The Frying Pan

setek

3:43 AM

@Jolenealaska thank you for that link, omg, I want ...

Jolenealaska

...and it works! :)

Jolenealaska

9:45 AM

Olly Olly Oxen Free!

ElendilTheTall

12:46 PM

@Jolenealaska boo

Jolenealaska

1:16 PM

Hey hon, I had gone to bed but can't sleep, so I'm up again, but now you're gone!. :(

Cerberus

2:35 PM

Oh noes!

A chatty life is hard.

rumtscho

@Jolenealaska re your question, the cheese could be a problem, both because of salt and calcium, but I don't have the time to research and write now, sorry. Try finding the old food lab article on whether you should salt beans.

Jolenealaska

Salting beans before and during cooking has come into favor lately, even brining them. Acid is still considered a problem though.

Hey Cerby, whazzup?

Calcium is an issue I hadn't considered.

ElendilTheTall

3:27 PM

@Jolenealaska boo again

Jolenealaska

boo back!

Where have you been? I've been lonely!

ElendilTheTall

aww

poor jojo

;)

just been busy at work

Jolenealaska

I'm dumping my damn lentils...what a waste of good cheese. Now I'm making the Chinese Chicken Soup I linked to here. That should bring back memories, I probably last made it 25-30 years ago:

8

Q: How does velveting work?

The Chinese technique of velveting works. It creates a lusciously tender bit of meat, and I'm a complete advocate of making the small additional effort. If you've ever done it, you're already a believer, it's amazing. (I usually do it this way BTW) I'm velveting shrimp as I type this, and once a...

ElendilTheTall

all go then

what of the sandwiches?

Jolenealaska

I've just started playing, I haven't had a good night to get real serious about it. That's the plan for all day and night tomorrow (later today and tomorrow...you know what I mean :)

ElendilTheTall

3:35 PM

you are a creature of the night

and day

and the next night

Jolenealaska

I've got my lightbulbs switched out!

Got a few minutes to look at that with me? I'll show you a picture of my partially sliced chicken! :)

ElendilTheTall

Literally 2 mins

but i can chat on the go too

Jolenealaska

ElendilTheTall

that's a nice natural light colour

Jolenealaska

Cerberus

3:40 PM

Chicken and chili sauce?

Jolenealaska

the first is with the added light source. I just grabbed the sriracha 'cause it was close, and a different color :)

Cerberus

The first one is redder, the chicken.

I guess that is good?

Jolenealaska

I had missed a light bulb. This is with all the bulbs replaced, everything on:

Cerberus

So...what are you testing this for?

ElendilTheTall

That's pretty good for a non specialised set up

Jolenealaska

3:50 PM

I'm entering a contest. It's for sandwich recipes, 1st prize is $25,000.

ElendilTheTall

Even light with a natural temperature

Which she's sharing with me for coming up with most of the ideas

Jolenealaska

I'll do a background...I'll see what I can come up with real quick...

ElendilTheTall

For the finished product, find a day lit window, put some white baking parchment over it to diffuse the light, and shoot there

Cerberus

Ah, I see.

rumtscho

I just found a reason to close the storm question. I suspect the user will not notice that it's a real reason and think that I only did it because I hated his question.

Jolenealaska

3:55 PM

rumtscho

In fact, I didn't like the question, but I am also convinced that the reason is correct, because it holds under the assumption that his premisse is true.

ElendilTheTall

@jolenealaska Are you making it on a snooker table?

rumtscho

Indeed @Jolenealaska if you are preparing it for removing the background, you should try to get rid of the folds and shadows

Jolenealaska

It does kind of look like that, doesn't it...here, hoe 'bout beige...

ElendilTheTall

This is the problem with using a point and shoot, you have such a big depth of field that everything is revealed

rumtscho

3:58 PM

besides stretching the cloth, you can put it far away from the background

ElendilTheTall

Take a look at www.smittenkitchen.com

She has some lovely homemade food photos

Granted, she has a DSLR and a wide aperture lens, but she just uses natural light and the only background is her wall

Do you have any windows in your kitchen?

rumtscho

maybe you can shoot outside where there is space and beautiful light? Hang the cloth on a clothesline, put a garden table 6-8 m before the cloth, the food on the table, and shoot. The background will be quite uniform.

Jolenealaska

That's going to be tough there (the shadows) but it's light out, I'll try a beige shirt diffusing light from the window.

ElendilTheTall

A white shirt would be better if you have one

Or some thin paper

Or a bed sheet

Jolenealaska

Outside is a good idea, but it's an ugly dreary day. I'll check the forecast.

ElendilTheTall

4:01 PM

Or you could coat the window in vaseline

rumtscho

Paper is usually too thick, rice paper maybe. The bedsheet is better.

ElendilTheTall

Dreary day is good for this kind of photography

Clouds make excellent diffusers

rumtscho

A dreary day is not soo bad, because it gives you a very even light. But the light color will not be nice, you'd have to change it in postproduction.

ElendilTheTall

If you find the shadows are too deep, shine a flashlight from the other side

If the flashlight is too harsh, diffuse it like you would the window

But your nice daylight lights might help with that

Jolenealaska

I never realized just how ugly the building next door is :)

rumtscho

4:12 PM

@Jolenealaska I think that going farther away, zooming in and maybe going a bit into a slouch will give you a better look

this angle is a bit strange in combination with the somewhat busy background. It tends to work on a removed background, when you want the stuff to "pop" from the page.

Jolenealaska

Yeah, I have to go downstairs. Unfortunately, from my balcony I'd have a choice of an ugly parking lot, ugly building next door or a chain link fence...oh wait a minute...I have an idea...

rumtscho

@Jolenealaska bedsheet over the fence, then sufficient distance so the folds in the bedsheet don't show up

This one's good, yes

Jolenealaska

rumtscho

I liked the closeup better

but this may be just my taste, I am biased towards closeups

Jolenealaska

Since I'm showcasing a sandwich, a closeup is definitely the way to go. Can someone here fix that gouge in the wall if I can't avoid it?

I'll use my big white cutting board and a pretty plate.

rumtscho

4:23 PM

The point close to the left edge of the right vertical element? Yes, this is a one minute work in Gimp

Jolenealaska

yep, exactly, thanks.

That's just outside my front on a TV tray, so easy.

You know, it's funny. Imagine 20 years ago saying,"Yeah I'm going to send a photo from Alaska to the UK so someone there can spend a minute altering it before I send to Napa Valley, it'll just take a couple of minutes."

Cerberus

4:54 PM

Yay!

Progress.

The world is slowly, with ups and downs, becoming a better place.

2

Jolenealaska

5:10 PM

In so many ways. It's too bad we've gotten so much better at killer each other too.

Jolenealaska

7:27 PM

Guys - I need to come up with a clever name. My first entry in the $25,000 sandwich recipe competition is an easy, mock, cha siu bao, or Chinese Pork Bun. I'm using refrigerated biscuit dough, pork belly, Mezzetta Teriyaki, Cilantro Chimichurri, and Sweet Banana or Hot Chili Beppers. Any ideas??

mezzetta.com

Captain Giraffe

9:11 PM

@Jolene Could you provide any hint on the visual aspect?

Jolenealaska

9:40 PM

I'll post all my real pictures before I send them off, but mine will look like that without the cucumber or green onion. It'll have the chimichurri and peppers visible instead.

Captain Giraffe

How big are they? They look like they fit easily in a hand. Also, do you ship overseas?

Jolenealaska

Hehe... slider size, just over the size of a tennis ball. 2-3 to a good sized serving.

Captain Giraffe

A bit of tumeric mixed in the dough. Brush a thin white line with a salt/sugar mix, and it's a Rafael. (Painter and tennis player =)

Jolenealaska

9:58 PM

That would be a bit cerebral for the purpose :)

Captain Giraffe

:) It might be a tad presumptuous. Other that that I have an indecent suggestion, ignore at will. MsPacMan takes the meat ( I apologize), CookieMonsterMania. Mezzanine Pork.

Cerberus

Hahaha.

I like!

The bun and Ms Pacman.

Also known as Ms Pcwoman.

Jolenealaska

10:13 PM

cute :)

Captain Giraffe

10:25 PM

@Jol Is the meat as dominant on yours too?

Jolenealaska

More thinly sliced, 3 slices, perhaps 80% of the meat in that picture.

Captain Giraffe

Well, Jolene was a man eater according to Dolly P. A Juicy Jolene might be suitable.

Jolenealaska

nah, her Jolene had auburn hair and green eyes. I'm brown and brown. Case of mistaken identity.

Captain Giraffe

10:44 PM

youtube.com/watch?v=f6H4r1kWqSM (fun 2 minutes) I have no idea what auburn looks like.

Jolenealaska

11:02 PM

It's brownish red.

You'd be amazed how many people start singing that song when I first introduce myself. I often respond, "There's a song?" Several times the person has then said, "Oh yeah! Really! Dolly Parton did it!"

Captain Giraffe

@Jolenealaska There are a few approaches to that. I'm 2.03meters, basketballplayer size. If they ask me "Play basketball"? they are friendly trying to make a joke. Not of the clever kind but still

Jolenealaska

Oh yeah, I'm never miffed and of course I'm joking when I ask if it's really a song. People amaze me. I just said this to Cerby in the ELL chat room:

Normally, I'm all up for hearing arguments debunking religious myth, but this was literally the dumbest thing I'd ever seen on the internet. I had just watched a video produced by the BBC about some aspect of Christian history. Some guy in comments: "The Bible can't be real. Come on, if it's really that old, how come it's in English?"

Captain Giraffe

Also seriously, I'm pretty good with a nylon guitar. And I have made lots of money on a girl singing with me "Lady in red"! If I'd play you Jolene id I'd do it My Way.

Jolenealaska

Lady in Red was "our song" with one of my first boyfriends. :)

Captain Giraffe

11:17 PM

How very awesomely cute =) She sang with me 1994-1995

Lots of money is lots in student terms. We got 1500SEK 200USD about for a whole evening.

At our top.

Jolenealaska

So this was a paid gig in college?

Captain Giraffe

Yes, at a few pubs, but mostly restaurants

She had an amazing voice.