Skip to content

Monthly Archives: September 2009

About that barley risotto…

Risotto of toasted barley with roasted cauliflower In the previous post I mentioned a recipe from Gourmet magazine for a risotto made from toasted barley and roasted cauliflower. I decided to make it for supper. I’d encourage everyone to do a little Googling and read up on the benefits of barley. Not only is it […]

Barley season

Is it soup yet? Barley is not at all hard to find in the United States, but I don’t think I’ve ever known a traditional cook who uses it. That’s a shame, because not only is barley a fantastic comfort food, its glycemic index is very low — 25. The best soup I ever had […]

What are arc fault circuit breakers?

Some of the 17 arc fault breakers in my main electrical panel Starting in 2008, the National Electrical Code included a new requirement: new homes must use arc fault circuit breakers. Like most people, I was unaware of this new requirement, nor did I know what purpose these breakers serve until my electrician explained it […]

Time to think about fall baking

Banana bread The autumnal equinox is Tuesday — the first day of fall. At the produce stands, the tomatoes and squash are giving out, and the pumpkins, greens, and apples are coming in. I don’t like to bake during the summer. Not only is the oven a big load on the cooling system, summer foods […]

Toward more frugal homes

My new washer —————————————– One of the nice things about new construction is that, largely because of tighter and smarter regulations, new homes and new appliances are more efficient and more frugal. My windows, with a U-factor of .31, are pretty darn snug, though no window is as efficient as a well-insulated wall. Local builders […]

A post for the nerds: Radioteletype

The radio is tuned to 14.08128 megahertz. This is in the 20 meter ham radio band in a frequency range normally reserved for radioteletype stations. Signals on the 20 meter band, by the way, travel farthest when the sun is overhead. During the day the earth’s ionosphere is energized by solar radiation, making the ionosphere […]

The lost word?

Wikipedia photos Once upon a time many years ago, while looking up a word in an unabridged dictionary, I came across a word on a nearby page that jumped out at me, because it was a beautiful word that described a picturesque phenomenon. I resolved to remember the word, and I promptly forgot it. I […]

Interior photos … eventually

I haven’t forgotten my promise to post some interior photos of the new house. It’s going to take a little time. I’m still working on getting things in place. Not to mention that the lighting and photography are difficult to manage. But I’ll get there.

Cooking for the cat

I guess it was inevitable that I’d eventually try making some homemade cat food to see if my cat, Lily, likes it. With some minor adjustments, I used this recipe from veterinarian Michael W. Fox. It’s a thick stew that sets up when it cools. It’s all meat (don’t ask) except for some mashed chickpeas […]