GBannis's Profile

Some thoughts:

A rice cooker is far and away the easiest and most foolproof way to make rice. And it doubles as a slow cooker too.

Keep in mind that rice cooks by steam not by boiling water.

Rinsing rice before cooking means adding water to the rice. Reduce the water in the pot accordingly.

I like my rice on the dry side and not sticky so I use a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water.

When making rice in a pot, I put rice in the cold water and bring both to a boil. Then I turn the heat down to a lively simmer until almost all the water is absorbed. Then I turn the heat off and let the rice steam in the pot the rest of the way.

There's no need to add salt or butter if you're making plain rice.

And the bracket is a from IKEA.

This is a puzzling set of instructions for simple pound cake.

1. "I have not had much luck using straight all-purpose flour ..." What do you mean by not much luck? I doubt the average person would be able to tell the difference between a pound cake made with all-purpose vs cake flour.

2. Bundt pan. The vast majority of pound cakes aren't made in bundt pans. However, the need for a pan with a tube in the middle depends on the recipe. Some need the extra heat in the middle of the cake to rise properly, e.g., an angel food cake. But a classic pound cake does not.

3. For all the attention to pan and sifting, etc., how about giving the recipe in weight rather than volume? That is, pounds of flour rather than cups of flour. Volume will definitely change with sifting, so one should sift the dry ingredients before measuring them in a cup. Weight doesn't have that problem.

Can't forget Clivia miniata or any of the Pieris genus. Then there are Fuchsias and Hydrangeas, Melastomes, Camellias, Hakonechloas, Mitrarias, Pittosporums, Philadelphus, Cestrums, ... and on and on.

Philodendrons can acclimate in mild winters and do splendidly in garden shade.

Those prices are seriously high. I can almost understand the helmet and backpack. But a denim satchel for $300?

I can also understand the lit rims but there are under $50 solutions for doing the same thing.

@suzytheopbserver: The ottomans I've been checking out cost over $100 and usually over $200 when an interesting fabric pattern is involved. They're greatly overpriced as far as I'm concerned.

The DIY ottoman pictured here is far less expensive.

The NYTimes article is nicely skeptical. Take the part about cheap sofas being made of plywood while others use solid ash or maple. Personally, I'd prefer that good wood be used where it can be seen. I also think that since plywood is good enough for floors and houses, it's certainly strong enough for sofas.

I lean toward the reasonably priced sofa that fits one's lifestyle. I hardly ever use my sofa, and I'm pretty sure my kids would like to inherit it as much as I wanted to inherit my parents' couch, so I wouldn't spend five figures on one. The fact is, good design and comfort does not need to cost big bucks.

@wittersgarden: fluorescent ballasts do emit a hum. The electronic ballasts should be quieter.

Loose ballasts and lamps can also increase the volume of the hum, so check that everything fits well and securely.

Otherwise, if you can, you can move the ballast to a place where you can't hear it.

Isn't it interesting that industrial design is moving toward the use of renewable materials, where "synthetics" play a large part, when other areas of consumer goods such as perfumes, soaps, and even home decor are touting "organic" ingredients?

Of course, any time one uses organic ingredients, one also has to ascertain the risk of depleting the natural resource (e.g., if we had not made a synthetic for the scent of sandalwood, the use of actual sandalwood would have used up all our sandalwood forests decades ago) and other environmental consequences.

This comment comes two years after the article was posted but I want to add something to definition of a small sofa.

To be small, the sofa must not only be shorter but also shallower. Mid-century couches were typically less than 30" deep, with seat depth less than 30" but still ample. Today, designers favor seats so deep that only basketball players can sit comfortably.

So ... I suggest that a small sofa be one that is around 60" long, no more than 30" wide (with seat depth around 20"), and around 36" tall.