The Instant Ramen Hack

 

So, how's this the ramen hack, since there must be roughly a billion of them on YouTube? Okay, let's just say that this is the only one I've tried, at least!

I was running low on lunch food at the office - I do fix my own lunch, in various ways, in case I don't have some of the really good stuff with me (the delicious leftovers from a home cooked dinner, prepared by my very own chef). What I did have was mayo - not the US whole-eggs-style but made of yolks only - plus eggs and instant ramen noodles. Heck, why not.

Some garnish would have been great - and some garlic as well - but at least there was a bit of built-in garlic taste in the Sriracha clone that I used for additional oomph. 

All in all, this weird combo does really work; it doesn't quite turn instant ramen into the culinary peak experience of a lifetime but you do get something quite a bit tastier than the bare bones bowl!

[UPDATE] The second time, I added spring onions that had been marinating overnight in my secret sauce (secret ingredients: Japanese soy, miso, sesame oil, lemon, chili, Hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, maple syrup). A generous tablespoon of this combo went in together with the mayo in the beginning and then I garnished the works with some of the spring onions. The end result? Definitely yummy. I'd even say: the best instant ramen ever - and crazy cool.

Spectacular pizza - on the stovetop

It's almost begging: 'bite me!' I sure did :)

Sometimes, when the pizza cravings hit, there might not be an oven available - or perhaps you just don't want to fire up your oven, for whatever reason. So, what about the stovetop then? Googling 'stovetop pizza' gives way more than ten million hits so, apparently, it's doable alright! Just get your dough ready in advance, as usual, grab a pan and you're good to go. But hey, what about that amazing slightly charred, Neapolitan style leopard crust? Yup, you can fix that too, but you do need the specialty item that's also a must-have for the super delicious desserts like Crème Brûlée or Crema Catalana: a kitchen torch!

I'm not sure how I found Andrea - probably more widely known as CuoreDiCiccolato on the web - but he seems to be a really nice guy who knows what he's doing in his kitchen, he's got this truly beautiful Italian accent and, talking about pizza: shoot, he's Italian! So, I checked his YouTube video about Neapolitan style stovetop pizza and knew I just had to give it a try. 

Andrea's dough recipe is way more exact than anything that I can handle so I just winged it, being careful not to add too much flour (you can always cope with a dough that's perhaps a bit too sticky but the other way round is basically impossible). The pan I used is a shallow DeBuyer Mineral B carbon steel pan and the torch a heavy duty Sievert Handyjet 2282. The result? I'd guess Andrea would say something like this: pretty spectacular!

Crazy delicious, the Parmesan shavings almost melting in the mozzarella and pesto topping. Rucola on top gives the final green and tasty touch!

The version above - Bianco e verde (mozzarella, pesto, capers and before serving generously with parmesan shavings plus arugula), many thanks btw to Martin Johansson and his superb (Swedish) book Bröd och pizza - is probably one of our great favorites that really shines with the sour dough boost Martin knows all about! My wife is a bit of a sour dough wizard so I will definitely later on try the Spectacular style infused with some sour dough magic :) 

All in all, I'd say that my stovetop pizza test was a great success and something I'll most probably get back to many times in the future. Very, very Cool and Grazie, Andrea!

Jabra Elite 75t: A Total In-ear Disaster

They are small and lightweight, the Jabra Elite 75t, and that's Cool. Unfortunately, there wasn't much more to add into that department - the rest was mainly very, very uncool.

After sending back the Sony WF-1000XM3 - my writing here - I was trying to make up my mind if I should give Jabra a try. The pro reviewers were mostly giving both thumbs up to the 75t and also the latest 85t; the latter seemed crazy expensive so I decided to see if the 75t would fit the bill. Not that the 75t are cheap though - on the contrary! However, at least they were smaller than the really bulky Sony buds and the latest firmware apparently also made some kind of ANC magic happen.

The first impression, when unpacking the 75t, was that the small (charging) case felt cheap, made of extremely slippery plastic. The buds are very light but have the same super slippery finish so it's really easy to accidentally drop them. Shaking the empty case a little, I could hear the lid rattling; not a good sign. Flimsy! Dropping the case on a hard surface would most probably break it.

After unpacking, the next move is obviously to fully charge the buds and the built-in battery of the case. While the USB charger was doing its thing, I checked the instruction manual with a microscope (yes, the font size is that small) and downloaded the Jabra Sound+ app in order to update the buds' firmware to the latest version. Not bad, what I had read, getting ANC through a firmware update!

Soon enough the charging was done. I fired up the Jabra app and connected the buds.. No, I take that back! The app did not find the buds at all. What the heck! I read the instructions again, tried again, then checked the Reddit thread about folks having the same problem, tried again, did everything suggested by Jabra to remedy the situation, reset the buds, tried again.. Nope. No luck - and I was feeling slightly tired of the whole thing by now.

For a while, I just set aside my Jabra app woes and tried the buds with default settings and the old firmware. They felt comfortable in my ears even though I'm a bit wary of jamming any small pieces of equipment deep into my ear canal (came to think of the TWiT AllAboutAndroid co-host, Ron Richards, who had the in-ear tips of his buds get stuck in his ears while on a plane - yes, a very bad experience). The audio was okay and so was the BT connection; however, if the right side one - the 'master' bud - quits, all you have is a pair of pricey so-so functioning ear plugs. This master-slave arrangement in expensive in-ear buds like these sucks big time!

The Jabra 75t buds do block out some of the ambient noise but the talk of 'passive noise cancellation' bugs me big time; it's all about the good old ear plug effect and has nothing to do with any kind of noise cancellation! Are these extremely good ear plugs, then? Nope, the old cheap standard issue that expands in the ear is way better. Then, what about the size of the buds and them protruding from the ears? Well, Jabra sure is way better in this respect than the Sony I tried; the buds are small and don't stick out of the ears very much (but more than I'd like, anyway).

The battery life of the Jabra buds is a mystery to me. After a couple of days, the left earbud - the slave - would occasionally run out of juice even though the phone reported almost full battery level for Jabra. Then it became clear to me that the 'slave' bud wasn't charging at all, since I got the power off voice prompt right away after inserting the buds in my ears. The 'master' bud kept soldiering on, even though it started frequently dropping the BT connection. Is this an issue that has been addressed by new firmware? Who knows.

Okay, back to the stubborn Jabra Sound+ app then. I decided to test one last time, now using my wife's still fairly new Sony phone. I unpaired the Jabra from my Pixel 2, paired with the Sony - no problem there - and then tried the app again: you guessed it, no connection with the buds. Sigh. It seems there is something badly wrong here and whatever it is, it's on the Jabra side.

Using the Jabra Elite 75t without the companion app is not an alternative. Not only would you miss the 'software ANC' through the firmware update but also all future fixes. There are also tons of other settings that can only be accessed through the app. The 'slave' bud not charging is, of course, a disaster and so is the buds dropping the BT connection. To sum up: these earbuds I bought are total garbage. Was I unlucky to get defective gear? I have no idea but I have already returned the buds and will steer clear of Jabra products in the future. 

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Sangean MMR-88: A Cranky Radio

It's cranky alright - and you really can crank some emergency power into this thing

I do like analogue technology - perhaps just because almost everything seems to be in the digital domain these days. The good old radio broadcasting is still alive and kicking in Sweden, even though the young folks barely seem to know what it is.

Even though the days of the old fashioned radio are probably numbered, there are situations where the age old tech beats its digital counterpart. Some of the plus points:

• Proven, robust tech
• Good coverage (in many countries)
• Inexpensive end user equipment
• No internet connection needed!

In case of a major emergency, analogue radio broadcast is still the straightforward way of reaching many people - completely separate from digital networks that can always be messed up by hostile actors, from anywhere on the globe.

The Sangean MMR-88  - Survivor(!) - is marketed as an emergency FM/AM radio and the tiny piece of kit definitely has features that underline this description: hand crank dynamo as an alternative power source and a solar panel being the foremost ones. Hey, I almost forgot - the radio has the bright yellow 'emergency kit' color as well! However, the color does not equal full protection from rain or rough handling; an unlucky drop from a moderate height to a hard surface would probably break the (non-rubberised) main plastic shell. Is this thing the Survivor? Not quite sure about that..

The radio has good reception and surprisingly good audio quality from the tiny speaker. The crank works as advertised for emergency power and the tiny solar panel seems to give the battery enough boost to keep it powering the radio for most of (preferably sunny) days. 

My main gripe - apart from the lack of good protection from the elements and the weird format of the replaceable battery - is the large on/off button, on top of the unit, for the built-in flashlight. It's great to have a flashlight but the big button will invariably be pressed accidentally when traveling! The result: no battery power when it's time to get the radio out of the bag or the innards of the kayak. This is a stupid design flaw and, obviously, I had to make an advanced modification of my own to correct the situation.

I have earlier put together a more detailed summary of this Sangean radio - you'll find the GoogleDoc here - and, for the most part, I like this tiny unit. Pretty Cool but there's definitely also room for improvement.

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Pro Home Cooks: Go Sour Dough - yeast is BS!

Neither me nor my wife - she is the LaplandCrossoverCuisine Chef, by the way! - are anything even remotely close to devoted YouTube fans but every now and then we do stumble on some really great stuff there. This is one of the gems: the holy grail for everyone singing the praise of sour dough bread (or the LCC crazy exquisite, mind blowingly yummy sour dough Nordic rolls - with a twist!). Putting it plain, the way Mike Greenfield does: don't trash your sour dough starter! However, I'd like to modify his statement ever so slightly: don't you dare thrashing your sour dough stater!

Just like MikeG, we love our sour dough bread, for the obvious reasons: it's good for you, no BS yeast needed because it would just mess things up - and the taste & crust is just so super good that nothing else comes even remotely close. We have been baking our own bread since the dawn of time and sour dough bread for many years. However, just like Mike says what he used to do: yes, full disclosure - we have also been thrashing our excess sour dough starter but no more!

Does it really turn out that good, making (almost) instant 'pancakes' out of the sour sour dough starter? We were a bit sceptical but, of course, we had to try it out. Not that we did it exactly the way Mike played it - instead, the Chef also used some other toppings - but my oh my: the result was just crazy delicious! The texture, the mouthfeel, the savory taste.. This is quite simply a perfect appetizer or snack, easy to modify the way you want it, to be enjoyed with some dipping sauce and perhaps a drink of your choice. Whoa! Perhaps we won't be eating this stuff daily, like Mike does, but pretty often for sure :)

I have been watching some of the ProHomeCooks videos - and earlier, BrothersGreen -  mainly because Mike has absolutely nailed the delicate mixture of fun but serious and inspiring cooking coaching. The most important part is that he has actually walked the walk, instead of just talking the talk - and his engagement definitely shines through. There are many nutcases making money on YouTube but, luckily, Mike doesn't seem to be one of those guys; it looks like he's more of the opposite kind.    

Thanks for the super tasty pro sour dough (starter) tip, Mike!

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Kayak sailing: An Eventful Afternoon - by Jess Haas

I went kayak sailing on Sunday and it seems I managed to nail my timing perfectly for learning the most in the shortest period of time. I launched from the Marina Del Rey public boat ramp and got on the water about noon. It was high tide and the forecast was for 8-11 knots of wind and that seemed about right except it was coming from the north instead of the usual west/north west. With the winds coming from the north it makes for an easy sail out to the ocean instead of having to beat upwind but is always a bit rougher.

Kayak sailing lunch

I ate my lunch while sailing and it only took about 30 minutes to get out to the breakwater and the entrance to the ocean. At this point you can exit to the north or the south. When winds are high and from the north it can be difficult to exit on the north side due to a strong current flowing through. Exiting to the south is easy but if the winds and current are pushing you south it can make getting back into the harbor difficult.

More wind, more waves

By this time the wind from the west had picked up and the falling tide had created a bit of a current making exiting to the north easy. The water is always roughest directly outside of the mouth to the harbor and today was no exception. I wanted to head up the coast a little bit but 6-7ft waves were coming at me and I didn’t want them on my beam so I pointed in to them to get away from the confused seas around the breakwater. Winds were a steady 10-12 knots but they kept switching between coming from the north and coming from the west/southwest. I turned to the north west and was making a small amount of progress up the coast but I was also moving further out to sea. The waves I was expecting to diminish as I moved away from the harbor mouth instead seemed to be growing. There were actually two different swells happening. One was in the 6-7ft range from south-west and another from the north-west of about 2-3ft with a higher frequency. Sometimes they would add on top of each other and sometimes they would subtract. At one point I noticed a really cool cross hatched pattern of swell on the surface of the water.

A surprise gust

I was much more comfortable beating into the large waves than running before them but I was over half a mile from the beach and didn’t want to be too far from shore so I tacked. The large waves were passing under me with no problem and I was sailing nicely towards shore when winds of 30+knots started coming from the north. So much for the 8-11knot forecast. I needed to be home soon because my wife had plans to go swimming so I decided this was as good a time as any to head back. As soon as I got turned around a nice big 7+ft wave came from my right. I felt a little wobbly but was doing fine passing over it when a 30+knot gust came from my left and I failed to keep the boat upright.

Reentry trouble

This is only the second time I have capsized while sailing and the first time where I felt it was actually from the conditions and not just me doing something stupid in high winds. I have actually been trying to push things to find the point where this would happen and I guess I finally succeeded. My first train of thought when this happens is to stay calm and make sure I am clear of all the lines and in no danger of getting tangled. Twisting around quickly is the surest way to get tangled in a line. I was confident that I was clear of the lines and I had my paddle in my hand which was attached to the boat by my paddle leash so had no problem staying with it. The next course of action was to un turtle it. I reached under the boat and uncleated the forestay and boom vang lines so that the sail wouldn’t fight me when I went to flip it over. Then I lifted the side closest to me, got it to the point where it was about to flip over and it fell right back down. I did this twice then realized I needed to stop and assess the situation.

Autopilot off, brain on

I have righted and reentered my boat while kayak surfing many times without even thinking about it but today autopilot seemed to be failing me. Normally the wind and waves would be pushing me towards the shore but instead the combination of the tidal current and the wind from the north were actually pushing me out to sea. Fun! I had my VHF radio in my PFD like always but had left my PLB at home so no backup if shit really hit the fan and the VHF failed me. I wasn’t very concerned but still those thoughts ran through my head as I turned to why I was having trouble flipping my boat.

For one the waves were pushing it back down when I tried to lift it and I probably would have succeeded if I was on the other side but the truth of the matter was despite knowing better I was just plain doing it wrong. Lifting one side of the boat works fine when in the surf where you can touch the ground but it just causes the boat to slide away from you when you can’t. I know this and that is not how I normally right my boat. I have been avoiding doing too much with my right hand since I hurt my wrist and it seems on autopilot I was trying to flip my boat one handed.

Now with my brain engaged I calmly lifted the side closest to me with one hand and reached under to grab the handle on the opposite side. It flipped over easily like it usually does. I quickly hopped in the boat then realized at some point I had set down my paddle. I followed the paddle leash to the paddle which was luckily right there although I noticed the knot holding the line to it looked rather loose. I have been meaning to figure out a better knot for that so I guess that is a sign that I need to get on it. I hadn’t brought much with and everything still seemed to be secured in place so it seems that I got that right.

Back in the saddle

Now I needed to get my sail back in order. I could have stowed it and just paddled because of the rough conditions but what fun is that? I picked the sail up out of the water and set it loosely on my lap and looked to the lines. I dressed the sheets to make sure they weren’t tangled but the forestay line had pulled out of the cleat. On a bigger sailboat this line would be the perfect candidate for using a stopper knot to keep it from pulling out of the cleat as it can be a pain to retrieve when it does. I figure minimizing entanglement hazards is a far more important priority though and I would rather a line pull free than get snagged on it when my boat capsizes. On the flip side taking more time to get going again after such an episode could result into drifting into dangerous rocky shores, etc… I am not convinced my system is right but as of now I don’t use stopper knots on anything. Luckily it only took me 2 attempts to fish my forestay line out of the water with my paddle and I was quickly sailing towards safe harbor with a 30 knot breeze behind me.

Heading home

As I entered the sheltered waters of the main channel both winds and waves were much calmer. Winds here were back to being from the west and I contemplated throwing the spinnaker up but decided I had enough excitement for my short 2 hour adventure. I sailed at a good pace and was actually drying out a bit when a large 2 masted sailboat overtook me rather close with unreefed main, mizen and a jib flying. It is a no wake zone but sailboats can often get away with a bit of speed and I underestimated just how big of a wake their large boat would make. After getting a bit swamped I pulled over to the dinghy dock to dry off before continuing home. I then sailed on and headed home happy about another successful and educational day on the water.

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Written by Jess Haas and originally published in his Facebook group Kayak and Canoe Sailing February 16, 2021

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Android utility: Gravity Screen

I don't know about you but I've got quite a few apps on my (old!) Android Pixel 2 phone - and, I admit, very few of them are used on anything like a daily basis. Probably I should delete a bunch of the apps on my phone (note to self: do it!). However, there is this one app I use constantly because it's running all the time: the behind-the-scenes utility called GravityScreen.

GravityScreen has been around for many years and it plugs a gaping hole in the software of most Android phones, by automagically turning the screen off when you put the phone in your pocket or when the device is set to rest on a horizontal surface. Actually, I hardly ever need to use the power button of the phone any more. The way I have configured GS, my Pixel 2 also locks almost immediately in both cases so I never need to worry about leaving it unlocked.

There are many additional cool features - and tons of customization options - offered by GravityScreen and one of the most useful ones is its ability to keep the screen turned on as long as you hold the phone in your hand, in upright position. The app detects the very small movements of your hand so the screen never turns off while you are checking something on your phone, no matter how long time you view it.

On the downside - your 'mileage' using GravityScreen may vary, depending on the phone you use and the Android version that's running on it. The latest Android iteration apparently makes it impossible to utilize some features of GravityScreen - for example, the delayed lock doesn't work for me - but the app still ranks very high on my Cool Gear list.

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