In Praise of Tactile Controls

The Navy will begin reverting destroyers back to a physical throttle and traditional helm control system in the next 18 to 24 months, after the fleet overwhelmingly said they prefer mechanical controls to touchscreen systems in the aftermath of the fatal USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collision.The investigation into the collision showed that a touchscreen…… Continue reading In Praise of Tactile Controls

Jerk Chicken

Made jerk chicken marinade. For something so simple, there’s a surprising number of ingredients. A coffee grinder we keep for spices and an immersion blender brought all this together in short order. I froze half for another day.

Categorized as Cook

Stocking Up

Made a special trip across the Mississippi to stock up on Spam at Lunds. For some inexplicable reason, the stores where I usually shop don’t carry Spam. We use this fine Minnesotan product to make musubi.

Categorized as Cook

Dry Rub

I’m cooking basic baby back ribs this afternoon: rub with fresh garlic and a dry rub, then cook low and slow (225°F). The simple dry rub varies, but I usually include paprika, salt, brown sugar, and black pepper. A dish of water on the lower rack increases the humidity.

Categorized as Cook

Less is More

“Less is more” is famously the motto of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969). The idea is to reduce design to its necessary elements. Less famously, Mies picked up the phrase from his teacher, architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin around 1910. Behrens is considered to be the first industrial designer. In the 1930’s Mies…… Continue reading Less is More

New Culinary Heights

Achieved new culinary heights: assembled Spam Musubi, a fusion food popular in Hawaii. Minnesota: Spam (fried). The can makes an excellent musubi mold. Japan: soy sauce and nori. California: sushi rice. Next time we’ll add mirin to the rice to make it stickier.

Categorized as Cook