March 2015 archive

24/7 Access to Work is Overrated

My cell phone stays on its charger in our home office at night and on most weekends. I choose not to have remote access for my office computer, despite my occasionally onerous commutes to and from work. I had a pager in my previous job, which stayed turned off in my office for years. Am …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/29/247-access-to-work-is-overrated/

Waldorf School Whipped Cream

A friend of ours used to teach at a Waldorf School, where use of technology is avoided in early education. (Her specialty was teaching finger-knitting to squirmy 6-year-olds.) Last night at the Friday Night Follies, she demonstrated how to make Waldorf School Whipped Cream: Pour heavy cream into a clean, wide-mouth, screw-top jar. Shake the …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/28/waldorf-school-whipped-cream/

How to Read a Recipe

Back in the day when computer software actually came with printed documentation, information technology geeks had a key piece of advice for those who called with basic questions: Read the *^%#ing Manual (RTFM). In our house, we’ve adapted it to RTFR, where recipe replaces manual in the acronym. Here are the common sins of omission …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/22/how-to-read-a-recipe/

How to Write a Recipe that Readers Can Replicate

I’m often disappointed by recipes I find in newer cookbooks and online. It’s as if nobody proofread or tested them. Sometimes ingredients in the list don’t appear in the recipe instructions, or proportions seem to be off. For those of us in science, a key consideration in publishing  our research is to describe methods in …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/22/how-to-write-a-recipe-that-readers-can-replicate/

A March Madness Hypothesis

I was watching Gonzaga dispatch the University of Iowa in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament today, which renewed a hypothesis I’ve had over the years. A key factor in reducing the prejudice against Catholics in this country over the years was not the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960; rather, it was Notre Dame …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/22/a-march-madness-hypothesis/

Hold the Mayo–PLEASE!

When I was growing up, I hated mayonnaise, salad dressing, mustard, pickles, and anything made with these ingredients. As I got older, I learned to like mustard and some pickles. Mayonnaise and salad dressing (and their derivative sauces) are still on my won’t-eat-by-choice list. The problem is I often don’t have a choice. McDonald’s takes …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/22/hold-the-mayo-please/

Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Camera

Every tech-klutzy blogger has someone who can make the glitches go away. I have my significant other (aka the SO), Julian. In addition to his computer skills, he is a gifted photographer. Most importantly, the man can cook! We met through mutual friends when I was in grad school at Cornell and he was working …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/15/pay-attention-to-the-man-behind-the-camera/

When the SO’s Away…

The Significant Other (SO) had to fly Back East for a family funeral last year. To someone who lives in the Seattle area, Back East means any place on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. It could be Yakima, Nova Scotia, or anywhere in between. In this case, Back East was New Jersey. I …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/15/when-the-sos-away/

Feeding Between the Lines

When we moved to Seattle, we acquired a group of neighbors who get together on most Friday nights for food and conversation. We congregate at different homes for potlucks or go to restaurants in the area. Our Friday Night Follies are frequently complicated by assorted food allergies, intolerances, or aversions. Here is the line up, …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/08/feeding-between-the-lines/

The Evolution (or Not) of Bicycling

When my sister and I wanted to go for a bike ride when we were kids, all we did was get our Huffy single-speed bikes out of the garage and go. These days, it feels as if I’m preparing for a major expedition when I go riding. Bike apparel? Check. Helmet adjusted to fit? Check. …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/03/08/the-evolution-or-not-of-bicycling/

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