I have my stereo directly connected to my computer. Cost almost nothing - line out from stereo to line-in on my computer. Sounds perfect- just bought a couple of cables from Radio Shack. I have a 1972 Dual turntable and a 1978 Marantz receiver - can't beat the sound as it was made for vinyl. Those USB turntables are complete garbage - even the "pro" models. Most cost-effective option is just to connect your stereo (NOT your turntable!!) to your computer. I make near-archival quality recordings and no crap codecs controlling my sound. I have complete control over the sound. To be fair, I record everything in FLAC but the mp3s sound really good - at least better than most mp3s.

I have an Ion and, while I do like it, it is not without its faults.  The number one fault being that a couple of my 45s were not able to be transferred because the turntable has a limit to how far the stylus will go.  On EPs and longer 45s, the record player just stops.  Literally stops.  So, you have a build up of music and then a weird sound and nothing.  I am not complaining too much because it cost me $25 and works well for other 45s and comes with terrific software, but do your homework for a better one.  BTW, I am using it in iTunes on a Mac, which allows you to choose between MP3 and wav files.

ETA:  Mine is obviously not the Pro version, which may be worth the extra $$$

case in point.

@ Mardy - You forgot the importance of doing this naked.  It's really dumb, but if you're cooking this for two, the bonus points live on for days!

Fried Bread Bacon Sandwiches:

To make fried bread bacon Sandwiches you need:

A big ass heavy duty frying pan

Heaps of fatty free range Bacon (streaky bacon recommended)

Butter

Cheap ass bowel cancer causing white bread

Method:

Heat the pan on a medium heat.

Melt a little bit too much butter until it is starting to bubble

Fry the bacon, all of it, stay in the kitchen while frying cause burning your house down while cooking is just plain stupid.

When all the bacon is cooked place the bread in the pan with all the yummy fat and butter.

Fry the bread on both sides, make it all golden and fatty looking on each side.

Combine the bread and the bacon, I throw in some hot sauce cause I'm addicted to hot sauce.

Eat

Die in your early 40's from eating too much shit like this.

Had to post this- The Drunk Guy Slice

You gave me the “drunk guy slice” of pizza: bloated dough bubbles, burnt dick cheese and a few gnarly slivers of mystery meat that probably rolled out of your sister’s pussy after you fucked her this morning. What’s wrong with your life, pizza-Nazi? Do you need a hug? These arms of mine can thaw the icicles off of a polar bear’s asshole. And don’t forget my sweet chin beard, dude. You ruined my whole night with your petty bullshit, do you know that?

-via the stranger

Cheers for this. Ever since you put that photo of them sitting in their jars on Twitter I've been dying to give something like this a go.

Spicy, I'm in!

I'm putting a Kim Chee recipe in Asian foods...

This recipe kicks ass! This is a recipe that belonged to my mom (we always had pickled green tomatoes when I was growing up) that's been spiced up by me. I made these this year and they are INCREDIBLE. By the way, I gave a jar of these to some friends of ours and I don't think they really understood what they were supposed to do with them. My friend said, "Thanks! I should be able to make some good salsa out of these." WTF? SALSA??? Are you kidding me? These are NOT supposed to be used in salsa... these are spicy green tomato pickles. Open the jar, slice 'em up and EAT 'EM (especially good right after dinner)! Pfft... salsa.

10 lbs of green tomatoes (small to medium size)
1 bunch of celery (I used all of it)
6 carrots (peeled)
3 bell peppers (green, red, and orange)
4 jalapeno peppers
1 or 2 habanero peppers
2 cloves garlic per quart jar
About 3 or 4 tsp of pickling spice (more or less to taste) and a few shakes of dill weed per jar

Pull stems and rinse tomatoes thoroughly and dry with towel. Add whole tomatoes to jars, starting with smallest first. Fill up jars as close to top as possible (really cram those suckers in there). Slice up the celery, carrots and peppers into bite-size bits and distribute evenly in quart jars. If you have any tomatoes left over, quarter them and put on top or shove down inside jars as best as possible to fill in any large spaces. Add cloves of garlic, pickling spice and dill weed. Note: I only added the habanero to four of the jars, and six of them had more jalapenos (several slices) than the other six (just two slices each). Don't be afraid to use the jalapenos... they don't make the pickles that hot (just spicier). The habaneros are what really give them some kick, so if you don't like hot/spicy pickles, I'd avoid using them.

Brine (I had to make two batches for all 12 quarts):
2 qts. water
1 qt. white vinegar
1 cup course Kosher salt
2 tbsp dill seed

Boil five minutes, then, while hot, add to quart jars to very top. After filling a dozen quart jars, I had about one pint of brine left over. Cap and seal the jars and put in the basement or a pantry for 6 weeks. Then refrigerate, open, and enjoy!

Dave, thanks for this. So I need to let it rest a bit. I'm going to try this soon.

Wow Mardy, kettle-rice, cool, that way I'd never have to keep washing the rice, nice!

Hey, Mike, just found this-

How to Cook Brown Rice
March 14th, 2007 by Steve Pavlina

Many people have trouble cooking brown rice and having it turn out decently, since it can be more temperamental than white rice. There are also many different ways to prepare it.

Here’s the most efficient way I found to cook brown rice on a stove. It takes about 35 minutes from when you start to when you’re eating (which is pretty good for brown rice). This method works for both short grain and long grain brown rice. I prefer long grain. I’ve eaten hundreds of batches of brown rice using this method over the past 10 years.

Here are the instructions:

Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to 1 cup rice. I normally make 3c rice with 4.5c water for a single batch.
Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes. It’s OK if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less. I prefer my rice to be slightly chewy, not mushy, so I usually remove the lid after 10 minutes.

Eat and enjoy. Be careful when you remove the lid, since a lot of steam may escape when you do.

This works for white rice too.

After the rice is cooked, I normally scoop some into a bowl, and mix it with a little tamari and 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. The sesame seeds add a lot of flavor to the rice. Sometimes I’ll eat it with steamed veggies and blackened tempeh, both of which can be prepared while the rice is cooking.

I put the leftover rice in a plastic container in the refrigerator, which keeps well for several days. Since I don’t use a microwave, I usually just eat the leftovers cold. But when I’m not in the mood for cold rice, here’s another tasty dish I make from the leftover rice:

In a small pot, add 1 teaspoon of oil, and heat it for about 1 minute on medium heat. I prefer dark sesame oil because it adds a lot of flavor. Canola oil works well too.
Add some chopped veggies to the pot, and sauté them in the oil for a few minutes. My favorites are onions, green onions, and bell peppers (any color).

Once the veggies are cooked, scoop in some of the leftover brown rice. I like to use 2 parts rice to 1 part veggies. Mix it well with the veggies.

Reduce the heat slightly to medium-low, and cook the rice/veggies for 3-4 minutes until the rice is hot, stirring about once every minute.

Pour in a little tamari to taste, and mix it with the rice. Cook for another minute to sear in the flavor.

Turn off the heat. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds.
Eat and enjoy.

I hope you find these recipes helpful. Brown rice became a staple of my diet after I studied macrobiotics during the mid-90s, and I eat it almost every week. I find it a great food for endurance activities.

30-Minute Seasoned Sweet Potato / Yam Fries (Baked Not Fried)

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 dash white pepper

Directions:

1 Scrub the sweet potatoes and leave the skin on (best part.).

2 I like using a french fry cutter (it works sort of like those apple corer/slicer things) for this but if you don't have one, just use a knife to cut the potatoes into shoestrings.

3 Put the raw fries into a mixing bowl, and pour in the olive oil. Toss well to coat.

4 Add the seasonings and toss well again.

5 Arrange the fries on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for 10 minutes.

6 Turn the fries with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes.

7 Blot any excess oil with paper towels, serve, and enjoy!

Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa (It's not hot)

One of my favorite things about a taqueria is the salsa bar. It can be overwhelming with so many different flavors and colors to pick from. But today were are going green here at the Green Wine Guide with this salsa verde. Enjoy this salsa on your favorite tacos, or with some blue corn tortillas, and nicely chilled Pinot Grigio. 16 tomatillos
1 large avocado
1 red onion
2 limes
1 serrano chile, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

1. Peel and dice the red onion. Really, any onion will do for this recipe. I just chose red for the color. It really pops against the green of the tomatillos and avocados, right?

2. Clean and dry the tomatillos. If you haven't cleaned a tomatillo before, they are kinda gross and sticky (yet, so tasty!). Peel away the outer leaf and let them soak in warm water for 10 minutes. It helps if you add some vegetable cleaner. It makes washing off the sticky layer a lot easier. Puree them in a food processor until salsa-like.

3. Half and pit your avocado. See our instructions on how to do that here. Then cut the avocado into large cubes.

4. Combine the onion, tomatillo puree, avocado, serrano chiles, cilantro and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Stir just enough to mix.

5. Juice the limes and mix. For some extra tang, you can add lime zest to the dish too.

Roasted Red Beet Hummus

Nothing quite tops the rich red and burgundy of a red beet. Whether it be in raviolis or this hummus recipe, they just add so much to a dish, visually speaking. Enjoy this dish with a chilled glass of Pinot Blanc.

2 medium-sized red beets
1 cup of chickpeas
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
1 meyer lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

1. Wash and trim the red beets and then wrap them in tinfoil. Place them in baking dish with 1/8 inch of water and roast them for about an hour at 375 degrees.

2. In a small sauce pan, add two tablespoons of sesame seeds and just enough olive oil to coat. You don't want to dominate the sesame seed flavor with olive oil.

3. Cook them over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or as needed. When the mixture looks like the photo below, remove them from the stove.

4. When the red beats are fully cooked (you can tell by poking them with a knife) then remove them from the oven and let cook. Once cooled, peel them and cube them.

5. Add the following ingredients to your food processor: the cup of chickpeas, the two tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds, the roasted beets and a pinch of salt.

6. Add 1/2 of the lemon juice to the mixture and puree it. Add more lemon as needed.

7. Salt to taste and serve. Enjoy!

Wow Mike, that is too smokin'! It's got basically everything I love- beans, garlic, onion, heat, and a freakin' Portobello, can't wait to try it! I love the meatiness of Portobellos, the best burger I've had in Portland was flame-broiled w/ Portobellos. Sa-weet!

Have you ever used smoked chili paste, adobo, that's it!, to sweeten a batch of chili?

These recipes are from this site.

Mayan Hot Chocolate

 Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.

2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or
3 tablets Mexican Chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Whipped cream

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

[And I can't find it now, but I've seen a recipe adding a few kernels of cooked corn, for a diff. kind of sweetness.

Yerba Mate  {YURbuh MAHtay}(South American Tea-like Beverage)

FAQ, pretty science-y!

Yerba Mate Recipes

I've seen packages of, I think, Tres Cruzes in grocery stores that have international aisles.

Avocado Shake Recipe (Sinh to Bo)

Indonesians, who may add coffee or chocolate syrup, know it as es apokat. Filipinos prepare it as well, though they make avocado ice cream too. Avocado shakes are also popular in Brazil.

Recipe

Here's another version

Ingredients:
1 cup ice
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
large tapioca pearls

Directions:
In a medium pan bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the amount of tapioca pearls you would want for one large drink. Continue to boil until the pearls float to the top and are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile pulse the avocado, ice and sweetened condensed milk in a blender until smooth. Pour the pearls into your glass and top with avocado drink. Drink with a extra large straw for best effect.

That really is the point!  Garlic is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics and a very effective preservative.  It will protect you from viruses and keep in your fridge for at least 5 days.  Adding a little grated cheddar isn't a half bad idea if you're using it as a dip (or even as soup for that matter). :)

• Cut a lemon wheel in half and stud the white pith between the flesh and the peel with 3 or 4 cloves.
• Rinse out a mug or hot-whiskey glass with boiling water to warm it. This is as essential a step with hot drinks as chilling the glass is with cold ones.
• Add 1 tsp demerara sugar or honey and 1 oz or so boiling water.
• Stir until sugar or honey has dissolved.
• Add 2 oz Powers Irish whiskey (Black Bush, Paddy’s, and Clontarf single malt are fine substitutes), the lemon slice, and another ounce or so boiling water.

{It's a blustery day outside, so I thought I'd throw this out}

yucatan salsa 2

1 small red onion
2 tablespoons fresh sour orange or lime juice
10 ounces ripe tomatoes
6 radishes
1/2 fresh habanero chile, depending on your personal attraction to the “burn”
12 or so large sprigs of cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Very finely chop the onion with a knife (a food processor will make it into a quickly souring mess), scoop it into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off as much water as possible, then transfer to a small bowl and stir in the juice to “deflame” the onion’s pungency. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Core the tomatoes, then cut them crosswise in half and squeeze out the seeds if you want (it’ll make the sauce seem less rustic). Finely dice the tomatoes by slicing them into roughly 1/4-inch pieces, then cutting each slice into small dice. Scoop into a bowl. Slice the radishes 1/16 inch thick, then chop into matchsticks or small dice. Add to the tomatoes. Carefully cut out and discard the habanero’s seed pod (wear rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive to the piquancy of the chiles), mince the flesh into tiny bits, and add to the tomatoes. Bunch up the cilantro sprigs, and, with a very sharp knife, slice them 1/16 inch thick, stems and all, working from the leafy end toward the stems.

Combine radishes, chile, and chopped cilantro with the tomato mixture, stir in the onion and juice mixture, taste and season with salt, and it’s ready to serve in a salsa dish for spooning onto tacos, grilled fish, and the like.

Myong’s Kim Chee (Hot, Garlic-y Pickled Veggies)

1 Daikon radishes (or more)
1 Head bok choi (napa, etc)

2 Carrots; shredded 8 Garlic cloves (or more)

2 Garlic cloves; crushed

1 1/2 cups Sea salt

1/2 cup Flaked dried red peppers*

1/3 cup Fresh ginger root slices*

1 cup Coarsely chopped scallions

1 Japanese horseradishes *

2 cups -water (boiled)

2 cups Rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Sesame seeds

Preparation

Mix all dry ingredients together. Place in a large crockery or glass container that can be sealed airtight. Pour liquids over them, vinegar first. If the veggies are not covered by the liquid add more vinegar…NOT water- Seal jar and place into refrigerator for 2-12 weeks. *** NOTE *** The refrigeration is necessary to prevent spoilage.

Easy Thai Coconut Rice

Coconut rice makes a terrific accompaniment to many Thai and Indian dishes, but it’s equally wonderful with many Western-style entrees. Quick and easy to make, this coconut rice recipe will come in handy for those times when you want to make dinner extra special without going to a lot of extra work. ENJOY! (Note: For coconut rice made in a rice cooker, see link below).
Yield: SERVES 4

Ingredients:

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice (for brown coconut rice, see link below)
2 cups good-quality coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)

Preparation:
For a step-by-step version of this recipe, see: Easy Thai Coconut Rice Recipe. To Make Brown Coconut Rice, see my: Brown Coconut Rice Recipe.

Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will also need a tight-fitting lid.
Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.

Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat. Tip: Your Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more, great for when you’re expecting company!

When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and ENJOY! (see below for toasted coconut instructions). To Toast Coconut: Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir (“dry fry”) until light golden brown (see: Toasting Shredded Coconut.). For a more savory coconut rice, see: Saffron Coconut Rice Recipe (with Spices).

It looks like they've diverted all their beer $$$ into hat purchases.