chocobean's recent activity

  1. Comment on Just bought a Sous Vide. Those who own one, what are your favorite things to use it for? Any recommended accessories? in ~food

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Maybe just turn it up a few degrees? Most of my sous vide recipes are from Modernist Cuisine At Home, and they usually have a table for desired consistency. Turkey came out "wrong" for me as well...

    Maybe just turn it up a few degrees? Most of my sous vide recipes are from Modernist Cuisine At Home, and they usually have a table for desired consistency. Turkey came out "wrong" for me as well but dial up the temp and it tastes like safe, tender oven cooked.

    4 votes

  2. Comment on Just bought a Sous Vide. Those who own one, what are your favorite things to use it for? Any recommended accessories? in ~food

    chocobean
    (edited )
    Link
    The (only) magic in the tech is in making things turn out consistently the same way, and giving you time to do the other parts of the dinner. Consistency and time. Otherwise everything that can be...

    The (only) magic in the tech is in making things turn out consistently the same way, and giving you time to do the other parts of the dinner. Consistency and time.

    Otherwise everything that can be done in a sous vide water bath can be, and are routinely, done by chefs who can time things exactly right and who don't muff things up. It's a skill equaliser, and that's about it. And keep in mind texture changes with time -- do not recommend for beef chicken pork to go for more than 8 hours. Exceptions for tough cuts like brisket duck goose turkey.

    My usual use cases: (1) start dinner well before I am done with work for the day (2) hold at temperature while I get everything else ready (3) [edit missing item] to pasteurize ingredients

    Unusual use case 1: we had a baby Gosling who wasn't doing well, and needed to be kept indoors and warm. The heat lamp was too much for the poor thing, so we put the circulator inside a metal pot and set it to "warm" the water. Little fella would nestle next to the warmed pot all day in between "venturing out" to the other side of the box for food and water. (Picture of Gosling and geese)

    Unusual 2: it was winter, and we were inoculating logs with mushroom mycelium covered dowels which then need to be sealed with melted wax. Used the circulator to keep wax liquid. But in the end it was much easier to hold a solid piece of wax over the dowel, dessert torch it to drip.

    1. I didn't have one at the time, but I would use it to keep baby bath water basin warm at exactly the best temperature.

  3. Comment on Just bought a Sous Vide. Those who own one, what are your favorite things to use it for? Any recommended accessories? in ~food

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    It's been years and I always use big Ziploc bags and a tub of water to displace air. And then silicone sealed bags for reusability. Played with a vacuum sealer once and hated how fussy it was.

    It's been years and I always use big Ziploc bags and a tub of water to displace air. And then silicone sealed bags for reusability.

    Played with a vacuum sealer once and hated how fussy it was.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Just bought a Sous Vide. Those who own one, what are your favorite things to use it for? Any recommended accessories? in ~food

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    And then the cooked ice cream mixture gets chilled, then go into one of those frozen pots that fit under a stand mixer to stir?

    And then the cooked ice cream mixture gets chilled, then go into one of those frozen pots that fit under a stand mixer to stir?

  5. Comment on Just bought a Sous Vide. Those who own one, what are your favorite things to use it for? Any recommended accessories? in ~food

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Mine came in a yellow paper cylinder and that's where it still lives

    Mine came in a yellow paper cylinder and that's where it still lives

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    This is quite true: when I have money to spare is perhaps when I'd be the most patient, the most charitable and the most relaxed around my child. These past years where we homeschooled indeed...

    This is quite true: when I have money to spare is perhaps when I'd be the most patient, the most charitable and the most relaxed around my child. These past years where we homeschooled indeed afforded these opportunities and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Yours might be the perspective that would be closest to my situation. We would indeed be the poor kid in a rich class if I pushed for it. I would very much love to hear your pros and cons if you...

    Yours might be the perspective that would be closest to my situation. We would indeed be the poor kid in a rich class if I pushed for it. I would very much love to hear your pros and cons if you would be so kind to share

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Rural as in opposite of urban, where resources are few and really far away. Closest swimming pool 45min drive away kind of thing

    Rural as in opposite of urban, where resources are few and really far away. Closest swimming pool 45min drive away kind of thing

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Ouch, yeah university student loan sounds like its own hell.... I guess if we can't afford both it shouldn't make sense to put it in the one that could be free

    Ouch, yeah university student loan sounds like its own hell.... I guess if we can't afford both it shouldn't make sense to put it in the one that could be free

    3 votes

  10. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Pretty much we're in rural Canada, and we're thinking about moving INTO a school board that would be the best fit. The local school is very rural and we're nearly better off homeschooling all the...

    Pretty much we're in rural Canada, and we're thinking about moving INTO a school board that would be the best fit. The local school is very rural and we're nearly better off homeschooling all the way through.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Interesting....yeah that is part of my concern as well. It's not like if I scrunch up the money and get financial aid, our kid would be just like the kids whose families are either overseas or...

    Interesting....yeah that is part of my concern as well. It's not like if I scrunch up the money and get financial aid, our kid would be just like the kids whose families are either overseas or else don't have the same economic challenges...maybe it's better to be among more similiar if less advantaged crowds....

    2 votes

  12. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Older child going into highschool. Resources are a consideration, yes: basically rich postal codes get good schools and poor ones get poor schools. It's quite the divide here. Hence the request...

    Older child going into highschool.

    Resources are a consideration, yes: basically rich postal codes get good schools and poor ones get poor schools. It's quite the divide here.

    Hence the request for opinions regarding "is it worth it for families that can't easily afford it".

    I have also heard one opinion that, (years ago) if was cheaper to buy a whole new house in a good (free school) neighborhood than to send the kids to a private (paid) school. That route is no longer available after the massive housing cost increase

    2 votes

  13. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    We don't choose our phobias but I would love to hear their "origin story" if any. Are grocery stores no go then?

    We don't choose our phobias but I would love to hear their "origin story" if any. Are grocery stores no go then?

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Canada too Price of potato patties have doubled in 3 years. Insanity.

    Canada too

    Price of potato patties have doubled in 3 years. Insanity.

    4 votes

  15. Comment on What's on your Christmas wish list? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Perhaps more things from brands they already love. Eg, if they have 20 colours of this brand of nail polish, get a few more new colours. If they love this brand of eyeshadow, buy this year's...

    Perhaps more things from brands they already love.

    Eg, if they have 20 colours of this brand of nail polish, get a few more new colours. If they love this brand of eyeshadow, buy this year's palette. If they like this eyelash curler, buy the spare parts for it. If they have a daily skin care routine buy the miniature travel version of them. :)

    8 votes

  16. Comment on What's on your Christmas wish list? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    What do you mean joke answer I kind of want one now?! Are these for real?! Kind of terrifying as I can easily imagine a line of dog bots with throw flames deployed against protesting civilians...

    What do you mean joke answer I kind of want one now?! Are these for real?! Kind of terrifying as I can easily imagine a line of dog bots with throw flames deployed against protesting civilians...

    2 votes

  17. Comment on What's on your Christmas wish list? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Yeah I come from a cash culture and gift cards are terrible. Just give me nothing or cash or donate please

    Yeah I come from a cash culture and gift cards are terrible. Just give me nothing or cash or donate please

    2 votes

  18. Comment on What's on your Christmas wish list? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link
    I'm very easy to shop for: something cute It could be a digital thing like a cute game, or a cute note book, or a cute stuffy

    I'm very easy to shop for: something cute

    It could be a digital thing like a cute game, or a cute note book, or a cute stuffy

    4 votes

  19. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Oh wow you moved a ton of things around! Cross stitching requires so much patience and attention to detail, so many color changes I couldn't manage all but the easiest (two colours per block...

    Oh wow you moved a ton of things around! Cross stitching requires so much patience and attention to detail, so many color changes

    I couldn't manage all but the easiest (two colours per block letter, two colours for borders) very beautiful thank you for sharing the pattern and links :) I'll just have to admire yours and others'

    1 vote

  20. Comment on Private school - worthwhile/good idea for not rich people? in ~life

    chocobean
    Link Parent
    Very interesting, that afterschool enrichment might have been better allocation of resources..... something else to consider thank you

    Very interesting, that afterschool enrichment might have been better allocation of resources..... something else to consider thank you

    2 votes