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1:41 AM
Hey y'all...
... This may be the first time in years I've been in the room and @Jolenealaska hasn't been in here!
 
@SourDoh What number d'ja dial?
 
@ElmerCat Whazawhat?
 
That's just my standard greeting — Hello, How are you?, What's hap'nin, etc..
 
ahh, ok
I'm good. Making dinner and wasting time
 
Making dinner is making good use of time!
 
1:59 AM
Indeed. Of course, I'm also running a WoW raid while it cooks, but...
 
@SourDoh Or, if you really want to waste time, here's the musical version: soundcloud.com/elmercat/didja
 
2:11 AM
Hmm... it's very Praga Khan
 
2:33 AM
@SourDoh I'd never heard of Praga Khan, but just browsed through a few tracks on YouTube. — It's kind of interesting, maybe something I could remix with telephone sounds. Thanks for the inspiration!
 
2:45 AM
No problem. Praga Khan is the dude behind Lords of Acid
and off to dinner!
 
3:23 AM
@SourDoh "Lords of Acid"? — Is that like Sir Martyn?
 
4:13 AM
@ElmerCat More like the filthy techno act from the 90's
 
 
6 hours later…
Huy
9:50 AM
is a "Bräter" or "Bratentopf" the German word for a Dutch oven? just wondering because I've seen this pot being recommended as a very cheap Dutch oven
 
10:30 AM
I don't know that brand. Be sure to compare it to this:
and this:
They are heavy, but very nice pans.
 
@Huy (gusseiserner) Bräter. Make sure it's heavy.
@Huy could work. Hint: check the max. temperature the knob can take. You might one day want to bake a bread in it and that means heating your oven as high as it will go. For more "standard" braising and with a limited budget - go for it.
I have a 70€ Tchibo model which I'm using a tiny bit outside the temperature spec, but it has a metal knob.
 
10:51 AM
@Stephie that knife, could it be meant to be used as a bone saw?
Or just as a knife which stays sharp for people who don't sharpen and hone?
 
@rumtscho I tend to say the latter. Not too sturdy and probably more cheap-ish.
 
Interesting, Fiskars positions itself as a high quality consumer brand
 
Dad and I just came back from a very nice trip from Seward, via the Alaska Railroad.
 
How did it go?
 
@rumtscho that's why I said "yes, thanks" in the first place.
 
10:58 AM
I love him, he loves me. I am his daughter. He has quirks, so do I. At this point, we're down to quirks and all is well.
 
Glad to hear this!
 
so, tension dissolved, and you could enjoy the trip by itself?
 
We had a great time :)
The alaska railroad rocks!
 
Huy
@Stephie thanks, I'm wondering if the large "pot" I have is actually a cast iron Bräter. how can I figure out what material it is?
 
Do you know of "whistle stop"?
 
11:02 AM
@Huy lift it....
@Jolenealaska not exactly. My subconcious mind tells me I should, but alas...
 
@Huy if you have to ask, it probably isn't
cast iron Braeters are a niche item in the German speaking area, rarely bought and expensive
 
Huy
it's heavier than my other pots (aluminium, stainless steel) but would very likely be heavier if it was cast iron (compared to my skillet). what else could it be then? there is some sort of black coating, but I don't think it's Teflon
 
Pictures?
 
it can be cast aluminium too
it is heavier than thin aluminium pots just because it's thicker
 
Cast iron is like "ugh!" heavy.
 
11:08 AM
it is more common in Germany (and I assume Switzerland) than cast iron, and it is frequently anodized
pictures would be good, a brand name too
 
Huy
 
from the looks, I would say cast aluminium with teflon on top
 
agreed.
 
Huy
says Berndes
ok, good to know
 
berndes has ceramic coatings too, but I haven't seen them used on cast aluminium pots
 
11:10 AM
They make both: berndes.com/de
 
Huy
looks very similar like a grey version if this
 
it's likely to be from this line
 
Alu.
 
yes, both guesses are aluguss
coating is "antihaft" for both, the gemuesetopf specifically says PTFE. But without further labelling, I would assume that the other one is PTFE too.
 
Huy
ok, thanks
 
11:14 AM
if you have a need for a Braeter, I would certainly suggest that you try it with this one
 
Huy
yeah, that's what I was going to do
 
if the results are not good enough, you can consider investing in iron or ceramic
 
Huy
yup
I've been using it for making large portions of Bolognese sauce so far
 
Hmm. That's maybe not the best tool for it.
 
Huy
:(
 
11:18 AM
It is too tall. A flat pan or pot would be better.
But if you are happy with your sauce, you probably don't want to nitpick that much
 
Huy
hehe
the sauce is fine for me so far, but I was going to try in a smaller pot next time anyways
 
@Huy Wider might be good. More surface - better reduction.
 
11:34 AM
and less heat gradient, which means better and more even cooking
although a very wide pot on a small burner gets a heat gradient too
 
Aaaaargh! Minors!
 
what did they do?
 
Minor 1 was supposed to bring me a lighter to fire up the grill while I was outside, grabbing herbs for my pan-roasted potatoes.
He tried to set fire to a potato cube in the pan, just to see what it looks like.
<vivid images of a grease fire dancing in my head>
 
you could send him to youtube to watch some grease fires
or even still pictures
 
He's seen them a while ago - but failed to recognize the connection. Admitted "he didn't think". Typical.
 
11:44 AM
Well, that's the definition of a non-expert
not recognizing the most important connections
 
Or an example why parents seem to age faster.
 
and yet kids tend to survive in kitchens
 
I'm less worried about the kid in this case...
 
Huy
:D
 
 
1 hour later…
1:09 PM
@Jolenealaska , so what about whistle stop?
 
 
1 hour later…
Huy
2:27 PM
@Stephie: should/can I already eat some of these leaves? imgur.com/a/prhTX
 
2:48 PM
Basil?
 
Jay
Yea it does look a lot like basil. If it is then yes. If its not basil then we can't comment without knowing what it is
 
@Huy yes you can. Always pinch the tops, leaving at least one pair of grown leaves. (Cotyledons don't count.)
I'd pinch here:
(Please ignore the dirty fingernails, I'm gardening atm.)
 
3:05 PM
So it's not big enough to eat a whole lot yet.
 
Enough for a Caprese for one ;-)
 
@Stephie By pinch, you mean you cut off the stalk there with your nails?
 
3:22 PM
@Cerberus yes. Or scissors, but basil is so soft, I usually don't bother.
 
Huy
ok, thanks a lot
does it matter how many of the top ones I already pinch?
generally, is any of the common herbs "dangerous" to eat if I use them too early?
(apart from basil, I have thyme, parsley, coriander, mint and oregano)
 
@Stephie Okay, and why cut off the stalk rather than some leaves?
 
3:54 PM
@Cerberus because removing the top encourages the plant to activate the two buds where the leaves below meet the stem. Leading to bushier growth (vs. long, lanky stems) and a larger yield over the season. Leaving the large leaves alone also leaves enough leaf area for photosynthesis, making sure the plant can continue to grow.
@Huy dangerous for you or the plant?
 
@Stephie Oh, that's very interesting!
So if I cut off the top rather than just remove some leaves as I need them, there is a greater chance that the plant will develop more/larger leaves afterwards?
 
@Cerberus exactly.
 
@Stephie Good to know!
And is it better to leave just one pair of leaves, or several pairs?
P.S. Why don't they put this bit of lore on basil plants at the supermarket? Perhaps they want our plants to live short and unproductive lives...
 
@Cerberus both is ok. I usually pinch early, then leave one pair on the two new stems, pinch that top....
 
New stems?
By the way, I have so far always bought rather than sown my basil plants.
 
4:02 PM
@Cerberus me too.
 
Oh, OK.
I look forward to trying this with my next plant.
 
@Cerberus Sure. From the buds where the leaves meet the stem. They branch out, then get new leaves.
 
Oh, the stem actually branches out??
 
Yes.
 
That would be great!
 
4:05 PM
Those supermarket plants are in fact a dozen or so seedlings.
Hang on....
 
I know.
The supermarket plants normally don't branch out for me.
 
Do you fertilize them?
They are produced as "disposable", in an overcrowded pot and all that. Basil is pretty "hungry", to get a generous leaf mass, you need sufficient food, water and sun.
This is what happens if you don't fertilize or transplant:
The cool nights earlier this months didn't help either.
But note the stem right in the center: Double top, new growth in the two levels below.
I think I shall feed instead of compost this pot.
Or find a sunny spot and hope the slugs leave it alone. <yeah, sure...>
On the balcony, perhaps.
 
Huy
4:20 PM
@Stephie either
 
5:03 PM
@Huy certainly not for you ;-)
Parsley and coriander are easy: if you have a "heart" of young leaves, pick a few of the large ones.
Thyme should grow a bit, pinching a top encourages branching. But it generally grows slowly, so be patient.
Mint and oregano: Don't harvest too soon, except for a few leaves (tips) here and there.
Golden rule: the plant must have enough leaf mass left that it can still do photosynthesis.
Oh, and photos help...
 
Huy
5:25 PM
@Stephie: I'll take one right after dinner, gotta enjoy my delicious basil now :P
 
Huy
5:37 PM
@Stephie: here :) mint, 2x parsley, thyme, coriander, oregano
any recommendations?
 
5:52 PM
@Stephie A whistle-stop railroad line will stop to pick up passengers at various points along the route. The person needing a ride drops a flag at the stop, signalling the conductor that someone there needs to be picked up. The Alaska railroad is the last whistle-stop train in the US.
We made a whistle-stop on the way to Seward on Tuesday.
Yesterday (Wednesday), we had a family on board that had left their car at a whistle-stop.
 
Isn't that a flag stop?
Ha, I was mostly joking, but there's a wiki article:
In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop describes a stop or station at which trains or buses stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, ill-frequented stops can be incorporated into a route without introducing unnecessary delay. Vehicles may also save fuel by continuing through a station when there is no need to stop. There may not always be a significant savings on time if there is no one to pick up because vehicles going past a request stop may need to slow down enough to be able to stop if there are passengers...
Request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop.
Must've used whistles for it in the past?
 
Probably, but whistle-stop is used colloquially.
But this is where it gets great...
So the train passed where it was supposed to drop off the family.
oops
 
Often when wiki lists multiple terms like that, they're used in different regions, not just colloquial vs formal.
oops!
 
So, it backed up 300 yards or so to get the family to the car.
Now that's service.
Nobody minded. The train slows and even stops for good wildlife photo-ops. Speed is not the primary goal of the Alaska Railroad.
 
6:54 PM
^_^ Awwwww!
 
Anyone care if I go on a tagging spree... we apparently have 26 questions.
 
@Catija have fun!
(Thanks!)
@Huy, the parsley and coriander can surely spare a few leaves. The mint absolutely not unless it's in a gigantic pot.
 
Help? Tag suggestion:
4
Q: Kitchen towel vs dough seal in a dum biryani

NRafA lot of recipes for biryani involve sealing the edges of the pot with dough. I generally used a kitchen towel and weigh down the lid with something heavy and don't bother with the dough. I was wondering if there is any benefit to using the dough over the towel. I use the towel method for some o...

 
Huy
@Stephie: no, I wasn't going to eat anything of my little mint :D
(yet)
 
@huy Thyme would like more sun and possibly less water (note the grey buildup?).
 
7:03 PM
Also... I don't really like bumping closed questions but I don't want to keep around...
 
Huy
@Stephie: yes, I gave the thyme and oregano a bit too much water, I noticed too
 
Oregano can spare a fet tips, too.
 
@Catija maybe start with open ones?
 
Huy
I actually never knew what oregano looked like, I've only encountered the dried version on pizza
 
If they're closed and no hope of reopening, could maybe just delete...
 
Huy
7:05 PM
thyme, oregano and basil smell amazingly
 
@Jefromi Even those with answers?
 
@Jefromi Yeah, the ones I'm seeing that are closed are generally "pairings requests" or "recipe requests".
 
I'd have to look through some, will do in a bit, but I'm okay deleting questions that are clearly best closed, i.e. should never have been answered, even if someone snuck in an answer.
 
Huy
@Stephie: I actually got some artificial lights from IKEA to address the light problems.
I hope my plants will grow better (and more in vertical direction) now
 
Any thoughts on ?
 
7:08 PM
Does sourcing exist?
 
Also, I'm surprised we don't have a or pre-prep or something like that tag... unless I'm not using the right terms.
 
Sorry I'm on my phone as slow.
 
@Jefromi Doesn't seem to.
 
ingredient-sourcing sounds more natural, if we want one of those
@Catija I guess that's approaching meta tag? I dunno. In any case the tags about what people are actually making are probably more obvious choices when they're posting.
 
True.
So... I've just discovered that is to be used both for cleaning with soap and water... and for prepping food for cooking... :(
 
7:18 PM
I always wash my produce in hot soapy water.
 
But something like would be meta in the same way is.
So maybe cleaning should just be limited to actual cleaning... like cleaning stove tops and counters and utensils etc...
Ugh, I know it didn't exist then but this question really belongs on Software Recommendations:
1
Q: What electronic tools are recommended for a cooking journal?

Laura Kane-PunyonI am embarking on a project to cook every recipe in the "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread" cookbook. I would like to maintain a cooking journal, something similar to a lab book, to document my observations as I attempt each recipe. The objective is to prefec...

 
7:36 PM
@Catija Wasn't trying to past judgment, just a possibility, I know it's a gray area.
@Catija I dunno, if there's a sufficiently obvious way to split it, we can, otherwise we can probably keep living with the ambiguity?
@Catija yup, might be better there... at this point, I guess we just have to decide whether we think it's on topic here, though
It's fine for scopes to overlap, and I think software recs provides a good potential example of that - sometimes software recs from generic techies will not be as good as software recs from the domain you're looking for software in.
 
@Jefromi But "cleaning" isn't even a good term for prepping food. Yes, you clean shrimp and fruit or whatever but it's all part of the broader "food preparation" umbrella.
Oh, sure. It's really for me a matter of being really opinion based here, whereas opinion based is more acceptable there because it's what their site is designed for. They also have pretty strict rules about explaining why a specific piece of software is a good option.
 
You like washing better?
 
@Jefromi No, I like "food preparation" better.
 
That's overly broad.
Prep includes chopping etc.
Cleaning/washing/whatever is about just how you get it clean enough to start doing things with it.
 
Ingredient prep?
 
7:43 PM
again, I think things like taking out pits, peeling, and even chopping, are generally regarded as prep
 
But if the question is about shrimp... there's not really any reason to add "cleaning" to it... is there? Or that question I just tagged about removing the skin from a jicama... is there any benefit to adding (or whatever) in addition to just tagging it ?
 
removing skin is still not cleaning, it's peeling
 
@Jefromi But it's also what people call "cleaning"...
 
Hrm.
I'm not sure how common that is?
I know euphemisms like "cleaning a fish", but I thought generally if someone says they're cleaning a bell pepper, they mean washing.
 
7:45 PM
yes, I know for seafood
But let's look at the questions tagged cleaning that are about produce, since that's what you brought up first I think?
Maybe I misunderstood?
 
That article from yesterday about "cleaning cactus paddles".
 
Okay, sure.
 
It's about removing the spines, not about washing them.
 
So there are senses of cleaning that do mean prep, yes.
And maybe we could split those out, especially since as I'm trying to convey above, not everything in that vein is commonly referred to as cleaning.
Most people wouldn't say they're "cleaning" jicama when they peel it.
It's has more of a connotation of "removing the really bad stuff" - spines, guts, etc.
 
Sure. And from a quick look, most of the questions with the tag are about cleaning equipment.
 
7:48 PM
I'm just wary of forcing people into something awkward for "how do I wash mushrooms" etc.
 
But there are some exceptions...
5
Q: How to deseed a guava?

rumtschoI found guavas in the local Asian store and bought one out of curiosity. While I have had guava juice, I've never eaten the fruit before. I bit into the fruit only to find my mouth full of hard seeds, which were somehow less convenient to spit out than, say, watermelon seeds. Seeing that most...

@Jefromi But, again, why does washing mushrooms need anything other than just a "mushrooms" tag... that's what I'm trying to ascertain.
 
Why does cleaning a fish need anything other than a fish tag?
 
That's what I'm asking.
 
Why does cleaning a microwave need anything more than a microwave tag?
 
It's about drawing the line between what's meta and what's not... and it's a hard line to draw...
 
7:51 PM
I think roughly, one answer is, if many questions in the tag need the tag, then it's useful to put it on other questions that strictly speaking could live without it.
It's possible to ask about cleaning without asking about some specific piece of equipment.
So we definitely want the tag, and then it'd be pretty annoying not to apply it consistently.
 
yes... the rule I've heard is "can you use it as the only tag on a question"... then it's fine...
 
for the "cleaning a fish" sense, I'm not as sure if it's needed
 
But can you use "cleaning" on a question about cleaning food without using a tag for that food.
 
What examples do we have besides guavas and fish/shrimp?
 
Exactly... that's what my question is... and I've got the meta mostly typed up...
Let me look... there's 200 or so of them
 
7:53 PM
Yeah, I know, that's why I'm asking, sorry.
 
0
Q: Is it normal to wash an apple, or other fruits, with dish washing liquid?

IancoviciI've never seen anyone do that until yesterday. So I wanted to know is this appropriate for when preparing apples for any meal, how about other fruits? Unlike plates, fruits can absorb chemicals.

0
Q: How do I prepare ground flaxseed for consumption? (If needed at all)

MarkEI haven't prepared or eaten flaxseed before. I just purchased a bag from Sprouts Farmers Market in their bulk section. The flaxseed appears to already be ground up. Do I need to wash or cook/heat these before consumption? Also, is it true they contain cyanide? I can't find anything in wikipedia ...

 
hypothetical: should I use soap when washing vegetables?
(but we have and so eh)
 
I'm skipping fish ones unless you want me to post them.
6
Q: Can I safely clean/eat harvested foods that have aphids on them?

fbreretoSo a friend of mine went to harvest some spinach and lettuce she planted, only to find lots of aphids. Assuming she can clear off the aphids is there anything preventing her from eating the produce? What's the proper method for cleaning that's sure to make it edible?

3
Q: How to remove the fuzzy innards from an artichoke?

KatieKWhat is the best way to remove the fuzzy inner threads from on top of the artichoke heart, without losing too much delicious heart? Is it easiest to cut out the choke (the fuzzy stuff) before or after steaming the artichoke? Does anything work better than a spoon? Is there any way to remove t...

2
Q: Chicken without all that fat?

JasonWhenever I make chicken, I end up going through and trimming a ton of fat. I have heard that free-range chicken is leaner. Is this actually true? What, generally, is the best way to make sure you end up getting high-quality meat that doesn't require a huge amount of fat-trimming?

 
nah that's cool, those all obviously have possible tags
So all of these can live on their own, though cleaning is a sort of focus of the question in some sense.
 
... there's like four questions about cleaning turmeric out of tools..
14
Q: How to clean cauliflower?

pramodc84I have asked many people about "best to way to clean cauliflower" before cooking. I got several answers, like keeping in salt water or add soak in turmeric mixed water. And also how do you remove worms from cauliflower?

Somehow doesn't have the cauliflower tag.
Sorry, mental image of a pregnant cutting board... had to share.
7
Q: Do chillis impregnate a wooden chopping board?

DMA57361After chopping away at a chilli earlier today (well, 10 minutes ago) I then went through my normal ritual of scrubbing my hands to remove what traces the chiles leave on my fingers. And it made me wonder - is whatever is difficult to get off my finger having any long-term effect on my wooden cho...

 
8:01 PM
turmeric!
I'm more bothered by beets.
 
OK, I don't have any exact numbers but it looks like, of all of the "cleaning" questions, 90+% of them are about equipment or tools and only a couple are about cleaning edibles, all of which can have their own tags.
 
8:32 PM
So... edit tag wiki to not be about cleaning food, remove from a few questions, probably?
 
Yep seems like it.
I noticed you in the middle of that fray in The Bridge.
Oh, hey... I'm blue ;)
 
oh nice!
now you can deal with chat flags (p.s. do not try to deal with chat flags)
 
@Jefromi I see them because of my rep level but I'm guessing Mods have more to deal with?
 
I don't actually remember which ones are mod-only.
There's a little more obligation for ROs and mods sometimes though, since they're the ones who can potentially do something if the entire discussion is going off the rails.
 
Huy
9:19 PM
I'm looking to replace some old plastic containers I've been using to store salt and sugar. which of these is more practical to use when cooking?

http://www.ikea.com/ch/de/catalog/products/00291928/
http://www.ikea.com/ch/de/catalog/products/70213545/

I'd guess the one with the lid that can be taken off completely is more practical, but do I lose any flavor or could salt/sugar possibly go bad in it faster?
also, how do people store flour? also just some glass jars?
(my parents used plastic containers for pretty much everything)
 
Do you specifically want glass?
 
Huy
I was going to change to glass, are there disadvantages apart from it breaking if I drop it?
 
Not sure if you can get them in Europe but my favorite cannisters are from OXO and they're plastic with sealing lids.
 
Huy
I can get OXO ones but they're really expensive
a single container is like 15€
 
Yeah, that's about what they are here... but they're great. I've had mine for... 7-8 years.
The sets may be less expensive than the individual ones and I love that they're squared off instead of round... no wasted space.
 
Huy
9:22 PM
I don't know about it, I think I just need it for sugar, salt and flour for now and spending 50€ for three containers is... a lot
no sets here in Switzerland at the shops
 
Sure, I understand. For the Ikea ones, the one with the seal seems better to me. I'm not a huge fan of non-sealing lids.
 
Huy
I'd love to check them out in person and see for myself if I consider them worth the money before buying them, but I only found them at online shops
(the OXO ones)
 
Ah. Yeah. That does make it more difficult.
 
Huy
it would be a great birthday gift though. I'll tell my brother. :P
 
There you go. Perfect solution!
 
Huy
9:34 PM
but yeah, I can't find a set of them anywhere here
too bad
 
Huy
9:58 PM
the 10-piece set seen on amazon would cost 200€ over here -_-
 
@Huy Glass is heavy too, not necessarily an issue, but if you have it up on a shelf can make it a bit more effort anyways.
 
@Catija congrats! A diamond!
 
@Stephie Thanks! I'm really excited!
 
@Huy I have about a dozen or so of the (largest) Korken ones. Mostly for cereal / müsli. Do not put grains or nuts in non-sealing jars.
 
Huy
I think I'll just stick with these cheap IKEA solutions for now
 
10:03 PM
They are wobbly...
 
Huy
@Stephie: how do you like them?
 
@Huy the glass or plastic ones?
 
Huy
the Korken you're using
 
There is a reason I have so many ^_^.
 
Huy
so you like them :D
how do you store sugar, salt, flour?
(rice)
(noodles)
 
10:05 PM
Sugar: two Korkens (white, raw cane).
 
No brown sugar?
 
Flour: large emaille cannisters but I go through a lot of flour.
@Catija rarely.
 
I use both light and dark... but I make a lot of cookies.
 
Huy
@Stephie: which Korken do you mean by the largest? this one appears to be the largest, but I think this one would fit easier wherever you store them?
 
@Huy the latter. The former is to display spaghetti.
 
Huy
10:09 PM
oh, good idea
 
Do you realize that they can go in the dishwasher if you disassemble them?
 
Huy
yes, why? :D
 
Because it's a neat feature and not everyone knows how to remove the metal parts.
 
Huy
ok, I hope I'll figure out :o
 
I'm confident. If not, ping me.
 
Huy
10:15 PM
I'll check them out in person first in IKEA, probably next Wednesday. thanks for the recommendation!
 
@Huy darn - now you made me check the website and schedule a visit...
 
 
2 hours later…
11:56 PM
@Jefromi And they said I'd never need to know math outside of school ;)
 

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