PermieWriter’s Recent Comments

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  Agaricus brunnescens (i.e. crimini, portabello, brown mushrooms) is 30 percent protein by dry weight according to Paul Stamets (i.e. The Mushroom Whisperer). Of course mushrooms are mostly water, but their protein content kicks the heck out of other mushrooms. Not that oysters, shittake, morels, blewitts, lion's mane, etc. aren't wonderfully tasty. But, as you point out, one's Thanksgiving guests are unlikely to be suffering from protein deficiency, even if they are vegeterians. But after consuming a holiday feast, they might be disappointed not to have that logy, recumbant feeling that is the necessary precursor to the truly genuine New Year's resolution to stop eating so much.On A tasting of four meatless "turkeys" for the holiday table posted 2 hours, 47 minutes ago 11 Responses

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  I think the ultimate green holiday protein dish is portabello mushrooms (organic and locally sourced, of course). Allow two per vegeterian and one per meat-eater, since they'll be eating the beast as well. Wipe them if they're dirty, cut the stem off flush with the cap and marinate for at least a couple of hours in olive oil and a little bit of apple cider vinegar pureed with parsley, garlic, marjoram, sage and thyme. Grill on both sides until browned and tender. I serve them with porcini gravy: grind up a half-ounce or so of dried porcini and soak in hot water for an hour. Then puree it finely and use it in your favorite gravy recipe as the stock, using butter for the fat. Tofurkey is unredeemably vile.On A tasting of four meatless "turkeys" for the holiday table posted 3 hours, 26 minutes ago 11 Responses

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  Gravensteins are the tastiest! They have the heirloom hatrick: great taste, short season and poor shippability. But they make wonderful pies, applesauce, crisps, baked apples, etc. And wonderful fresh eating. I'm pretty sure they have to be grafted, though.On Apples with a sense of place posted 1 month, 1 week ago 10 Responses

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  Alas, staying out of new cars does not completely protect one from the new car smell. When BART puts new cars into the system, they positively stink of outgassing nastiness. Just one more reason I carry a carbon-filter face mask around with me. Sure, everyone thinks I'm trying to avoid swine flu (until I explain that virii would have no problem getting through any such mask), but it saves me from inhaling VOCs, nasty perfumes (WTF, people pay to smell like rancid cleaning chemicals?), the occasional nastily belching diesel vehicle and smoke from inconsiderate smokers.On Ask Umbra on that new-car smell posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago 3 Responses

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  On the infrequent occasion that I use corn utensils, I break them up some and put them in the municipal composting stream - at least in the two counties where I live and work. Most municipalities, at least in California, run very large, hot compost piles. I certainly haven't had any success composting the things at home. Too bad Whole Foods uses them so extensively.

  On Ask Umbra on corn plastic posted 3 months, 1 week ago 19 Responses