SEPTEMBER 2020

Wednesday 2020.9.30

Pressure Cooking

I lost all hope of ever seeing the sun again. Okay, it isn't that bad. However, the first half of the week was overcast every morning, then hazy sun in the afternoon. Today is sunny, so far, which is hopeful because last night I started a large bowl of dry beans soaking. I will cook them in the Sun Oven today and use them later for Pasta Fagioli.

As I said in Wednesday's blog, there is always the Instant Pot. A five-pound chicken does indeed fit, whole. I put two frozen cups of my homemade stock in the pot and set the Saute function to 10 minutes. That was the perfect timing to melt the stock and just bring it to a simmer. Then the chicken went in, the pot was sealed, and the Pressure setting was adjusted to 30 minutes. Walk away and don't think about it until the Pot beeps.

I didn't season the chicken or do any other prep, such as putting herb butter under the skin. The goal, as I wrote in Sunday's blog, was to have cooked chicken for soups. So I kept things simple.

After the chicken cooled enough to be comfortable to handle, I deboned it and divided the meat into 4-ounce portions, then sealed them in packets for freezing. I feel good because I am fully prepared to make soups this winter.

We Knew It Was Coming

I've mentioned in previous blogs that Trump's tax records might be a part of an October surprise leading into the November election. The surprise came a little early. On Sunday The New York Times published a long report on their analysis of those documents, obtained from sources who could legally possess them — maybe banks or other financial institutions that Trump stiffed on loans and maybe they believed a little retribution was due.

Some excerpts:

Referring to his TV show "The Apprentice": Mr. Trump had been more successful playing a business mogul than being one in real life.

This article offers an overview of The Times findings; additional articles will be published in the coming weeks.

More October surprises to come. We have yet to see what surprises the Republicans will release in coming weeks. They are better at using dirt to smear an opposing candidate.

The problem Trump has is that his misdeeds are documented; they are not hearsay or gossip. The Times has his financial records. Documented evidence is not "fake news." If there was nothing to hide, Trump wouldn't be fighting so hard to keep his tax forms out of the hands of the courts in New York.

And, of course, there is plenty of analysis of The Times's analysis, everything from calling Trump a liar about his wealth to predictions he and his family members will do prison time. I've said this before too: After Trump leaves the White House (if ever) he will likely face a flood of indictments from the Southern District of New York. A presidential pardon cannot absolve him of state crimes.

Unpaid taxes and penalties could cost him millions. If I understand the law correctly, a pardon could spare him from the federal crimes he committed, but a pardon wouldn't absolve him of back taxes. No prison time for tax evasion, but the money he owes would still need to be paid. Then there is New York.

He will be pardoned for federal crimes, probably by Pence, who will assume the presidency briefly between November and January after Trump resigns* because of an overwhelming victory for Biden. The backlash against the Republicans will be fierce and vicious. They are used to feeling rotten tomatoes thrown in their faces, but this time the tomatoes might be delivered by canons. I do not look forward to the coming storm.

*A resignation might be tricky. There isn't a lot of time to figure out how to proceed. I have no doubt Trump and his lawyers have been planning their strategy since the 2018 midterm elections. If Biden wins by a large margin, all is lost. A resignation and pardon would follow swiftly. If the victory is narrow, there is the possibility of challenging the outcome in the courts. How long would that take? What if Trump loses that battle? There might be no interim period in which Pence could be president to pardon Trump.

Then there is the other possible outcome: Trump wins by landslide in November. Any odds on that?

Debate or Debacle?

Debacle.

I tried watching the debate, if only for the entertainment value. I'm accustomed to muting my TV whenever Trump's face appears with his lips moving. This time, I walked away from the TV. Trump's performance was so awful, I could only conclude he walked onto that stage knowing he was already a defeated candidate and he hoped his bullying tactics would increase the size of his base.

The commentary afterwards described his performance as an embarrassment, a travesty, the ugliest debate in TV history. James Carville said, "He was driving the TV audience away. It was painful to watch." Mike Murphy described Trump's conduct as a "train wreck." Someone else said "realtime fact checking was blown up tonight" because the lies were coming faster than they could be counted.

Some said Trump was "performing" for his base. He knows television, having been the star of the TV show The Apprentice, and therefore he knows how to use the medium to his advantage. Others said his "performance" was that of a desperate man struggling to survive. The news about his tax records had just been released in The New York Times and he knew he was a condemned man.

Today they are still talking about the debate in the news, as they will for several days to come. I think my favorite, so far, was Craig Melvin who described it as "a six-alarm dumpster fire."

Sunday 2020.9.27

Bean Pot

A bean pot seems like an unusual thing to blog about. Well, maybe. The thing is, I wanted one ever since I got my Sun Oven.

My Sun Oven came with two shallow pans and one glass lid. I was a little disappointed because earlier versions also came with a domed metal lid, which would have been useful if I wanted to cook a whole chicken in the pot. But first, a memory:

When I was a child growing up in New England my mother would occasionally buy a canned chicken. It was a whole chicken stuffed into a can, bones and all, and cooked in the can. I don't know what it was about the flavor that captured me, but I loved those chickens. I remember it being a blue can.

You can still buy canned chickens, but the "Banquet" chicken is gone. Look on Amazon and you'll see them for about $25 each. That's a lot of money for a 3-pound chicken. Do a little arithmetic and you'll see the cost comes to more than $8 per pound! At the local grocery store Foster Farms whole chickens are currently on sale for 87¢ per pound (regular $1.99/lb.).

With the bean pot, which is 4 quarts (3.76 liters) in size, I should be able to fit a whole chicken inside, with some of my homemade chicken stock, and cook it for a few hours in my Sun Oven.

Getting back to the bean pot…

I tried ordering one from Amazon. It was supposed to be in stock. The vendor emailed me a few days later, saying their source no longer existed and they didn't know when they would have them for sale again. They had asked Amazon to remove the listing, but that hadn't happened yet. I was disappointed.

A few weeks later I looked again. The same pot was available on Amazon, but from a different vendor. It was worth a try. I ordered it and it was delivered yesterday, a day early.

It's nothing fancy; however, it has some features I wanted. Supposedly, granite ware cookware is best to use in a Sun Oven. It's dark; it absorbs sunlight and therefore heat. And, it has handles, which the pans that came with the oven do not have. Handling those pans with oven mitts makes me nervous. I haven't dropped one yet, but as I get older I anticipate one will eventually fall to the ground.

So here's the plan: If we get sun here (yesterday morning there wasn't a cloud in the sky when I got out of bed; then the marine layer rolled in, blotting out the sun), I want to cook a chicken in the bean pot. I rode my bicycle to the store yesterday to buy the chicken. I have plenty of chicken stock in my freezer. The only thing I need is sunshine.

Of course, if the sun won't shine (it's overcast again today) there is always the Instant Pot. 30 minutes should be enough.

I might be able to jam a whole chicken into the pot. The chicken isn't small — 5.3 pounds (2.4kg) — unlike the 3-pound chickens in those cans. If it doesn't fit whole, I can cut it in two across the middle. It will work. Then season the chicken lightly and pack it into the pot with a couple cups of chicken stock. Another possibility is to debone the chicken like Jacques Pepin does in a YouTube video. However, I'd prefer to cook it with the bones in place for flavor.

Finally, I need to say something in anticipation: Braised whole chicken looks pathetic. Julia Child did one in an episode of The French Chef and she explained that appearance isn't the goal. The chicken lacks the golden color of a baked chicken. Flavor is the goal.

My purpose is simple. Winter is coming. Cooked chicken will be useful for making Chicken Soup during the colder months to come. So my goal is to have some of this cooked chicken in the freezer, portioned for soups. Any liquid in the bottom of the pot can be strained and frozen to be used later for soup. And, of course, when I'm ready to cook beans again for my Pasta Fagioli I'll have the perfect pot. I'll also try using it for Real Texas Chili or Beef and Bean Chili.

Wednesday 2020.9.23

Welcome to Autumn

Yesterday was the Fall Equinox, the first day of autumn. I've been preparing, planning my winter soups and stews, stocking up ingredients. I have beef for Real Texas Chili and beans and pasta for Pasta Fagioli. I already have Split Pea Soup in the freezer. Of course, fall and winter are also about other foods. I occasionally make Pizza or my Skillet Pizza, for which I have some Pizza Sauce and other ingredients (mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, Italian sausage, etc.). Speaking of which…

The YouTube fans can be so helpful. In Sunday's video I mentioned my problem with not having another water in my pasta sauce when I wanted to cook it under pressure* in my Instant Pot. A couple comments reminded me of the pot-in-pot (PiP) method, which would have been perfect. I use the method when cooking brown rice and beans.

PiP is simple. Put the food in a stainless steel bowl. Pour a cup or two of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot, add a trivet, then rest the bowl on the trivet. Fire up the Instant Pot using the Pressure function. The water in the bottom of the pot makes the steam. A thick sauce can be cooked without diluting it with water.

I tried it on Monday, making more pizza sauce. It worked perfectly. Thank you fans for your helpful comments. I now have plenty of both Marinara and pizza sauce in my freezer. The marinara will be used to make some of Mom's American Chop Suey when I feel I need some comfort food. Speaking of which…

I watched a video made by a restaurant chef in New London, Connecticut. I grew up in Mystic, only a few miles from New London. I knew the area well. The chef made his own version of American Chop Suey (AKA goulash). He added a lot more ingredients, mostly chopped vegetables, which emphasizes a point. For popular foods, there can be as many variations as there are cooks. If you're not familiar with American Chop Suey, it's an Italian American concoction of elbow macaroni and a chunky red sauce known as Ragu.

*If you're not familiar with pressure cooking — cooking under pressure increases the temperature inside the pot. At sea level water boils at 212°F (100°C). In a pressure cooker the water boils at a higher temperature; so you cook food more quickly with super heated steam. A typical pressure cooker can achieve an internal temperature of around 250°F (121°C). And if you're worried about pressure cookers exploding — it's true some did blow up in the early days of those cookers. Some were rushed to market, but they were poorly made. Today's modern pressure cookers are equipped with several features that make them safe and easy to use.

Sports

Sunday was the final stage of the Tour de France. It was fun to watch, although many of my favorite cyclists were not there. Despite the efforts of the Tour organizers to protect the athletes from Covid-19, I can't help but wonder how many might have been infected. There were stages in which the spectators were in the streets, only inches away, urging on the competitors with enthusiastic shouts of encouragement. Although most people were wearing masks, some were not and in those circumstances the recommended social distancing was not observed.

Football was another strange spectacle. Many of the contests I watched were held in empty stadiums. The NFL decided to add fake spectator noise. It was odd because it was a constant drone, despite the excitement on the field. Some of the time, I watched with the sound muted.

How Are the Onions and Tomato Plant Doing?

All are doing well, although some are doing better than others. All six onion plants are beginning to grow green shoots. One is barely showing much progress; however, it appears to be surviving.

I have a second container, empty, and a dish for it. I haven't committed to any planting idea yet. Celery? Carrots? Broccoli? Brussels sprouts? What would be fun? I need to do some research.

Sunday 2020.9.20

Down, But Not Out

I count my blessings. I'll be 70 years old in ten months, but I'm doing well. The back injury is still healing. Thankfully it is minor. I needed to go to Home Depot to buy batteries, but the car wouldn't start again. I'm not sure what to do about that. So I walked. It might have been a little too much exercise for my back, but I managed.

I gave up entirely on the three remaining onions that I hoped would root. They definitely looked like they were not going to make it. Instead of rooting they were rotting; so I discarded them. What should I do with the center space in the container I pictured below (in Wednesday's blog)?

In one video I watched, the farmer said to mix other plants in with the onions. The odor from the onions can help keep pests away. A few web sites recommended planting tomatoes and onions close together because they have similar needs of sunlight and soil.

When I went to Home Depot to buy the batteries I bought a Roma tomato plant. I chose this variety because it was marked "determinate." From my research, I knew to look for that designation. It means the plant will grow only to a limited height rather than going up 12 or even 18 feet ("indeterminate"). Eventually I'll need to buy one or more of those bamboo stakes and use them to keep the plant upright.

Hmm. What if I were to buy an indeterminate but cut it back occasionally at the top? Would it grow outward rather than upward for a more bushy tomato plant? I foresee another experiment.

So, I planted the Roma in the center of the onions. The end of summer is not the best time to start a garden, but this is Southern California. As long as the plants survive the winter (I can move them indoors if there is a danger of frost) they should thrive in spring.

The "dish" the bucket is in holds extra water to irrigate the soil from beneath. It also adds another level of protection, providing a moat that caterpillars can't cross. It won't stop moths from laying eggs on the plant, but it's better than nothing. Here's a story:

The neighbor who used to live next door decided she wanted to be another mother nature. She planted milkweed to feed the monarch butterflies. Noble, but she attracted so many caterpillars they were all over the neighborhood. They completely defoliated a neighbor's ornamental vine, killing it. After the neighbor moved away I pulled up her milkweed.

One of the 9-volt batteries, by the way, was needed for my electronic plant meter — "Soil Survey Instrument." It has a long probe on it that I can stick into the soil to see if it is wet, dry, or normal. There is also a light meter to report the intensity of the sunlight (low, normal, or high). It also reports the temperature and the PH level, which I'm not sure I'll need to know.

Surrendering to the Skies

I gave up. I tossed in the towel. The weather report consistently predicted smoky skies, high clouds, and coastal fog (I live near the ocean). I wanted to make a pot of Marinara in my Sun Oven, but there didn't seem to be enough sun. So I used my Instant Pot again. There was an advantage. Rather than cooking slowly outside most of the day, the sauce cooked under pressure in 10 minutes. The recipe is in the Basics section of the Recipe Archive as Instant Pot Pasta Sauce.

I also used most of the video clips to do a Kitchen Vlog. It's sort of an introduction to my Mobile Home Gourmet channel for those who might not know about it. It's so similar to the cooking video, however, I'm not sure I want to upload it. It might be good for those who are fans of my vlog but never saw my other channel.

As I mentioned last Sunday, I want the sauce for making Mom's American Chop Suey and Pasta Fagioli. Having some Pizza Sauce on hand would also be useful for making an occasional Skillet Pizza, now my favorite way to make Pizza (rather than using the oven).

However…

The winds have changed. The smoke is blowing away and the forecast was for cloudless skies for yesterday and today. Tomorrow it might start clouding over again. So yesterday I put a pot of beans in the Sun Oven for my Pasta Fagioli. Today I'll cook more Pasta Sauce.

I Learned Something New

It turns out you can't cook thick tomato sauce in an Instant Pot. There needs to be enough moisture to generate steam pressure to close the valve. Thankfully I learned this early before I ruined a pot of sauce.

On the Instant Pot there is a silver button that pops up when the pot generates enough pressure. It didn't pop up, even though the pot started its countdown for pressure cooking. I added water and tried again. I added more water. Finally I dumped in a full cup of water. The button popped up and when the sauce was done there was no scorching in the bottom of the pot. Phew!

To make a thick sauce, use the stove, cook over a low heat for a long time, and stir often. Or, when the sun shines, slow-cook it in the Sun Oven.

We Feared it Might Happen

My friends and I have discussed in past meetings the possiblility of losing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and what it might mean for the future of the USA. Now we'll know.

The first part was easy to predict. Mitch McConnell will attempt to ram through a young conservative nominee to replace Ginsburg on the Court, despite his "rule" not to consider Obama's nominee in 2016. You know the history.

More difficult to predict are the repercussions. One former friend likes the idea of civil war. I don't agree with him, but he likes the image of thugs brandishing weapons in the streets. He likes sensationalism.

There is the possibility, however remote at the moment, of a return to the civil unrest of the 1960s. I was a teenager in that period. I remember it well.

I think something more predictable is that the McConnell's actions could cause the loss of the Republican majority in the Senate. It was already looking probable before Ginsburg's passing. Now it seems more likely.

With the Democrats in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, what will the next two or four years be like? I wish I had a powerful crystal ball. I have an I Ching, but I never use it to predict the future. I did, however, ask it about current events. I used the yarrow stalks method and was given hexagram 36.

Ming I / Darkening of the Light

"Here a man of dark nature is in a position of authority and brings harm to the wise and able man." (How's that for a response!) I am advised to maintain "my inner light, while remaining outwardly yielding and tractable."

The first line was a nine (the others were 7s and 8s). This is highly unfavorable. "If he does not want to make compromises within himself, but insists on remaining true to his principles, he suffers deprivation."

All I can do is struggle along and avoid as much hardship as possible. This line also suggests I wouldn't want to do a Kitchen Vlog about this latest development.

Meanwhile…

My rollator (rolling walker) arrived four days early, on Saturday, and I was pleasantly surprised. The build quality looks much better than the ones pictured on Amazon. My guess is that I got an earlier model that was built before cheaper parts were used to cut costs and increase profits. This one was listed as "used in very good condition" at the Amazon Warehouse. The box was in rough shape, but the walker inside was new, still wrapped in plastic. I am very pleased.

Wednesdeay 2020.9.16

Capitulating to Old Age?

No, not really; more like to a bad back. I sprained my back again. I don't know how I stressed it. I wasn't doing anything strenuous. Sunday morning I was toweling myself off after taking a shower and I felt my back rip. I know that sensation and usually I can relax into it quickly enough to minimize the damage. The worst of the damage is when I can't get out of bed. This time I'm able to walk around, if a little hunched over.

One thing I know to do is keep moving. I went to Home Depot anyway, despite the pain, and bought what I needed to start my container garden. Lifting a heavy sack of potting mix into a shopping cart was not fun, but I managed. When I got home, I left everything in the car. There wasn't anything like milk that would spoil.

What Was the Capitulation?

I ordered a rolling walker. I don't need one to remain mobile, but when I put my back out of whack a walker helps me get around my home more easily. A neighbor gave me one, a cheap walker her son found in a dumpster when he was looking for bottles and cans. Parts were missing, but I kept it anyway. I stored it in the back of my closet until this week when I finally needed it.

The important thing for me was to test it when I needed assistance. Despite its missing seat and anything to hold cargo, it does make it easier to maneuver around. A cutting board, a sheet of parchment paper, and a sofa cushion serve as a seat. It's useful enough to make me want to own a good one.

So that was the capitulation. Although I'd looked at several in the past, especially when Costco offered them at reduced prices, I never purchased one. This week I ordered a "Drive Medical Nitro DLX Euro Style Walker Rollator" from Amazon. That sounds kind of fancy, which it sort of is. I like the "Euro" styling.

Another consideration was the price. My choice was partly because Amazon had one marked down in an "open box" sale. Between that and the free shipping, I saved about $65.

However, given the fact that I only hurt my back once every few years, I probably won't get much use out of it, at least not until I'm much older. That was another consideration. Someday I might need it a lot more than I do now. For now, my back will probably be fully healed by the time this Rollator arrives late next week.

As for this old one I'm using, I won't even keep it as a spare. When the new one arrives this old piece of junk will go into the recycling bin. There is some good aluminum in it.

Maybe something worth mentioning: One review gave the walker a negative point because of the brakes. It said they required a learning curve because they are either fully off or fully engaged. That's only partially true. Push the brake handles down to fully lock the brakes for secure seating. In the neutral position the brakes are off. However, squeeze the brake handles upward to employ the brakes as needed.

And So…

Despite the bad back, I worked on my container garden — one container. Okay, it isn't much, but it's a beginning. Even the world's biggest and best parades begin with the first step.

Following instructions I learned from watching YouTube videos, I bought a five-gallon bucket that was labeled "food safe." I drilled ¼-holes, put screen in the bottom, some river rocks, filled the bucket with potting mix, and then placed it in a shallow basin that I can use to water the onions from below.

Of the nine onion bottoms I had rooting in water, one was doing well, five were looking hopeful, and three looked like lost causes. However, I'm not giving up on those yet. I planted six in the container. I changed the water for the other three and added a few grains of fertilizer to the water, hoping that maybe a little food in the water would encourage some root growth. I really only need one more survivor, but I can use all three if they succeed.

Two of the onions were just beginning to push up green sprouts. When all the green shoots get long enough, I'll fill in with mulch to discourage weeds. As for the placement of the bucket, it's in an area where it will get sun all day, at least for now. I'm not sure how much shadow it might get in winter, but I can always move the onions to a sunnier location.

How much did I spend? I bought the bucket, the dish beneath it, high-phosphorous fertilizer (supposedly onions like a lot of phosphorous), potting mix and mulch. $36.30. Okay, that seems like a lot — $6 each for those onions. But it's the fun of having a garden and watching things grow, and a lot of this purchase can be used later. I only used about a third of the potting mix, for example. And the mulch will go around my citrus trees because I'm tired of weeds getting in there.

What's next? I'm thinking my next container will be Roma tomatoes.

Sunday 2020.9.13

The Weather Fails Me

What was supposed to be a sun filled latter half of the week turned into days of gloomy overcast and foggy mornings with partial clearing, if at all, in the afternoons. I was really hoping to use my sun oven to make pasta sauce for freezing and, eventually, ragu for my Mom's American Chop Suey. I also want to make more Pasta Fagioli, using up more of the pinto beans I have before I order cannelloni beans. Maybe even more Pizza Sauce would be good to stock up on. However, the best I could do was get the cans out of storage and wait to see if the sun would shine.

On the positive side, the nights are getting cooler. I occasionally struggle with heat at night. It sometimes causes nausea. However, I learned a trick. I keep a fan next to my bed. For some reason the cool air blowing across me does well to prevent the nausea. I'd run the window fan, but the forecast has been for dense fog at night. Running the fan brings in that moisture and waking up in a damp room is not pleasant.

You've probably seen pictures of the skies here in California. Where I live the sky hasn't been as colorful, but sunrises and sunsets have a similar orange glow. Thursday the sun never shone at all; the sky was filled with a hazy yellow-orange glow all day.

Thankfully, the fires are far enough away so we don't have ash falling out of the sky and the air is breathable.

Reading

It is probably no surprise that I have a copy of Michael Cohen's book Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to the President of the United States. It's an easy book to read. I picked up a copy on Tuesday when it was released and I've already read most of it. The overarching impression of the book has been wonderment that anyone could have been so addicted to the lust for power and wealth, and so stupid, to be sucked into the Donald Trump vortex.

You've seen water swirling down a drain. That's what happens when people get too close to Trump. They get sucked in and eventually find themselves in the sewer with the other former Donald acolytes.

On Tuesday of this week Bob Woodward's latest book, Rage, is being released. I'll be ready for it. Speaking of which…

So Many Bombshells

It seems like Trump can't find a place to shelter from the bombs falling on him these days. Bob Woodward's book is due out on Tuesday. This past Tuesday Michael Cohen's bombshells were dropped. Also released this past week was Peter Strzok's new book, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump. There are seven more Tuesdays between today and voting day on November 3rd. What's next?

We're a few weeks away from the "October surprises" we've been told to expect. I've been waiting to see if one of my predictions comes true. I suspect someone out there has copies of Trump's tax records, holding them for the right moment to drop them over the transom in some office at the New York Times, Washington Post, or other media outlet.

The audiotapes Bob Woodward has of Trump admitting he knew of the potential severity of the coronavirus and wanting to hide the danger from the American people are bad enough. What might October reveal? Buckle up. Next month could be a wild ride.

And Then There is November

I feel a little, but only a little, vindicated because of something Michael Cohen said when interviewed on TV. I predicted Trump might resign rather than lose the election. He hates to be a loser. Cohen offered a different outcome. If Trump loses in November he'll resign and Mike Pence will be sworn in as president. Then Pence will pardon Trump of all the numerous crimes he committed — tax evasion, fraud, money laundering, lying to Congress, misuse of campaign funds, pocketing inauguration funds, violating the emoluments clause, etc. There is one exception. He can only be pardoned of federal crimes. He will still face the investigations of state crimes, especially in New York where prosecutors have been working hard to get his financial records.

So, yes, a possible resignation, if not as I predicted, but now more likely.

How about another prediction? If Trump loses this election, I suspect he'll spend the rest of his life in court defending himself against criminal charges. The "Trump" brand will lose its value and Trump will lose most of his wealth paying legal fees. He'll declare bankruptcy yet again.

How about yet another prediction? The voting by mail thing will be a very messy affair for the states that have laws saying those votes can only be counted after election day. Media outlets want quick answers. Who is the next president? Charges and accusations will fly back and forth. However, fiascos usually lead to resolutions and most of the problems will be resolved before the 2024 election, maybe before the 2022 midterms.

Onions

How are the onions doing? After three days I changed the water and checked for root growth. Some showed no development at all, some showed one or two little roots forming, but one showed several roots developing. I counted about a dozen, some longer than others.

Around the perimeter of the root section new white roots are sprouting. Although there were no green sprouts up top, the center part of the white surface (opposite the roots) was pushing upward, indicating there was some growth from beneath. So you really can grow new onions from the discards of old onions.

If I can get my car started, I'll make a trip to Home Depot to get the first of the supplies I need to start a container garden.

Wednesday 2020.9.9

A Dehydrator?

Some of the people who watch my YouTube videos recommend I get a dehydrator. They generated enough curiosity to send me looking at models on Amazon. The Excelsior seems to be the most popular.

Will I get one? Probably not. Storage is one issue. I've often said I live in a mobile home. There is no garage, no cellar, no attic. I feel lucky to have such a spacious shed (and lately I've been clearing out some items I never use). I also don't have a garden (but see below).

A good dehydrator is expensive. If I only dehydrated the occasional fruits and vegetables I found on sale, would I save enough money to pay for the unit? Add the cost of electricity to run it. How long would it take for the appliance to pay for itself? And how often have I ever needed or desired dehydrated foods?

Another Dehydrator

Actually, I already have a dehydrator, of sorts. My All American Sun Oven can be used to dry foods. Controlling the temperature certainly isn't as easy as turning a dial or pressing a button, but it's not impossible. There are several videos that explain using the oven as a dehydrator.

Another issue is sun. I need sunlight. The skies have been almost cloudless lately, but there is a definite haze in the air from the fires about 100 miles away. When the wind blows in the right direction the smoke comes this way. The sunlight has a yellow/orange tinge to it, but it makes for colorful sunsets. There is nothing I can do but wait until the wind changes direction and blows it away.

According to the weather forecast, tomorrow is supposed to be a sunny day. For the first part of this week the forecast has been "patchy smoke."

A Container Garden?

I watched several YouTube videos from growers who raise tomatoes in five-gallon buckets in their yard. Here in a mobile home park I don't have much garden space, even though I live on a corner lot that is about 1½ times the size of other spaces. So the idea of growing produce in containers intrigues me.

I have a long driveway, but only one car. I don't use the back of the driveway for much. Currently there is a rack of firewood to one side. I planned to use the wood, oak, for cooking, but it smokes too much even though it is thoroughly dry. After it's all used up I'll disassemble the rack and plan a container garden.

I saw a few videos from suburban farmers who grow their own onions in containers. They said you can cut off the bottom section, the root end, of the onion and place it on top of a jar filled with water. Roots will eventually start to develop. Green spears might appear to sprout from the center. The roots are the important part.

Supposedly, when the roots get going, transplant the onions to potting soil. Keep watered and place in an area that gets all-day sun. I decided it might be fun to try.

I added the growing idea as part of a video about caramelizing onions. The plan is to store the video files on my computer and hold them while the onions are developing. Hopefully I can show roots later and maybe even show them planted in a pot with some green shoots sprouting. I won't hold the video until the onions reach full maturity because that can take four months, maybe longer because these will be growing through the winter.

Sunday 2020.9.6

Happy and Safe Labor Day Tomorrow

Santa Barbara closed some of the beaches this holiday weekend in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. I mentioned in Wednesday's blog that the numbers in the community where I live are low. As of yesterday's report, there are currently 13 infectious individuals in the local area — one here in the city and 12 in the student community next to the University.

As planned, I did go shopping again on Wednesday, stopping this time at Costco. Even though I brought a list, I bought a couple items on impulse — more nonstick baking sheets and a stove top nonstick griddle. I'll sort through my baking sheets and toss the old ones into the recycling bin. I try to buy new baking sheets each year so that I have pristine ones that look good in a video. It amuses me when watching a YouTube cooking video to see an old baking sheet, maybe handed down from a grandmother, that is blackened and dented.

This time I went nuts for vegetables — corn and three kinds of mixed vegetables. I try to use a little skillet to cook a piece of fish or other protein and my largest skillet for a generous helping of sautéed vegetables. I also bought a big bag of onions at Costco — 10 pounds. There are usually 10 or 11 in the bag. I'll cook those down until caramelized and then divide them into packets equivalent to about half an onion each, then package and freeze them. I use them mostly in sauces.

There's one problem: Not enough freezer space. I filled the freezer with the frozen foods I bought, but there were other foods — Italian sausages, ground beef, leg of lamb, steelhead trout — that I planned to portion and then freeze. I'll need to shift things around to find space. And if that fails, I can always take out the box of ice cubes to give myself an extra shelf. It will all work out.

I've done this before. If I remember correctly it was at the end of 2018 I made a New Year's Resolution to eat all the foods I had in the freezer before buying more. It took a while, but I did it.

Sun Onions

I mentioned in Wednesday's blog my plan to experiment with caramelizing onions in my Sun Oven. Here's the thing: When I do the onions on the stove, I start with a moderate heat to boil off most of the moisture. Then I start reducing the heat. Toward the end of the cooking time the flame is at its lowest setting. If I can use a low heat to caramelize the onions, wouldn't it work the same in the Sun Oven?

On Thursday the weather was perfect. Sunny all day. Not a cloud in the sky. Before my oven was fully in the sun (there was some shadow from my home) I had chopped up one onion and placed it in a pan with a little olive oil. By 9:00 it was in the oven and I was starting to monitor the temperature.

The question on Wednesday was: When do I remove the lid from the pan? In the first stage of cooking the steam would help cook the onion. When it's tender, should I remove the lid? If the door of the oven is sealed, I wouldn't dehydrate the onion. But that's what experimentation is for, right?

While the onions were doing their thing, I portioned and froze the ground beef (7.85 lbs.) into 15 eight-ounce packets, squeezing them into the freezer wherever I could find a little space. I'll use the beef with the caramelized onion and some pasta sauce to make the ragu I need for my American Chop Suey this winter.

That left the fish, lamb and Italian sausages to do, which I've been working on. Friday I did the fish and sausages. Yesterday I did the leg of lamb and that finished my freezer stocking.

Wowza!

At around noon I went out to check on the onions. They were starting to brown! I set the pan lid a little ajar and I did the same with the glass door to the oven to encourage some moisture to evaporate. How did they come out?

You can indeed caramelize onions in a sun oven. In fact, you can overcook them a little. There were some black pieces, which I pulled out later. Most of the onion, however, caramelized well.

I used those onions to make a plate of American Chop Suey. The first bite was a miracle. It was so delicious. I don't remember when I ate it last — maybe a couple years ago.

On Friday I tried again. This time I used three large onions that were part of a 10-pound bag I bought at Costco. They baked in the Sun Oven all day. I drained the water off twice, hoping that would accelerate the browning. By 6:00 the onions had browned a little, but they weren't caramelized like the first test.

Conclusion: Yes, you can caramelize an onion in a Sun Oven, but when doing several onions it is a lot easier and it takes a lot less time — 20 to 30 minutes — to caramelize them in a skillet on the stove.

Meanwhile

Besides monitoring the temperature of my Sun Oven, I also kept tabs on the forecast this week. Today continued to be projected as the hottest day with temperatures in the low to mid 90s. It's usually about 10 degrees warmer where I live; so I expect to see 100 degrees later today.

Bulletins kept appearing on television during the day Thursday. I decided to turn on my weather radio and listen to the broadcasts. Among the warnings were warm nighttime temperatures; so I decided to roll out my bedroom air conditioner, which has been tucked away in the closet for several years. I can't remember when I last needed it at night. I only ever use it at night to keep my bedroom cool enough for me to sleep. The AC unit is loud, but I can tolerate the noise to escape the heat, if necessary. The window fan might be enough.

Besides the heat warning, we're also under a Fire Weather Warning. Should a fire erupt somewhere up in the mountains and/or foothills, power outages would be possible. As usual, I prepared. I lit my oil lamps to burn off any accumulated wax buildup in the wicks. I also went out to the shed to bring inside my battery-powered storm lanterns.

And, Finally, an Earthquake

There was a bit of a shaker not far from here yesterday evening. I was watching a college football game when my chair shook a little. There was no noise. It wasn't a rolling motion, which would indicate a quake far away. It was a little sharp, but lasted only a few seconds.

I immediately looked at the U.S. Geological Survey web site to learn the temblor was up in the Santa Ynez Valley, about 15 miles away. It registered 3.8 magnitude — not enough to cause any damage, but enough to be felt.

Wednesday 2020.9.2

A Short Blog Today

There isn't much to talk about. The Tour de France cycling race has been proceeding well. I really like the lack of large crowds making noise during the race. A few years ago someone complained about the crowds. Do we allow fans onto the football field during a game? Onto the baseball diamond? Onto the basketball court? Into the swimming pool during a meet? Onto the tennis court during a match? So why do we allow so many of them onto the streets during a cycling race?

If they really want to increase the popularity of NASCAR or Grand Prix racing, allow spectators onto the track. Plenty of people would tune in just to watch the carnage. (Yeah, it's morbid, but sadly it's true.)

A Change in the Weather

There was an alert bulletin on TV yesterday morning warning of potentially high heat for the weekend. It's too early to know for sure, but so far it appears Sunday will be the hottest day with temperatures projected to be in the low to mid 90s. Inland areas could see triple-digit heat. September and early October are typically the warmest times of the year here.

We've been in a pattern of overcast mornings with gradual clearing during the afternoons. It isn't the best weather for cooking with the sun's energy. Next week might be different. And so…

It Is Shopping Time

Yesterday I made my first trip to a grocery store since June 30th. Besides vegetables, which I was in dire need of, I bought a few ingredients to make the sauce to go with my Mom's American Chop Suey. Don't let the words chop suey deceive you. It's not Chinese, it's an Italian American dish. See the recipe for the ingredients. There are several variations and it is known by more than one name in the USA. In New England where I grew up we called it American Chop Suey. I think of it as "comfort food."

There are other groceries to buy; so another trip is planned for later today. Yesterday I shopped at Smart & Final, which is sort of halfway between a grocery store and a big box store. Today I'll shop at Costco, for which I'll have a longer list.

One experiment I want to try: Can I caramelize onions in a Sun Oven? It might take all day, but I think it can be done. The trick will be knowing when to take the lid off the pan. And if the onions only cook, not brown, I can caramelize them in a skillet on the stove.

My plan is to make a pot of meat sauce (beef ragu) in the sun oven. Then I'll portion and freeze it. When I feel like enjoying a bowl, I'll boil some macaroni, thaw and heat some sauce, then combine them.

And I'm still doing some grocery shopping on Amazon, trying to stay out of the stores as much as possible. The Covid-19 numbers are improving here. Yesterday's report said there are only seven infectious people in the community in which I live. I won't feel safe going to the stores until the number remains at zero for a while.

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