are non-stick for dehydrators. Make sure you don't use the side with printing. dcarch

Another cheap way for me. Works for me for my many knives. dcarch

It is not the sink, the chicken, the sponge -----------------------. In many homes, it has been found the refrigerators are above 40F. Really, check to make sure that your refrigerator is just above freezing. dcarch

For me, a ton of clean towels. Home depot cotton shop towels. I have 50 in white, and 50 in red. They are cheap. 12" x 12", very absorbent. white for clean, and red for not so clean. When I think the towels need just a little cleaning, I add a little water and microwave them a few seconds. When they get very used, they go in the washer. dcarch Not how I clean a chicken. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhUZ-5a_wyo

Not quite stir fried. It was done at low temperature "stir fried" so it wouldn't get overcooked. At the exact temperature when the meat started to flake. dcarch

Thank you Okanagancook, you are very kind. Rotus, I decided not to make salmon like a steak. I thought by chopping it in smaller pieces, the seasoning can become part of the flavor deeper. Shelby, Thank you. The violet greens are very tender. Taste like spinach, by milder. Packed with nutrition. dcarch

I visit a few BBQ/griller/smoker forums. Those forums often have annual member meets. Plenty of group pictures. Shocking to see rampant obesity in those group shots. It's not the meat that make them fat, IMHO, it's the cheese covered, bacon wrapped potatoes, deep fried bread, cakes, pasta ---------- washed down with gallons of beer. dcarch

Thank you all, Jvalentino, kayb, Okanagancook, Shelby, liuhou, huiray, patrickamory, Anna N, CatPoet, Dejah, mm84321, btbyrt, scubadoo, Ann_t, Kim, ------- and many others, you have been such an inspiration to me. Your mastery of the culinary arts is truly impressive. I bow to you all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring is in full swing. I have been busy taking advantage of the bounties from my backyard. Foraging for every meal. dcarch Swai on daylily shoots Salmon on violet greens Lamb, ramps

There are many UV bulbs of different wattages on ebay. All you need is a fluorescent fixture which has a ballast that is the same wattage and sockets which will fit the bulb. I bought my 55 watt germicidal bulb on ebay like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-55W-55-watt-UV-Germicidal-Bulb-Germicidal-UVC-2G11-/290533507006?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a5257fbe I had an aquarium fixture which works with that bulb. It is a good idea to have an extension cord with a switch so that you can turn the UV light on/off from another room. It is not a good idea to look into the light. Here is a picture of my UV light in my dry age setup. dcarch

You can use the juicer for pomegranates. I think rack and pinion design will work better for juicing pomegranates. dcarch

Actually it is very practical to have a UV light for sanitizing. There is nothing exotic about UV light use. It is a component in aquarium water circulators. It is a component in many home central air conditioning duct work. I use it because I don't want anti-bacterial wash chemicals in my kitchen environment. Furthermore, the use of those washes is time consuming and expensive, and they only work when there is 100 % contact. I am lazy. A UV light only needs to be turned on and off, and move around a couple of time to avoid shadowed area. No work involved. Great for my big wood cutting board. How do you clean your heavy wood cutting board? Peroxide leaves no smell, but it is not 100% kill with microbes. I use it in my beef dry-age chamber. I use it to clean the area and tools for long low temperature sous vide cooking. The 55 watt UV setup costed me $30.00. Extreme? Going too far? dcarch

Finally, it is very practical to have small cordless hand vacuums in every room. The ones which have ni-cad rechargeable batteries are useless. The new ones with li-ion batteries are powerful and long lasting. "---- Long battery life - holds a charge when unplugged for up to 18 months Cordless, portable and ultra-compact----" dcarch

Yes, that's me. Absolutely. Never take any chances with other people's health. That is why I go to extremes when I cook for others. That's why I have a 55 Watt germicidal UV light which is what medical research labs use to sanitize. I am very relaxed with sanitation in the cooking environment when I cook for myself. But when I cook for others, I go 300% to clean everything. dcarch