Welcome abroad!

Hi there,

I am a big fan of enameled cast iron, and have not had issues cooking fish or eggs in mine. If something sticks, you can add a little fat or liquid (broth, beer, pickle juice, ad infinitum) to help loosen the stubborn item, it doesn't take a whole lot. I like using a sizeable spatula with a pat of butter atop it and gently work the spatula under whatever is stuck as the butter melts under the food itself.

Things stick in your pan because there's not enough fat to keep it moist. You're essentially frying things when you use a pan, so having enough oil is essential to prevent burnt sticking food. With enough fat in the pan, you should be able to glide a fried egg around the pan with ease.

Enamel cast iron pans are excellent for deglazing as well, which'll make cleaning them even more simple and the byproduct makes for a delicious sauce that'll punch your meal quality up tenfold. Honestly you should deglaze everytime you cook,

Enamel stains as you use it but it's pretty easy to clean with Barkeeper's Friend (either the powder or gel work, though the powder will last you an eternity longer than the gel). Outside that, the exact cleaning method you stated works.

I hope this helps in your quest, happy hunting!

I cannot even make sense of the Obamacare comparison... do people really fall for this word vomit? Sad.

Exactly! Find a clearing and lay it out for a quick nap.

A ghillie suit.

I concur; we should always strive for progress, not perfection.

This 100%. Shakshuka is a beautiful and versatile dish. I love throwing whatever I can think of into it.

I've made it spicy with kimchi, adobo sauce, any hot sauce (truff is my favorite atm), etc.

I've used whatever cheese is in the fridge that week (Brie, manchego, gouda, etc). it's even better if you pair cream cheese chunks with whatever cheese you use.

Mix up whatever spices you want with it, or make it as simple as possible.

Shakshuka is great with Naan, toast of any kind (olive bread is my fav), hawaiian rolls, etc. Anything you can use to clean the bowl works well, you're going to want to!

The rad runner is 70+ lbs, while not necessarily heavy, it is cumbersome to move around when both tires are immovable from the wheel lock (through rear wheel) and folding lock (through front wheel, bike frame, & bike post). Where I live there is always a bike post conveniently located nearby to lock it to.

I have a rad runner, with it I use a wheel lock, long security chain which bolts into said wheel lock, and then a folding lock I use as well with all that. My hope is all that overkill'll just deter a thief entirely. If anything it'll buy time for me to catch them in the act and chase them away.

100% this. This fine should be increased hundred fold at the very least. In the real world someone would be held in contempt of court and jailed. Laws for the common man and piddly fines for the wealthy parasites of the world.

Under load would refer to when you're on the bike and activating the motor vs lifting the rear wheel of the bike off the ground and activating the motor.

For a brief moment, I was ecstatic to learn that Wikipedia was wrong and Bill Withers was still alive, then I looked at the article draft date... Great article at the very least, Bill Withers is easily my favorite artist.

Love the size of your kitchen, that's a great set up for parties!

If I were in your shoes:

• I would have a pot rack overhead to clear out as many drawers as possible, there's even some with auxiliary systems for kitchen utensils (spatulas, etc.).

• A magnetic knife block either wall mounted (my preferred) or on the counter would clear up more drawer space as well.

• Under cabinet shelves / cup racks have done wonders to maximize storage in cabinets & on counters.

• A fancy roller prep table with a storage shelf could work with your set up. I have a mobile island with a foldable butcher block top which stores all our baking ingredients, prep bowls, silverware, & resealable bags.

• A few tall pantry pull out cabinets to the right of the ovens going towards the breakfast nook would be pretty sweet, you could even have one made to hold a fire extinguisher & broom/dustpan. If you build more overhead storage you could also throw in a stepladder to keep close at hand & out of the way.

• If you don't have it, pull out cabinets in your island would be great to maximize storage capacity, that island is huge! If you're handy with a saw & tools, you can fabricate your own pull-out drawers with specific configurations as well.

• Replace the wall oven combo as well as your microwave with a combination oven, see example here . That would provide opportunity when remodeling down the road for longer cabinet space where that microwave & larger wall oven footprint once were.

IMO More overhead storage is the way to go when maximizing storage space as well. Consider it when/if you remodel.

I have an overflow closet for my tight galley style kitchen which holds most of the kitchen appliances I use periodically (5-7 times a year - think portable grill, sous vide, pickling jars, etc.), larger pans/pots for parties, & bulk food items, & seasonal/event stuff (folding chairs & picnic baskets, etc.). This pantry is not located near my kitchen, it's sorta inconvenient in the same way using a stepladder is. On top of that I actually do keep a stepladder in my kitchen, in a confoundingly tall & thin cabinet (2.5 ft H x 6 in W x 24 D). Anything you wouldn't use on a weekly basis should go in maybe a pantry or further back in your island storage.

My partner and I cook a lot, probably 95% of our meals are made by us and we like to explore different aspects of cooking, some of which require a lot of prep space (bread proofing, large batches of kimchi, etc.). Our kitchen is in essentially in a short hallway. so it's been a fun challenge setting it up, but it's paid off.

My apologies if this was too much of a ramble, I'm a big fan of kitchen organization & workflow efficiency. Hopefully this rant has helped in some way.

Please keep us updated on what you do!

I stick to commercially made yeasts and have really enjoyed the consistency and reliability of them, though the wild west of the yeast world does sound enticing. What brews are you using them with? I mainly focus on wines, meads, & makgeolli.

Surfskating looks like tons of fun, I'd love to give it a shot. Would you have any recommendations on gear & research for anyone looking to get into it?